Kai Bartlett and wife Lauren Bartlett overcame grueling conditions to emerge victorious in the Steinlager Kaiwi Solo OC1 World Championship race today.

Kai Bartlett won the 32-mile race from Kaluako'i Moloka'i, to Koko Marina, O'ahu, in 5 hours, 12 minutes, 22 seconds.

Lauren won the women's division with a time of 6:03:47.

Strong headwinds and a calm Kaiwi Channel made for a difficult race for all competitors.

"I think it was tougher than everybody expected," Kai said. "The kind of day where you're happy just to finish."

The race is considered the world championship of long-distance paddling for one-person canoes (also known as OC1).

Kai has won it four times; Lauren has won the women's race six times. The Bartletts, who live on Maui, also swept the titles in 2007.

Danny Ching of California placed second in 5:13:35, and Jimmy Austin of Honolulu was third in 5:14:59.

Several paddlers were not able to complete the race, including Tahiti's Lewis Laughlin, who was considered one of the pre-race favorites.