Category Archives: Paddleboard and SUP

Active Product Review, Economics and Business, Mountainbike, Paddleboard and SUP, Travel

The Domestication of Adventure Travel

Leave a comment

tgs-vol412no4-domestication-of-adventure-travel_Page_1

Adventure, excitement, the lure of wilderness exploration; sometimes it can feel like everyone but you is cliff diving, riding dirt bikes in Baja, or bagging 14,000-foot peaks. Whether Millennials are staring in despair at their friends’ Instagram feed, or Boomers and Gen Xers are recalling past exploits, there is an experience gap between people’s self-image, and their daily life. Travel goods products are bridging that gap, crossing over from action sports, adventure travel and the outdoor industry to the travel goods industry. Featuring design cues and innovation from more extreme pursuits, these clever, stylish bags and accessories are making commuters, business travelers and family campers feel a little cooler.

Franz Wieshuber, SVP sales and marketing for LCI Brands, sees this as part of a larger authenticity trend. “Consumers want to feel brand authenticity. I’m not sure many people really need a Yeti ice chest that keeps your beer cold for a week.  Nevertheless, that’s what they’re willing to pay for. The same applies to an Osprey backpack.  Very extreme, but my kid uses it for a school backpack because it’s cool.” Consumers are voting with their wallet to get all the technology and authenticity they can afford, rather than all the technology they need.

In some instances, bags with a rugged style and outdoor credibility appeal to consumers who will never take the road less traveled, just as kids in the Midwest buy surf trunks, boomers own “Born to Be Wild” motorcycle jackets but no motorcycle, and commuters tuck their laptop in a bike messenger bag even if they’ve never delivered a package on a “fixie” bike.

Other travelers remember an adrenaline-fueled life before family and work took priority, and have preserved a taste for brawny products and niche brands. OGIO marketing manager Nathan Adelman calls this a “moto attitude.” Similarly, United by Blue customers have an outdoorsy attitude, whether they are “taking our backpack camping or on the subway, or wearing our flannel for fly fishing or bar hopping” shares United by Blue PR Associate Ethan Peck.

The adventure-crossover trend has spawned best-selling products for companies in the travel goods industry, as well as their retailers. Read on for products that are expanding the appeal of travel goods, and the specific market segments they address.

Attainable Adventure

Wieshuber uses a term from the outdoor industry to describe the weekend-warrior market segment: “outsidesy.” He acknowledges that “the top of the outdoor/adventure pyramid is small and extreme, but the middle/bulk of the market is vastly larger and more moderate. These consumers are called ‘outsidesy’ rather than ‘outdoor extremists.’  We’re the car campers, weekend warriors, etc.  We love the extreme brands, but really don’t need the true extreme functionality of many of their products.”

During weekend trips and active vacations, the outsidesy consumer practices a kind of do-it-yourself (DIY) glamping. Their picnics and car camping trips get them out, but not that far out. And often they are taking all the comforts of home along with them. One key supplier of the DIY glamping set is GSI Outdoors, and their sister company Outside Inside Games. As described by Co-Owner Don Scott, this fun-loving family business “began as a collection of enamelware and has evolved to include everything needed for exceptional food and drink in the outdoors as well as for fun campground games.  We consider ourselves to be at the forefront of glamping and hope our customers will enjoy raising a GSI Outdoors Nesting Wine Glass as they play a fierce game of Outside Inside Backpack Bocce!”

Another key characteristic of the outsidesy consumer is that they see no need to unplug, and are always Instagram-ready. LCI Brands has developed a comprehensive collection of WaterSeals™ pouches and hard cases, allowing their customers to bring all their electronics with them into the great outdoors. Wieshuber shares that “our new WaterSeal magnetic waterproof pouches have really taken off and we’re expecting a big year next year.” The cell-phone size WaterSeals Floating Waterproof Zip Pouch is touchscreen, camera and video usable. And the tablet-size WaterSeals Magnetic Waterproof Phablet Pouch not only allows your tablet to function as an underwater camera, voice and audio function work through the bag. So you can not only record and share video and images, you can take a break from your boating or swimming to watch the latest lol cat video.

