HONOLULU (KHON2) -- The Molokai Hoe started more than seven decades ago and in that time, the sport and race have changed quite a bit. Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news This year, Molokai Hoe celebrated the 72nd crossing of the Kaiwi Channel and a lot has changed since the race first started in 1952. Paddler Ronald Kimball was born and raised on Molokai. Now in his 70s, he recalled what the races were like for the community back in the day. Community raises concerns as Molokai Hoe nears "When I was a little boy, I remember clearly going down to Kawakiu and it was so epic because we could go down to the west end. Molokai Ranch shut down the west side," Kimball shared. He said they blocked access to everyone except ranch employees, so residents were not allowed to go to any of those places. "All of a sudden, there's this canoe race. As I was growing up afterward, you look forward to the race because you could go to the west side and they go to Hale O Lono because it's kind of mythical in this area because you couldn't go down," he added. "The whole island would migrate down to Kawakiu or later on, Lono, and it was a big party. They would even take the whole Aloha Week court down and build a stage and everything. It was a huge event," said Penny Martin, Molokai paddler. Feelings about Molokai Hoe started to shift for some in the community when the Aloha Week Festivals disappeared from the races and after areas like Hale O Lono were opened to the public. Molokai Hoe expo kicks-off bringing paddlers from around the world together "Now that you can go down there and you know it's public right way, it's not an event where you look forward to going down because you can go down there now. Anybody can go down and do anything," said Kimball. Kimball said equipment and technology have also altered the races dramatically since his first crossing in 1969. "When I did the channel for the first time when the canvas didn't fit, we literally had sticks put in. You know when we cover the boat, we had a hoop, put the canvas over it and we pound in a koa boat to hold the canvas down. We literally pound it in the koa boat," Kimball added. There are also fewer koa canoes in the races. Canoes nowadays are much lighter and in some cases, hundreds of pounds lighter. "They got everything nowadays. Paddle, paddle technology, you see we used to paddle with this big, you know, now get carbon fiber," he said. Find more Hawaii, Oahu, Maui and Kauai news here Top-of-the-line gear is not cheap and it often gives crews that can afford it an advantage. Many Molokai crews share equipment and do not have the same resources as neighboring islands and international teams. Through it all, Molokai Hoe remains. It's the original, true test of strength of endurance in Hawaiian canoe paddling.