Each solo and two-person team category winner will receive the commemorative fin.

The official race art for the 2018 Moloka’i-2-O’ahu Paddleboard World Championships (M2O), presented by Kona Brewing Company draws from the throw-back color pallet of surfing’s past. Nick Kuchar’s eye for modern-vintage design captures the unique blend of the challenge and beauty experienced by the men and women who attempt to cross the Ka’iwi Channel. Kuchar’s work also will grace the blade of the commemorative fin created by Futures Fins given to each solo and two-person team category winner.

“I set out to capture two things – the iconic experience of the event through the visualization of determined competitors and the heavy water of the Channel of Bones,” said Kuchar. “The deep greens add to the magnificence and depth of the channel and provide a sense of the unknown. Each athlete embarks on a personal journey during the race, so I am honored to contribute to their accomplishment this year.”

If one casts their eyes to the sky in Kuchar’s work, they will see the whimsical addition of a subtle map camouflaged in the clouds depicting the Ka’iwi Channel, bookended by the islands of Moloka’i and O’ahu.

“This is one of the coolest fins we have made so far and we love the way Nick’s work transferred to this year’s design for M2O,” said Futures Founder Vince Longo. “These fins will turn into collector’s items as only a few will earn the piece as part of their prize package.”

Longo is also a participant at M2O.

Nick Kuchar grew up drawing and surfing in Florida. After graduating from primary colors, he attended Auburn University where he earned a degree in industrial design. Kuchar is inspired by the early days of surf and beach culture, including the vintage color palette, typography and nostalgia that goes along with it. He currently resides on the island of O’ahu where he explores new variations of his favorite themes and works with a range of local and off-island companies like Patagonia.

For more info on Nick Kuchar’s art please visit http://www.nickkuchar.com

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 hydrofoil division was added to welcome the evolution of technology in the SUP. Connecting the islands of Moloka’i and O’ahu, the 32-mile race crosses the Ka’iwi Channel, also known as the Moloka’i Channel and Channel of Bones. Men and women from more than 20 countries will face strong currents as they navigate the fastest downwind-route over one of the most beautiful and powerful channels in the world. Top athletes can complete the crossing in less than five hours, riding mid-channel waves that crest more than 12 feet and carry paddlers hundreds of meters. M2O starts in Kepuhi Bay on the northwest shore of Moloka’i and finishes in Maunalua Bay on the southeast shore of O’ahu. The annual race is a deeply personal experience, challenging every paddlers’ physical and mental endurance. Every finisher experiences an individual championship.

M2O is proudly supported by Kona Brewing Company, Hawai’i Tourism Authority, Duke’s Waikiki, Oakley, Patagonia, Rogue, Futures Fins, Blue Rush, Amavara, Salonpas, Greenlayer, Stand Up Paddle Magazine, Ocean Paddler, DotVison, Aqua Pro Fitness, XO Activewear Paddle League and Fin Film Company.