Challenging the Great Ocean

Click on the image to play the video.

This short video shows what it's like to race in the Molokai Challenge, considered the world championship of ocean kayak racing.

The race took place on May 18. The video was made by my escort boat crew.

Contestants in the Moloka Challenge paddle solo in specialized open kayaks called surfskis. There is also a division for one-man outrigger canoes. The course from Molokai to Oahu is 32 miles through the Kai'iwi Channel - considered one of the roughest patches of water on the planet, with howling trade winds and roaring swells from the northeast converging against swirling currents and sheer volcanic cliffs in the middle of the Pacific.

My first attempt at the race in 2006 saw classic conditions: 10' swells and 30 knot winds. You paddle downwind and across the waves to reach Oahu. We surfed the wind waves and hit speeds of 16 mph, at times linking up rides for long stretches. The race winners average 9 mph for the entire crossing. My time in '06 was just under 5 hours. I'm not an elite racer, but I love the challenge of this event. For the 2008 event held on May 18, conditions were mild by Hawaiian standards; wind waves of 2'-4', and a tail wind of only about 10 knots. Despite the lack of ideal conditions (no big down swell rides), I was 10 minutes faster than the previous effort.

It may sound a bit romantic, but while waiting for the race to start on the island of Molokai, a wave of understanding washed over me. It's not just about the race: it's just as much a celebration of the Polynesian spirit of exploration and adventure, as well as the chance to paddle with and watch the best ocean paddlers in the world compete. You have to love the Hawaiian saying "kanaka ikaika", roughly translated as "mankind's respectful challenge of the great ocean."

-Kenny Howell
June 6, 2008

Thank you to Lesley Stevens of Honolulu for putting together this video.
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