Words by Julien Salles
The F-ONE team showcased exceptional skill and dedication in Hawaii last weekend, highlighted by Edo Tanas‘ impressive victories in the Moloka’i to O’ahu (M2O) and Maui to Moloka’i (M2M) SUP foil races.
In the former, Edo gave an absolute masterclass in a stacked field of more than 100 participants, winning the iconic race in a record-time of 2:02:58. Only 48 hours earlier, he had won the M2M in 1:36:09, clearly proving his mettle and talent in the booming SUP downwind discipline.
“I feel like the king of downwind foiling,” he said. “I’ve dreamed about winning these races since I started foiling, but it was not easy at all. Each race was extremely close with the other competitors from start to finish. In fact, I was second during most of the races until the last few miles! Working so hard to achieve my dream and achieving it gives me a big confidence boost.”
This exciting week of downwinds started on July 14 with the eight-mile (12.8 km) Paddle Imua race on Maui. Edo made it to the podium, placing third with a time of 0:25:26. On Friday, July 19, he put the world on notice, claiming the top spot in the M2M race, a 26 miles (41.8 km) downwinder, with a time of 1:36:09. He kept his momentum going on Sunday and was again lights out, completing the M2O crossing of 32+ miles (51.5 km) in slightly over two hours.
Months and months of hard physical training, mental preparation, and fine-tuning the perfect setup have led to this epic moment and incredible feat.
“I trained very hard. I worked out in the gym for 45 mins every morning before heading to work. I’d bring my foil to work and downwind right after, then proceeded to run 3-5 miles (4.8 – 8 km) or hike in the evening before dinner. This was very physically demanding, and I did not get into the full training swing until four months before the races. But I eventually got used to this very active routine and got in the best physical shape of my life. Aside from the physical training, I spent a lot of time cooking my own meals and preparing my equipment, continuously testing new prototypes to see what worked for my style to riding.”
During both races, the conditions varied significantly throughout the channels. In the M2M, the average wind speed was about 15 knots, with bumps ranging from 4 feet to 1-2 feet (1.2 – 0.3 meters) in the final miles. For the M2O, the wind was also around 10 to 15 knots, with similar bumps of 4 feet to 1 foot. Edo’s average speed was around 19 – 20 mph (30 – 32 km/h), with a maximum speed reaching approximately 25 mph (40.2 km/h).
“However, I do not have more precise data since I do not like using a watch because it breaks my mental focus,” he added. “Seeing a slow speed and a high heart rate makes me panic and gets in my head, so I prefer not to see it.”
During the last year, our R&D team has worked with our entire SUP foil team to develop the best possible foil for such runs. In this year’s M2O, Edo raced on a new 600 cm² front wing, which will be ready for the public next year. His board, an 8’0 x 17” ROCKET SUP DW PRO CARBON COMP, will be released in the coming weeks. He used an 80cm HM Carbon Mast 14, already available to all.
“I knew I could not win with anything bigger than a 600 cm² front wing. Big wings have too much drag and move too slow to be in the top five. Of course, I would have had much more comfortable crossing, but comfort is not an option when you want to win these highly competitive races. Therefore, I trained physically as I mentioned to be able to pump my small wing throughout the entire races. I used a bigger stab (135) in M2M to propel me through the last 2 miles which were mostly flat, as well as for the flat water start. But since the M2O started in bigger bumps and finished in the surf, I could get away with a smaller stab (125).”
Two other members of our team, Jack Ho and Simeon Ke-Paloma, completed the three races over the week as well. Both have also been key actors in the growth of SUP foiling and the “Voyager Foiler” community over the years, and thrive in the special energy that such events release.
Founded in 1997, M2O has grown from a grassroots challenge for the legendary lifeguards of O‘ahu to the premiere event in the sport of paddleboarding. Connecting the islands of Moloka‘i and O‘ahu, the race crosses the Ka’iwi Channel, where men and women from all over the world face strong currents as they navigate the fastest downwind route over one of the most powerful channels in the world.
Beyond the race itself, the M2O a deeply personal journey, challenging every athlete’s physical and mental endurance, and a meaningful shared experience amongst passionate athletes. This sense of togetherness and mutual support, as equal for the winner as for the person who finishes dead last, is what truly defines the event.
Finally, in the wing foiling category, our very own Lily Buden won the Paddle Imua race in 22:58 amongst the women. On Friday, she also completed the M2M, her first-ever channel crossing, in 1:24:17. At only 15 years old, she placed eighth overall, and first amongst the female wing foilers. Congratulations Lily!
