Andrea Moller breaks a record in the 2010 World Championships of Paddleboarding. She crossed the treacherous 32 mile channel from Molokai to Oahu in 6 hours flat, setting a record for the women SUP division.
Maui Surfer Girls sponsored Andrea in this race and we got some exposure in the Maui News July 26, 2010
Here's another article you can read about the race at StandUpPaddleboarding.com
Once again, Andrea Moller stands out from the rest and atop the winners podium, in some of the most grueling ocean races worldwide. MSG is proud to support such a phenomenal female water athlete.
Also check out Andrea Moller's blog post to read about her amazing experience crossing the Kaiwi Channel!
Andrea in winning form!
When I got a phone call from my friend Angie, who I just returned from a surf trip to Fiji with, my heart stopped. "Dustin, there was a 8.3 earthquake in Samoa this morning. Get in touch with Kiki." I immediately texted her. The next ten minutes were agonizing waiting for a response. My good friend, who I've surfed Maui with for the past eight years, was staying at a surf resort in Samoa that week. She texted me, "I'm O.K. Made to high ground." Those were the six best words I've heard all year. Throughout the day, we texted from time to time. "I can't wait to get in the air." While she waited in the airport, I got another text, "Tsunami coming, running for mountains." Two minutes later I got another text, "False alarm". I can't imagine the life threatening anxiety in those last minutes, much less the entire catastrophic day. She lucked out and boarded a flight to New Zealand and the following evening she landed safely in Maui to be reunited with her beautiful six year old son, Keone, boyfriend and friends in Maui. Thank God she survived the day. She mentioned that if she were to have left 3 minutes later, she would not be alive today. I'm sure her relationship with the ocean will be forever changed. Life is so fragile and the ocean so powerful.
Andrea "Animal" Moller, makes her mark on the 1st annual Olukai Race series at Kanaha Beach Park. In less than ideal conditions, Andrea made the flat water look easy as she paddled her heart out down Maui's northshore coastline. The vog was thick, the trades non-existent, and whatever wind bump the competitors got was from the low cruisin' helicopter filming the race.
Day one - May 16th, Nicole Sanchez and I fired up "Barbarella", the MSG wave runner, and took off down the coast peppered with flashy multi-colored one man racing canoes, otherwise known as OC1. I felt nostalgic - Nicole armed with her camera behind me - and those gorgeous cliff walls outside of Maliko Gulch, where we launch our ski's and head in the opposite direction east towards "Jaws". This time we head west instead and follow the racers 8 miles towards the finish line at Kanaha Beach Park.
Watching Andrea transform from that chargin' "Jaws surfer", to a focused OC1 paddler and furious competitor, had my jaw hitting the handlebars of "Barbarella". All I kept thinkin' was what a phenomenal athlete my good friend Andrea Moller is. She was in the zone, despite the helicopter, jet ski's, and 30+ competitors nearby. She'd lean back and surf the small ocean swells, connecting as many bumps as possible, in between at least 75 strokes per minute full force sprints. "Animal" was foaming at the mouth for that 1st place finish!
Sure enough she took first in the OC1 race & the Stand Up Paddleboard race (SUP) the following day. Congrats Andrea! Now you can buy more surfboards with your $3000 prize money! But I have a feeling the money will go towards her EMT schooling bills. It's about time she gets paid for all those 1st place finishes throughout the years (Did you know that Andrea has crossed the 40 mile Molokai to Oahu channel race over 30 times in the past 10 years? That's 1200 ocean miles of paddling in her races alone!!)
MSG honors one of our best surf instructors, Andrea "Animal" Moller, for all her amazing athletic feats and without a doubt more to come...
Here's the pics and video of the weekend event! Thanks to Nicole Sanchez of Behind the Lens Maui for these amazing action shots!
Animal Focus!
Picture Perfect Form - Paddling by her home break Hookipa Beach Park.
The Winning Smile of a Champion
Find more videos like this on BOB Village
After two weeks of chasing down Andrea, who is an incredibly busy EMT, mother, and dive instructor, we got this interview with our super star paddler.
