It all started with Dr Bob.

As most of you know, Dr Bob Arnot is a TV celebrity having worked for a variety of networks sharing his knowledge of all things... well all things. He was a foreign news correspondent during the Iraq wars, a frequent medical correspondent for Larry King Live, and starred in his own television series of crazy adventures called "Doctor Danger". But, I didn't know Bob through his media life, I only knew him as the most passionate stand up paddle racer in the world. Bob is self-admittedly obsessive compulsive about everything he does and his resume proves it. He's one of the most accomplished people in the world and I've had the pleasure of getting to know him through the many long hours of paddling together.

Bob had gotten into paddling racing about four years before we met. Within six months, he was so hooked that he quickly wanted to know who the best racers were in the world and where their "world series event" was held. A few months later, he was paddling in that event for the first of many times. From that point forward, Bob was committed to M2O every year no matter what. In 2014 he asked me to help him train by sharing miles and miles of downwind paddling on Lake Champlain. He had done the training on his own in years past, but after getting to know each other a little better, he was excited to have someone to share the training experience with and help inspire him to do the miles. We committed to getting together at least twice a week to paddle together. Each week a constant barrage of texts would hit my phone asking for the wind forecast and direction. When the conditions arrived, we would hunt down a driver from the shop to bring us upwind for a 15 to 20 mile downwinder. We continued that pattern from late April to mid July when Bob would head to Maui to deliver on his training.

I was vacationing in Hampton Beach with Rox and the boys on the day of the crossing. We had a six hour time difference between us, but I stayed glued to my laptop for over six hours that night watching the little blue dot of Bob's GPS tracking device map his progress across the channel. Watching him finish that race left me so inspired that I immediately turned to Roxanne and said "I'm freaking doing that with him next year!".

And so it began. The year long preparation to make good on my promise to Bob to join him in his 2015 M2O campaign. I was flattered to see his excitement when I shared the news. Bob has always been very complimentary of my paddling skills. I'm certainly not a great paddler by any means, but Bob always made me feel like I was. For a guy as accomplished as he is, he's very quick to compliment other people.

We spent the spring weeks and months similar to the year before watching the wind forecasts and scheduling long downwind runs on the lake. We were doing plenty of miles and I was slowly learning and falling in love with reading bumps and catching glides. During the car rides to get up wind, we'd often talk about Molokai and what to expect as a first timer. Bob was slowly preparing me for the pain and suffering by scaring the crap out of me. Accounts of massive swells, huge winds, aching muscles, and countless hours of paddling made me really second guess whether I could pull this off. But after feeling stronger and stronger at the end of each downwind session, I was getting the itch to get to Hawaii for the real thing.

We left for Maui in mid July with a plan to spend 3 weeks training on the north shore. Bob had us scheduled for a Maliko gulch run at 10am the morning after we arrived. We pulled into the parking lot next to the Kahului Harbor where we'd meet the van and as we got out of the car, I looked over to see Dave Kalama standing there waiting for a ride. Holy crap, its only our first day on the island and we've already run into a legend. "Dr. Bob!" was the first thing he said as we got out of the van. Everyone knows Dr. Bob. Bob and I walked over to chat it up with Dave and I stood in amazement as I watched these two reconnect like long lost pals. So cool.

We strapped our boards onto the trailer and piled into the van and headed to the gulch. I couldn't figure out whether I was excited or freaked out. This was going to be my first paddle in the biggest downwind playing field this side of the globe. A lot would be decided by that first downwind run. The images in my head from Bob's accounts of the massive swells and big breezes set butterfiles fluttering in my stomach. Just put the board in the water, head out of the gulch, and turn downwind - should be easy. I stood there in the protected bay looking out at the water that was running sideways from the 20 to 25 knot trade wind that was blowing perfectly on schedule. It was an idyllic Maui afternoon for downwinding. Any comfort and confidence I was feeling came from Bob who was standing there next to me with a huge grin on his face asking "Ready to go crush it?!?". He was so amped.

We did two Maliko runs every day that week and I was picking up all kinds of tips on the van rides upwind by sharing time with some of the best paddlers in the world. Jeremy Riggs is one of those guys and he was in his busy season as a downwind paddle coach taking his clients down the run in preparation for Maui's most popular SUP season. Jeremy is a super cool guy and I gained a ton of confidence and knowledge by sitting next to him in the van and listening carefully to everything he was willing to share. By the end of the week, I was ready and excited for our first big downwind race - the 28 mile Maui to Molokai crossing.

