I arrived in Hawaii a zombie, shredded by passing through 12 time zones, 2 hemispheres and 36 hours  squeezed in an aluminum tube at 36  000 feet. My body which I’d been surgically sculpting for many months was stiff and sore, my mind delirious.

Editor: Andrew Wheeler came 23rd overall this year out of 55 finishers in blazing hot conditions... This is his story - Molo from a mid-packer's point of view!  (Next up we'll have the story from the pointy end.)

On Sunday, May 15, 2011, I did something I’d wanted to do since I was ten years old: I raced in the Molokai World Surfski Championships.

Ever since I saw Magnum, P.I. training for this annual Hawaiian event, I’d wanted to be part of Molokai. The race begins on the island of Molokai, crosses the Ka’iwi Channel — considered one of the roughest ocean channels in the world – and finishes at Hawaii Kai on Oahu. The distance is around 32 nautical miles.

For those making long term plans to paddle the 2011 Molokai Challenge on 15 May 2011, here's some info.

Dean Gardiner confessed at an ocean paddlers’ forum that he has completed the epic Molokai Challenge - which he has won nine times - while consuming as little as half a litre of water.

Durban, South Africa - A strong reaction has followed the news that ace Tahitian paddler Lewis Laughlan has pulled out of the ARB Surf Ski World Cup in Durban later this month.

The quietly spoken star who hit the headlines a few weeks back when he won the Molokai title in brutal conditions said that he had opted to stay in Tahiti to honour commitments to a local RAI event rather than make the trip to South Africa for the year's only ICF Sanctioned Surf Ski World Cup. He was the highest placed international at last year's successful inaugural ARB Surf Ski World Cup.

"It was the flattest conditions I've ever seen - glassy," said Hank McGregor.  "But there were no escort boats out in front so the luck factor wasn't there - it was a fair race."

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Hank McGregor is the Molokai 2009 Champion... It was a neck and neck tussle between the South African and Aussie Clint Robinson until about 2:18 into the race when the heat and flat conditions finally broke Robinson and he pulled up with cramps.

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That left Tim Jacobs as sole challenger but he paddled the entire race on his own and never really came close to catching McGregor who powered his way to a win in 3:54:39. 

Defending champion Lewis Laughlin took third place.

The conditions were glassy - with a 10kt headwind for the final hour.

The polls are in - and Aussie Clint Robinson is favored to win today's race from Hank McGregor (SA) by 183 votes to 156...

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"Much has been discussed with the men's division, but hardly anything about the gals," wrote Clyde Hedlund.  "Nowhere could I find Naomi Flood on the ballot.  So let this be my token vote for her (sorry Lauren)."

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