What an exciting two weeks of action were witnessed on Maui with record-breaking times on wingfoil at the Maui to Molokai (Moloka’i Holokai) channel crossing race, and the CODE REF II South swells bringing the biggest waves to hit the south and west facing shores of Hawaii in over 20 years!
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Starboard Team rider Zane Schweitzer recaps the action
Wingfoil Crossing the Moloka’i Holokai
Coming into the 2022 Pailolo channel crossing for the Moloka’i Holokai competition I was super excited to compete on Wingfoil for my first time in this event! Since the age of 13 I’ve participated in the Maui to Moloka’i 27 mile Moloka’i Holokai Race and have crossed windsurfing, Stand up paddling and SUP Foiling, but this year everything is lining up for record-breaking times across the channel on the wingfoil.
I rode my Freewing Pro 5.0 paired with the Starboard Xtra 5’5”, 65 Liter wingboard designed for wing racing. With 25 to 30 kn plus of wind I had many people asking me why I was using such a big wing and such a big board, but I know and respect the Pailolo Channel and crossing enough to know that you do not want to be stuck out there on a low-volume board or under powered when riding straight down wind.
Starting the race I rode south towards the island of Lāna’i before cutting across to the Moloka’i side of the Pailolo Channel as the wind and rain squalls were offering an efficient and fast line in this direction. Once far enough down the channel and starting to edge into the wind and towards Kamalo Buoy the action was on and I quickly started to feel speeds faster than I’ve ever been on a foil with down the line bumps overhead and winds blasting 30 kn plus straight behind me- my escort boat and the media boat had hard times keeping up with me at this point and I was on my own for the last 8 miles or so beating the race committee across the finish line before they had the speaker set up!
I was stoked to be welcomed by Ka’oli and friends from the island and hear the news of my finish as the new world record across all Crafts with 1:33 from our start at Honolua Bay to Kaunakakai!