M2M is a great way to get psychologically prepared for its bigger brother. If I could put together a good race on this crossing, I would have a much better feeling going into M2O the following weekend. We gathered in the beautiful Honolua Bay that morning kicking things off with a ceremonial pre-race prayer that set the tone for the day. Then we entered the water and headed out to the channel. They call this race "the funnest downwinder in the world" and after 30 minutes of paddling, it was easy to see why. I finished the crossing with solid wind at my back in just less than 4.5 hours. And I felt good. I felt really good. I had just completed my first channel crossing and I survived the endurance challenge while having a ton of fun in the process. Yeah, downwinding is really really fun.

Everyone told us to take it easy the following week. You don't want to over train for M2O they said. So Bob and I rented stand up paddle boards and a windsurfer for the week and did plenty of cross training. We surfed small perfect waves in Lahaina in the mornings, then windsurfed and kited off Kanaha in the afternoons. I was truly living the wind and waves dream holding camp on Maui and building water time and confidence as I surfed and wave sailed every day.

Bob and I arrived on Molokai the afternoon before the race along with all of the other competitors. Rumors were already circulating about the giant south swell expected to hit us tomorrow. The race organizers were taking the swell seriously explaining that the set waves were closing out the bay on Oahu. Ok, that sounds scary. I looked over at Bob and all he muttered was "Oh, shit.". Uh oh, what happened to that "lets go crush it" attitude? That's what I really needed from him then. What happened to Bob?? What I would come to find out is that there's only one thing that scares Dr. Bob - big waves. Bob is terrified of big waves and big waves were on the agenda for tomorrow. Oh crap.

We made our way over to the registration table to get our race bibs and all the other stuff that comes in those packets. Thats when one race organizer looked up and asked "Hey, welcome to Molokai. Where are you guys from?". "We're from Vermont!". I could literally see the excitement fall off his face as he stared at us with deep concern not knowing whether he'd ever see us again. "Oh, man. Be careful out there guys". What? Really? Do you say that to everyone? Or just to guys who aren't from Hawaii or California (which happened to be the only other US states represented in the field that year). Up until that point I had a strangle hold on my confidence level, but it was starting to loosen as I realized where I was and what was about to happen the following day.

That night was spent wandering the grounds of the resort where everyone stays the night before a channel crossing. It seems like thats all this place is used for. I had conversations with various people to hear about their prior M2O experiences and their expectations for race day. I was really trying to settle my nerves by listening for anyone who would mutter the words "Don't worry, you'll be fine". All kinds of people make the crossing - everyone from professional paddlers to weekend warriors who were there to check boxes on their bucket lists. The two biggest topics that everyone was talking about were the giant south swell and the light winds in the forecast.

M2O is designed to run downwind with the trades from east to west. You obviously need wind to have a downwinder. However, with the light forecast, everyone was nervous about the distance. It was shaping up to be a long slog across the channel with little help from the trades.

The next morning, all of the solo paddlers gathered on the start line waiting for the call. I sat on my board checking all my gear making sure my hydration pack was working, my gell packs were accessible, my music was cranking, and my nerves were in check. Thats when Danny Ching paddled by and asked me about the board I had rented from SIC. "Hey is that a rental from Mark?". "Yes", I replied. "I'm pretty sure I paddled that board last year. Good luck today!". Wow, I'm on Danny Ching's board from last year. That's got to be a good omen.

The start was absolute chaos - like it is at a lot of races. The big difference with this race is the presence of all the escort boats - one for every paddler. Its bad enough having to paddle through all the board wash coming off everyone's tail, but throw in the cross chop from boats cutting through the pack looking for their paddler and its absolutely nuts. Once we got through that chop and the paddlers started putting some space between one another, I was able to find a groove and started making my way to Oahu which was just a faded image in the distance.

The color of the water in the channel is the most beautiful blue you've ever seen. With the sun shining on the water and the gemstones flickering off the chop, I was able to find my happy place as I took in the beauty of the channel. The wind remained light and the bumps were relatively small so hunting them down to capture any glide at all was critical. With each bump I caught, I was able to surf right and slowly make my way toward Oahu.

My escort boat captain was Garrett Moss - an awesome guy. I only met Garrett the day before but I felt like I'd known him before. He's a young guy, somewhere in his 20's, a Floridian that had moved to Hawaii to live the dream. He is a passionate under water photographer and spear fisherman who loves spending time on or under the water more than anything else. Making this crossing was a nice day in the office for Garrett and his friends and I was blown away by how supportive they all were - especially Garrett.

