The Molo Chronicles
by Briac Medard de Chardon

Molo Chronicle #1:

So the False Creek women paddled to glory last week (I still don't believe that their achievements have sunk in with everyone yet..under 10 minutes behind the record setting winners...that's got to be considered within jab of title contention)...and hung us out to dry in our cold, wet Vancouver hideout with no information, no updates, nothing....we were reduced to drug addicts in withdrawal, hitting up any website that would mention even the tiniest of facts about the Molokai crossing...trying to find anything about what conditions were like....

So having been in that situation, hopefully a couple postings on this site will avoid a repeat.

The intent of these postings are to give a perspective for everyone stuck at home (did I mention how warm the water is here?), and be at the same time informative and entertaining. Let me know if there's any aspect I can add to these.

So the FCRCC men's program is sending over the better part of two full crews this year. Most of us Molokai virgins, with a meager four who have at least one crossing under their belts. Shane who crossed last year for the first time has mostly been the brains and organization of this year's effort.

To give you an idea of what a crossing entails:
1. Getting race boats
2. Arranging for escort boats
3. Finding bodies to fill any empty seats
4. Renting a house for training week
5. Finding boats to use for training week
6. Booking flights
7. Booking accomodations on Molokai
8. Trans-island travel arrangements
9. Making sure we've got food, cars, surfboards...etc...the list
goes on..

So now to introduce the line up:
We've got a total of 14 guys coming over from FCRCC (9 people required for each crew). Shane showed up Thursday to arrange last minute details, then Reg followed suit on Friday, Scott and Gord arrived Saturday afternoon on separate flights, then the boatload of
Jake, Niels, Vlad, Adam, Steve, and Briac showed up Saturday afternoon, followed by Moe, Dave, and Cam later that night. Many trips to the airport. Trevor, the 14th will show up later in the week. In addition, we've picked up a guy from Australia: Sampson Hollywood (with a name like that we still have to ask him if he's involved in the porn industry). There's a guy from Mooloolaba joining us by the name of Gord, a steersperson from HuiNalu by the name of Paul, and finally one of his friends. That's a total of 18. No crews have been set yet, and that will slowly jel over the next few days.

So the first real day in Hawaii:
Sunday October 3rd. Temperature: hot. Humidity: low. Waves: not much. 7am (yes, jetlag), and we're all piling into the minivans to go surfing. We get to Waikiki and rent the heaviest, biggest longboards in the world. It's pretty flat, and none of us really know what we're doing...but we squeeze in an hour of surfing...and our first casualty of the trip occurs: Cam is surfing a 16ft wave, he's just coming out of the barrel when he bites it on the reef. Actually he fell off a 1ft wave and stepped on a sea urchin. Man down. Life guard offers to urinate on his foot...he passes...which results in a trip to the store for some vinegar.

Back to the house for some lunch...we're all awaiting with anticipation our first training run: 11am. We get to HuiNalu and see our boats for the first time. They are a Bradley and a Bradley Striker. Very nice boats...great skirts and paddle hooks. We split up into 3 crews of 5, and head out. You follow a few markers to navigate through the reefs, and out into open water. Everyone is giddy with excitment as we observe the swells on the horizon. The boats are running well...we see teams from Tahitti training as well. The water is very salty, but soooo warm.

We head ccw around the island, and we're going up against the swells...it's not big, but already the full potential of what's in store is clear...you hear the occasional "Holy S#@t!". All boats are holding side by side..then we finally turn downwind, and the 'Hawaiian steersperson' advantage becomes clear...Paul's boat takes off. Eventually we head back into the harbour, and Paul is mentioning to stay beside the channel...odd...but quickly we understand, Vlad calls a push, and the boat picks up, we're three boat lengths behind Paul's boat, and our boat has just shifted gears and we're now wondering what is happening...we're going so fast it eventually becomes clear that to continue paddling is a waste of time, I look over my shoulder, and see a wall of water bearing down on us...we reach Paul's boat just as we peel off the shoulder of the wave, and see them get onto it just as it is cresting...they disappear behind a wall of whitewash..and I'm thinking we just lost a crew and boat. Turns out they did fine...and the third boat is sitting there watching all of this yelling and jealous. Another sign of things to come. We then load our boats onto the trailer, and we will be loading them onto a barge tomorrow morning to be shipped off to Molokai.

Ok, mental note, I'll have to make these updates shorter......

Molo Chronicle #2:

Hmmm...just got back from a ridiculous paddle, and question whether my arm and hand controls are indeed receiving signals from my brain. More about this later. First, I forgot a few items. We're staying and training just off of Hawai'i Kai. This is on the South-East corner of the Island of Oahu, and we are about a 20 minute drive east of Waikiki beach. During practice, we are able to observe the beckoning island of Molokai in the distance (site of the race start). It's a ways off, and calls to you saying "come on over, I'll be nice, but trust me you'll sleep well when I'm done with you!".

