While the projected favorite was noticeably absent, the competition between outrigger canoes on Sunday was as heated as the summer sun beating down on the paddlers competing in the 45th annual Duke Kahanamoku Long Distance Race.

Lanikai Canoe Club emerged victorious, completing the 26-mile course in 3 hours, 1 minute and 49 seconds. Hui Lanakila No. 2 (3:05.32) and Outrigger Canoe Club (3:05.42) provided a challenge for Lanikai early, but could not quite keep up with their Oahu Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association rival down the stretch, instead jostling for position in the top three.

The race featured 44 crews that maneuvered through a course spanning from Kailua Beach, around Makapuu and Diamond Head, to the finish line adjacent to the pier just before the beach fronting the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Waikiki.

Team Primo, which did not participate after competing at the recent World Sprints in Calgary, Alberta, had stood as defending champion after winning the event in 2010 (2:54.36) and again in 2011 (2:53.35).

"It’s always great to win, but we had a falling or slack tide for a lot of the race, so it wasn’t nearly as fun as that run can be," said Lanikai steersman John Foti. "At least there was some wind. There was plenty of bump, but it was sucking up the coast, so it was hard to drop in (and surf on swells); you don’t get a whole lot of sleigh rides. You don’t get any rest — it’s just pure work. It just sucks the juice out of you when you try to chase a bump and don’t get to ride it very far."

Lanikai’s victorious crew also included Jack Roney, Mike Beyer, Aaron Creps, Ka‘ai Bruhn, Manny Kulukulualani, Tapa Worthington, Pat Dolan and Kekoa Bruhn. According to Foti, Hui Lanakila and Outrigger led the race as the crews passed Waimanalo, and Lanikai played catch-up following a slow start.

"The conditions were better than we thought they would be. It was typical: windy and choppy," said Kekai Kamakawiwo‘ole after manning the power seats for Hui Lanakila’s runner-up crew. "There were some nice runners (waves), and we were battling with Outrigger for second and third. It was really competitive. We came from behind and passed Outrigger; they seemed to run out of gas, and we had some adrenaline in us."

Kamakawiwo‘ole’s crew also included: Lehu‘uila No Kalawaia, Adam Treinen-Aea, Mario Mausio, Hayden Ramler, Lokahi Fernandez, Chris Tseu, Anthony Ortiz, Jay Griffin and Victor Agostini.

Sunday’s race marked the beginning of the long-distance campaign, just two weeks removed from the completion of the regatta season. The distance season consists of four races on Oahu — two men’s and two women’s events — followed by the Na Wahine O Ke Kai and Molokai Hoe: the women’s and men’s versions of the 41-mile Molokai-to-Oahu race often considered the world championship of the sport. In distance races, crews are accompanied by motored escort boats and are allowed to substitute paddlers along the way to provide them with breaks.

Team Primo, which races under the banner of Wailea Canoe Club of Maui, set the record for the fastest finish by a crew from Hawaii in Molokai Hoe history last year, but still finished more than 12 minutes behind six-time defending champion Shell Va‘a of Tahiti.

Lanikai stands as Oahu’s early favorite to challenge for Kaiwi Channel bragging rights after finishing roughly 4 minutes behind Team Primo to earn fourth place in last year’s Molokai Hoe. At the Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association’s state championship regatta at Keehi Lagoon on Aug. 4, Lanikai bested Team Primo to win the 1.5-mile senior men’s race in what the Kailua-based club hopes is a positive sign of things to come.

"It’s always nice to have all the gauges and yardsticks that you get when competing with them," said Foti, when asked about Team Primo’s absence. "(The distance races) are just long training runs leading up to the Hoe. It’s not like we peaked during this race, and we’re not going to peak until the Hoe. You don’t get any other better training than paddling with other (competitive teams)."

The women get their first major test of the distance season on Sunday with the annual Dad’s Center Race. The event gets under way at Kailua Beach and wraps up at the Outrigger Canoe Club in Waikiki.