I was wearing a GPS watch to track my distance and time and told myself I wasn't going to look at my progress until I'd paddled for at least 3 hours. My goal was to be well past the half way point by then. At 3:15 I motioned to the boat that I was going to stop, then sat on my board and waited for one of Garrett's friends to bring me a coconut water from the boat. I looked down at my watch and was disappointed to learn that I was only half way across. Crap. This is going to be a long day and I'm way off my goal of finishing under 5.5 hours. What I didn't know was that everyone else was having a slow day as well. The absence of any significant wind or bump made the crossing the slog that everyone had feared.

I finished my coconut water, sucked down some energy goo, and stood back up on my board. I shouted over to Garrett that I'd like to stop again after we rounded the China Wall to assess the strategy for getting into the bay. From that point forward I was really looking forward to catching a glimpse of the south swell we were all expecting. Having no assist from the wind that day, I was really looking forward to getting some help from the surf to push me upwind and into the bay. I was excited to catch a big one and ride it to the finish line.

I motioned to Garrett as I rounded the China Wall to stop at a buoy up ahead. I sat there on my board drinking another coconut water and a Red Bull watching the backs of huge waves march themselves into the mouth of the bay and explode on the rocks off the point. Wow - it was big. Especially for this guy from Vermont. It was a big swell with a long period so there was a lot of time and distance between set waves. It was going to be a matter of timing when I hit the mouth of the bay whether I'd see a set wave on my tail or not. It sounds crazy to wish for something like that to happen, but after all that paddling, I was looking forward to getting a big glide from a big wave.

The Red Bull gave me my wings and I was feeling really fresh. I stood up and started charging toward the bay. I approached the first reef just as a set wave approached and that's when I switched my stance, walked back to the tail of the board and paddled my ass off to catch this thing. The wind was rushing up the face of the wave and I had to work hard to keep the nose of the board down. It was a gentle giant with a large open face and I was able to safely track my way left toward the channel. I rode it to the end of the reef and into deep water where I glided into the flats. It was time to start paddling again. I picked up the pace when I realized I was headed to a second reef where more than likely I'd have another opportunity for a long glide. I caught another wave just as I hit the second reef and milked it as far as I could. The finish line was in sight when I caught my third and final wave. But I was late on this one as it broke just behind me and swallowed me up in its white water. When I surfaced, I was truly exhausted and floating among a small yard sale of gear. My hat, my hydration pack, my PFD, and my paddle were all floating nearby. I carefully collected everything, turned my board right side up, loaded all the gear, then jumped on for the final push. I couldn't wait to stand on firm ground and start working out the leg cramps that were forming in my calves.

I finished the race in just over 6 hours. The first place finisher finished in 5. It felt great to step onto the lawn at Maunaluna Beach Park and sit down under a palm tree for a stretch. I was elated to have finished. There was a huge crowd of spectators and competitors gathered around the tents and live music. Some of the paddlers looked fresh enough to do the whole thing again! Others were in severe discomfort nursing bad cramps and dehydration. I spotted Mark Raaphorst the founder and shaper of SIC and walked over to thank him for renting me my board. He and I stood at the finish line and cheered for Dr. Bob as he crossed the line.

I'd never seen Bob look so happy. He'd just finished his 4th M2O and at that moment became the oldest guy to ever make the crossing solo on a SUP. We gave each other a huge hug and he looked at me with tons of energy and excitement shouting "Wasn't that great?!?! Best friends forever, right!?" Absolutely Bob. Forever and always.

Sharing this experience with Bob was just as inspirational as seeing him cross the year before as I watched from my laptop. He loves stand up paddle racing more than anyone I know and its written all over his face. His enthusiasm for the sport is infectious and it rubs off on everyone he meets. Its impossible not to smile when you see him roll up to the beach with his giant boards and giant personality. Because you know when you see him that he's going to lift your spirit and make you even more stoked to be part of the sport of stand up paddling. I'm so happy I was able to be there for Bob when he crossed the line. We put a lot of work into preparing for this day - his favorite day of all days - and on this particular day he had a friend on the beach to share it with.

I'm proud to be part of a sport that brings so much joy to a guy like Bob. Because when Bob is happy, everyone is happy.

Congrats Dr. Bob on another amazing M2O finish.

Your pal,

Russ