So last night was a nice relaxing evening. We sat around and discussed some of the finer points that we will deal with during the crossing. Everyone was relatively surprised at how comfortable people feel in the boats, in the swells. But basically, we're just trying to ignore the fact that it's 8pm but feels like 1am. So the house is quiet, and purring by 8:30 to the gentle sounds of Reg's snores (he wanted to be mentioned). Your days start early, so everything is shifted.

At 5:30am the next morning, everyone is up and shovelling massive amounts of breakfasts into them, and we're off to Pearl Harbour to load the boats. After a quick security check and some bad jokes about not calling Moe by his full name "Mohammed", we're at the loading pallets. We see our boats alongside teams like Rai and Hawaii/NZ and wonder how long that will last. The pallets have boats packed 3-4 per, and fork-lifted onto a barge. This is the second load to go over. We see Kelowna loading their boats...good to see some friendly faces. Shane completes our registration, and we're off for surf session #2 (Todd Bradley mentioned during a recent visit to Gibsons that surfing is essential to understanding how to catch waves, so we're following his advice to a 'T'). Waves are small and gentle, so no injuries to report.

On a side note here, drinking water has become the equivalent of a part time job.

Next on the agenda is some eating, a few naps, and head out to practice for 2:30pm. Our first hard practice. The water is very confused, with a very strong off-shore breeze, and swells coming the opposite way. We do a number of runs through the chop sideways, then some up and down wind sections, and then we head out around the point by some scenic cliffs (which you can see in the picture section posted by Lori). We're paddling close to the cliff, at times less than 2-3 metres from the cliff, and waves are absolutely pounding the faces, yet the boat sits relatively calm. Very odd sensation, paddling water like back home, yet Hell is unfolding immediately next to you. Fatigue is starting to set in, as we head back.

As we're pulling up to the club house, 30-40 surf-skis are racing up and down the coast. The're all being paddled by high school kids, and it dawns on us why the Hawaiians know what they're doing. These kids are all being coached, and doing race pieces. Kind of like an after school hockey practice back in Canada....a very healthy looking program.

We pull onto the beach, and everyone is absolutely ravenous. Talk of eating horses and the like abounds. We rush home, and a scene like you've never seen unfolds: like a pack of wolves, the kitchen counter is swarmed by 13 wilting paddlers, meat and cheese and packaging is flying through the air. Innovative new ways to ingest more food faster are being developed left and right. Ok, we're watching a video of the 2001 crossing, and we'll crash hard tonight. Lesson of the day: when you think you've had enough to eat, have another plate, and then top up with anything else you can find...and then squeeze in a snack as soon as you can.

Molo Chronicle #3:

Every practice ends with a similar scene: instead of heading down through the cannal towards the shed, each boat picks its own line through the reef trying to run in the crashing surf and see how fast the boat can go. With mixed success I might add....actually I've heard the spot has a special place in Jericho's heart....but maybe they can post the story.(Speaking of Jericho, we just caught a glimpse of Paul yesterday as we were driving through Waikiki).

As we run these boats down, I wonder if we'd do the same with Mirages,or Bradley's....but typically Paul (our local helmsman) takes the most aggressive line, then Dave and Steve stay just wide. The conditions are very odd. Paul says he's rarely seen these types of mixed conditions, which will make for a very different approach to Diamond Head (final turn in the race). The swells aren't huge...and the forecast is still a little too long term to start relying on.

Tuesday morning started with the usual 7am surf session. Everyone is starting to get the hang of this, and as each wave comes through,it's not uncommon to see multiple 'Creekers' running side by side shocked at this result. You can buy rides in an outrigger on the beach, and it's something like $15 for 3 waves, and I call these guys "the surfer mowing machine". You have to see it to believe it. These guys line up their 600lb canoe outside the surf break and wait for a big one. Then, they tear through the 60+ people waiting for a wave. If you don't see them....to bad....Today is a down day for surfing.

Ater surfing, we head to "Island Paddler" a store dedicated to paddling....a store probably visited by every single Canadian paddler visiting...to admire the amazing wooden paddles....good only for hanging on a wall in our part of the world. Everyone buys books, shirts, hats, whatever...

So about now, it's been at least 2 hours since breakfast, so we should go for a massive lunch, or whatever it is you eat at 9am. We're up to 4-5 meals a day. The Costco run was a massive load, and chances are we'll be back tomorrow. On the topic of food, Scott needs mention: Scott Booth ladies, can cook like you wouldn't believe. He's been the chef these last three nights, and everybody's wondering how he will outdo himself tonight. The man works magic with a bbq.

On another note, having 14-16 guys living together in close quarters is starting to take its toll. Neanderthalisms abound. I'd love to expand here, but this is just not the place for it....

