2022 Molokaʻi Hoe canoe race postponed due to pandemic; World Championship in Oʻahu replaces it

The O’ahu Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association is postponing this year’s Moloka’i Hoe race for the health and wellness of the paddlers and to honor the request of the Moloka’i community.

In its place, the club will host an O’ahu-based World Championship Race on Oct. 8-9, 2022.

“The spirit of aloha continues to permeate our Hawai’i communities as we champion making difficult decisions to support one another and carefully rebuild together,” club president Lāpule Schultz said in a letter. “Countless lives and businesses have changed over the last two years of COVID impacts and while we are all eager to return to our beloved pre-pandemic traditions, we recognize that this process takes time.”

The Molokaʻi Hoe is an annual outrigger canoe race that travels about 41 miles across the Kaiwi Channel and between the islands of Molokaʻi and Oʻahu. It has been one of Hawaiʻiʻs largest annual sporting events, drawing participants from around the world.

“While we would very much like to return to the beloved “Moloka’i Hoe” when the time is right, this collective decision reflects our steadfast commitment to put individual and community rebuilding first,” Schultz said.

Information about the planned OHCRA World Championships and celebration of canoe racing will be available in the future at www.ohcra.com.