2023-08-02 02:24:04
Paddleboard – Tahitians Donovan Dupuy and Yoann Schulz were crowned world paddleboard race team champions this Sunday in Maunalea Bay, on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. After a race of 5 hours and 57 minutes, the two ‘aito won the Holy Grail ahead of another fenua team made up of Jayson Dupuy and Ariihei Kincses.
After a three-year hiatus, the prestigious Molokai 2 Oahu Paddleboard World Championships (M2O) event was back for a 24th edition this Sunday in the Hawaiian archipelago. A 54 km race, crossing between the island of Molokai and that of Oahu, known for its difficult body of water, at the mercy of prevailing winds and incessant swells. Since 1997, the event has crowned the elite of watermen, who have come from all over the world to compete once morest the Ka’iwi canal, also called “the channel of bones” because of the hostile conditions there. And this year, 250 competitors lined up at the start of the race, in Kepuhi Bay, northwest of the island of Molokai.
Great favorite of the event for several years, Australia once once more brilliantly illustrated itself during this 2023 edition of the M2O in the individual Prone category. At only 22 years old and for his first participation, the young Charlie Verco, originally from New South Wales, won the queen event in just 4h53 ‘. He was closely followed by his compatriots Jackson Maynard and Stewart McLachlan, who took second and third place respectively. On the other hand, the surprise came in the Stand up category, where Japan won the event for the first time in the history of the competition. Carried by Yusuke Hyogo, the land of the rising sun won in a remarkable time of 4h45’.
“An incredible experience”
Another nice surprise of this event, the Tahitians Donovan Dupuy and Yoann Schulz won in the team Prone category and were crowned paddleboard race world champions. Faced with the treacherous currents of the Ka’iwi channel, the ‘aito were able to hold their own and managed to finish the race in 5h57’. And behind them, another 100% Polynesian duo joined the party: in 6h06′, Jayson Dupuy and Ariihei Kincses secured second place and therefore the title of vice-world champions. “It was very difficult”, testified Jayson Dupuy when he came out of the water. “CIt’s a race that is technically very demanding. Especially the last two hours, on the side of the mythical cliffs of China Walls, where the backwash and the current work once morest us. But if fatigue was omnipresent, it was joy that animated the spirits of the ‘aito: “We had come to have fun, realize a dream and give the best of ourselves. In the end, it was an incredible experience, surrounded by the best watermen in the world, and among friends”. concluded Jayson Dupuy. And still on the Polynesian side, we noted the excellent performance of Pierre Lopez who climbed to 3rd place in the individual prone in his age category (30-39 years old), with a time of 6h48′.
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#coronation #Hawaii #Dupuy #Schulz