The Weekday Style of Weekend Warriors

The outsidesy consumer doesn’t change their identity when they go from the weekend to the weekday. They still think of themselves as adventurous, rugged and attuned to nature, and they want workweek accessories that fit both their sense of self, and have the technical features they’ve come to expect.

The United by Blue 30L Base Backpack is sold in a variety of colors that reference the outdoors, including a topography print that specifically evokes mountaineering adventures (for the former girl scouts and boy scouts who remember learning to count contour lines). Peck describes United by Blue packs as being “durable, functional, and the perfect size to take you from the office to the outdoors” and the 30L Base Backpack is all of that. Voluminous enough to use as luggage (for the experienced packer) and sturdy enough to be a day pack, it also has tech features like a laptop sleeve. And like all United by Blue packs, it’s made from recycled polyester and vegetable tanned leather and comes with a lifetime guarantee. It’s a great multi-use bag for someone whose self-image (but not their full-time occupation) is adventure.

United by Blue’s bags are also intimately connected to their mission to remove a pound of trash from the water for every product they sell. In 2010, United by Blue hosted their first cleanup the same week they sold their first T-shirt. In the seven years since then, they’ve planned 202 cleanups in 27 states, removing 1,039,456 lbs. of trash. The mission of United by Blue has become a way to engage with customers. “We are focused on building relationships with consumers by facilitating incredible experiences through the lens of sustainability and conservation” says Peck. “Our pledge to remove one pound of trash per product sold means rallying our team and like-minded volunteers to pick up plastic bottles, tires, appliances, and even abandoned trucks from rivers, streams, creeks, and beaches. Our commitment has really resonated with our customers, both consumers and retailers who also feel strongly about responsible, durable goods.”

OGIO is known for overbuilt bags aimed at the motorsports industry. In the opinion of Adelman, “picking out a backpack is similar to picking out clothes. People have a style preference, and they value a sense of style. Bags such as the OGIO Rebel Pack LE Benjamins Backpack (with a $100 bill printed fabric exterior) is an example of a strong style statement. It’s a moto attitude that can be carried over into a person’s daily life, whether they’re going to a business meeting or out with the family on the weekend.”

While many bags designed for extreme sports and outdoor applications are more than adequate for work day and commuter use, the workweek is also enhanced by accessories crossing over to the travel goods industry from the outdoor industry. GSI Outdoors has taken the evolution of adventure travel products from classic camping and hardcore backpacking to glamping, and one step further to daily lifestyle items like the Stainless Commuter Java Press. This coffee press can be used to make French press-style coffee while camping or backpacking, but you can also drink out of it in the car like a travel mug. This means the very same, very personal product can be used for a weekend of backpacking as well as a week of commuting.

While LCI has found success with WaterSeals waterproof pouches and cases for electronics, Matador is selling out of the Droplet XL, a fully functional drybag that protects 20 liters of gear, but stuffs down into a palm-size silicon carry bag attached to an aluminum carabiner. While the Droplet XL would function perfectly well on a serious white-water rafting expedition, it also works in everyday life to hold damp clothes or a wetsuit after a gym visit or a pre-work surf session. A drybag is an adventure staple, and by making a drybag this small, light and convenient, anyone can have a Droplet XL clipped to their daily briefcase or laptop bag in case of emergency.

