Results & Replay of the Molokai Hoe 2025 – Team OPT dethrones Shell Va’a

Tahiti’s Team OPT joined the elite list of Molokai Hoe champions on Sunday, conquering the 40.8-mile Ka‘iwi Channel from Moloka‘i to Waikīkī in 4 hours, 42 minutes, and 2 seconds.

The first-time winners ended fellow Tahitian powerhouse Shell Va‘a’s three-year reign, with the defending champions finishing second in 4:44:57.

Team OPT – winners of the 2025 Molokai Hoe

“It’s the first win for OPT — we’re all young guys, and it’s just incredible,” said crew member Temoana Taputu, 27, who began paddling at 12. “Winning Molokai Hoe has always been our dream. But it’s not finished — there’s still more paddling ahead.”

Team OPT overcame adversity when their canoe flipped mid-race, yet they recovered to reclaim the lead. “Shell Va‘a came back close, we fought again, and took the gap back,” Taputu said. “You have to push hard to catch waves — it’s never easy.”

Shell Va’a – 2nd position

Popora Te Hoe Mamu finished third, and Rurutu Hoe, featuring O‘ahu native Pat Dolan as a guest paddler, placed fourth. “Crossing the channel and finishing this race — that’s why I keep paddling,” Dolan said.

With the top four teams all from Tahiti, the race marked total Tahitian domination in Hawai‘i. The first two Hawaiian crews, Maui’s Wailea Canoe Club and Keaukaha Canoe Club, came in fifth and sixth, followed by another Tahitian crew, EDT Va‘a, in seventh. New Zealand’s top team rounded out the top ten.

The victory also capped an incredible streak for Tahitian paddling, as Ihilani Va‘a, another team from Tahiti, won the women’s race — the Na Wahine O Ke Kai — just two weeks earlier.

Live Coverage – Replay – Moloka’i Hoe 2025

Full Results of the 2025 Molokai Hoe