Trevor arrived last night, and our friend Gord from Australia showed up for practice yesterday and is now living with us as well. The guy definitely eats his spinach, and blends nicely, so he should slide in as a meat seat no problem. His wife was on the Mooloolaba crew that won the womens race, and like us,he jokes the heat is on him to beat their time!! Also, Sampson is moving in tonight,and I believe we're planning a big Mahi-Mahi bbq now that everyone is here.

We saw the high-school group training surfskis, OC1's, OC2's again yesterday. Every single one of them is in top shape (guys/girls),and their coach is making them do push-ups and pull-ups everyday after practice. They get these boats humming....this is a VERY healthy program....definitely tough competition.

We arrived at practice yesterday, to massive drops of water crashing down .... felt right at home! We started thinking maybe if it rained hard all crossing, it might improve our odds! And maybe if the water temperature dropped by about 10-15 degrees, we'd be the only ones making changes...it'd be an all Canadian finish! If it got cold enough, we may even be able to skate across....We were talking to Gord last night about winter paddling....these guys hate training in the winter time...the water temperature drops to ~20, and the air is around 16-19degC.....horrible. Chalk up one more guy who thinks we're nuts.

Ok, everyone is starting to mix their drinks, so it must be time for practice.

One last note, when I cruised into "Island Paddler", the guy definitely knew the Canadian teams, and was definitely impressed with both women's crews.... sounds like everyone was...the second crew finished well alongside many top crews. Nice work.

Yikes...these are not getting any shorter...

Molo Chronicle #4:

Likely a final posting, since we are off to Molokai in the morning, I'll try to recap the last couple days, and guess at what's in store for us in the days ahead.

We're going to have a favourable tide, and the wind is blowing mostly our way, but if it holds like this, many teams will likely bee-line towards Diamond head....still a little early to tell. The locals are thinking this may well be a record breaking year. If you have a look at the new links on ocpaddler.com, you will see there's a lot of stiff competition showing up this year.

Yesterday we had a bit of an easier practice as we entered the final taper (of the year!)....and it looks like Steve (from stevepalmier.com) has come into his own quite nicely as a helmsman over the last 5 days. Today he caught a monster wave and surfed right past our crew...he has definitely earned the trust of his crew, and everyone is feeding off of this pleasant result. Being a down day yesterday, we essentially stayed out of the sun and relaxed all day (minus a very competitive cannonball competition in the pool). We had an early dinner: spaghetti with a meat sauce, which had 7.5lbs of meat, and 6 jars of classico....ridiculous. We gave Scott the night off.

Paddling in Vancouver, it is easy to really relax the grip on your paddle. Out here, in big water and heavy winds, you really have to hang on, as it can quickly get whipped out of your hands. The good thing is that the exceptionally salty water seems to improve the grip on the paddle, but the downside is the extra salty water seems to do a trick to your skin. Guys are applying remedies to places they aren't used to....

Another thing that is very obvious here is how big outrigger as a sport is. There are clubs everywhere, and you even see big brands endorsing the sport. Yesterday, looking at the beer selection in our local "Foodland", at least two brands had outriggers depicted in some fashion...the bottles of bud have a picture of the islands with little outriggers. You hear that the Molokai crossing is the 'superbowl' of outrigging. Actually, this being the 53rd crossing, the Superbowl is kind of the Molokai Crossing of football....

Ok, back to reality: today we had our final training runs, and we ran different combinations up and down the channel to finalize crews. The boats are running quite well, and you can start to feel the race around the corner. Speaking of crews, we ended up losing an escort boat and a paddler, so we've have some last minute scrambling to deal with....but it doesn't seem to be a major problem at this point.

To celebrate this final practice of the year, we headed directly after practice to Makapu, for some team body surfing. Very odd, as I distinctly remembered that we had all agreed not to, as you run a fairly good chance of injuring at least one person...but anyways....everyone is feeling pretty good right now...

Tomorrow, we head out to one of the local airstrips, and we've chartered a small plane, who will transport us and our gear to Molokai in two shifts. Should be an amazing flight....with a good arial view of the course. Once on Molokai, we are staying at the Molokai Ranch, where our only responsibilities will be to remain hydrated, loaded with food, and to rig and float the boats.

newsflash: we just at this instant secured a second escort boat...so now we just need a paddler...no sweat...

Ok, this is going to be fun, and everyone is getting pumped...see you all next week....and we'll look forward to hearing stories from all the other clubs.

