Tahiti's best canoe paddlers have shown that they can compete in Hawaii.

Now, Hawaii's best canoe paddlers want to show that they can compete in Tahiti.

Team Hawaii — a group of elite paddlers from around the state — is aiming to contend with the leaders in this week's Hawaiki Nui Vaa canoe race in Tahiti.

The Hawaiki Nui Vaa is considered Tahiti's top sporting event. It features three separate long-distance races over three days, and is viewed by thousands along the beaches and thousands more on Tahiti television.

"It is an incredible experience," Team Hawaii coach Walter Guild said. "You truly see why paddling is the No. 1 sport over there. Cars are lining the roads to watch, there's hundreds of boats that line up along the race course just to watch the canoes go by."

The first race covers 27 miles and is scheduled for today. Tomorrow's race is 16 miles, and Friday's finale is around 36 miles.

Each race finishes at a different island. The top teams usually have an overall time around 10 hours.

Team Hawaii is hoping for a respectable finish, even if not an overall victory.

Shell Vaa from Tahiti has established itself as the best men's paddling team in the world. Last month, Shell Vaa won the Molokai Hoe for the fourth consecutive year.

"Shell is kind of on their own — I don't know if even any of the other Tahitian teams can keep up with them," Team Hawaii paddler Mike Judd said. "But if we can come close to them, maybe make the top three, or top five, that would be a huge success."

The best a Hawaii team has done in the Hawaiki Nui Vaa is fourth place in 2001. That team also won one of the three races, and remains the only non-Tahiti team to ever win one of the races.

Members of this year's Team Hawaii crew are Kai Bartlett, Mael Carey, Danny Ching, Kekoa Cramer, Scott Gamble, Felipe Gomes, Mike Judd and Thibert Lussiaa.

The team was selected after a three-part tryout process.

"We didn't want to leave anything to argument, so we had actual tryouts this year," Guild said. "And these were the eight guys who did the best."

Gamble, who is traveling to Tahiti for the first time, said: "It was an honor for me just to try out. There are so many good paddlers here in Hawaii. So to make the team and represent Hawaii feels pretty amazing."

Gamble and Judd are from Oahu; Bartlett, Carey, Cramer and Gomes are from Maui; Lussiaa is from the Big Island.

Ching is from California, but he has family roots in Hawaii, and he actually flew in to attend the tryouts. He was also a member of the Team Hawaii crew that placed 26th overall in last year's Hawaiki Nui Vaa.

"This is a really good group Walter has put together," Ching said. "With this group of guys and we have a little bit of luck, we could get top five. Our goal is to compete for the top, but top five or 10 is a realistic goal."

Bartlett, who was also on the Team Hawaii crew last year, said the paddling events in Tahiti are like University of Hawaii football games here.

"People plan their whole day around it," Bartlett said. "Down there in Tahiti, paddling is everything."

There is also a single 25-mile race for women's teams. Hawaii's Team Bradley is entered and considered one of the top contenders.

Paddling in Tahiti is not as popular for women as it is for men. Only 18 women's crews are racing this week, compared to more than 80 men's crews.