Every year paddlers from around the islands, and around the world, come to Molokai for a big race. In September teams of women come to race the 42 miles across to Oahu, around Diamond Head to Wakiki (in October it will be the men’s turn). Though the finish of the race is glitzy, the start is something else. Carol Green, friend and travel companion, suggested we go see the women off.
We got up at five and drove for some miles down a tortuous red dirt road (thank goodness for our snazzy red Jeep)
arriving at the cove where all 82 outrigger canoes (each with a team of ten women, though only 6 at a time paddle) were sitting in readiness
then the blessing of the fleet
and they begin to head out to the open water where they will jockey for position and all take off at the appointed moment
The winner some 6 hours later was team Bradley…maybe this was the boat…
the TV guy was there
and off they went with the TV copter overhead
leaving behind an empty beach littered with the numerous old tires the boats had been resting on
