United States Coast Guard Returns as Presenting Sponsor of the Molokai2oahu Paddleboard and Foil World Championships
Expanded Partnership includes race-day coverage, post-race TV special, and new Channel Master recognition connecting the M2O and Catalina Classic channel crossings.
HONOLULU, HAWAIʻI (June 26, 2026) — The Molokaʻi-2-Oʻahu Paddleboard World Championships (M2O) is proud to welcome back the United States Coast Guard as Presenting Sponsor of the 2026 event, reinforcing a partnership built on excellence, endurance, maritime tradition, and service. This year’s expanded partnership will help bring fans closer to the action through live race-day updates and a post-race television special to air on KHON2 locally with global distribution through Rogue TV, bringing the excitement of the Kaiwi Channel to audiences worldwide.
Now entering its 27th year, the Molokaʻi-2-Oʻahu Paddleboard World Championships remains the pinnacle of open-ocean racing. Each summer, the world’s top prone paddleboarders, stand-up paddlers, and foilers gather in Hawaiʻi to cross the legendary Kaiwi Channel, one of the most challenging and respected bodies of water in ocean sport.
“The United States Coast Guard represents commitment, courage, and mastery of the ocean environment. Those same values define the athletes who take on the Kaiwi Channel,” proudly states USCG spokesperson. “We are honored to continue this partnership, support the coverage, and athlete recognition programs.”
Athletes will race from Molokaʻi to Oʻahu, navigating 32+ miles of open ocean, powerful currents, and the world-famous downwind conditions that have made the Kaiwi Channel the ultimate proving ground for ocean athletes.
The 2026 event schedule features two weekends of world championship competition:
• M2O Foil World Championship – July 20, 2026
• M2O Prone and SUP World Championships – July 26, 2026
A New Era Connecting Two Legendary Channel Crossings
A centerpiece of the 2026 USCG partnership is a new collaboration between M2O and the historic Catalina Classic Paddleboard Race, creating a stronger connection between the two most iconic channel races in paddleboarding.
Founded in 1955, the Catalina Classic challenges athletes to paddle 32 miles from Catalina Island to Manhattan Beach, California, and has long been considered the birthplace of modern paddleboard racing. The Molokaʻi-2-Oʻahu race traces part of its own heritage to Catalina, with M2O founders drawing inspiration from the Classic when creating Hawaiʻi’s ultimate channel crossing in 1997.
Beginning in 2026, athletes who successfully compete in both the Catalina Classic and Molokaʻi-2-Oʻahu within the same season will earn special recognition as “Channel Masters”, honoring those who conquer the sport’s two most historic and demanding crossings.
“For generations, Catalina and Molokaʻi have been the two channel crossings that define paddleboarding,” said Mike Takahashi, co-founder of the Molokaʻi-2-Oʻahu Paddleboard World Championships. Today, athletes from around the world structure their summers around these two iconic events, testing themselves against the most respected courses in the sport. The new Channel Master recognition honors those athletes who embrace both challenges and the spirit of ocean endurance they represent. We’re proud to have the United States Coast Guard supporting this recognition, helping celebrate the commitment, preparation, and perseverance required to cross two of the most legendary channels for years to come.
The Centerpiece of Hawaiʻi’s Downwind Season
The M2O World Championships arrive at the culmination of Hawaiʻi’s summer downwind season, drawing athletes from around the world to train and compete in the birthplace of modern ocean racing. The Foil World Championships will once again serve as a featured event of the Koa Kai Crown, a multi-discipline series designed to identify the world’s most versatile ocean athletes. The competition showcases the rapid evolution of foil racing while preserving the traditions that have defined ocean paddling for generations.
The 2026 M2O is the final stop of the Downwind Foil World Tour. The tour is the first official global ranking system that unites the sport’s most prestigious races in Hawaii, France, and Australia. An opportunity to elevate the fan experience leading into the Hawaiian events and amplify the best downwind athletes and races in the world.
Adding to an already stacked summer schedule, the return of the Hawaiian Paddleboard Championships and the Cline Mann Classic creates a new three-race challenge for prone athletes. Together with the Molokaʻi-2-Oʻahu World Championships, the events will crown the top Open division athletes across Hawaiʻi’s premier downwind races. More information on the inaugural crown and registration details are available ONLINE.
“July has become a month-long celebration of downwind racing in Hawaiʻi,” said Shannon Delaney, M2O executive director. “Athletes can spend weeks training in world-class conditions before testing themselves on the most iconic course in the sport. There is simply no other place in the world where ocean athletes can experience this level of competition, history, and connection to the water.”
Beyond the Channel
The global paddling community can join the action through the 7th Annual Virtual Paddle. Athletes globally can “Paddle Anything, Anywhere, Anytime.” The 16-mile challenge invites participants to take on M2O on their own terms, complete with custom gear and performance tracking.
Fans can follow every moment from race-day drama to athlete stories across Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
The 2026 Moloka‘i-2-O‘ahu Paddleboard World Championships presented by the United States Coast Guard is proudly supported by Duke’s Waikiki, Florence, H2O Audio, Sun Bum, Austin AI, Oceans Prone Paddle, Kauai Coffee, Reyn Spooner, Armstrong, Futures Fins, Lanikai Brewing, and Hammers and Legends. Media partners include DotVision Motion, Spartan, Rogue TV, and Salt and Air Studios.
About the United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is one of the six armed forces of the United States. Since 1790, the Coast Guard has safeguarded the nation’s maritime interests through search and rescue operations, maritime law enforcement, environmental protection, and national defense while serving communities around the world.
About the Molokaʻi-2-Oʻahu Paddleboard World Championships
Founded in 1997, the Molokaʻi-2-Oʻahu Paddleboard World Championships has grown from a grassroots challenge among Oʻahu lifeguards into the premier event in paddleboard racing. The race annually crowns world champions in prone paddleboarding, stand-up paddleboarding, and foil disciplines while crossing the legendary Kaiwi Channel between Molokaʻi and Oʻahu. Known as one of the world’s most demanding open-ocean endurance events, M2O attracts elite athletes from more than 25 countries and remains the ultimate test of physical endurance, ocean knowledge, and watermanship.
