For the 22nd year, the Molokai 2 Oahu World Paddleboard Championships (M2O) downwind paddle race went down on Sunday, and Maui’s Kai Lenny made history. In a new feat, Lenny hydrofoiled across the 32-mile Kaiwi Channel in the first-ever foiling division of the race.
RELATED: Watch Kai Lenny Hydrofoil an Urban Lake
He shattered the record for crossing the channel in a shocking 2:52:48, a time unprecedented in years past, according to SUP Magazine. By unprecedented, we mean a whole hour and seven minutes faster than the 2018 unlimited SUP champion Travis Grant’s record of 3:59:48.
“I was trying to do whatever I could to get here as fast as I could, that was my ultimate goal going out there today,” said Lenny in an interview with M2O after finishing the race.
Lenny was a favorite in the foil division, as he already holds a few M2O titles and is one of the main proponents of the new hydrofoil technology in SUP, according to the official site of Molokai 2 Oahu.
Foil is still an up-and-coming water sport, and Lenny is stoked to keep pushing the competitive agenda of the sport. “Foiling is still so new, so there’s still a lot to chase after,” said Lenny in the interview. “My goal is to come back here next year and smash this record. I think I can do it faster and faster, because this is just the beginning of the sport.”
What will it be for next year's race, sub-two hours? We honestly wouldn't be surprised, given the rate Lenny is going these days.
