As canoe paddlers from across the Pacific prepare to take part in the 40th edition of the Hawaiian Airlines Na Wahine O Ke Kai on Sunday, the prestigious race’s anniversary provides an added layer of historical context as the sport’s top crews showcase their talent and endurance on the ultimate stage.

When Rose Lum first paddled across the Ka‘iwi Channel, the accomplishment went relatively unnoticed. Lum joined 17 paddlers from the Waikiki Surf, Outrigger, Lanikai and Kailua canoe clubs to challenge an 18-woman crew from Healani Canoe Club for a race in October 1975 that became – unofficially – the first crossing between Molokai and Oahu by all-female teams.

Forty years later, the Na Wahine O Ke Kai has evolved into the world championship of women’s long-distance outrigger canoe paddling. According to race officials, when the first sanctioned women’s crossing took place on Oct. 15, 1979, there were 17 crews in the field. This year’s collection of talent is expected to include about four times as many crews (67 registered as of Thursday) featuring paddlers from Hawaii, California, Australia, Canada, Japan and New Zealand.

Mahealani Botelho is Lum’s daughter, and will participate again in “the journey” taken by her mother four decades ago. Botelho is a veteran member of Team Bradley, which is named after canoe builder Sonny Bradley, who crafted and maintains the team’s racing canoe, and features paddlers from across the state.

“It gives me chickenskin — this means the world to me,” said Botelho. “My mom was the first to cross the channel, and it’s such a wonderful honor – words can’t express how special it is to be a part of something my mom and other kupuna started. It’s one of my family’s cultural practices, and every time I get in the wa‘a (canoe), I think of those who came before me and all those who will follow.”

By fielding a talented crew of paddlers from different islands, Team Bradley rarely practices 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 competes at an elite level.

While the outcome of any Molokai-to-Oahu race is impacted by the day’s currents and ocean swells throughout the unpredictable expanse of open ocean, Team Bradley, Outrigger, Team Maui Jim and Hui Nalu are expected to lead the pack throughout the 38th crossing (two races have been canceled due to life-threatening surf and weather conditions) of the 41-mile race.

“We expect to face challenges from a lot of crews out there,” Fey said.

In a potential preview of how tight Sunday’s finish could be, Outrigger tested Team Bradley in the E Lau Hoe race on Sept. 9 in the final full-field long-distance race prior to Na Wahine O Ke Kai. Team Bradley won the 32-mile race from Kailua Beach to Sand Island by a slim seven-second margin over the red-and-white-clad Outrigger paddlers, as both crews engaged in an all-out sprint to the finish line.

Competitors on Sunday 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 expected to finish around 1:30 p.m.

“It’s really spectacular that those crews crossed these waters more than 40 years ago and started this tradition for us,” said Chelsea Bizik, who will help lead Team Maui Jim on Sunday. “It was a men’s sport back then, and now the women can compete at an elite level. It’s all about crossing the Ka‘iwi Channel and connecting the two islands.”

Bizik noted that the Maui Jim crew features seven paddlers, herself included, who were part of the Waikiki Beach Boys crew that claimed the Na Wahine O Ke Kai championship in 2014.

The two-time defending race champion, Team Bradley has claimed 10 of the past 12 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 surpass the dominance of Offshore (Calif.), which also won the race six consecutive times (1986-1991) and was victorious 10 times out of 11 tries (1986-1996).

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 pack by winning the race two years ago by a six-minute margin over Outrigger, and won last fall by five minutes over Outrigger Canoe Club of Australia.

In distance races, crews of 10 women apiece (six in a canoe at a time) are accompanied by motored escort boats and are allowed to substitute paddlers along the way to provide ample breaks and hydration.

The men will compete at the Hawaiian Airlines Molokai Hoe on Oct. 7, and will follow the same course as the Na Wahine O Ke Kai in the final event of the 2018 outrigger canoe paddling season. Defending champion Red Bull Wa‘a from Hawaii Island, Lanikai, Outrigger and Hui Nalu represent the local favorites after strong performances in the long-distance season thus far.