In most cases, bringing together 10 paddlers from four islands to compete in the year’s most important race with limited practice time and team preparation would spell disaster in a sport where timing and a blended effort are vital for success.

For Team Bradley, an eclectic mix of world champion athletes with Olympic appearances and world championships in multiple water sports to its members’ credit, the aforementioned situation is actually the crew’s formula for success.

They hold a bond that veteran crew member and accomplished individual champion Lauren Bartlett describes simply as "magic."

Team Bradley hopes to rekindle that magic today for the 32nd annual Na Wahine O Ke Kai, the 41-mile women’s outrigger canoe paddling race that stretches from Molokai’s Hale O Lono Harbor to Waikiki’s Duke Kahanamoku Beach. The event is considered the world championship of outrigger canoe paddling, and is expected to feature more than 80 crews representing the United States, Tahiti, Australia and New Zealand.

Five-time defending champion Team Bradley — an experienced group of paddlers hailing from Kauai, Oahu, Maui and the Big Island that bears the name of outrigger canoe maker Sonny Bradley — will look to extend its streak tomorrow. The team holds the record in the event at 5 hours, 22 minutes and 5 seconds, which it set in 2008, and carries the bull’s-eye for the field of crews looking to upend the race’s perennial favorite.

"We’re a motley crew. We don’t have matching shirts until race day," said Bartlett when describing Team Bradley’s ability to incorporate 10 individual talents into a seamless blend. "Our bond is even stronger. We’re really good friends and we spend time together year-round. It’s really important that you enjoy what you’re doing, win or lose."

With a victory today, Team Bradley will tie OffShore Canoe Club of Newport Beach, Calif., for the longest winning streak in the race’s history. OffShore claimed six straight wins from 1986 to ’91, thanks in part to a crew that included Olympic-caliber paddlers who raised the bar in regards to the event’s competitiveness and overall quality.

"At the end of the day, we race because we love racing and being out in the channel," said Bartlett, when asked if the pressure of defending the title has created any adverse effects. "I’ve raced and come in fourth-to-last, but finishing and crossing that line was still amazing. To see the sport and this race being embraced by so many different cultures and countries, we’re very lucky."

Bartlett also has the support of her husband, Kai, a member of Team Primo, the favorite to challenge Tahiti’s Shell Va’a in the Molokai Hoe — the men’s version of the Molokai-to-Oahu race — on Oct. 10. The pair owns numerous one-man canoe paddling titles, and, in addition to their individual successes, both have strong odds of bringing home the hardware in their upcoming team races.

"It can make you crazy, but we’re both really supportive, and it’s a good team," said Bartlett of the unique situation. "When he doesn’t have a good race, I’m bummed. I know how important racing and training are, and we’re very supportive of each other."

The Waikiki Beachboys posed the greatest threat to Team Bradley’s winning streak last year, and are poised to contend for the title, thanks to another year of intense training and experience.

Waikiki — last year’s Na Wahine O Ke Kai runner-up — won the final long-distance tune-up of the season, claiming a second consecutive victory in the E Lau Hoe race on Sept. 12. The 32-mile event, which stretched from Maunalua Bay to Nanakuli Beach Park, solidified Waikiki’s status as a serious contender and gave the crew a chance to shore up any technique or crew rotation issues while also noting what other contenders have to offer.

"I don’t know if it gives us much momentum, but it gives us confidence knowing that the potential is there," said Waikiki head coach Sean Monahan. "Team Bradley is a bunch of super nice girls who have been paddling together for years and have some great paddlers. It would be fantastic to win Molokai as a club."

Waikiki fell short of Team Bradley by 1 minute and 22 seconds en route to its runner-up finish last year, and finished nearly 5 minutes ahead of third-place finisher Hui Lanakila — a significant gap in a race of such great length.