Adventure to Travel Crossover

When the outsidesy consumer does go on a work trip or family vacation, they choose luggage, carry-ons and personal items with innovative outdoor-capable features and an adventurous appeal. One example is the Matador Hydrolite hydration pack, a feature-rich, packable 8L bag which includes a 2L bladder, in-line Sawyer® MINI water filter, and a fully-waterproof main compartment with sealed seams. The water filter is in the tube of the hydration bag, so after you fill up the bladder, the water is filtered automatically as you drink through the tube. Instead of taking a small daypack and buying an endless number of bottles of water while exploring a new city, many travelers are choosing the Hydrolite. Tamara Keller, director of sales for Matador has seen that “travelers want high-end and will pay for quality products, with new technology – and that’s where Matador exceeds. The consumers have spoken, and the travel industry is changing and morphing into a new generation of high-end, amazing quality, hip bags.”

Eagle Creek also excels at developing travel goods versions of outdoor industry staples. As an example, where Matador reimagined the hydration pack, Eagle Creek took an internal frame pack for backpacking and turned it into the perfect piece of luggage. The Deviate Travel Pack 60L is available in a men’s and women’s fit, as well as in a larger-volume model. The Deviate unclips to become a carry-on size 45L travel backpack with a 15L clip-on daypack. The bag has an obvious backpacking lineage, so it will to appeal to a traveler with an outsidesy self-image, as well as the need or desire to carry their own stuff. However, the Deviate is not a dumbed down expedition piece, it’s a been smartened up for travel. Urban-travel features include the Check-in Fly™, Digital Safe-Zone and RFID pocket, as well as full integration with Eagle Creek’s Pack-It™ System. The Deviate is also lockable, with reflective accents for nighttime visibility while walking through a city. The Check-in Fly requires explanation: it’s a rain fly of the type found on some serious hiking backpacks, but it includes a zipper which closes it up over the backpack straps, and two handles to turn it into a duffle. This feature protects the bag from snagging and damage by airline baggage handlers.

Of course, some of the bags consumers choose for vacations and work trips are truly designed to be used for a completely different purpose, like a hike through the Himalayas or schlepping motorcycle gear. But the fact that they are over-built for an extreme user makes them appealing to the average outsidesy traveler, who is attracted to a bag with serious durability and authenticity.

Adelman believes this is a prime strength of the OGIO brand.  “OGIO has always resonated with Moto GP and non-traditional 2-wheel and 4-wheel sports. OGIO is for the on-the-go adventurer, whether they are hiking, dirt biking or on a trip to Paris, they are all adventures for the person who is doing it. It’s a state of mind, that carpe-diem attitude, it’s not an age or an activity. We see OGIO bags as your partner in crime. “

A perennial favorite in the OGIO collection is the Rig 9800 Travel Bag, designed primarily for hauling moto gear to the track. With a completely solid hard-shell bottom called The Sled, and a 7500-cubic-inch capacity, the Rig 9800 tips the scale at 14.2 lbs. But for those who need to take many trips a year and haul a lot of gear, the overbuilt, voluminous Rig 9800 is the way to go.

Adelman reflects on success bred from authenticity: “Between Callaway and OGIO we are involved in a lot of sports that have a really avid, loyal fan base. We are known for golf and moto sports such as dirt biking, but also triathlon: we make a bag for Ironman with wet/dry pockets and space for water bottles and a helmet. Discerning, avid users are the best customer base because they will pay more to buy a superior product, either because they need the features, it fits their self-image, or both. That is where we win.” Adelman’s statement applies to the many brands in travel goods selling product for adventure-minded consumers. Outdoor and adventure style, authenticity and features combine to form a compelling reason to buy that benefits all of us in the travel goods industry.

This story originally appeared in the Winter 2017 issue of Travel Goods Showcase

 

Living in Hawaii, Paddleboard and SUP, Travel

Duke’s OceanFest Celebrates the Legacy of the Duke

Cover

While writing the cover stories for the July-August issue of Hawaii Sport Magazine, I found myself compulsively reading every scrap of biographical material I could find on Duke Kahanamoku. I had known that Duke was a legendary athlete, and while that is true, his enduring legacy is as a branding visionary who single-highhandedly created both surfing as a modern, international sport; and constructed the image of Hawaii that is now pictured by the outside world, in the process building Hawaii’s tourism industry.

