Molokaʻi-2-Oʻahu Paddleboard World Championships Sells Out

April 19, 2024

New 2 Day Race Format July 21-28th 2024

HONOLULU, HI (April 19th, 2024) /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – Molokaʻi-2-Oʻahu Paddleboard World Championships presented by the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority(M2O) is officially SOLD OUT for the 32-mile race across the Kaiwi channel, connecting the Hawaiian Islands of Moloka‘i and O‘ahu. The prestigious race attracts over 250 of the world’s best paddlers from 25+ countries to attempt the ultimate paddling feat — the crossing of one of the world’s most unpredictable bodies of water.

A registration window was used to allocate entries for this year’s race due to high demand and limited entries. All applications received after this window have been placed on an active waitlist for the FOIL Edition on July 21^st or the 25^th Edition of the Paddleboard World Championships on Sunday July 28^th.  

 “M2O is ready to celebrate the 25^th edition of the race with all our amazing athletes and to define what is next for the growth of FOIL as we look to the summer for some epic battles,” said Shannon Delaney, Executive Director of the M2O. “With the shift to two separate days of racing the event can capture more stories, deeper coverage, and captivating footage from the channel.”

The 25^th Edition of the race will be celebrated with special acknowledgments to the athletes and the founders of the event. In its first year, the crossing was considered a “friendly challenge” between legendary lifeguards and watermen of O‘ahu with just over 20 athletes racing on prone paddleboards. Today the M2O is the premiere event for the sport of paddleboarding and continues to showcase the skills of international watermen and women against the beauty and strength of the Kaiwi channel.

The new two-day format will see the FOIL divisions of the M2O showcased on a separate day and a new course. The course will start FOILERS from ‘Īlio Point, the northwest corner on the island of Moloka‘i and will finish at outside boat channel at Kaimana Beach, allowing for a longer downwind run and coastal finish.

“We were excited to work with the local community with feedback from the athletes to design a course that found a balance between the growth of the FOIL and the needs of the Moloka‘i community,” shared Mike Takahashi, co- founder of M2O. “It was time to realize the excitement that FOIL brought and connect with the communities of Maui and Moloka‘i to align our race date with some iconic runs and drive more athletes to Hawaii and launch the Koa Kai Triple Crown.”

The 2024 race launch aligns with the announcement of the Koa Kai Triple Crown, a new collaboration for the FOIL community that combines roughly 70 miles of downwind racing over one week of racing. On Sunday, July 14^th, Paddle Imua will host the initial event along the famous Maliko run on Maui, where athletes will race the 8-mile course to Kanaha beach in support of Camp Imua – a free recreational summer camp for Maui children with special need. The Molokai Holokai Hoʻolauleʻa will host the Maui to Molokai Challenge (M2M) on Friday, July 19^th. In support of Youth in Motion on Molokai, and inspiring the next generation of paddlers, the M2M will feature the Pailolo channel with roughly 26 miles of ideal conditions connecting Maui to Molokai. The final stop will be the Moloka‘i 2 O‘ahu Foil Edition just two days later Sunday, July 21^st. The later start time for the M2O will present some fun, fast conditions to finish up the events and ultimately decide the Triple Crown winners in addition to the event’s World Champions.

The 2024 Molokaʻi-2-Oʻahu Paddleboard World Championships will see all the 2023 World Champions return this summer to defend their titles in Prone, SUP and FOIL.

Fans are encouraged to get the latest M2O news through Facebook and Instagram. For inspiring stories from the channel visit YouTube.

The 2024 Moloka‘i-2-O‘ahu Paddleboard World Championships presented by the Hawai‘i is proudly sponsored by Duke’s Waikiki, Florence, Futures Fins, Garmin, Kauai Coffee, Spartan, and Talis Crew. Media partners include Ocean Paddler, DotVision Motion, and Fin Film Studios.

About the Moloka‘i-2-O‘ahu Paddleboard World Championships

Founded in 1997, M2O has grown from a grassroots challenge for the legendary lifeguards of O‘ahu to the premiere event in the sport of paddleboarding. The race annually crowns world champions in the two disciplines of traditional (prone) and stand-up (SUP) paddleboarding. In 2018, a SUP Foil division was added to welcome the evolution of SUP racing with the WING Foil added in 2022.

Connecting the islands of Moloka‘i and O‘ahu, the 32-mile race crosses the Kaiwi Channel, also known as the Moloka‘i Channel and Channel of Bones is considered one of the most challenging bodies of water. Men and women from more than 20 countries will face strong currents as they navigate the fastest downwind route over one of the most beautiful and powerful channels in the world. Athletes ride mid-channel waves that can crest more than 12 feet and carry paddlers hundreds of meters. The annual race is a deeply personal experience, challenging every paddler’s physical and mental endurance. Every finisher experiences an individual championship.