Daunting Hoki Mai Pacific canoe challenge to begin

The causes are worthy, the course is daunting – about 300 miles across a stretch of the Pacific Ocean in a large canoe. It’s the Hoki Mai Challenge, which starts Saturday in Rapa Nui, a territory in the Pacific that is part of Chile and is better known as Easter Island.

The event consists of a canoe voyage in which nine Rapanuis, two Chileans and one Hawaiian seek to raise awareness about the importance of women in the world, urge protection of the environment, and celebrate the union of the islands of Polynesia.