Maddi Leblanc is known in the SUP Community for her positive spirit and her enthusiasm for all things padding. At the same time she is also involved in the “Rise and Glide” Podcast by Paddle Logger. This year Maddi had a very busy season so far, as she participated in some EURO TOUR Races and went to Hawaii in July to participate in the M2O Channel Crossing Race in a team of three. We at the Stand Up Magazin have seen the height of the popularity of the M2O amongst SUP athletes to the point where everybody switched over to the foil or stopped participating in such races altogether. We were very excited to see that Maddi was up for the challenge to cross the Kaiwi Channel in a relay race and wanted to hear first hand how her experience was.
Aloha Maddie, thank you for your time. I am super stoked you came to Hawaii for the M2O. I just read your statement again on Facebook and it really touched me, how deeply you feel for the sport of Stand Up Paddling. In your statement you wrote about how you saw Connor Baxter on a cover doing the M2O and you got inspired. Can you tell us a bit more in detail how it hit you and why do you think this picture resonated with you so well?
Aloha Mike! Thank you so much for having me on StandUp Magazin today! It’s truly an honor to share my M2O experience! The first photo I ever saw of the M2O race with Connor Baxter riding a beautiful swell in the Kaiwi channel resonated with me greatly because it was the first time that I was exposed to the racing, and non-flat water paddling world. It was a picture that inspired me to dream about a side of the sport that I had never seen before. After seeing the photo I told myself “I want to do that race one day”.
I assume then this picture was also the reason why you got into SUP?
At the time I was already leisurely stand up paddling, but seeing this picture inspired me to take my own paddling to the next level. I wanted to become competitive, start training and try racing.
Maybe this isn’t the exact photo Maddi saw, but this legendary image captures the essence of SUP racing in the pre-COVID era. It was our 2020 cover, featuring a young Connor Baxter during his early days as a SUP athlete, likely winning his second or third Maui2Molokai around 2012.
Connor Baxter is widely regarded as the undisputed GOAT of SUP, with a career spanning over a decade and countless titles to his name—including an incredible streak of nine consecutive wins at the M2M. In the years following COVID and the overall decline in traditional SUP racing, the M2M transitioned into a foil race.
Today, Connor continues to give back to his community, working as a firefighter on his home island of Maui.
Before we get back to channel, can you give us a brief history on how things progressed for you between the “picture moment” and the M2O Moment.
When I saw the picture I believe I was either in first or second year university (2014 or 2015 maybe?), so I didn’t even know that racing on stand up paddle boards was a thing! Ever since I saw that photo, I then tried my first stand up paddling race (2016), and was officially hooked on the sport for the rest of my life. In 2017, and 2018 I participated in the Lake Ontario Paddle Board Crossing Race (which was inspired by M2O) that was 32 miles across Lake Ontario from St Catharines to Toronto. That was my first “crossing” race. I continued to race throughout the rest of my undergraduate studies, and masters degree, while receiving SUPConnect’s Woman of the Year Award in 2020. Last year in 2024 I participated in the Crossing for Cystic Fibrosis and won the competitive female elite category, which I felt really prepared me for M2O this year. I then competed on the Euro Tour this past spring, and a week after I returned home from Europe I received a message from my friend Jason Blinkhorn asking me to join his relay team for M2O this year! I couldn’t say no, and with their help I was able to hop on a plane last minute and race in Hawaii!! It’s been a remarkable journey to say the least.
Open Ocean Races are so much different than flat water races like the sport is now 90%, even if you race near the shore like you did in Spain it is still very different. Can you tell us a bit about your journey to the M2O? How did you prepare yourself for the day?
I couldn’t agree with you more! Flatwater racing is the complete opposite end of the spectrum from open ocean racing. When I was in Hawaii I had never paddled water like that before! My journey to Molokai was definitely a long one. From the moment I saw Connor’s photo, to getting into racing, from becoming professional, I knew that I was going to have to put in a lot of time and effort into becoming a worthy enough athlete to paddle the prestigious Kaw’ai channel. Over the past three years I’ve been spending my winters away from Canada to expose myself to many different bodies of water to test myself and my capabilities. In 2023 I spent my first off-season training with Anthony Vela and the Performance Paddling team in California, and then the past two years I’ve been in Tahiti training with Puatea Ellis, and Florida training with the incredible Flying Fish crew. I owe a lot to John Meskauskas, Kim Barnes, Stephanie Schideler, the Tuesday Night Race League community (Jeramie Vaine), and so many more people for pushing me to be my best on the water down there.
We know doing the M2O is not only about the physical capabilities but also logistics. I was you did the race with Jane McKee, a very accomplished ocean paddler and Hawaii resident. How did you meet her and Jason?
During the fall of 2024 I remember talking to my friends and family about what I should do for the 2025 racing season. I had come to the conclusion that with the budget I had, I had to make a choice. It was either – to race on the Euro Tour, or compete in M2O. I definitely didn’t have enough money to do both. So I chose the Euro Tour because I knew that it was the smarter decision to gain experience racing with the best women in the world five weekends in a row, rather than spend all of my racing budget on one race. I raced in Europe and had the time of my life! It was definitely the best thing I could have done for my athletic career.
