Pressed into action for a rare Sunday assignment, Team OPT delivered as the Tahitian outrigger canoe paddling squad that races under the banner of its country’s post office pulled off a Molokai Hoe upset worthy of an “Express” stamp.
Team OPT, representing the Office of Posts and Telecommunications of French Polynesia, upset heavily favored, three-time defending Molokai Hoe champion Shell Va‘a amid sweltering conditions early Sunday afternoon to claim its first Molokai Hoe World Championship presented by the Hawaii Tourism Authority.
“We want to win all the big races,” said Team OPT paddler Temoana Taputu moments after helping his squad capture the Molokai Hoe title.
Team OPT crossed the finish line
in 4 hours, 42 minutes and 2 seconds to best Shell Va‘a (4:44:57) by nearly three minutes — a comfortable margin of victory in long-distance paddling. The winning crew also included Tuatea Teraiamano, Viriura Tainanuarii, Aunuarii Maker, Tuteariimaroura Hoatua, Hitiroa Masingue, Keith Vernaudon, Keahi Agnieray and Narai
Atger.
While it normally blazes out ahead of the competition and adds to its lead as the race goes on, Shell Va‘a ended up sticking with the lead pack this year, and couldn’t overtake Team OPT.
Team OPT avoided disaster as it committed the dreaded “huli,” as its canoe flipped over approximately two hours into the race. Taputu explained that the crew calmly righted the vessel and sojourned on despite Shell Va‘a making up ground amid the miscue.
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“This is the first time for OPT to get the win, and we had all these young guys on my canoe, so it was just incredible,” said the 27-year-old Taputu, who has been paddling since he was 12. “The current was very strong; it’s not easy!”
According to accounts from race officials and paddlers, Shell Va‘a used the leaders’ line of navigation to figure out the best approach toward the finish, but could not overcome the deficit and its usual post-race smiles turned to looks of bewilderment as the Tahitian runners-up came ashore. Shell Va‘a is still the race’s standard bearer, having won 13 of the last 16 Molokai Hoe races in its iconic white canoe dubbed “Lightning.”
The top four finishers hailed from French Polynesia as Popora Te Hoe Mamu (4:50:24) and Rurutu Hoe (4:57:44) also crossed the line under the 5-hour mark. World champion kayaker and canoe paddler Patrick Dolan competed with Rurutu Hoe, a squad that races under the banner of its home island unlike competing clubs that are backed by corporations such as ODT and Shell who employ paddlers.
“This is their NFL or NBA,” said Dolan when reflecting on the importance of paddling and the Molokai Hoe for his Tahitian teammates. “There are a lot of sponsored teams, but this is purely an island team putting what they have together. This is why I continue to paddle.”
Dolan was joined by Rurutu Hoe teammates Taumata Ton Sing Vien, Raiatua Teuira, Paiateuira Tamaititahio, Teuruarii Salmon, Honoura Tuua, Viriurarii Manteau, Hei Moana Mairau and Manu-Hoe Mairau
Wailea Canoe Club (4:58:13) of Maui finished fifth overall as the top Hawaii-based crew, and was followed by Hawaii island-based competitor Keaukaha Canoe Club (5:04:12), EDT Va‘a from Tahiti (5:05:46) and Outrigger Canoe Club (5:05:56), the first Oahu-based finisher.
“It was tough: there wasn’t much wind, a dropping tide, and there was a lot of good competition,” said Wailea steersman Kekoa Cramer of the conditions that favored the Tahitian paddlers who train and compete in similar water. “We knew we were going to have a tough battle and we did, and we’re just happy to have a good race and a good time through the highs and lows.”
The Wailea squad also included Triston Kaho‘okele-Santos, Dane Dudoit, Kevin Dudoit, Nalu Sampson, Alfred Kekoa Santos, Kainoa Tanoai, Chase VonNordheim and Daniel Chun.
The race field for Sunday’s 69th running of the men’s world championship featured 106 crews that made the 41-mlie trek from Molokai’s Hale O Lono Harbor to Duke Kahanamoku Beach in Waikiki. The field included squads from Hawaii island, Maui, Molokai, Oahu and Kauai as well as teams from California, Washington, Australia, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Tahiti.
Light winds, and manageable waves made for relatively smooth conditions throughout the morning and into the early afternoon as paddlers passed through the unpredictable Kaiwi Channel.
Lanikai remains the last “homegrown” crew with paddlers all based within their club to win the championship since accomplishing the feat in 2005.
Shell Va‘a dynastic eight-year run began the next year and included a record-setting the Molokai Hoe effort in 2011, when it finished in 4 hours, 30 minutes and 54 seconds — nearly eight minutes faster than the previous record, which it also held.
Shell’s run for nine straight titles was denied in 2014 when Tahitian competitor EDT Va‘a, which paddles under the banner of a competing energy company, claimed the Molokai-to-Oahu crown. After Shell Va‘a reclaimed the title in 2015 and 2016, Red Bull Wa‘a emerged in 2017 to best the two-time defending champions by 31 seconds as the Kona-based crew blended paddlers from Hawaii and Tahiti.
Shell Va‘a bounced back in 2018 to win its unprecedented 11th title in 13 tries by nine minutes and five seconds ahead of runner-up Red Bull Wa‘a. Shell then racked up win No. 12 in 2019, the final running of the race before its four-year pause, in runaway fashion, besting Team OPT by nearly 13 minutes — a margin that it improved upon last year en route to claiming the three-peat victory.
When asked about the feat of upsetting Shell Va‘a, Taputu chose not to answer — perhaps thinking that poking the bear could make next year’s race even tougher when Shell seeks revenge — and instead exuded a wide grin.