Check out my bio of Duke and story on Duke’s OceanFest (below) and see if you agree.

Living in Hawaii, Paddleboard and SUP, Travel

Duke Kahanamoku: The Legacy Lives in You

bio 1 bio 2

Reflections on a 125-year Tradition

Who taught you to surf? Who was your swim coach? And looking back in time, who was their coach, forming a chain of tradition connecting generations of teachers and students, back to the ancient kapuna of old Hawai’i?

Duke Paoa Kahanamoku has been called the father of modern day surfing, the fastest swimmer of his generation, the greatest waterman that ever lived, and the ultimate beachboy. He’s a 4-time Olympian in swimming and water polo, breaking world records and winning five medals, three of them gold. He introduced surfing and surfboard construction to Australia and Southern California, creating what are now the centers of the sport outside Hawai’i. The Duke was one of the first surfers to use a paddle on a surfboard (leading to the development of SUP) established the surfboard as an essential lifeguarding tool, was part of the beachboy crew that invented beach volleyball, and was considered the one of the best steersmen of his day at the iconic Outrigger Canoe Club.

Off the beach Kahanamoku held the titles of the Hawai’i Ambassador of Aloha, and the Sheriff of Honolulu. Known as the Big Kahuna in Hollywood, Kahanamoku taught movie stars to surf, popularized the aloha shirt and the ukulele, and introduced and the term beachboy to Southern California, single-handedly creating the surfing culture portrayed by Hollywood today. As biographer Grady Timmons explains, Kahanamoku is the person who introduced Hawai’i to the world. “At that time,” Timmons writes, “Hawai’i was the last outpost of the United States. It was the most isolated spot on earth, farther away from any place than any other place in the world. And then along came Duke, shoring up that distance with a single, powerful swimming stroke, emerging onto the world stage as if he had just stepped off his surfboard.”

But beneath it all, Kahanamoku was the child of a Hawaiian family that spent every spare moment in the water, a family that believed they came from the ocean. Kahanamoku learned to swim in the traditional way, thrown into the waves from a canoe. “It was swim or else,” Kahanamoku later recalled. “That’s the way the old Hawaiians did it.” Kahanamoku and his siblings attended Waikiki Elementary School, jumping into the ocean the minute school let out. “All we did was water, water, water,” his brother Louis explained. Brother Sargent remembered, “Mother used to tell her children, ‘Go out as far as you want. Never be afraid in the water.’”

Kahanamoku stepped into the global spotlight in 1911, when he shattered the 100-yard freestyle world record by 4.6 seconds during the first sanctioned Hawaiian Amateur Athletic Union swimming and diving championships in Honolulu Harbor. Kahanamoku later hypothesized, “our water is so full of life, it’s the fastest water in the world. That’s all there is to it.” When his world-record swim initially inspired disbelief outside Hawai’i, Kahanamoku’s friends and fellow beachboys raised the money for him to travel to the mainland to give exhibition swims and attend the 1912 Olympic Trials, where he easily qualified for the team, breaking the 200-meter world record in the process.

Kahanamoku’s Olympic career spanned the two decades from 1912 to 1932, when he won a final bronze for water polo at the age of 42. The Duke’s most memorable Olympic moment may have come during his first Olympics in 1912 in Stockholm. Also attending that year was the unstoppable Native American athlete Jim Thorpe. The two were keenly aware of their corresponding status as indigenous Americans and the best athletes in the world. Kahanamoku recalled that he asked Thorpe, “’Jimmy, I’ve seen you run, jump, throw things and carry the ball. You do everything, so why don’t you swim too?’ Jimmy just grinned at me with that big grin he had for everyone, and said, ‘Duke, I saved that for you to take care of. I saved that for you.'”

