HONOLULU (KHON2) – It has been almost 35 years since a koa canoe won first place in the Molokaʻi Hoe.
That could change this weekend as Team Shell Vaʻa of Tahiti prepares to race in a new koa canoe built by master canoe maker Sonny Bradley.
Bradley’s newest canoe was recently blessed in a ceremony filled with emotion and pride. The blessing marked the start of the canoe’s journey, but the process to build it began more than seven years ago.
Bradley said he found a fallen koa log and felt something special about it. “I said, you know, the log is asking me to make a canoe out of it,” Bradley said. “I was going to walk away, but I said no, I’m going to take this log and make a beautiful canoe.”
The process took years and required patience. “The wood will let you know when it wants to go because it’s drying and curing,” Bradley said. “Every canoe has its own mana. It’s in a way that when you start working, you have a feeling.”
For Bradley, this canoe may be his last. He said he hopes it inspires future generations to continue the tradition of koa canoe building.
“We made this canoe and we hope we can break the record by crossing the channel with a koa canoe instead of fiberglass,” he said. “Now we have one, and I think we’re going to do really well with it.”