Molokai Rooted Opens Mud Bog Season

Photo by PF Bentley

By Léo Azambuja

Following on the tracks of last year’s first mud bog on Molokai after a 35-year break, the Alcon ‘ohana is going way past the extra mile this year by holding four events. The first mud bog of the year was on Valentines’ Day, drawing a slightly larger crowd than the 2025 event.

“Our mud bog last July was a successful event, so we wanted to bring more races here for 2026,” Hana Alcon said, adding the organization decided to limit the Molokai Rooted, the first event of the year, to local racers to get them comfortable against off-island racers in the following events.

Photo by PF Bentley

The locals-only mud bog in Hoʻolehua Feb. 14 had 32 vehicles competing, with many of them competing in two race divisions, such as in the Unlimited Over or Under 3000 and the Modified V8, Alcon said. “So, the spectators got to enjoy some vehicles more than others because they were in dual categories.”

Last July, 29 out of 40 vehicles competing were from Molokai. Besides the increased number of local vehicles this year, the crowd was larger than the estimated 2,000 people in last year’s races. Additional bleachers were installed alongside the twin mud tracks and there were two or three rows of large pop-up tents lining up the spectators’ area. There was a total of 48 races.

“I was amazed at the turnout this time around,” Alcon said. The kids really enjoy the races, and became fans of the vehicles. “They remember the names of the vehicles more than the drivers, but that’s what it’s all about.”

A few of the vehicles were brought back from the old days of mud-bogging on Molokai. Perhaps the most iconic bogger from that era is a pink V8 Jeep CJ7 named Midnite Burner, originally built by Alcon’s father-in-law, Bobo Alcon, in the 1980s. 

Brought “back to life” a couple years ago, the Midnite Burner is still the same car, but it now sports a fiberglass body, lighter and slightly longer than the original body. The iconic bogger is one of the motivations for the Alcon ‘ohana to organize the races.

“Pretty much everything revolves around that one,” Hana Alcon said of the Midnite Burner.

Photo by PF Bentley

In one of the most anticipated final battles of the day, Kolu Tancayo drove the Descendant, a rebuilt Chevy S-10, to win the Unlimited Over 3000 final against the Midnite Burner, driven by Kahanu Alcon, Bobo Alcon’s grandson. This particular battle transcends generations; Tancayo’s father, Lance Tancayo, drove a Chevy Blazer called Yahoo! against Kahanu Alcon’s grandfather more than three decades ago.  

Hana Alcon said the races were held on Valentines’ Day to honor her tutu, Thelma Alcon, who passed away three years ago. She would have turned 91 on Feb. 14, so all the volunteers wore purple, her favorite color. 

The races started at 8:30 a.m. and lasted until 4:30, with a few breaks for the vehicles to cool off before going back on the mud tracks. It had rained in Hoʻolehua during the week, and the light drizzle in the morning kept the tracks quite watery. “Eventually, it kind of thickened up as the day went by,” Hana Alcon said. In the afternoon, the winds picked up and the skies cleared quite a bit, creating a perfect playfield for the boggers. 

She said the main reason her husband, Kamaile Alcon, wanted to bring mud bog events back to Molokai after so many decades was to give the local community the experience of seeing the races without needing to fly to another island. He also knew many on Molokai who wanted a chance to race on the mud tracks. Many of the racers, Hana Alcon said, had parents who used to race back in the 1980s.

Besides the ‘ohana family participating in the event’s planning and operations, there were about 100 volunteers helping out. 

“It’s definitely a family-organized event,” Hana Alcon said. “In the weeks and months leading up to it, and at the event itself, it is all managed by the family, and then we reach out to friends and family to help us to volunteer.” 

The next mud bogs this year are planned for April, July and October. Visit @molokaimudbog on Instagram for more information.