With the winners of the last seven combined editions of the Henry Ayau Memorial Race choosing not to participate on Sunday, the opportunity was ripe for another hungry crew to claim the sought-after championship medals.

Not only did the men from Lanikai Canoe Club cash in with a dominant victory, but they set a race record in the process — a positive sign as outrigger canoe paddlers from across the state and around the world prepare for the Molokai Hoe in three weeks.

Lanikai navigated the 32-mile course spanning from Maunalua Bay in Hawaii Kai to Nanakuli Beach Park in a blistering 3 hours, 24 minutes and 25 seconds — more than seven minutes ahead of the closest competitor within the pack of 52 crews that entered the event. Hui Nalu-Oceania (3:31:46) crossed the line second, while Hui Nalu-Elite Development (3:42:27) took third ahead of Outrigger (3:49:26), which competed in a koa canoe.

New record set

The Henry Ayau Memorial Race record of 3:29:41 set in 2003 by Team New Zealand/Hawaii finally fell thanks to Lanikai’s crew of Igor Sobreira, Jack Roney, Karel Tresnak Jr., Andreas Gaeta, Matt Mench, Manny Kulukulualani, Levi-Jordan Goeas, Cheyne Mench and Nick Foti.

“We spend a lot of time together in and out of the canoe, and we’re really looking to build something special here,” said Foti, whose father John and uncle Jim were part of five of Lanikai’s Molokai Hoe title-winning crews. “Any time you get to perpetuate this sport and my family’s legacy, it’s really exciting. To be a part of a record-breaking run, and to do it as a homegrown team, it was a big day.”

Paddlers endured the sweltering heat throughout the race, while consistent light breezes provided some respite from the sun. According to paddlers and officials on the water, competitors enjoyed steady winds at their backs for most of the race, but the course smoothed out as crews made their way west and flattened out after passing Barbers Point. Hui Nalu took an inside line (along the coast) to take an early lead, but Lanikai used an outside track to eventually take and maintain the lead.

“This was the most fun I’ve had at this race, we surfed most of the way to Barbers Point,” said Gaeta through a wide grin as the crew realized they had established a record.

Added Tresnak Jr., one of the crew’s steersmen: “You can’t beat a day like this. It was the best run we’ve had in these conditions.”

Crews sitting out

Red Bull Wa‘a — winners of the past three Henry Ayau competitions entering Sunday — is based in Kona and spent Sunday training. The crew, which is sponsored by the energy drink known for backing non-mainstream sports and athletes around the world, has high hopes of catching the Tahitians, who have dominated the sport on a global level.

Team Primo, which won four consecutive Henry Ayau events from 2010-13, also did not participate on Sunday. Team Primo, as well as a host of other local crews expected to compete in the Molokai Hoe, raced in Saturday’s Pailolo Challenge, a 25-mile race between Maui and Molokai. Red Bull Wa‘a won the “iron” race in record time, while Team Primo won the traditional men’s open team race.

Team Primo still holds the record for the fastest Molokai Hoe time by a Hawaii competitor, a mark it set at the 2011 race (4:42:59). The squad was formed in 2009 with the primary goal of stopping Tahiti’s Shell Va‘a, the winners of 10 of the past 11 Molokai Hoe races, including a run of eight consecutive titles from 2006-13.

“Other clubs are training hard, so we’re not going to let our guard down,” Foti said. “We’ll celebrate today, and tomorrow it’s back to the drawing board as we keep grinding.”

Preparing for Molokai

Sunday’s race served as the final official tune-up for the 65th edition of the Molokai Hoe, which caps the men’s long-distance season on Sunday, Oct. 8. Crews used the opportunity to shore up strategies and tweak paddler rotations in preparation for the momentous race across the Kaiwi Channel.

“Hats off to Lanikai, they’ve been training like crazy,” said Hui Nalu veteran paddler Jimmy Austin. “Those guys have put in the work it takes to be successful, and they’ve always been hammers.”

The women have the first shot at making the trek from Molokai’s Hale O Lono Harbor to Waikiki Beach on Sunday. Defending champion Team Bradley has won nine of the past 11 Na Wahine O Ke Kai titles, including six straight crowns from 2005-2010, while Outrigger Canoe Club has made great strides and should also contend for the crown. The dynastic Team Bradley crew is nearing the level of dominance established by Offshore (Calif.), which also won the race six consecutive times (1986-1991) and raced to victory 10 times out of 11 tries (1986-1996).