Molo Chronicle #5:

So Molokai Island (and particularly Molokai Ranch) is a bit of a paradise. Sitting on the grass watching the rollers come in, you keep looking towards your hand, and can't help but wonder 'where is the beer?'We packed up Friday morning, returned the rental cars, and made our way to 'George's Aviation', a little hangar at the end of the runway. So the major safety concern when boarding these planes is weight...everyone had to submit a weight estimate ahead of time. Then, when you actually get to the plane, you get a final weigh in. Well Canada, your boys are coming home a little chubbier than they left. On average, everyone has put on about 10lbs. Adam weighed in at 199lbs...so we're trying to push him over the deuce mark. According to Trevor, it's all water....hmmmm...right...

The flight over is really scenic, and you get a good look at how hairy Diamond Head is...there are reef breaks all the way around the point...should be an interesting part of the race.

Once you get to Molokai, the dry heat is evident. We check into our 'tentalows', which are essentially tents pitched on elevated platforms, but with all modern menities: power, lights, fans, bathrooms, showers, etc.... Then there is the buffet where you ingest boundless amounts of fish, chicken, beef, pork, etc....I don't know what vegetarians do.

Today, first thing we headed down for boat rigging. You get a good look at many of the teams, and the dependance on duct tape. One of the teams is making their hull/skirt completely water tight with beads of silicone. This is all happening in Hale O Lono harbour...and it is HOT. There is little shade, so everyone is covered up, and every 30-45minutes or so you jump into the water to cool off. We ran into Barry, Paul and Mike from Jericho who have been here since Thursday and are all ready to go.

The next bit is simply a funny story that needs to be told: as we wait endlessly for a shuttle to take us back for lunch, Dave and Niels secure us a ride back. We all walk over, and it is an old rusty flatbed truck with railings, the kind you would see berry pickers in the movies piled right to the top. Our driver, beer in hand, tells us to jump in, so all 18 of us pile in, and we're off, to the laughter of all the locals seeing so many pasty white paddlers off for a berry picking session. The ride home is about 20 minutes. About 8 minutes in, the driver pulls over, gets out, and asks us to hand him a couple cold beers out of the cooler which is in the back. We comply, and we're off again. About 5 minutes later, he pulls over again, so everyone is joking it's time for another beer, but no, he simply needs to take a leak...which is quickly accomplished by the front tire of the truck. A minute later and we're off again rumbling down the dirt road...only to pull over about 2 minutes away from our destination....for another couple beers. Anyways, you get the idea and thanks uncle Benny for the memories...

So this afternoon, we're all napping and staying hydrated. The teams and start crews have been determined, and we're starting to review race strategy, duties, etc... It is dawning on everyone that the moment is near....and in less than 24 hours it will be over...so you don't want to miss your chance to put in your best effort...or else wait another year. Everyone is fairly pumped about how the boats are running, and the wind is picking up. All last night the waves were absolutely pounding the shoreline, and today, it's whitecaps as far as the eye can see.....yet the Hawaiians are still complaining about how flat it is....who are these people anyways?

Molo Chronicle #6:

Ok, I realise that probably the most important posting would have been the one immediately after the race, and that it is pretty late, but here's an abbreviated rundown of how Sunday went down.

We woke up at 4am in complete darkness and made our way to our last buffet meal of the trip, to carefully choose this ever critical meal. After being fed and packed, we boarded busses down to Hale O Lono harbour to the boats, where about 1000 paddlers were congregating. Then commenced the task of finding escort boats, and loading them with all our gear. Paddlers stood on the beach by their hulls, watching others to see when they were putting in. Eventually a max exodus began, and everyone was getting their warm up started. The line up forms very quickly, and 15 minutes before the start, the boats are essentially lined up...94 boats total. The starter holds the orange flag up, and as we see his hand imperceptibly move closer to grab the green flag, the race is already going...it is an all out sprint, and there is some surf to grab.

For the remainder of the race, each has his own story, or interpretation, so getting it first hand from someone is recommended...

We headed along Molokai, and it seemed the top crews were already bee- lining towards diamond head. Then, it is a matter of just dealing with the ever changing conditions, and optomizing your boat run. All in all it was an absolutely amazing race, with all the challenges you would expect. We hulied early in the race, and eventually broke wide open the 4 seat zipper....at times the boat would fill with water so quickly it was frustrating, but then you would turn around and put together two great 15 minute pieces where you would be passing bushels of crews at a time. The last hour or so of the race is to this day the most memorable bit of paddling I have ever been involved in, as we took the inside line around diamond head through the reef breaks...I have never been told to 'let it run' in the middle of a race, only to see a large wave crash just ahead of the boat, and then hear Paul say 'Ok, back on!' as though everything was normal again...There were times sitting in the escort boat, when you would see your boat disappear behind a set, and you would sit there visualising the worse, only to see the boat lurch back into sight seconds later...definitely got the heart pumping. Then, the sprint to the finish on turquoise water...amazing.

Anyhow, a great race, plenty of lessons learned, and many areas to improve, we will surely do better next time...and that's what it's all about.

Ok, thanks for reading....!

Briac.