M2M

Well another BIG M2M Pai'lolo Chanel Race went down again this year. BIG THANKS to Jaecey Suda's Maliko Shuttle "Fun Bus" for taking all us Haole's up to Honolua Bay. Also BIG THANKS goes out to Rodney Kilborn Da Handsome Bugga, Mike Jucker and the very stylish Ellie Rae for putting on this Awesome M2M event it truly is THE BEST race on the Planet. That was my 8th Pai'lolo Channel crossing this is one race I look forward to Downwind Paddle every year.
If you're into Ocean Downwind Paddling this race is the one for you just make shore you can stand strong for 3 to 5 hours (27 miles or 43 kilometres) because you'll be having so much fun surfing you'll just run out of time. This is how good this Pai'lolo can get once you are out of the Bay. You will see these corduroy lines of chop up ahead then all of a sudden you're in this big trough & the trough turns into a nice glassy bit of ocean. I guess you're so far down in the trough you're out of the wind & you're just surfing this ocean swell for BULK. You'll be just lovin it, this Pai'lolo channel is everything you expect a Downwind Paddle should be. Tell ya what you'll have a smile from ear to ear. Like you're in the trough & standing as far back as you can get on your SIC 18ft Custom Bullet. (The SIC boards are the most comfortable and easy to surf boards on the Planet for beginners to Advanced paddlers and are built for speed), like I say you'll be in the trough standing as far back as you could stand on your board just surfing from rail to rail, maybe giving a stroke of your paddle every 10 or so seconds just to stay down in the trough. The Pai'lolo channel runners are just all time you'll be catching runners for like one minute, If you've never experienced runners for this long ever. you'll be thinking - man if I tell the guys back home I was catching runners for like one minute they'd think I was lying.
This years conditions I'd rate about a 8+ out of 10 it was fun from Start to Finish once you got close to the Kamalo Buoy condition where EPIC I just went surfing from Left to Right and Left again or just waiting for the trough to form under my board then surf again. I was on a mission to beat my best time of 3h 35m but my Garmin GPS was doing my head in, last week when paddling in the M4M race from the Kamalo Buoy my Garmin GPS was reading 3min 50sec for a kilometre 6 minute mile now thats fast for a bloke my age. This time my Garmin GPS was reading 5m 25sec a kilometre like WTF - then I work it out as you could see the trails of seaweed going in the opposite direction which means the ocean current is just nuking against you. You wouldn't want to full in and loose your board my good mate Randy Royce has an awesome story about what happened to hime when he lost his board - stoked he's still alive, LEGEND. I saw Jeremy Riggs packing a little children's inflatable pool ring for his safety device, hahaha GOLD. Me I'm lazy all I carry is a leg-rope and hope she don't break, if it did I'd work out which way the current is going then swim to Lani, Molokai or back to Maui just don't put me on your swim team as I swim like a fish having an epileptic fit your coming last.
In Australia I don't race as they make you wear all this safety gear so if any thing did happen it be like the Movie Saving Private Ryan at the beach landing where blokes are drowning from carrying to much s@#t.
I was so happy to beat Andrea Moller and Devin Blish these women are weapon and athletically beautiful also surf 40ft JAWS as well and have smashed many a guys ego's.
Angels of the glide... When they're working a glide, it's magic to behold... grace and finesse. When they're chasing a bump it's spooky how fast they can propel the board, no bumps go unridden. Wanna go paddling with them? Better put on your big boy board shorts and prepare to be humbled. These Maui chicks know how to put distance between you and your pride. - with Andrea Moller and Devin Blish.
Written By good Maui mate:- Randy Royce

Big Congratulation to Connor Baxtor for taking out his 8th M2M win awesome job Legend.

Thanks Phil for your write up and pics.. and congrats on your awesome result in the race.

Thanks for posting, what a fun race!
Here is my GPS track

Great post Phil, and congratulations on a great result.
You have me enthused!

ironphil with Da Handsome Bugga - 51 to 59 1st Place M2M