Maui hydrofoiler-surfer-kitesurfer-SUP stud wins world's most tedious race!
Doesn’t Kai Lenny make your mouth water! Yesterday, the surfer-hydrofoiler-kitesurfer-SUP from Maui won the stand-up div of the famous-infamous thirty-two mile Molokai-to-Oahu race in a world record time.
It’s a helluva race, and one that takes you to the physical brink. Your body says no, your mind says fuck you!
Lenny found his win with a record-time of 4:07:41, besting rival and three-time M2O champ Connor Baxter’s 2014 record by 27 seconds. The victory is “a dream come true” for Lenny, who spent the last four years hunting an M2O title with top-4 finishes each year, including a runner-up victory behind 2015 champ, Travis Grant, who finished second today. Connor Baxter rounded out the top-3 with a time of 4:16:19, after the leading trio broke away from a stacked pack of hungry elite racers, including in-form Aussies James “Jimmy” Casey, Toby Cracknell and Matt Nottage, who finished fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been that focused in a race before,” Lenny said at the finish. “This is by far the hardest event I’ve ever done.”
You know Lenny, of course. He’s precious!
Examine his hydrofoiling here.
A wipeout that “nearly cut him in half”.
And a catchy day-in-the-life piece with JOB.
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And a minor edit to the earlier post: stock prone boards are 12′. And also a big CONGRATS to the new women’s world champion, 18yr old Abby Brown from Santa Barbara!
Just home today from (prone) paddling this race, a first timer, and an awesome experience. These guys rip these times with a COMBO of strength/endurance AND wave riding. Finishing a good 2-3 hours AFTER these guys is a humbling experience…but finished none-the less. Lots to learn.
I don’t know what to think about this highlight coverage. The guy is holding a paddle standing on probably 16′-18′ board paddling a down winder with his torso acting as a sail. Compared to paddling a 14′ stock paddle board relying on your arms and hands to pull you across the channel. More than one paid surfer didn’t have what it takes to make the paddle solo. I guess Chas will be writing a story letting us know Robbie Nash shapes his new all round best board and its merits. Stay tuned it sounds like fun..
He already won the stock division on a 14ft board in 2011, relying on his arms and hands to pull across the channel. …And set a world record in that division too.
You may be thinking of Jamie Mitchell..
Kai’s results:
2011 Not Entered
2012 3rd StandupKai Lenny Paia HIUSSUP STK M-Overall4:22:14
2013 4thStandupKai Lenny Paia HIUSASUP UNL M01-29 5:07:57
2014 4thStandupKai Lenny HawaiiUSASUP UNL M01-29 4:23:35
2015 3rdKai Lenny HIUS Individual SUP Unlimited 5:15:59
2016 1stKai Lenny USSUP UNL M-Overall 4:07:41
My bad. I didn’t process the stock “paddle board”. I just assumed you were talking about the difference between an Unlimited SUP and a stock SUP. But Kai did win the stock SUP in record time a couple/few years back. I may have the year wrong, but he did.
His 2012 result had him 3rd OVERALL but he was first on a stock sup in record time.
He’s actually also done the channel prone, although in a relay team, probably because he was only 9yrs old. But I think it’s pretty safe to say he could do it prone right now as well. The kid has freakish talent and discrediting anything he does, even “sailing an 18ft unlimited sup 32 miles” is just hating imho.
The Molokai first and foremost was founded on prone paddling its harder than SUP especially stock class. My original thought was the article was only shedding light on Kai and not other athletes. Yes he is very talented and has honed his craft to an elite level. Personally I’m tired of hearing about the guys who have sticker’s on their boards, above accomplished non professional athletes that are committed and at times out performing pro athletes. Example: Aaron Gold. A hero in my book riding his own equipment married, family.. Another of late was Charlie Walker that guy could flat out paddle and from my experience riding shorter boards at solid sunset because of his paddling strength. The media wants to create a demigod’s but when they fail, become addicts, and lives spin out of control because they are so use to life’s riches. The average guy spin’s out he is labeled a loser. The demigod rebounds that same media is their to prop him back up to praise his virtues. Their has to be a more interesting story from the Molokai than some Kai Lenny victory he gets paid very well to train, and play in the ocean. Good for him to have the drive to win and push to set a new standard. Honestly its kind of expected!
Well let’s see. Matt Bevilacqua. Kid from Tasmania. Backed himself to be a surf racing star in the Aussie iron person surf series by moving from Tas to the Gold Coast without a job or any kind of deal – just a car full of clothes. Did Molokai last year for the first time and won the unlimited class. Did it this year for the second time and smashed Jamie’s record by over 11 minutes. He was pushed into this during the race by Daniel Shade, a full on Australian larrikin from the home of Australian larrikins, Avoca Beach. Shadey, whose brother Jono was a junior surf star in the days when junior pro surfing mattered, has tried to do the Molokai race several times in the past but something’s always gone wrong: broken board, escort boat didn’t show up, missed the plane, etc etc. Daniel went all the way with Bevy and also broke Jamie’s old record in the process. The stock winner was a guy called Stu McLachlan, whom they call “The Wriggler” because he literally paddles prone the whole time (no knee paddling at all). Stu broke the stock record by some silly amount. Jordy Mercer, daughter of an epic traditional Australian waterman, won the women’s unlimited for the sixth time running, with Jamie on her boat doing a running Facebook Live commentary that would have opened anyone’s eyes to what really goes into this race. Kai had a bloody good race and showed his growth as an athlete with his win, but his was not the biggest achievement at Molokai this year by any means.
Sunny Garcia is still mad at his friends in 5th grade for not letting him have a slice of pizza
kai lenny is the best waterman on the planet, right now, if hes smart, start taking the laird route and get your name and brand going. seems like a non-chode which always helps things.
I’d probably chop off all your dicks to be 23 again