Quiksilver Edition Molokai to Oahu Paddleboard Race 2008
by Jackson English

After the success of the three 24 Hour Swim Challenges, where the United World College of South East Asia community has raised over $150,000 for the humanitarian organization SurfAid International (http://www.surfaidinternational.org), it is now time for me to personally complete a gruelling event to help raise further awareness of the fantastic work SurfAid is doing in the Mentawai and Nias islands off Sumatra, Indonesia.

On Sunday 27 July 2008, I will be competing in the 2008 Quiksilver Edition Molokai to Oahu Paddleboard Race.

The “Molokai”

In the world of long distance paddleboard racing, the Quiksilver Edition Molokai to Oahu Paddleboard Race is known simply as “Molokai”. Its challenge has become legendary; a 32-mile rough water race across the Kaiwi Channel that separates the Hawaiian islands of Molokai and Oahu. Unlike other long-distance events, the Molokai features a downwind course that tests not only the endurance but the open-ocean surfing skills of the field of over 135 of the world’s best men and women paddleboard and stand-up paddle racers. Competitors in a variety of classes, including unlimited and stock paddleboards and solo and relay stand-up paddling, must fight their way across one of the roughest channel crossings in the Islands, literally surfing their way down consecutive open ocean swells in the attempt to reach Oahu. Once along its rugged coast paddlers are met with capricious head winds and side currents that make the last few miles to Maunalua Bay a gruelling test of sheer will and muscle.

The Motivation

The motivation behind completing the Quiksilver Edition Molokai to Oahu Paddleboard Race is to participate in a physically enduring event and raise money for, and create awareness of, SurfAid International’s work.

I last completed this event in July 2003 where I was third across the finish line. Since living in Singapore, it has not been viable to do this event since. Now is the time to complete the event again, not only for personal reasons but to help people less fortunate than me. An anticipated five hours of physical pain is no comparison to the suffering that the people of the Mentawai and Nias islands go through on a daily basis.

In the worst villages in the Mentawai Islands, off the coast of West Sumatra, up to 25 per cent of children die before the age of 12 years from treatable and preventable diseases like acute respiratory infection, diarrhoea, malaria and measles.

To combat unnecessary death and suffering, SurfAid International has developed health programs such as “Malaria Free Mentawai” and the “Mentawai and Nias Community Based Health”. SurfAid’s goal is to help people help themselves through disease prevention, education, training and integration with local health departments.