Surfing
SUP
Kai Lenny Flies to the Rescue on Downwind Voyage
Hawaiian waterman foils and kites through the Islands, breaking records and raising awareness.
8 min
Kai Lenny hydrofoils between Hawaiian islands
Kai Lenny Talks Through Pollution & Leaves Low Environmental Impact.
Somewhere between the islands of Hawaii and Maui — with fiery molten lava glowing in the distance, in a shade of water so profoundly blue it looks black — the sea life was confused.
Flying fish hopped out of the water and did double takes. Giant humpback whales breached and waved their barnacled fins. Dolphins swam by and shook their heads, perplexed but amused. There was a young man moving gracefully downwind, but somehow levitating a few feet above the water. Perhaps even Old King Neptune scratched his soggy beard beneath him, looking skyward at the strange shadow flying above the surface.
Foiling across the deep blue sea
© Andy Mann
A humpback whale joins the party
© Andy Mann
The underside of a hydrofoil shortboard
© Andy Mann
That strange shadow, however, was Maui’s Kai Lenny. And he wasn’t flying per se, but rather foiling on a hydrofoil shortboard during this particular crossing. It was actually one of five different channel crossings Lenny did that week on his mission to hydrofoil downwind from shore to shore connecting nearly every island in the Hawaiian chain.
These crossings, by the way, are 30- to 50-mile (on average) open-ocean, perilous affairs.
“At one point coming into Oahu, we had a six-knot current coming out of Hawaii Kai harbor,” said Lenny. “And when current rushes against swell, it jacks the swell up to incredible heights. So, the swells were about 10-15 feet, which are pretty giant open-ocean swells. That was probably the most treacherous part of the journey. But honestly, also the most fun.”
Standup hydrofoiling between Molokai and Oahu
© Andy Mann
It's always fun to sneak in a little waveriding
© Andy Mann
Swells jack when the current pushes against them
© Andy Mann
Gusting toward Molokai
© Andy Mann
“Fun” because hydrofoiling upon open-ocean swells for up to five hours at a time ain’t Lenny’s first rodeo. In fact, the 24-year-old big-wave surfer/windsurfing champion/kitesurfing extraordinaire/six-time SUP world champ has crossed these waters many times.
He’s paddled most of the channels between the Hawaiian Islands already (as an adolescent), both prone and standup. And windsurfed and kitesurfed between them, to boot. But this time, as if by accident, he actually broke his own record on the standup hydrofoil crossing by a whopping 41 minutes. Not only is that a huge gap, it’s a world record.
“It’s unofficial,” Lenny corrected. “But when the race comes around this summer and I have the opportunity to do it again — I’ll make it official. But by breaking the Molokai-to-Oahu record, my confidence to do it again and to continue to set new personal bests is at max capacity. I feel like the door has officially been swung open to try new things on this channel and in this sport.”
To be exact, Lenny crossed the Big Island to Maui channel on a hydrofoil surfboard (towed into the initial swells by the Red Bull Wa’a outrigger canoe team). Maui to Lanai and then Lanai to Molokai, he crossed on a hydrofoil kiteboard. Molokai to Oahu, he crossed on a standup paddle hydrofoil board. And on the final crossing from Oahu to Kauai, he used a sailboat.
Lenny towed in by team Wa'a
© Andy Mann
Lenny departs from the Wa'a team to start his trip
© Andy Mann
Lenny used a hydrofoil kiteboard for two crossings
© Andy Mann
Leaping Lenny
© Andy Mann
We asked Lenny if at anytime along the multiple journeys he thought he couldn’t make it.
“Nah.”
OK, well, what about the food and drink sitch?
“Yeah, I’d pass by the follow-boat and grab water or a Red Bull or …burritos.”
But back to the crossings, perhaps you noticed a theme? The whole downwind thing? Yeah, that’s part of the whole reason Kai Lenny embarked on this epic undertaking. Trash, litter and plastics of all kinds that get dumped into the ocean drift downwind, collecting in gyres (large-scale systems of wind-driven surface currents in the ocean).
Over 300 volunteers joined Lenny across Hawaii
© Andy Mann
Part of the solution
© Andy Mann
Another island, another beach cleanup
© Andy Mann
Different island, different trash problem
© Andy Mann
In an effort to raise awareness about the importance of keeping coastlines clean — and stopping plastics from entering the ocean — at each shore Lenny foiled to, he organized massive beach cleanups. With the help of Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii and The 5 Gyres Institute, Lenny staged the biggest statewide beach cleanup Hawaii has ever known.
Indeed, communities and crowds on six different islands cheered Lenny in — who just hovered over from some other island 30 miles away (like a boss) — and then everyone got to work. At one of the beach cleanups, they collected over three tons of plastic debris.
“We can clean up all day, but we gotta figure out a way to stop the flow and put a plug in it,” said Lenny. “The ocean has really been the biggest provider for me aside from my parents, of course. So it’s only fair that I give back and protect it.”
Trolling for microplastics between Oahu and Kauai
© Andy Mann
Alison Teal finding microplastics
© Andy Mann
5 Gyres Marcus Eriksen and Lenny sift out plastic
© Andy Mann
Microplastic is a huge problem in Hawaii
© Andy Mann
We asked Lenny about any other highlights along the way in that blue-black wilderness between all those islands.
“Seeing the islands that we’re normally on, but from out on the ocean — that was special. Just riding open-ocean swells and using that energy to go between the islands. But sadly, I also learned how much trash is in the ocean. Now, I really want to bring awareness to it and make it a preventable thing.”
Perhaps somewhere off Oahu, on Lenny’s way to Kauai, the confused sea life finally figured it out. And maybe, Old King Neptune even threw Lenny a thank you shaka from many leagues below.
Click here to take a stand with Kai on this global issue and pick up limited edition merchandise that benefits the 5 Gyres Institute and Sustainable Coastlines.
