Foil Race Kicks Off First Weekend of 2025 Moloka‘i 2 O‘ahu Paddleboard World Championships

July 18, 2025

Live Broadcast Debuts on KHON2 and Rogue TV as Athletes Cross the Channel of Bones

HONOLULU, HI (July 18, 2025) /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – The 2025 Moloka‘i 2 O‘ahu Paddleboard World Championships (M2O), presented by the United States Coast Guard, launches across two exciting weekends beginning Sunday, July 20 with the highly anticipated SUP and Wing Foil races. The prone and standup paddleboard events will follow on Sunday, July 27.

This year, M2O continues to evolve with expanded live coverage and an international field of over 130 elite athletes prepared to take on the 40-plus mile Kaiwi Channel crossing from Moloka‘i to O‘ahu, finishing at Kaimana Beach Hotel.

Watch it Live – Sunday, July 20

For the first time, the Foil Edition will be broadcast live in Hawai‘i and around the world. Coverage includes full commentary and real-time GPS tracking.
Time: 11:00 AM to 1:30 PM HST

How to Watch:
Watch live worldwide on the Rogue TV app or at Rogue.TV starting at 11:00 AM local time HST.

In Hawai‘i, tune in to KHON2 for the local broadcast via Rogue TV.

Track athletes with DotVision Motion. DotVision will support the broadcast with their new innovative Nelson AI tool that allows for fan interaction directly on the platform. This will be the first time for live interaction on a GPS platform.

For more information visit molokai2oahu.com

SUP Foil Division Highlights

Returning champion Edoardo Tanas, 22, of Italy, leads the men’s field after winning the 2024 race and completing the Koa Kai Triple Crown. He will be challenged by top Hawai‘i finishers Finn Spencer, 17, Andrew Gibbons, 26, Kane de Wilde, 24, and Malae McElheny, 17.

Gage Schoenherr of the United States Coast Guard and Jeffrey Spencer of Maui return with eyes on breaking into the top five after a tight finish last summer.

Legendary Waterman Kai Lenny of Hawai‘i and James Casey of Australia are back again in dominant form. Both have earned M2O world titles in multiple disciplines including SUP paddleboard and SUP foil and are credited with inspiring the next generation of channel-crossing athletes.

In the women’s race, defending champion Annie Reickert, 24, of Maui will look to retain her title. She is joined by Gabriella Bella, 22, and France’s Olivia Pana, 34, who won the 2023 event and is racing the new course for the first time.

Local athlete and lifeguard Rachel Bruntsch, 42, is also in contention. Multi-sport competitor Andrea Moller, 45, of Maui, will be racing OC1 in Oregon and is aiming to make it to the start line of the M2O over the same weekend. Moller has multiple M2O SUP paddleboard titles and remains one of the most accomplished female athletes in the event’s history.

Wing Foil Division Highlights

The Wing Foil race remains the fastest route across the Kaiwi Channel, with athletes completing the crossing in under two hours.

With 2024 winner Aidan Nicholas of New Zealand sidelined due to injury, Bobo Gallagher, 16, of Maui is the top favorite. Gallagher was the 2024 Koa Kai Triple Crown winner and finished second at last year’s M2O.

Jeremy Stephensen, 56, of Auckland, New Zealand and Livio Menelau, 41, of Maui are both veterans with over ten M2O starts and are expected to be strong challengers.

Among the women, Anna Kalabukova, 23, of Honolulu leads the field after a second-place finish last year and a Koa Kai Triple Crown victory. She is joined by returning athlete Nohea Marlow, 39, of Honolulu.

Tatiana Grant, 35, will make her M2O debut after standout performances in 2023 local races. She returns to competition following the birth of her first child. Lily Buden, 16, winner of the 2024 Moloka‘i Holokai M2M race, will test the Kaiwi Channel for the first time.

Koa Kai Triple Crown

Over 100 foil athletes are chasing the prestigious Koa Kai Triple Crown, Hawai‘i’s ultimate open ocean test, during this year’s Moloka‘i 2 O‘ahu Paddleboard World Championships. The four-part series spans roughly 80 miles of legendary downwind courses connecting Maui, Moloka‘i, and O‘ahu. Developed to define the month of July as the premier destination for downwind paddling, the Triple Crown showcases ideal summer conditions and a growing calendar of world-class events. With two races already in the books and the final two stages—the Maui2Molokai Challenge and Moloka‘i 2 O‘ahu Foil Edition—set to take place this weekend, the competition is at a fever pitch. Athletes must complete one of the early qualifiers, but it is the combined times from M2M and M2O that will determine this year’s Koa Kai champions. The series not only pushes the limits of endurance, speed, and strategy but also supports local communities and causes, creating a powerful blend of athleticism and aloha.

We urge M2O enthusiast to stay connected on social media for race updates for the prestigious Maui to Moloka‘i Pailolo channel race and captivating stories that will emerge as these athletes face the ultimate weekend of racing.

The 2025 Moloka‘i-2-O‘ahu Paddleboard World Championships presented by the U.S Coast Guard is proudly partnered with Hawaii Tourism Authority, Duke’s Waikiki, Florence, Sun Bum, Austin AI,H2O Audio, Heineken, Kaimana Beach Hotel, Dryrobe, Kauai Coffee, Pauwela Beverage, Spartan, Reyn Spooner, DotVision Motion, Armstrong Foils, Rogue TV, Salt and Air Studios, Futures, and Hammers and Legends.

About the Moloka‘i-2-O‘ahu Paddleboard World Championships

Founded in 1997, M2O has grown from a grassroots challenge for the legendary lifeguards of O‘ahu to the premiere event in the sport of paddleboarding. The race annually crowns world champions in the two disciplines of traditional (prone) and stand-up (SUP) paddleboarding. In 2018, a SUP Foil division was added to welcome the evolution of SUP racing with the WING Foil added in 2022. Connecting the islands of Moloka‘i and O‘ahu, the race crosses the Kaiwi Channel, also known as the Moloka‘i Channel and Channel of Bones is considered one of the most challenging bodies of water. Men and women from more than 25 countries will face strong currents as they navigate the fastest downwind route over one of the most beautiful and powerful channels in the world. The annual race is a deeply personal experience, challenging every paddler’s physical and mental endurance.

About Rogue TV

Rogue TV is a media platform dedicated to surf, ocean, and adventure culture. Founded by legendary water cinematographer Mike Prickett, Rogue TV brings viewers closer to the action with raw, real-time coverage of the world’s most exciting water sports events. From breaking waves to breaking records, Rogue TV champions the athletes, creators, and communities who live life on the edge of the ocean. Watch live broadcasts, exclusive films, and original content anytime at on the Rogue TV App or at Rogue.TV.

About the United States Coast Guard

The U.S. Coast Guard is one of the six armed forces of the United States. Since 1790, the Coast Guard has safeguarded our nation’s maritime interests and environment around the world as a federal law enforcement agency, humanitarian first responder, and military force.