United World College of South East Asia: Molokai to Oahu Paddleboard Race 2008

Molokai to Oahu Paddleboard Race 2008

For most people, the thought of doing physical activity on any given day for more than one hour is a crazy idea. On 27 July, I did what more people think is absolute madness. I competed in the 12th Annual QuiksilverEdition Molokai to Oahu Paddleboard Race, a 32 mile paddle between the islands of Molokai and Oahu in Hawaii using only my arms to propel myself forward on an 18 foot paddleboard in either a prone or kneeling position.

In the months leading into the event, I was driven by the thought of competing in a race that is not only physically and men tally challenging but also a race that brings together upwards of 150 people from all over the world who share a common goal of getting across a challenging piece of water as quickly and as safely as possible. One of the highlights of the event is to sit on the island of Molokai the night before the race and hear the stories of why everyone is there. For some, it’s to be the first across the channel. For others, it’s for a different purpose. To paddle in memory of loved ones. To raise money for people less fortunate that themselves or simply to say they have done the best they can at a physically enduring event. I did the event for all of these reasons. I wanted to try and win, I paddled with the thought of my family always at the forefront of my mind and I was trying to what I could to raise awareness for the Non-Government Organisation, SurfAid International who do a remarkable job helping the people living in the Mentawai Islands located off Western Sumatra Indonesia. phins. There were also stories of people seeing manta rays and whales plus one paddler who saw a tiger shark eating a turtle.

On the morning of the race traditional Hawaiian blessings were given, everyone wished each other luck and we all moved nervously into the water to prepare for the starting gun. As soon as the starter’s gun fired, everyone started off on their journeys and it was not long until I settled into a comfortable rhythm of paddling.

Despite there being over 150 paddlers in the water with ac companied support boats, I did not speak to another paddler during the entire race. It was me and the ocean. Paddle, paddle, glide. Paddle, paddle, glide. This went on for five hours and nineteen minutes. The feeling of being in the ocean, the quiet and the physical pain which grows as the race gets longer makes for an unforgettable memory.

People ask what I think about whilst paddling for such a long period of time. Most of the time I think about paddling. I make sure my stroke is efficient, I try and ride the ocean swells for as long as possible and I try to enjoy every single stroke, even when it hurts so badly that I never want to get onto a paddleboard again. I also think about my family and those dam Wiggles songs my children love so much which are forever etched into my subconscious.

-19- To fly to the island of Molokai takes less than twenty minutes. To paddle back can take anything from five to nine hours. I was hoping to do it in as close as five hours as possible but many things would have to come together for this to happen. Along with fatigue and sunburn, I had to contend with unfavourable currents, container ships and other competitors who were trying to get to the finish line faster than I wanted to.

There was also an amazing amount of marine life to look at and be absolutely scared stiff of. I saw flying fish, turtles and dol Fortunately I was able to finish the event in second place which I am very happy about. I am also happy that I was able to share my joy with the other paddlers as they finished paddling and more importantly raise further awareness for SurfAid International by doing something that I love and specially to inspire others. Jackson English Head of Grade 2 UWCSEA East Campus