Training for Molokai kicked on at the end of April with Trevor Hendy hosting the Salt Water Festival at Salt just south of Kingscliffe. The festival included two days music, markets and ocean craft racing- paddle boards, SUP, outrigger and ski. I competed in the 30km SUP race from Brunswick Heads to Salt. The conditions were pretty good, strong winds straight on our backs. I won the Open Men's Unlimited Category.
The last few months have been full of training and racing with the odd surf thrown into the mix. After a string of SUP surfing events, Paul Jackson held the Roar Industries SUP Expo Event at Currumbin Alley. This event includes a surfing contest and paddle race with an overall point score winner. The surf was really small, bumpy conditions with an off-cross shore wind blowing 20knots. It was pretty hard on an 8'6" stand up. Jackson Close won the surfing component and I finished second and Keahi Deaboitz third. I was able to win the paddle component on a 14' Lahui Kai Moulded Board, beating Trevor Hendy who finished second. With a win and second place finish I won the overall point score for the event.
At the start of June, Xcel held the annual Open Ocean Paddle Race from Snapper to Currumbin Alley, approximately 8km. The conditions were tough with a light south westerly wind blowing, even though I had a rudder on my board it was still hard work paddling a lot on one side. I finished just behind Dean Hamner who took out the paddle board section, while I won the unlimited SUP section on a 16' Lahui Kai SUP.
As cross training this year I have been outrigger paddling with Outrigger Australia in the 6 man crew. As part of the B Team I competed at the Hamilton Island Outrigger Cup held on the 24-27th of June. It was a 42km paddle around the Whitsundays. Our A Team won the event and we finished 7th from approximately 50 boats. It was a really fun event and a beautiful place.
All this training and racing was leading to one main event, the Molokai to Oahu Paddle Race on the 25th of July. Molokai is a 32 mile race across the channel between the islands. This is the toughest race I have ever done. We headed over the Hawaii a week before the race to aclimatise and tie up last minute preparations. There is a lot of homework that has to be done before a race like this, organising a support boat, registering, accommodation, flights etc. You think you have everything locked in 6 months before, but your still dicking around when you get there. It can be frustrating.
The Race: The trade winds were blowing north-east, which hits side on and not straight on your back. The channel was rough with cross chops and different swell directions running. It was a bit of a shock to the system being the first time doing this race. No training at home can prepare you for this race, you need to spend time in these waters and feel the ocean rhythm. I managed to keep a consistent pace for most of the race, falling a dozen times off my board.
I finished 5th overall in the unlimited SUP. Congratulations to Jamie Mitchell winning his 9th title on a unlimited paddle board!! Also, congratulations to Dave Kalama who won the unlimited SUP!!
Jamie claiming his 9th Molokai title
In the next few months I will be looking at possibly going to California for the Gerry Lopez Battle of the Paddle, and maybe another trip to Hawaii for the OC6 Molokai crossing in October. Other than that I will just be hunting waves.
Nice little drainer late June at Burleigh
This is my shaper Chris Garrett threading a nice sucky tube on the same day
Chris stoked after that wave
Billy