Kahanamoku was recognized as kumu o he’e nalu, one who has mastered the art of riding the waves, the ancient name for the kahuna priests who were the original surfing champions. So it’s fitting that Kahanamoku’s outreach to the world included a spiritual component, teaching the principal of aloha both in his travels and at home. In his own word, Kahanamoku described the importance of aloha: “aloha is the key word to the universal spirit of real hospitality, which makes Hawai’i renowned as the world’s center of understanding and fellowship.” In 1960 Kahanamoku was officially appointed to the position that he’d unofficially filled his entire life, the Hawai’i Ambassador of Aloha. When public figures, from John F. Kennedy to Shirley Temple, disembarked onto Hawaiian soil they headed straight for Kahanamoku. Kahanamoku disciple and legendary waterman Alika Willis explains the mission he received from Duke, “teaching people the aloha part of Duke Kahanamoku, not the waterman part. Aloha: being kind to one another, being graceful to our visitors is what Duke Kahanamoku was. Our visitors are very important to us and our economy, so that’s very important. And Kahanamoku would be more happy that we are gracious and aloha ambassadors more so than watermen and women.”

As Kahanamoku traveled the world giving swimming exhibitions and spreading the aloha spirit, he also taught surfing and board-shaping, creating the future surfing capitals of the world. During swimming exhibitions in 1912, Kahanamoku brought surfing to the Atlantic coast of the United States. In Australia between 1914 and 1915, Kahanamoku not only broke his 100-meter world record, he taught Australians how to surf. “Duke literally pushed that great sea-oriented country into surfing,” writes chronicler of surfing Leonard Lueras. Having no board in Australia, Kahanamoku made one, bringing the art of board-shaping to Australia. Kahanamoku’s board was eight feet six inches long, concave for stability in the rough Australian surf, and is still lovingly preserved in private collection. Kahanamoku continued his world tour in subsequent decades, popularizing surfing in New Zealand in 1915, beginning the California surf and swim craze in California between 1913 and 1929 (the Hollywood years), and forever changing lifeguarding with his heroic 1925 surfboard-rescue of eight drowning fishermen whose boat had overturned in rough water off Corona del Mar, California.

Kahanamoku’s legacy today is expressed in the work of the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation (ODKF), which promotes Kahanamoku’s spirit of aloha and supports Hawai’i athletes and organizations throughout Hawai’i. Since its inception in 1986, the ODKF has gifted more than $2.2 million dollars to scholar athletes and non-profit organizations in Hawai‘i. This year alone it awarded a total of $178,250 for 29 grants and 40 scholarships to student athletes from 34 different high schools across six Hawaiian Islands. Without community support, Kahanamoku could not have traveled the world to compete, to promote the state of Hawai’i and to bring Hawaiian sports to the world. The ODKF is working to send the next Duke Kahanamoku out into the world to achieve, to teach, and to spread Kahanamoku’s message of aloha.

This article originally appeared in the July-August issue of Hawaii Sport Magazine.

 

Living in Hawaii, Paddleboard and SUP, Travel

Duke’s OceanFest: Do it for Duke

Leave a comment

In 1999, “Do it for Duke!” was the rallying cry of the Duke Kahanamoku postage stamp campaign. “Everyone was talking about honoring Duke, about honoring what he accomplished and what he stood for,” recalls Duke’s OceanFest event director Brent Imonen. “So it really started with the stamp (dedicated in 2002), which was the genesis of Duke’s OceanFest.” Best known as the Hawai’i Ambassador of Aloha or the father of modern day surfing (including stand up paddleboard), Kahanamoku taught Australians and Californians how to surf, launching the global popularity of the sport. Kahanamoku was the best swimmer of his generation, breaking records and winning five Olympic medals at four Olympics. Legendary waterwoman Candice Appleby shared, “I’m excited to attend Duke’s OceanFest celebrating Duke Kahanamoku and everything he’s done for surfing. To celebrate his birthday I participate in as many events as I can.”

