MolokaBRA: Bringing Brazil’s Downwind Potential to the World — Alexandre Nogueira’s Story

MolokaBRA is more than a downwind competition. Born on the coast of Ceará, Brazil, in 2019, it has grown into one of the most internationally recognized paddling events in the Americas, attracting athletes from around the world to experience the region’s remarkable winds and ocean conditions.

Behind this journey is Alexandre Nogueira, the event’s creator, whose vision helped turn Ceará’s natural potential into an international destination for downwind sports. From its early beginnings to hosting major national and international competitions, MolokaBRA has continued to expand its reach while bringing together athletes, brands and the wider paddling community.

We sat down with Alexandre to explore the story behind the event, the people and ideas that shaped it, and what lies ahead.

And stay with us until the end: we have an exclusive, first-hand announcement from Alexandre himself — the dates of MolokaBRA 2027!

Who is Alexandre, and where does your passion for the sea and paddle sports come from?

In 2015, I discovered Stand Up Paddle through a friend in Fortaleza. I started paddling, got to know the competitions organized by ASUPCE, and gradually met many people involved in the sport.

I have always tried to share constructive opinions for the development of the sport, and when an election for the presidency came up, my name was suggested. As I had management experience in Dentistry, where I had been involved with associations and collegiate bodies, I accepted the invitation, and we were elected together with a group of sports enthusiasts.

Little by little, we brought to ASUPCE the concept that sport can promote health, well-being, citizenship, social inclusion and environmental causes, as well as foster tourism.

Competitions were no longer the main focus, and a collective vision began to guide the association’s direction. As management demands increased, unfortunately, the free time I had alongside my professional work in Dentistry and dental education became increasingly dedicated to planning and managing the work.

But in 2027, I have made a personal commitment to set aside time for what I enjoy most: paddling.

How did the idea of creating MolokaBRA come about? What did you see in Ceará’s wind and sea conditions that made you imagine a competition like this?

MolokaBRA is the result of a great deal of planning. In 2017 and 2018, we organized several events through ASUPCE across the state of Ceará, including the first kayak and outrigger canoe competitions.

These events gained national attention, and we were encouraged to organize a downwind event, since we have excellent conditions for it. After evaluating the national and international scenario of the discipline, as well as mapping the coastline of Ceará, we launched the idea of MolokaBRA in 2018, and the first edition took place in 2019.

The name MolokaBRA comes from the combination of MOLOKAI + BRA, referring to Brazil. It was an allusion to “Molokai in Brazil”, inspired by the Hawaiian downwind races.

Strong and consistent winds — averaging 20 to 25 knots during the high season — aligned with the continent due to our geographical position, combined with the possibility of holding an ocean race in an extremely sheltered area, in a destination already well established for tourism, with hotel infrastructure and an air transport network directly connected to Europe and the USA, certainly positioned Ceará as a destination with great international potential for attracting competitors.

Within Brazil, MolokaBRA naturally became a major attraction, with downwind as its distinctive feature. Today, the best and highest-ranked athletes in national events are present in Ceará.

In 2019, when you organized the first MolokaBRA, did you imagine that a few years later the Paddle Worldwide (PW) formely known as the International Canoe Federation – ICF, would call the Ceará event the “flagship race” of the Americas?

From the very beginning, we placed BRA in green and yellow, the colors of Brazil, in the official logo because we believed the competition could become international, precisely because of the local conditions mentioned above.

This happened sooner than expected, especially because of the remarkable presence of Oscar Chalupsky at MolokaBRA 2021. That year, an initiative by Marcelo Bosi together with Nelo brought Oscar to the event.

In addition to conducting a clinic for Brazilian surfski athletes, Oscar highlighted through his social media, YouTube channel and several interviews in Brazil and other countries the epic and classic downwind conditions in Ceará.

He publicly and emphatically stated at the time that, after paddling in practically every part of the world, he had never seen such perfect conditions for downwind and that Ceará had global potential.

To complete the picture, he also talked about the local hospitality, the warm waters and mild temperatures, coconut water and even Brazilian caipirinha, a regional drink known around the world.

Oscar was a major turning point for MolokaBRA, and we hope to have him back because of everything he represents in canoeing.

In addition to Chalupsky, the presence of the leading names in Brazilian paddling and canoeing, together with influential names from around the world such as Greg Barton, Ilhoha Eychenne, Tupuria King, Walter Bouzan, Marton Buday and others, brought significant visibility due to their global influence.

In the latest edition, 14 countries were represented, with particular emphasis on the presence of the world’s best SUP Foil athletes. Ceará offers a perfect scenario for high performance in this discipline, as demonstrated by the speed records achieved at MolokaBRA itself.

MolokaBRA is now heading into its ninth edition, after welcoming athletes from different continents and hosting state, national and Pan-American competitions, as well as an ICF World Cup stage. What does this journey represent to you?