When I got home and received a message from Jason Blinkhorn asking me to join his team, I knew that the stars had aligned and that it was time for me to finally paddle the Kaiwi channel. I had known Jason online through the paddling community, as well he is a fellow Canadian, but I had never met him in person until this trip. Jason is really good friends with Jane, so that’s how I became connected with Jane! I swear Jane is my spirit animal! She’s an incredible woman with a crazy spirit, and filled with an immense amount of knowledge about Hawaii, history, paddling, and more! I feel so grateful to have met them both this year and was able to share such a day paddling with them in the channel.
I can only imagine how excited you were when it was finally a done deal and you were signed up. Can you describe your feelings when you landed in Honolulu and you knew that you are actually doing this and it is all happening now?
It’s actually very hard to describe the feelings I had when I landed in Hawaii. I felt somewhat in shock as though I was finally in Hawaii – the place I’ve dreamed of being for so long. I felt some fear of the unknown, not knowing what conditions the channel was going to give us during the crossing, and never having paddled in Hawaiian waters before. But the excitement began to take over once I met with Jason and Jane. I could feel their ocean loving, Hawaiian vibes rub off on me right away, and I knew that I was going to be in good hands.
Honestly I am thinking often about all the stories that this beach could tell and all the people who have made memories there. How was it when you were at the Kepuhi Beach?
I bet that beach probably has a million and one stories to tell! It’s a very special place! You can truly feel the mana of the ocean as you look beyond the horizon and see Oahu in the distance. I actually took a moment to visualize my crossing before we left. I visualized our safety, I asked the ocean for protection, and thanked the universe for providing me with this experience to stand on that beach and enter the Kaiwi channel. It was truly magical.
Unfortunately the Kaiwi Channel was not as windy as the weekend before, so you probably did not get to experience who it is when it is blowing 30 out there. Nevertheless, the pictures and video I saw was good. Can you walk us through the race course a bit?
Yes absolutely! I felt as though the Kaiwi channel was speaking to me and said “welcome to the channel Maddi! I know you’re nervous, so here is a calmer version of me today”. Jason, Jane, and I each had five shifts in the water. Jason started the race for us, Jane went second, and I went in third. During my first shift the water felt pretty flat, and I paddled really hard to catch any sort of bump. It was also my first time on an unlimited SUP so I was trying to get a feel for how that board worked. My second shift was much better as the swell picked up a little bit, and I was
finally finding my rhythm.
My third shift was probably the most fun as we were in the middle of the channel where the swell was the biggest, and felt pretty clean. My fourth shift was brutal as I didn’t eat enough, so my stomach started growling and I felt super flat. Once I got back on the boat and ate more I felt much better to finish my last shift. Jason and Jane wanted me to be the ringer, so I paddled the last 2.5km into the crazy head wind, and raised my hands in celebration as I crossed the finish line. I couldn’t believe what Jason, Jane, and I had accomplished!! A safe, beautiful, and fun crossing!
I saw you were the one to cross the finish line at Port Lock another place of so many legends, memories and stories. How was it when you crossed that finish line?
I cried when I crossed the finish line. I was completely overwhelmed with so many thoughts. June was a difficult month for me as my grandpa had passed away days before I received Jason’s invitation. So I thought about my grandpa. I thought about my friends and family that have sacrificed so much for me, my athletic career, and my dreams just so I could show up on the starting line. And finally, I thought about myself ten years ago. I cried thinking of the girl who had this crazy dream to paddle this crazy channel. The girl that comes from the land of ice and snow finally made it to Hawaii, and her dreams came true. I showed up for her that day, and I couldn’t have been more proud of myself.
Now that you are back home and the dust has settled, what was the biggest take away from it all?
The biggest takeaway for me is that I will continue to spend the rest of my life chasing my dreams, and hoping to continue inspiring others along the way. Paddling in Hawaii made me realize that I truly can accomplish anything I set my mind to, even if our hopes and our dreams don’t happen right away. It took me at least ten years to get to Hawaii, the road was long and hard, but I wouldn’t change my journey for a single thing.
Looking ahead, now that you did it as a relay. Could you see yourself doing this solo?
YES YES YES! I already can’t wait for next year! As I was paddling in the channel, Jason, Jason’s wife Emily, and Jane, all said to me that I looked very strong and confident given the conditions we had. When the race was over, I couldn’t even count the number of people that said to me “you’re going to come back next year and do this race solo right!?”. It’s such an addicting process! You grind in the channel, and come out wanting to test yourself all over again. I have to go back, I need to go back, and see what I can achieve solo.
Now lets talk real quick about the rest of 2025. The “main” SUP season is behind us and we are waiting for 2 more big events. Will you be attending the ICF and/or the ISA, given they ever give us a location and date?
No, I will not be attending the ISA or the ICF this year. 2025 for me has become the year of training, learning, and participating in races that I’ve been wanting to check off of my bucket list for a long time. My soul is content and happy staying home, and training hard for next year. I learned so much competing on the Euro Tour this past spring, participating in M2O, and now I’m switching my focus for Chattajack in October to finish the racing season strong.
Thank you very much for your time Maddi, I am looking forward to seeing you next time on this planet wherever it might be.
Thank you so much Mike!
Just like Maddie, the Stand Up Magazin does not have the budget to produce elaborate stories. Would you like to support our work and content creation? Please consider an online donation / subscription.
Online Subscription
Are you enjoying the content of the Stand Up Magazin?
With a subscription, you help secure the future of Stand Up Magazin.
Become a patron and supporter with your subscription.
Your subscription is an annual contribution and renews automatically.