Thirteen years after its grassroots beginnings, Duke’s OceanFest has grown to a 9-day event coinciding with Kahanamoku’s 125th birthday and honoring his influence as a beachboy and waterman (see “Duke Kahanamoku: the Legacy Lives in You” in this issue). “Duke was not in the business of being a beachboy,” explained world champion surfer Fred Hemmings. “But in the larger sense of the word — of a man who lived and loved the ocean lifestyle — Duke was, as far as I’m concerned, the ultimate beachboy.” From August 22 to 30, Duke’s OceanFest is presenting a packed schedule of the events dearest to The Duke: longboard surfing, paddleboard racing, swimming, tandem surfing, surf polo, and beach volleyball. There’s a lei-draping ceremony, a luau, movie night, and plenty of time for kicking back and talking story. If you’re not sure where to start, the Duke’s Waikiki Ocean Mile Swim is Saturday August 29, and stand up paddleboard events the weekend of August 22 would make a great first paddleboard race. Don’t forget tickets for the KINE Great Hawaiian Legends Luau, keiki surf and volleyball competitions, and fun free events like the Waikiki Nights movie and music programs. At the time of printing there were still spaces available for the team-fundraising Hawaiian Airlines Legends Surf Classic, an unforgettable opportunity to get a group of friends together and surf with a legend while raising money for the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation and its scholarship fund.

While watermen and women all over the world owe a debt of gratitude to Kahanamoku, if you live in Hawai’i, you can undoubtedly trace a direct line from yourself to The Duke. You’ve been coached or mentored by someone who learned from Kahanamoku or from one of his disciples. Waikiki beach culture means playing hard, in the ocean in every sport you can, from sunrise to sunset, just as Kahanamoku did. On Monday, August 24, make the Duke Paoa Kahanamoku’s Sunrise Birthday Lei Draping your time to honor the Duke and the beachside life that he loved. As the conch blows, use that chicken-skin moment to rededicate yourself to the ocean. As Kahanamoku’s brother Louis remembered, “My family believes we come from the ocean. And that’s where we’re going back.” Go back to our beautiful Pacific Ocean at Duke’s OceanFest. www.Dukesoceanfest.com.

This article originally appeared in the July-August issue of Hawaii Sport Magazine.

Paddleboard and SUP, Travel

Fast Finishes for Hawaiian Paddlers at the 2014 Molokai-2-Oahu Paddleboard World Championships

Champagne for Jack Bark

Maui paddler Connor Baxter breaks his own world record, Australia’s Jordan Mercer celebrates most consecutive wins of any woman and Jack Bark sets new record in stock paddleboard category.

The Molokai Channel, traditionally known as Ka’iwi Channel (translation: the channel of bones) is named for the Iwi of ancestral travelers, shipwrecked on the voyage between Molokai and Oahu. Ka’iwi Channel has the reputation for being one of the most treacherous bodies of water in the world, infamous for the tragic death of Eddie Aikau during the 1978 Polynesian voyage of the Hokule’a. When 30 foot swells and gail force winds disabled the traditional sailing canoe, Aikau launched his rescue paddleboard into the ocean to seek help for his crewmates, and was never seen again.

Swimming and paddling the unpredictable channel has been a personal test for generations of waterwomen and men. The inaugural Molakai-2-Oahu Paddleboard Race was held in 1997, created by Hawaii paddleboarders Dawson Jones, Garrett McNamara and Mike Takahashi. The world’s most challenging paddleboard race today includes SUP racers as well as traditional prone paddleboarders and attracts competitors from 20 countries. Last year’s event took place during Tropical Storm Flossie, when Hawaii’s paddlers battled not just tough winds and vicious currents, but a dominant Australian contingent.

This year’s race occurred a lucky two weeks before the convergence of Hurricanes Iselle and Julio on the Hawaiian Islands. Competitors were treated to beautiful weather and strong swells. At the Opening Party hosted by Surftech and presenting sponsor Kona Brewing Co, the paddler ohana mingled at Surftech’s beautiful Hawaii showroom, downed Longboard Lagers, and predicted that records were going to fall. By midmorning Sunday, July 27th, it was clear the pundits were right. New records were set by three young paddlers in different disciplines. The rivalry between Australia and Hawaii continued, and Hawaii paddlers won back some championship podium places from their friends on the other side of the Pacific.

