Local boy Callum Sutton, a St Edward’s College, East Gosford Year 11 student, has placed seventh in the 2018 Molokai 2 Oahu (M2O) Paddleboard World Championships.
Founded in 1997, M2O has grown from a grassroots challenge for the legendary lifeguards of Oahu, to the premiere event in the sport of paddleboarding.
The race annually crowns world champions in the two disciplines of traditional (prone) and stand-up (SUP) paddleboarding, and 2018’s event saw the inclusion of a hydrofoil division to welcome the evolution of technology in SUP for the very first time.
Heralded as one of the most extreme tests of endurance in modern sport, the M2O sees competitors from across the globe paddle the 54km stretch of ocean between the Hawaiian Islands of Molokai and Oahu, the Kai’iwi Channel, more commonly known as the Channel of Bones.
This is Sutton’s second appearance at the Championships, having placed 27th overall in 2017, and a huge result for the 17-year-old, who had to deal with extremely unfavourable conditions.
“Indeed mother nature was not kind to 2018 competitors, with a combination of strong winds and outward flowing currents creating quite the puzzle for racers to navigate,” said Molokai 2 Oahu Media Liaison, Ian Monahan.
“The annual race is a deeply personal experience, challenging every paddlers’ physical and mental endurance.
“Every finisher experiences an individual championship,” Monahan said.
Sutton completed his epic paddle in seven hours and 22 minutes.
Source: Media release, Aug 27, Ian Monohan, Molokai to Oahu Media