Paddle IMUA 2025: Maui’s Premier Ocean Racing Event Draws Global Foil Athletes
Maui, Hawaii – This past weekend, the island of Maui welcomed over 400 ocean sports enthusiasts from around the world for the 14th annual Paddle IMUA, one of Hawaii’s most anticipated Downwind Paddle and Foil Facing Event. Originally launched in 2011 as a Stand-Up Paddleboard (SUP) Race, Paddle IMUA has evolved into a multi-discipline ocean race, now featuring SUP Foiling, Wing Foiling, Parawing, traditional SUP and other categories.
A Global Gathering of Ocean Racers
Held on the iconic Maliko Run, a 9-mile downwind course from Maliko Gulch to Kanaha Beach Park, Paddle IMUA 2025 attracted international competitors and local legends alike. Aligned with major channel crossing races like Maui2Molokai (M2M) and Molokai2Oahu (M2O), the Paddle IMUA has become a key warm-up event for elite ocean athletes.
Despite the decline of traditional SUP racing in Hawaii, the rise of SUP Foiling has reignited global interest. This year’s event saw a resurgence of familiar faces from the early SUP days, now joined by a new generation of high-performance foilers.
Record-Breaking Foil Race Times on the Maliko Run
Foil racing has redefined speed on the Maliko Run. What once took over an hour on a SUP is now completed in under 20 minutes on a wing foil. In the Wing Foil Division, Andrea Crociara finished first with a blistering time of 18:34, followed closely by SUP veteran Livio Menelau at 19:46. On the women’s side, Lilly Buden the 16 year old from West Maui led with a time of 20:24.
In the newly introduced Parawing class, Marley Franco and John McCabe finished just two seconds apart, clocking in at 24:08 and 24:06 respectively.
SUP Racing Still Holding Strong
While foiling dominates the headlines, Stand-Up Paddleboarding is far from dead. This year, 27 SUP athletes competed, with Reef Toscano winning the division in 57:05. For context, Connor Baxter completed a similar course in 44:26 during the 2015 Olukai SUP Race, and Cody Kerbox won the 2019 edition in 56:30.
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SUP Foiling Takes Center Stage
The SUP Foil Division was the largest of the event, with 139 competitors ranging from seasoned pros to passionate weekend warriors. With new gear and rising talent, the field was wide open. All eyes were on top contenders like Kane DeWilde, James Casey, Oskar Johansson, Kai Lenny, Edo Tanas, and Finn Spencer just to name a few.
This year, Kane DeWilde, a young Maui local, claimed his first major victory—an emotional and well-earned win that sets the tone for the upcoming M2M and M2O races. Guido Ferrer of Argentina took second, while Kai Thompson, an Australian foiler who began racing in Hawaii in 2023, secured third. Finn Spencer, a pioneer in foil racing, finished fourth.
Comparing race times from early foil events to today highlights the incredible progression in foil technology and athlete performance. In 2018, the first Downwind Foil Race on Maui saw times ranging from 48 minutes to over an hour. Today, elite foilers are completing the same course in under 25 minutes.
SUP Foil Men Top 20
| 1 | Dewilde, Kane | 24:26:00 |
| 2 | Ferrer, Guido | 24:40:00 |
| 3 | Thompson, Kai | 24:53:00 |
| 4 | Spencer, Finn | 24:57:00 |
| 5 | Snow, Jarrod | 25:11:00 |
| 6 | Spencer, Jeffrey | 25:15:00 |
| 7 | Casey, James | 25:25:00 |
| 8 | Duryea, Payce | 25:42:00 |
| 9 | Fadier, Raiarii | 25:50:00 |
| 10 | Constant, Tom | 25:50:00 |
| 11 | Schoenherr, Gage | 26:04:00 |
| 12 | Lenny, Kai | 26:07:00 |
| 13 | Standlick, Perth | 26:11:00 |
| 14 | Haumani, Toaura | 26:26:00 |
| 15 | Haumani, Haunui | 26:29:00 |
| 16 | moss, hobey | 26:30:00 |
| 17 | Atkinson, Luke | 26:43:00 |
| 18 | Johansson, Oskar | 26:48:00 |
| 19 | PHAM, Axel | 26:51:00 |
| 20 | Goyard, Thomas | 26:55:00 |
While participation among women in downwind foil racing is still small, the competition at the top is heating up. Leading the charge are Annie Reickert and Gabriella Bella, two of the most dominant female athletes in the sport today. Their close competition has become a highlight, with both women frequently battling it out in close, head-to-head finishes. At this point, it’s anyone’s race.
Coming in third this weekend was Olivia Piana, who finished with a noticeable gap behind the leaders. However, Olivia is no stranger to the podium—she won the prestigious Molokai2Oahu (M2O) race in 2023 and sat out the 2024 edition. Her return this year has fellow racers eager to see if she can close the gap and challenge Annie and Gabi in the upcoming channel crossing races.
In fourth place was none other than Andrea Moller, a true legend in ocean sports. Known as one of the queens of the Kaiwi Channel, Andrea has also earned accolades in big wave surfing and has now transitioned into downwind foil racing, continuing to inspire the next generation of female athletes on Maui and beyond.
| 1 | Annie Reickert | 28:27:00 |
| 2 | Gabriella Bella | 28:42:00 |
| 3 | Olivia Piana | 34:24:00 |
| 4 | Andrea Moller | 36:18:00 |
| 5 | Paige Alms | 37:24:00 |
| 6 | Tomoko Okazaki | 38:55:00 |
| 7 | Marina Daian | 42:49:00 |
| 8 | Florie Pivert | 45:32:00 |
| 9 | Misato Ozawa | 2:05:16 |
Why Paddle IMUA Matters
Paddle IMUA is more than just a race—it’s a celebration of ocean culture, innovation, and community. As the sport of downwind foiling continues to grow, events like Paddle IMUA play a crucial role in showcasing talent, testing new gear, and bringing together the global ocean racing community.
We are already looking forward to 2026!