Hawaiian Zane Schweitzer has just won the inaugural SUP Foil category race in the 26 mile (42 km) Pailolo Channel crossing from Maui to Moloka’i as part of the 2018 M2M Crossing, in doing so he set a new channel crossing record time, and won the overall classification, beating all other crafts including traditional outriggers, surf skis and unlimited SUPs!
The Maui based waterman raced with the Starboard 6’9″ x 23″ Hyper Nut Carbon with a GoFoil Iwa just beneath the surface. Zane wasn’t alone in completing giving credit to his family and friends for their support in helping him realize this dream. He was also pushed hard all the way to the finish line by mentor and friend Dave Kalama.
The wind started to die and the swell dropped too as we neared our finish at Kaunakakai Harbor on Molokai, and I knew this was a good time for me to take advantage of the hard sprint, interval and pump training Larry Cain (Paddle Monster) has had me on for the past 3 months. Shortly after the wind and swell died off, we then felt the wind in our face – with almost 4 miles still to go!”
“I kept sprinting and pumping and flying for short burst as much as I could, through my cramps and exhaustion until finally, my board touched down for the last time and I was unable to get airborne again, to paddle home the last 2 miles or so on my 6’9” Hyper Nut and Iwa GoFoil both fully submerged. Dave was on an even shorter board than mine so I just had to keep going, padding and grinding, knowing that uncle Dave was also pushing water and pulling a foil.”
“It was a tough paddle when landing in those last roughly 2 miles of flats, leaving me to drag the foil on only a 6’9” SUP after pumping for hard for 23 miles, but man, was it a fun session and run filled with countless epic full-speed drops and rides I couldn’t even time they were so long!!”He concluded by adding “A big mahalo to my team for the support firstly to my Dad and his crew on the escort boat, Uncle Joe and uncle Scott Shoemaker, my coaches Larry Cain (Paddle Monster), Uncle Braddah Kamansi (Native Action) and my brother Matty Schweitzer! Also mahalo to my supporters and sponsors for the best equipment, Starboard with the 6’9” HyperNut, GoFoil Iwa, 5’ Revolwe BioLeash, VestPak Hydration, and as well Kim Yap and Donica Shouse for the meal prep and race fuel!”
1 Dec 2025
Starboard has shown us over the years that new launches usually come with a clear shift in direction. This time, the hints were subtle but noticeable – a hybrid dugout outline appearing in early previews, a few prototype shots circulating, and one question quietly surfacing among paddlers: are we done with blue? The sneak peeks […]
7 Nov 2025
Following the early September launch of the new Airline range, Starboard has now released its latest SUP lineup. This new collection features refined shapes, upgraded constructions, and fresh designs across both hardboards and inflatables. From high-performance surf shapes like the all-new TwinFin with Acute Custom Carbon construction, to improved inflatable racing boards featuring the Quick […]
31 Aug 2025
We just caught up with Linus Karlsson at Planet Baltic SUP Race in Poland (7-9 August), 11-time Swedish National SUP Champion and Starboard Team Rider, who recently returned to the race circuit while balancing a busy professional life. That meant less racing this season, and Linus was refreshingly open about the challenges of limited training […]
20 Aug 2025
One of the events that have been sparking some serious FOMO* for a while now, both for elite athletes and SUP enthusiasts is Planet Baltic SUP Race. I may be biased – it’s in my homeland, Poland – but with rave reviews and striking photography, Planet Baltic stands out as an experience any SUP fan […]
14 Aug 2025
The difference between paddles is probably the most common question in the SUP world, and when brands put real science behind the answer, interesting things happen. Starboard has just completed a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) study comparing two of its best-selling race paddles, the Lima and the Velocity, working in collaboration with Aubin Petit, a […]
31 Jul 2025
In the months leading up to its official release, the all-new Starboard TwinFin SUP surf board was already sparking both hype and interest. More than 150 paddlers from 31 countries registered for early access, eager to be among the first to experience it. The standout favourite? The 8’3” x 30” 125L Acute Carbon, the most […]
3 Jul 2025
Proudly representing the Argentinian Club Náutico Mar del Plata and flying the Starboard flag, Fabrizio Rondinara , 19, delivered a standout performance at this year’s O2Y – Okinawa to Yoron Race, brought by Kanaka Okinawa, one of the most iconic endurance events on the SUP calendar. The 2025 edition once again revived the ancient spirit […]
3 Jul 2025
On July 5 & 6, the Han River in the heart of Seoul transforms into a global SUP arena as the APP World Tour lands in Korea’s capital for the first-ever Seoul SUP Open! Among the standout athletes racing on home waters is Sujeong Lim (Lim Sujeong in Korean, where the family name comes first), […]
16 Jun 2025
With the international paddle season in full swing, Starboard has launched a global challenge designed to get paddlers of all levels on the water. In collaboration with Waterspeed, a popular app for tracking watersports sessions, the company is offering stand-up paddlers a unique opportunity: complete a 5-kilometer paddle, log it in the app, and enter […]
