AUSSIES DOMINATE WORLD-RECORD YEAR AT 2017 MOLOKA’I-2-O’AHU PADDLEBOARD WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

HONOLULU (July 31, 2017) – Sunday was the day! Athletes at the 21st Anniversary Moloka’i-2-O’ahu Paddleboard World Championships (M2O), presented by Kona Brewing Company.

The athletes rose this morning to ideal conditions that created a field that world records could not only be broken but shattered. The channel delivered downwind conditions that reaffirmed the pure magic that only the Ka’iwi Channel can encapsulate.

Travis Grant cemented a ground-breaking victory by winning the men’s unlimited stand up paddleboard (SUP) race in an incredible 3:59:52, breaking the coveted 4-hour barrier. “I never thought SUP could not break 4 hours. I left nothing out there and Connor and I battled – it was hard,” said Travis. I hope this one stands for longer than a year.” Connor Baxter also came in under the record with a time of 4:03:46. Grant’s new record betters Kai Lenny’s record set last year at 4:07:41.

Travis Grant rounds China Walls en route to an incredible sub 4-hour crossing

In the women’s unlimited stand-up division, Penelope Strickland, who had taken some time from training due to medical reasons, started her day without an escort boat until just minutes before the race. What seemed like a tough start, disappeared the moment the race began. Nothing was going to stop Penelope as she dug deep into the perfect conditions, breaking the division record of 4 hours, 52 minutes, and 32 seconds. Previous record of 4:55:02 set by Talia Gangini, was set in 2012.

The men’s SUP Stock Josh Riccio, 28, took the win in 4 hours, 36 minutes and 45 seconds. Michi Schweiger and Bernd Roediger won the men’s SUP stock relay with a time of 4 hours, 23 minutes and 27 seconds with a solid win. Second place was Andrew Logreco and Mo Freitas from Hawaii with a time of 4:31:18.

In the Prone unlimited paddleboard race, Matt Bevilacqua powered to his third consecutive win in 4 hours, 29 minutes, 20. The 25-year-old Australian’s win betters none only than himself from 2016, when he finished the race in 4:29.32.

Matt Bevilacqua celebrates his third consecutive M2O win

Stewart McLachlan dominated the race, bettering his previous record by 3 minutes finishing in 5 hours, 2 minutes, and 43 seconds in comparison to his last’s year win at 5:05:41. Fellow countryman Lachie Lansdown finished second at 5:08:13.

Australian Ironwoman champion Harriet Brown, stepped into this race for the first time and delivered a world record breaking performance by finishing with a record time of 5 hours, 14 minutes, and 31 seconds. The previous record held by fellow Australian Jordan Mercer was 5:22:31.

20-year-old Maddison Spencer took home a first-time victory in her first M2O, coming in at 6 hours, 6 minutes and 24 seconds. Paddleboarder Kanesa Duncan from Hawaii continues to hold the stock record of 5:53:49 set in 2004. Switzerland’s Siri Schubert took home the women’s SUP stock title with a time of 7:10:02.

There was nothing but talent on the team divisions today. The finish line saw two eighteen-year-old phenoms, Hunter Pflueger from Hawaii and Matt Delahunty from Australia edge out former M2O World Champions Brad Gaul and Kendrick Louis with a time of 5 hours, 17 minutes, and 27 seconds to the veteran’s time of 5:18.35.

M2O’s valued partners include: Kona Brewing Company, Hawaii Tourism Authority, Dukes, Patagonia, Garmin, Futures, Blue Rush, Dr Danger, Futures, WND & WVS, Dot Vision, Ocean Paddler, and Stand Up Paddle Magazine.

ABOUT THE MOLOKAI-2-OAHU PADDLEBOARD WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Founded in 1997, M2O is an open-ocean endurance paddleboard challenge, featuring racers in both the prone and stand-up (SUP) disciplines. Connecting the islands of Moloka’i and O’ahu, the 32-mile race crosses the Ka’iwi Channel, also known as the Channel of Bones. Men and women face challenging conditions as they navigate the fastest downwind route over one of the deepest channels in the world. Top athletes typically complete the crossing in less than five hours, riding mid-channel waves that can crest more than 12 feet and carry paddlers hundreds of meters. The race starts on Kaluakoi Beach on the north shore of Moloka’i and finishes in Maunalua Bay on the south shore of O’ahu.