KAILUA-KONA — Kona is known to be a town of tradition when it comes to sports outings. From Ironman to some of the best fishing competitions on the globe, many of the best athletes journey to the west side of the island to compete for glory.
Furthermore, another paradise pastime is returning to the local sports community this week. The 50th annual Queen Lili‘uokalani Canoe Race, the largest long-distance outrigger race in the world, will take place Thursday through Monday along the west coast of the island. Paddlers of all ages from across the globe — such as the United States, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, Tahiti and Taiwan — will come to Kailua-Kona to compete in single and double-hull races.
“We’re looking forward to sharing our home and community with the paddlers,” race director Mike Atwood told West Hawaii Today. “We’re also excited that countries with previous travel restrictions like Japan, Canada, Australia and New Zealand are coming back.”
The prime-time event of the week will take place Saturday morning in Wa‘a Kaukahi, where men and women will paddle 18 miles from Kailua Bay to Honaunau Bay in a single-hull race. Women and mix in the 50-60+ age division will begin the race off Kailua Pier, and the men, mix open and 40+ division will race their way back from Honaunau to conclude the event.
Such a race involves a lot of coordinating and calculating, as Atwood expressed the challenges of having an infrastructure on shore, having enough safety vessels/official boats to monitor the paddlers and moving the appropriate number of canoes to the starting line.
Nonetheless, Atwood is confident in the organizers’ ability to make it all happen smoothly.
“We’ve got a good overall team working on the waters to support the paddlers,” he said. “Fortunately, we have people who have been doing this for a number of years.”
The event’s rich history dates back to 1972, when the race was originally a one-day training event from Molokai to Oahu that eventually grew into a worldwide phenomenon. Mary Jane Kahanamoku, the race’s founder, created the idea with her husband — which was later approved by the Kai Opua Canoe Club Board of Directors. Initially, only men were allowed to race, but the event opened up to women the following year.
This year, in remembrance of the Maui tragedy, the usual Torchlight Parade on Saturday in downtown Kailua-Kona — which follows after the famous 18-mile men’s and women’s races — will use glowlights instead of the typical torchlights to honor the victims.
An official itinerary of the week can be found here:
Thursday
8-11 a.m. — Historic Kailua Village Cultural Walk (Kamakahonu Beach)
2 p.m. — Race heats begin (Hulakai OC4 Sprint Relay Race)
6-8 p.m. — International Paddlers Reception (King Kamehameha Kona Beach Resort — Lu‘au Grounds)
Friday
9 a.m. – 2 p.m. — Queen’s Race Cultural Fair (Kailua Pier)
10 a.m. – 3 p.m. — Voyaging Canoe Makali‘i Tours (Kailua Pier)
4-5 p.m. — Talk Story
Saturday
Wa‘a Kaukahi (single hull canoes)
7:30-7:40 a.m. — Women’s 18-mile race begins (Kailua Bay)
11:45-11:55 a.m. — Men’s 18-mile race begins (Honaunau Bay)
3:30 p.m. — Award Presentation (King Kamehameha Kona Beach Resort — Lu‘au Grounds)
7 p.m. — Torchlight Parade (Hale Halawai County Pavilion)
Sunday
7 a.m. — Teen (single-hull canoes), Wa‘a Kaulua (double-hull canoes) OC1/OC2 (one/two-person races) (All at Kailua Pier)
2 p.m. — The Queen Lili‘uokalani Canoe Race Lu‘au (Maka‘eo County Pavilion at Old Airport)
Monday
8:30 a.m. — Kapuna Classic (three men, three women per canoe) (Kailua Bay)
