Following his keynote speech focusing on “Paying Aloha Forward” during this week’s Global Tourism Summit at the Hawaii Convention Center, former local sportscaster turned ESPN “SportsCenter” anchor Neil Everett was asked about the potential for mainstream exposure of sports like canoe paddling and surfing.

Everett answered frankly, reminding the audience that, on a national stage, the “core four” professional sports of football, basketball, baseball and hockey dominate the national slate of coverage, while he’s able to sprinkle in some Hawaii sports happenings throughout broadcasts. The former Hawaii Pacific University sports information director was optimistic, though, in mentioning that if lesser-known sports continue to produce dynamic champions and memorable events, the mainstream audience will gravitate toward what the 50th State has to offer.

When canoe paddlers from across the Pacific take part in the Hawaiian Airlines Na Wahine O Ke Kai on Sunday, the prestigious race will provide an opportune window for a potential worldwide audience to see the sport’s top crews compete on the ultimate stage.

“Women’s canoe paddling doesn’t get that much hype, but it doesn’t bother us because we paddle for a deeper reason,” said Lauren Spalding Zukevich of Team Bradley, who has completed the Molokai-to-Oahu crossing every year but one since 1996, and also has traversed the Kaiwi Channel numerous times in one-man vessels. “We love going across the channel together, and we have a huge support system, from our friends and family to sponsors.”

She explained that the crew continues to gain valuable sponsorships that help the paddlers financially and through products that assist with performance and trimming the bottom line. For instance, Team Bradley is sponsored by Taro Brand, which provides poi; Olukai outfits the squad with slippers; Keanon affords the team sunglasses; and Michelob Ultra provides beer for post-race and team functions, to name a few.

“It’s such a positive to be supported by so many great companies, and it’s great for the sport that businesses are recognizing paddling as something to give back through and to recognize such an important part of Hawaii’s culture,” Spalding Zukevich said.

By fielding a talented crew composed of paddlers from across the state, Team Bradley rarely practices together as a team. The squad makes up for the lack of group training by working out on one-man canoes and cross-training under the guidance of coach Kelly Fey. By sticking to the rigorous program, the team continues to compete at an elite level despite actually paddling together on a limited basis.

“Our team is so unique in a sense that we train on our own and come together to train, sometimes going 70 miles in a weekend,” said Spalding Zukevich. “But, during the week, we’re all hammering it out on our one-man canoes. And, we’re all really good friends. At most clubs, people paddle together because they’re part of a program. We’re just lucky enough that we love each other, have fun and remain competitive.”

While the outcome of any Molokai-to-Oahu race is difficult to predict, Team Bradley and Outrigger Canoe Club are expected to lead the pack throughout the 39th edition of the 41-mile race. Competitors take off from Hale O Lono Harbor, Molokai, and end up at Duke Kahanamoku Beach fronting the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Waikiki.

The race is slated to get underway at 8 a.m., with the first canoes scheduled to finish around 1:30 p.m. This year’s collection of 60 crews includes paddlers from Hawaii island, Maui, Oahu, Kauai, California, Australia and Japan.

“We’re so blessed, and you never expect this level of success; it’s so much more than a race to us,” said Spalding Zukevich. “It’s an amazing journey that you spend the year preparing for. Our friends and family know that they’ll see us after September as we focus on paddling. It’s an awesome sacrifice that we make, but we enjoy every minute of it together, and have a huge support system.”

As defending race champion, Team Bradley has claimed nine of the last 11 titles — including six straight crowns from 2005 to 2010 — and set the current race record time of 5 hours, 22 minutes and 5 seconds in 2008. With a win on Sunday, the dynastic crew will draw even with the dominant precedent set by Offshore (Calif.), which also won the race six consecutive times (1986-1991) and was victorious 10 times out of 11 tries (1986-1996).