Big Island Now #25: What’s Your Favorite Water Sport on the Island of Hawaii? : Big Island now

Aug 28, 2023 1:00 am HST

Hawaiian culture is deeply tied to the sea, and this weekend the Big Island community will not only celebrate Hawaii’s last reigning monarch, but also keep the culture alive with a long-distance outrigger canoe paddle race.

On Saturday, approximately 2,500 paddlers from around the world will descend on Kailua-Kona for the 50th Anniversary of the Queen Lili’uokalani Canoe Race. What began as training for the grueling Na Wahine O Ke Kai (women’s) and Molokai Hoe (men’s) – a long-distance paddle race from Moloka’i to the island of O’ahu – is now the world’s largest long-distance canoe race.

Mike Atwood, vice president of the Kai ‘Ōpua Canoe Club, has been paddling for decades. He said that outrigger canoe paddling maintains the Polynesians’ respect between land and sea.

“You can feel the ocean and the sea working for you or against you,” Atwood said, adding that over time you learn to work with the surf.

The article continues below the adThe article continues below the ad

“It feels so smooth and light when the canoe is gliding,” he said.

Without question, Atwood said, the Big Island is a marine community. There are many other water sports that people enjoy and connect with not only for entertainment but also on a cultural level.

The article continues below the ad