Moloka'i Hoe 2019

11/8/2019

The Molokai Hoe had a beautiful morning start. We found a view overlooking Hale O Lono Harbor with the sunlight on the canoes lined up on the beach. The escort boats idled in the harbor. The canoe team members huddled or milled about, little matching spots of color. I created a small painting as the pule (prayer) and last directions were given on the loudspeaker below. The first paddlers began to carry their canoes to the water, and I switched to a larger watercolor paper. Painting during an event requires alertness and quick action. The first paddlers rounded the harbor wall to their starting place. I dropped in their outline and color, adding more and more canoes along their arch to the starting line of buoys that bobbed beyond the harbor. An ocean swell followed the coast, pointing towards Oahu. It was a race on my end too. Speed was important because all could change in an instance, yet precision mattered as well. My brush and water, their paddles in the water, both finding their way. The paddlers lined up along the buoys, and at a signal beyond my hearing, took off for Oahu.

So many people were involved in this race, paddling, organizing, and escorting. They all made this incredible event happen. So, I have done something I rarely do. I have made a limited edition print of it, available here. Were you or a family member involved in the hoe? What is your story of the day? (Tell me below!)