The MOLOKAʻI-2-O’AHU PADDLEBOARD WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS, PRESENTED BY THE UNITED STATES COAST GUARD, WRAPS UP 2026
HONOLULU, Hawaii (July 29, 2026) – Australia’s Charlie Verco delivered one of the greatest performances in the history of the Molokaʻi-2-Oʻahu Paddleboard World Championships (M2O) Sunday shattering the Unlimited Paddleboard course record while capturing his fourth consecutive M2O title.
The morning began with a traditional Pule honoring the beauty, history, and significance of crossing from Molokaʻi to Oʻahu. After organizers successfully navigated Hurricane Fausta throughout race week, athletes were rewarded with exceptional downwind conditions across the Kaiwi Channel and an incoming tide. Passing tropical rain showers added to the experience, helping produce some of the fastest performances ever recorded at M2O while still reminding competitors that the Kaiwi Channel always commands respect.
2026 M2O Hall of Fame recipient and founder of the race, Mike Takahashi, shared, “We have not seen favorable wind, current, and tides for a long time. It was great to see the next generation test themselves in great conditions and really experience what the channel can offer on any given day.”
Verco crossed the legendary 32-mile Kaiwi Channel in 4:18:03, breaking the previous course record of 4:20:50 established by fellow Australian Matt Bevilacqua in 2019. The victory not only secured Verco’s place as a four-time consecutive M2O champion but also etched his name into the history of the world’s premier open-ocean paddleboard race leading an Australian sweep of the unlimited class, filling out the podium were Lewis Betts, 29, and Harry Hickey, 28, in 5:06:58 and 5:41:01 respectively.
“It was such a great day out there. I had to trust the plan and really focus on connecting the bumps. The channel delivered so many different variables today and staying present and patient defined my race. This race means so much to me and I really had a lot of fun out there,” said Verco.
Verco arrived in Hawaiʻi carrying momentum that extended well beyond the sport. Earlier this summer, he was widely recognized for his heroic actions in helping save a woman during a shark attack while training in Australia, earning international media attention and admiration from far beyond the paddling community. That attention followed him to Oahu, with Australian media ready to celebrate not only his remarkable act of courage but also one of the greatest athletic performances in M2O history. By pairing a record-breaking crossing with an extraordinary display of character, Verco further established himself as one of the sport’s most respected ambassadors.
2025 M2O Hall of Fame inductee Kanesa Seraphin-Duncan promised she would return to the Kaiwi Channel this summer to celebrate her 50th birthday and she delivered in spectacular fashion. Already an eight-time champion (2001–2010), Seraphin-Duncan exceeded even her remarkable legacy, capturing a record-setting ninth M2O title in the fastest race of her career. She crossed the finish line in 5:40:13, good for fourth overall among all competitors. Australia’s Lia Trebilcock finished second in 7:55:22.
Remarkably, the Men’s Stock Paddleboard podium mirrored last year’s finish, but this time with only seconds separated the top 2 finishers. Australian Harrison Stone, 28, defended his title with a time of 5:03:11, out sprinting 17-year-old Toa Pere who clocked in 5:03:30. New Zealander Ethan Storey, 17, chased both Harrison and Pere all day landing on the podium again this year in a time of 5:09:07. All three finished in the top 10 overall and were nearly 40 minutes faster than last year.
The Women’s Stock Class crowned a new M2O Champion with Allison Schillinger, 28, taking top honors in 6:00:56 followed by Australian Jazmin Graham, 21, 6:15:52 and Californian Liz Hunter, 39, 6:18:37. Similar to the men’s stock race, close racing and lines decided this competitive race.
The inaugural 14’ Paddleboard Class was well received with 4-time stock champion and record holder Stewart McLachlan, 38, from Australia finishing 2nd overall behind Charlie Verco in 4:42:06. Steve Shlens, 55, from Hawaii finishing in 5:36:30 and Californian Sean Jasso, 43, rounding out the podium in a time of 6:06:42.
Fans at the finish line welcomed a close Stand-Up Paddleboard Unlimited finish between Hayato Yamamoto, 28, from Japan and Zane Saenz, 22, from Hawaii. Both battled on the course with the outcome of Hayato winning in a time 5:18:30 building off his 2nd place finish in 2025. Saenz, a top SUP surfer from the APP World Tour finished in 5:26:37. Local James Martindale, 53, closed the podium with a time of 6:15:40.
SUP Stock once again saw the dominance of local athlete Robert Stehlik, 58, finishing in a time of 5:33:06 for his third title. Local knowledge paid dividends also for Roland Graham, 58, finishing 2nd at 5:50:40.
PRONE PADDLEBOARD AGE GROUP HIGHLIGHTS
Unlimited
- Men 20–29: Cade Bruno (USA) – 6:04:04
- Men 30–39: Brent White (USA) – 5:51:25
- Men 50+: Christopher Russell (USA) – 5:51:59
Stock
- Women 40+: DJ Wilson (USA)
- Men 19U: Lucas Forbes (New Zealand) 5:20:52
- Men 20–29: Callum Sutton (Australia) 5:27:23
- Men 30–39: Pierre Lopez (French Polynesia) 6:10:01
- Men 40–49: Gary Gee (Australia) 5:51:53
- Men 50–59: Daniel Michaluk (Canada) 5:57:13
- Men 60+: Billy Balding (Hawaii) 6:31:52
PRONE RELAYS
2-Person
- Male 79 & Under: Max Miller / Kobe Sims (Australia) – 5:15:41
- Male 80–99: Damien Andrew / Patrick Ryan (Australia) – 6:41:23
- Male 100+: Bill Taylor / Patrick Wong (USA) – 5:44:18
- Mixed: Maile Gaarder-Feingold and Garret Cleary (USA) 6:09:05
- Female Open: Christina Boring / Stockamp (USA) – 6:45:59.0
3-Person
- Male Open: Blair Thorndike / Zadoc Brown / Phil Gregory (USA & AUS) – 6:46:23.9
- Mixed Open: Courtney, Austin (16), Lucy (13) Sutherland (Australia) – 6:39:46.7
STANDUP PADDLEBOARD (SUP) AGE GROUP HIGHLIGHTS
Unlimited
- Men 50+: Brad Feldman (USA) – 8:08:28.2
SUP RELAYS
2-Person
- Men Open: Kekoa and Alex Friedman (USA) 5:56:25.9
- Mixed Relay: Jason Blinkhorn / Madeline Leblanc (Canada) 6:06:59
LINK TO RESULTS
LINK TO PHOTOS
LINK TO DOTVISION
Molokaʻi-2-Oʻahu Paddleboard World Championships presented by the United States Coast Guard is proudly partnered with Duke’s, Florence, Austin Ai, Sun Bum, H2O Audio, Armstrong, Ocean’s Prone, R10 Social House, Hammers & Legends, Foil Drive, Reyn Spooner, Kauai Coffee, Futures, Lanikai Brewing Co, Rogue TV, Salt + Air Studios, Spartan, and DotVision.