HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - History was made Sunday in a storied race from Molokai to Oahu.
As Ihilani Vaa took first place and became the first team from Tahiti to win the coveted Na Wahine O Ke Kai World Championship.
The crew crossed the Kaiwi Channel in five hours and 51 minutes.
The team consisted of a mix of Tahitian and Hawaiian paddlers, including Donna Kahakui, who won this race with Outrigger back in the 90s.
The crew of the Ihilani beat out 72 teams through the channel, including the five-time reigning champions in Team Bradley, who finished just minutes behind them.
“So for this one to just be able to hold on and we held on together, it was amazing, you know, shout out to Bradley who kept it real,” Kahakui said. “This is showing them that Tahitians can change in Tahiti. The