HONOLULU (KHON2) – It has been almost 35 years since a koa canoe won first place in the Molokaʻi Hoe.
From roots to racing: Team Bradley races koa
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.”…