"There is more to come as we make adjustments to the website...so just a quick off the top of my head info. Some facts and acknowledgment should be known with the youth that participated in the first years and cannot be forgotton. The first year was almost cancelled due to 40 plus knot winds, 10-15 foot swells, but no sweat to a couple of little kids....
8 year old Connor Baxter, and 9 year old Kai Lenny showed what was possible and paved the way for other youth to follow in 2003. Baker Grant,Zane Schweitzerand some kids form Russia are just a few who followed the tradition of youth making this crossing. The parents of these kids had no choice but to made the crossing as their chaperones...We cannot forget their parents as if it was not for them these youth would not have been allowed to cross although most of them outsped their parents as they closed in to the shores of Molokai.
IN 2008 Zane Schweitzer chose to do SUP one year and raised a bunch of money for the youth. He and Elle Cochran formed their SUP relay team with Shawneen Schweitzer. Over the years challenges arose as the event grew from a small idea to one of the best ocean crossings in the world. The past two years it has been going back to the drawing board so that the original concept could be reestablished.
For 2010 the format went back to the same concept of 2003, with the exception that this is a team event because of the safety and rescue costs. This is not a race as this is about giving back to the sports with a spirit of wanting to show the future generation that opportunities exist in this world.
In 2010 there was no channel crossing, but instead a downwind run from Kamalo to the Wharf on SUP's consiting of a 10 mile paddle. Kids as young as 8 years old did this paddle with younger kids joining in at Hotel Molokai to make the final 2 miles. Elle Cochran came over from Maui in support of this event and helped the Youth In Motion kids raise over $1000.
Now 2011 has arrived and the same kids that did the 10 miles in 2010 have trained over this past year.Youth IN Motion has now finally formed their own SUP team to make the channel as they follow in the footsteps of Connor, Kai, Zane and Baker.
The event is open to all non-motorized craftand yes we are looking at raising money for our youth. Youth In Motion is also working on training kids on Molokai who want to participate in ocean sports, hence a strong need to raise money and search for sponsors so the youth can participate in events for 2012.
Which ever sport the participants choose this is to remind us about the essence of why a person took it up in the first place. This is also about how as individuals progress through life, reflect on their choices, and yet be given a chance or opportunity to give back to our youth who are the future generation. I can not forget those adult individuals in my teenage years who helped me with my windsurfing career. Without them the opportunties would not have existed as they showed what was possible in life. This is what this event is about.
For the youth that participate, well it is for them to be the role model for other youth in showing that with a dream, determination anything is possible especially in this day and age with technology and the vast opportunities that present themselves to the youth of today."
Clare Seeger Mawae -Event organizer and Chairman of Youth in Motion