1. What goes through your head when you're in your racin' "animal" mode?
For those how don’t know me, my animal mode is my unique way of giving all of myself into something I want. Meaning, if I want it really bad, it is like dealing with an animal inside me. This animal is almost uncontrollable, even to my myself! I am learning how to deal with it as I mature in age.
When I am racing in Animal Mode I am going 100%. My head is focused on what I am doing; I look at every bump in the ocean, I analyze my technique, I think about things that would help me into the race. I live aside the pain, the politics and insecurities.
2. What's the ingredients of a champion? And do you consider yourself one? Have you peaked athletically?
Andrea Animal’s Ingredients of being a champion:
Trust on yourself! (rule number one!)
Learn to train hard. Love to train hard. Live to train hard.
Ignore politics of competition. Compete for yourself. Be yourself.
Eat when you are hungry. Sleep when you are tired. Listen to your body.ope I haven’t
I am not sure if I consider a champion… there is always one more goal to win or achieve… but I do consider myself a good Athlete!
I hope I haven’t peaked yet! I know we only get older but we also get wiser. Every year I surprise myself on my athleticism. There are many races I haven’t won yet and still would like to give it a shot.
I love to compete and be part of most of the races. But my goal in the sport is not only race but also be a part of it. Train, teach, innovate, motivate…. So I hope there are still many different peaks for me to reach!
3. What was the highlight of your weekend of Maliko races? Worst part?
The highlight was to win both of them! Two reasons I am so happy. One was winning 3,000 dollars doing what a love, and in only 2 days! The other was winning on hard conditions and very competitive races.
The worst part was the flat Stand up race condition… about half way into the race I was really tired and dehydrated. I kept looking back and thinking the competition was right behind me. I had a little mental game going on for a while… that drained me. I am glad I got over it and paddle hard to the finish line on first place.
4. Any shout outs to the msg's? Advice for our surfer girls?
To all the girls of MSG:
Go get it! Follow your heart ( and the Animal champion ingredients check list) hahaha, just kidding. Have fun on every minute of your life.
I have been a part of Maui Surfer Girls since 2004, when my daughter was turning one year old. That was definitely one awesome year! I was able to work teaching girls how to surf and also bring my daughter in a very friendly environment. The MSG company provided me an opportunity to be a role model, work and become part of an inspiring program on Maui.
I am always amazed on how MSG changes many girls lives. At the first day I see young shy girls intimidated by the ocean and afraid to be themselves. And by the last day they are complete surf chargers and part of one big girls family. By then the talent show is a real talent! And surfing is second nature!
Many years I see girls coming back to the Camp. I see them growing up and becoming confident athletes. Some become cabin mamas and others surf instructors helpers. They will always be welcome!
Thank-you Maui Surfer Girls for all your support in my career, and to allow me be part of the family. I hope to be a good role model to the girls and always be there for you.
Last week we had Maui's first real winter swell rumble into our Northshore. With wave heights up to 6-8 Hawaiian, Hookipa closed out and the jet ski's were buzzing around the outer reefs of Kanaha.
Meanwhile, I'm blowing out the cobwebs in my jet ski, "Barbarella". And I'm still hunting down the right tow partner this season. And as always, I look forward to hitching rides with Maria Souza and Andrea Moller, a.k.a. "Team Amazone".
Instead, I paddled out with "Sharky", our token male surf instructor, at "Windmills". With no one surfing the left off the rock, Sharky rallied me to pick off a barreling left with him. I had to do a surf demo for the Westin at 10am, and here I was paddling out in 6 foot surf at 9:15. I figured I had to just go for it & surf one "Windmill" monster barrel.
We duck dove through some close out sets and I managed to bear hug my 6'4 Kazuma like a tree hugger under water. Sharky was killing it, with his first wave, an in and out barrel. I saw him take an air drop on a 6 foot face on his next wave. I ended up getting a big close out, but it was a fun drop that bombed me into the inside section, practically landing me on the Westin's front lawn for my free surf lesson demo.
I have to say after spending the last ten days in Arkansas visiting my mom, surfing "Windmills" with good ol' Sharky was a refreshing way to kick start my winter surf engine. Now all I gotta do is get my jet ski fired up for the real winter bombs!
More winter wave reporting to come...