It represents consistent, planned and well-organized growth, focused on safety and on providing a unique experience for every competitor.

The organization does not aim to break the participant record with every edition. Even though that has happened, our goal is increasingly to offer a different event in terms of hospitality, safety and integration between athletes from different disciplines, while turning the activities taking place on non-competition days into a major networking environment, with workshops, new product launches and discussions about trends in paddle sports and canoeing.

Promoting local tourism, increasing employment and income opportunities for local communities and contributing to the local economy, while also promoting the region’s rich culture, is another one of our goals.

In 2026, the participation of Tahitian guests with demonstrations of the Holopuni Canoe at MolokaBRA — a traditional Polynesian sailing canoe — gave each athlete the opportunity to go out on the water and sail powered by the local winds, reconnecting with the essence of ancestral navigation in the Pacific.

Manuarii Poulain (@manuarii.987) led the outings on the water and was directly involved in improving this version of the canoe. He also led a special conversation about Polynesian culture, sharing knowledge about maritime traditions with the paddlers present.

These activities were a major highlight of the event, through a partnership with Maururu and Viper, respectively represented by our friends Muller Xavier and André Filipe.

On that occasion, we also highlighted the legacy of the local jangadeiro culture — fishermen who bravely go to sea to face the waters and winds of Ceará, and whose tradition is highly relevant to the development of the state of Ceará. Historically, there are also many similarities between this tradition and Polynesian maritime culture.

At what point did you realize that MolokaBRA had become something bigger than the competition you initially imagined?

This growth became more evident when the athletes themselves began considering MolokaBRA the best race in Brazil — a concept that we do not adopt as a general rule.

We understand that people come to MolokaBRA not because of the organization, the beauty of Ceará’s beaches or the exceptional hospitality, but because of the strength of the winds.

The winds are the driving force behind the event’s growth. I usually say that we are not a better race than the many excellent races we have in Brazil, but rather a different one — because of our multi-day format, which creates an excellent environment for integration, leisure and business alongside the competition.

And, of course, because our downwind is considered the best in Brazil and one of the best in the world — something stated by people who have already experienced the world’s main destinations for the discipline.

After everything MolokaBRA has achieved, what is the next dream you would like to accomplish with the event?

From “Molokabrinha”, organized together with FEVAACE and ASUPCE for the local public starting out in downwind, to the inclusion of para-athletes and instructors from local schools, we have some more ambitious dreams.

The partnership with CBSUP turned MolokaBRA into the Brazilian Downwind Championship for SUP, SUP Foil and Paddleboard.

The partnership with CBCa brought the Brazilian Championship and Brazil Cup, as well as the Pan-American Championship and the Canoe Ocean Racing World Cup, respectively, in association with COPAC and Paddle Worldwide.

Continuing to foster the sport at the local level will always be a priority, but we also have some more ambitious dreams and objectives that do not depend exclusively on the local organization.

Bringing a World Championship to Ceará together with Paddle Worldwide (formerly ICF), both for Surfski and SUP, are objectives currently under development, and we hope to achieve them.

And, for the first time, I can announce that in 2027 we may have a major new development for Va’a athletes, the discipline with the strongest presence at the event. It will most likely also become an official competition, but I cannot give more details yet.

We know you are already thinking about MolokaBRA 2027. How can companies become part of this dream and help build the next chapters of this story?

Also, this is a first-hand announcement.

In 2027, we will hold the 1st Brazilian Congress of Paddle Sports and Canoeing Disciplines.

The event will take place alongside the competitions and will provide a space for presentations, debates, technical and scientific discussions involving health, performance, industry and the sharing of experiences.

Even for those who will not compete at MolokaBRA, the event will offer plenty of attractions for participants eager for information and development.

A trade fair will also be carefully prepared to welcome suppliers, manufacturers and representatives of equipment and accessories, turning the event environment into a major hub for business and entrepreneurship.

And now, the question everyone wants to know: when is MolokaBRA 2027?

We are very happy to announce, with ten months in advance, that the next edition of MolokaBRA is already confirmed for September 10–19, 2027.

We are extremely pleased with the number of pre-registrations that have already been made, even before all the details have been announced.

We hope to see each and every one of you at the next edition of MolokaBRA, in Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil, in 2027!

Discover more about MolokaBRA

Want to experience the winds of Ceará and be part of one of the most exciting downwind events in the Americas?

MolokaBRA 2027 is scheduled for September 10–19, and registration information is available through the official event channels.

Molokabra is also currently in discussions with Paddle Worldwide and CBCa regarding the possibility of hosting another edition of the Ocean Racing World Cup in Ceará in November. The dates are yet to be confirmed and will be aligned with the international calendars of our partner organizations.

Follow the event and its organizer to keep up with announcements, preparations and everything coming next.

MolokaBRA
Instagram: @molokabra
Official website: www.molokabra.com.br