Some of traditional tasks of participating in the Moloka'i Hoe include delivering water and supplies to your escort boat before flying to Moloka'i, arriving on Moloka'i with rigging equipment, spray skirts and most importantly do not forget the duct tape! Fiberglass spec canoes and traditional koa wood canoes are the only allowed craft in the Moloka'i Hoe. Further keeping with tradition, cotton roping is how the 'iako's (wood crossbeams connecting the ama to canoe pronounced ee-yah-koo) and ama (outrigger, always on port side) are attached to the canoe. When done in traditional fashion, the cotton roping is not only extremely strong it also allows for a natural flex to happen when in rough conditions. It takes a couple of hands to rig properly, as shown here during the initial stages of rigging the 'iako to the canoe.
After four hours, the toll of the constant confused water, sun, swimming, water changes and of course paddling is apparent. Scott Granger downing some pain killers with his drink of choice to get him through the last stretch of the race.