The 19 year old SUP racer from Maui, Connor Baxter, surfed the strong swells to a new SUP Unlimited men’s world record time of 4 hours, 8 minutes, 8 seconds across the Ka’iwi Channel. Baxter’s family and friends dove from his escort boat and swarmed his board, elated with his victory. Baxter beat his former best time by more than five minutes, as well as 2013 champion Travis Grant from Australia, who finished second (4:09:15). The SUP Unlimited men’s podium was rounded out by another Hawaii racer, Scott Gamble, in 4:19:57.

Travis Baptiste, 17, scored another win for Hawaii, finishing first in the SUP Stock men’s category in 4:23:54. The first place SUP men’s 2-person team, Aaron and Riggs Napoleon, also of Hawaii, charged out of the water a few minutes later at 4:29:33.

Australians reasserted their dominance with a decisive first and second place in the Paddleboard Unlimited men’s category. Matt Poole, 26, won his first M2O in a time of 4:52:02, the 13th straight year an Australian has won this category. Aussie countryman Rory Chapman came in second, and Hawaii athlete Keoni Watson rounded out the top three.

Hawaii athletes continued to claim wins in the team categories, with a 3-man SUP team victory by Wyatt Jones, Hunter Eggers and Loch Eggers (combined age only 44) in 4:59:35. Locals Michael Schweiger and Manca Notar won the 2 person mixed SUP team category and Alfred Van Gieson, Noland Keaulana and Jennifer W. Lee took home gold in the 3 person mixed SUP category.

As the morning progressed the enthusiasm of the spectators at Maunalua Bay Beach Park increased, as favorite divisions closed in on the red Duke’s finishing buoys.

20 year old Jack Bark from California grabbed the win in the Paddleboard Stock men’s division in 5:12:35, chased through the bouys seconds later by Sonni Hoenscheid of Germany, SUP Unlimited women’s winner in 5:12:38. Hoenscheid, who finished 3rd last year, sportingly waited in the bay for 2nd place finisher from Hawaii Jenny Kalmbach, who paddled in three minutes later.

Jack Bark’s finish was not only his second win at M2O but a new world record time. His achievement was fueled by the fast conditions and more importantly hot competition in his category. Mid-channel five stock paddleboarders were racing head to head together, swapping runners, before Bark broke free from the pack. Before he could even leave the water his ecstatic Surftech board sponsor waded in to shower him with champagne.

The battle everyone was waiting for took place between 20-year old Australian Jordan Mercer and Hawaii champion Kanesa Duncan-Seraphin, both charging for the win in the Paddleboard Unlimited women’s category. Going into the 2014 M2O Mercer had 3 straight wins as well as the world record time of 5:22:31. Kanesa Duncan-Seraphin, who took off competition in 2013 to become a new mother, had won eight of her 13 channel crossings. After a tough race, Mercer’s finishing time of 5:33:23 was not enough to break her 2011 record time but did put her in the history books for most consecutive women’s wins. Mercer collapsed on her board at the finish, surrounded by well-wishers, sprayed by champagne, overcome by her battle and achievement.

The winners circle was rounded out by the finish of promising young Californian Carter Graves, who captured the women’s prone stock division in her first attempt at the M2O.

The jubilation of the racers and their families continued at the awards banquet at the Outrigger Canoe Club, home to many of the original racers at the inaugural M2O race in 1997, with celebrations continuing late into the night at Duke’s. The paddleboard ohana came together to crown their kings and queens, and also renew the bonds of friendship that bring them together each year from 20 countries all over the world.

For a complete listing of results and pictures of the event please see www.molokai2oahu.com