During what proved to be a busy Labor Day weekend, members of outrigger canoe paddling powerhouse Team Bradley spent two days completing an 80-mile, two-day practice run that spanned from Maui to Oahu with a pit stop on Molokai.

With paddlers from across the state, Team Bradley’s crew members paddle and cross-train individually before meeting up for a handful of practices and races each year.

Following the interisland training session, Team Bradley showed it is nearing peak form by defending its E Lau Hoe race title.

Sunday via a winning mark of 4 hours, 36 minutes and 34 seconds. Outrigger (4:40:13) challenged Team Bradley throughout the race, including taking the lead at one point, and finished nearly four minutes behind the victors, while Hui Nalu (4:50:44) crossed the line third.

“At one point, we were chasing (Outrigger), so it was a battle,” said Kaulu Lu‘uwai, who steered the final leg of the race for Team Bradley, from Barbers Point on, after Lori Nakamura started as the steerswoman. “The conditions were nice out there, but the tide dropped, so the water got a little sticky. It’s important to train in different conditions because you become well-rounded and learn how to maneuver; you won’t always be blessed with perfect weather.”

The victorious crew, which is coached by veteran paddler Kelly Fey, also included Lauren Spalding, Claire Ing, Kristin Foster, Alana Goo, Cherisse Agorastos, Kealani Bartlett, Mahealani Botelho and Andrea Moller.

Lanikai (4:35:11) posted the fastest time of the day in its unlimited canoe named “Nanahope,” however, the result was separate from the times recorded by crews in traditional fiberglass canoes. Unlimited canoes are shaped differently and weigh less than standard fiberglass vessels and are not yet sanctioned across the board in races.

In what served as the penultimate race of the long-distance season, 42 women’s crews from across the state completed the 32-mile trek that started at Maunalua Bay in Hawaii Kai and finished in the waters fronting Nanakuli Beach Park. The women now have a week off to prepare for the Na Wahine O Ke Kai, the 41-mile Molokai-to-Oahu championship race slated for Sept. 24.

Paddlers enjoyed relatively calm ocean conditions, light breezes and small swells throughout the course, which allowed paddlers to focus on and refine their technique. Cloud pockets along the course also provided some shade from the near-90-degree heat.

Team Bradley has won nine of the past 11 Na Wahine O Ke Kai titles, including six straight crowns from 2005-10. The dynastic crew is nearing the level of dominance established by Offshore (California), which also won the race six consecutive times (1986-1991) and raced to victory 10 times out of 11 tries between 1986 and ’96.

“I’ve been with the team for three years now, so for me, (the squad’s historic run) is something I don’t think about because I feel I still need to earn my spot in the crew,” Lu‘uwai said. “All of the women I paddle with are so amazing, tough and inspirational. I just focus on putting it all out there for my teammates.”

After the 2015 Na Wahine O Ke Kai was canceled due to strong winds and treacherous surf that was deemed too dangerous to race in, Team Bradley returned to the top of the paddling realm by winning the race last year by a six-minute margin over Outrigger.

In the final event of the season leading into the Molokai races, the men will compete in the Henry Ayau Memorial Race on Sunday, which follows the same course as the E Lau Hoe. Team Red Bull, Lanikai and Team Primo are favorites to take home the hardware if they choose to participate, but crews from Kailua, Hui Lanakila, Hui Nalu and Outrigger are also expected to contend as well.

The long-distance season consists of four races on Oahu — two men’s and two women’s events — sandwiched between the Queen Liliuokalani event in Kona. The season culminates with the Molokai Hoe (Oct. 8) and Na Wahine O Ke Kai, which are the men’s and women’s versions of the 41-mile Molokai-to-Oahu race often regarded as the sport’s world championship. In distance races, crews are accompanied by motored escort boats and are allowed to substitute paddlers along the way to provide them with breaks.