After scaling back plans for the 2021 Queen Lili‘uokalani Long Distance Canoe race, officials on Aug. 11 decided to cancel the Labor Day weekend event.
Billed as the “world’s largest long distance outrigger canoe race,” the event was launched in 1972 to serve as tune-up race to prep paddlers for the grueling distance races from the island of Molokai to Oahu. The race was named in honor of the last reigning monarch of Hawaii, Queen Liliuokalani, and the first race fell on the Queen’s birthday, Sept. 2.
Since those early beginnings, the race has grown tremendously. Kai Opua Canoe Club now hosts over 2,500 hundred paddlers from all over the world including Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Hong Kong, Florida, California and Canada.
COVID-19 put a halt to the 2020 race, but organizers were hopeful they could resume in 2021.
Amid a growing number of COVID cases in July, race officials announced a scaled back version of the race, limiting competition to Big Island paddlers only in the race that was scheduled for this Saturday.
But with the COVID surge overwhelming island hospitals and Hawaii County Mayor Mitch Roth’s proclamation limiting gatherings, the decision was made to cancel this year’s race.
In a media release announcing the cancellation, Kai Opua referred to Queen Lili‘uokalani’s manao in handling a pandemic.
“In honoring our Mo‘i Wahine Lili‘uokalani, we, the members of Kai ‘Opua Canoe club, endeavor to perpetuate her efforts to better the lives of the Hawaiian people. The purpose of Kai ‘Opua Canoe Club’s Queen Lili‘uokalani Long Distance Canoe Race is to honor her birthday, her legacy, and her love for her people and country,” organizers said.
According to organizers, Lili‘uokalani witnessed many illnesses and several pandemics. When smallpox hit Honolulu in 1881, Kingdom Regent Lili‘uokalani summoned her cabinet and made the decision to shut down Oahu, stopping inter-island travel, prohibiting vessels from taking on any passengers, and quarantining the sick. These regulations were so strictly enforced that when they were raised, no cases outside of the area where the sickness first appeared were reported according to the release.
“In striving to do our best to emulate her example, we are saddened to announce the cancellation of this year’s race from Kamakahonu to Honaunau and back,” the Kai Opua board said. “We follow the lead of Queen Lili‘uokalani and feel putting the safety of all paddlers, support teams, families of paddlers, and ultimately the community of Hawaii Island first is the pono action. It is our hope that when we are able to come together again safely, we look forward to being amongst our Paddling Community making the 2022 Queen Lili‘uokalani Race a memorable one for all.”
The race has grown from a one-day event to four days of racing, including OC4 races, double hull, OC1, OC2 and SUP races, in addition to the main event, the strenuous single-hull canoe races, which covers 18 miles between Kailua and Honaunau. The Labor Day weekend festivities also featured a torchlight parade and awards luau.