Kai Lenny, mid channel. Photo: Noa Ginella
For the longest time, and for reasons not entirely clear, Kai Lenny had not been able to win the most important paddle race in the world, the Molokai2Oahu, a 32-mile paddleboard race between the islands of Molokai and Oahu across one of the most treacherous channels in the world, often called The Channel of Bones for its fierceness and uneven, brutal currents. But that all ended Sunday, as Lenny added to his already stellar legacy by winning his first Molokai in an unnofficial record time of four hours and six minutes. Former Molokai champ Travis Grant ended second with Connor Baxter in third. On the women’s side, Sonni Honscheid, 35, won her third straight Molokai.
Lenny, who’s won multiple world championships in both the race and surf disciplines in SUP, captured the title paddling an unlimited board which are between 17 and 18 feet. “I just tried to go straight as possible across the channel,” he said. “The swells really allowed you to get long rides (on the bumps).”
Lenny also credited his maturity for his victory this time around: “I found a rhythm and paddled less hard than last year, I just paddled smarter,” he said. “My mind needed to mature for this race. I used to be like a bat out of hell and it doesn’t work that way. This really is a dream come true.”
We will update this post as more information becomes available.
