Travis Grant en route to victory at Molokai in 2017 (photo: NSP)

In brief: Dates are set for the 23rd crossing of the infamous Ka’iwi Channel between the Hawaiian islands of Molokai and Oahu (aka the “Channel of Bones”).

The 2019 Molokai-2-Oahu Paddleboard World Championships will go down on Sunday, July 28.

Entries are already open, with the ballot system that was introduced a few years ago still in place for those who aren’t on the auto-entry VIP list (former top performers and greats of the sport).

Molokai is often regarded as the most prestigious race in the sport.

Last year saw the second-ever Aussie clean sweep, with Travis Grant winning his fourth crown and Terrene Black picking up her second. Australia also dominated the prone divisions (as it does virtually every year), mirroring the first clean sweep of 2013 where the green & gold won all four major trophies (men’s and women’s solo unlimited in both SUP and prone).

There will be some new contenders this year, while at least one familiar face will be missing. Michael Booth is confirmed to give the crossing a crack for the first time (he was a late withdrawal in 2018 due to a health scare in his family), but Boothy’s Starboard teammate Connor Baxter will miss the race for the first time in almost a decade after earning a spot in the PanAm Games in Peru (set for just a few days after Molokai).