02/22/2026
Recently, our paddling ʻohana said goodbye to one of the true pioneers of women’s ocean racing — Dr. Sharon “Doc” Bintliff.
Doc was part of the winning crew of the very first Na Wahine O Ke Kai in 1979 — a crossing that forever changed canoe racing and proved to the world that women belonged in the Kaiwi Channel.
Those early wahine didn’t just race…
they challenged decades of doubt, broke barriers, and opened the channel for every woman who has followed since.
Off the water, she carried that same courage into her profession. An emergency physician who also cared deeply for keiki and families at Kapiʻolani and throughout Hawaiʻi, Doc stood among the early generation of women doctors in the islands — earning respect in spaces where women were still fighting to be seen and heard. She later continued her service as a medical leader in rural communities, dedicating her life to caring for others.
Whether in the canoe or in the hospital, she lived a life of service.
She continued paddling across generations — even racing Masters years later — a testament to her lifelong commitment to the sport and the people within it.
Because of women like Sharon:
the start line grew,
the finish line widened,
and an entire culture of wahine ocean athletes was born.
Every crew that launches from Hale O Lono today paddles in the wake she helped create.
Rest easy, Doc.
Your wake will never fade.
Aloha ʻoe.
