What an epic race!!!!!! The wind was up and the runners were on! The best race experience by far! It was an ocean start with everyone going hard! The helicopter was flying pretty low-very cool experience!!
The runners linked for about 3/4 of the race - lots of turtles (which you have to dodge!!!) The last 1/4 the wind wasnt producing the runs- it was a hard finish... topped with a 300 yard dash to the finish...
The was a 17 second gap between 1 & 2 in the Elite Mens. Andrea Moller placed 9th overall... Solid Effort.
The results are -
Elite Men
1. Kai Bartell
2.Livio Menelau
3. Ekola Kalama
4. Mark Raaporst
5.Jeremy Riggs
6. Zane Schweitzer
Elite Women ( i didnt get everyone!)
1. Andrea Moller
2......
3.Devon Blish'
4.Teresa ..
5. ..
6. Dane ..
Im super stoked with my result - First 14ft female and also for my age...
Also well done to Barb also from the GC.. It was her first race in Hawaii and only 4th Maui run.. I htink she placed 4th in her age division....WELL DONE BARB!!!
(Barb and I at the start)
Pray before the start
Paddle out to start
Andrea Moller and I
Elite Men
Elite Women
Good friend Suzie Cooney (1st place 40-49 14ft) and I - BLING!!
Thanks Jenny and well done.. How did the 14' Glide go?
I expect at least a hundred pics on your Facebook site..
DJ
Sounds like a great race, but how dumb to have it on the same weekend as the BOP . Would of been good to see the likes of Connor B and co going at it on their local run!?!?!?
Kai Bartlett won Molokai OC1 a few weeks ago as well. How's the people he beat in this one. Is the olukai OC1 tomorrow as well.
If he focuses in any way on SUP get used to seeing his name on the results sheet.
The Olukai had this date for the last 3 years. BOP changed their date from June to May this year. Both races lost some top paddlers. 2 footwear companies should have coordinated better...jk....
Too bad Kai does not focus on downwind and BOP SUP. He would be a force to reckon with. I guess it's because he owns a OC1 company and he is a top OC1 paddler and his wife is one of the best OC1 paddlers in the world that they have enough on their plate.
would love to have seen Kai Bartlett at the BOP and Ching and Grant at the Olukai. Too bad they were same day.
Really impressed with Kai at the end cause he was behind Livo but used his fast stroke rate to catch and win.
Aloha
I think it was a SIC bullet but not 100% sure. Whatever it was in the end he stomped on the gas and muscled his way into first. Thats what I could see through the binoculars.