The 18th annual Molokai2Oahu Paddleboard World Championship saw 19-year-old Connor Baxter from Hawaii take first place, while also breaking his own world record. He came in with a time of 4:08:08, beating his previous record by more than five minutes. He finished ahead of the 2013 champion, Australian Travis Grant, who took second this year with a time of 4:09:15. The race was held on Sunday, spanning about 32 miles from Kalua Koi on Molokai to the beach at the Maunalua Bay Beach Park bath house.

According to SUPracer.com, there was a point where Grant said he was desperate for water and needed to switch our his water pack for a new one, but he knew doing so may allow Baxter the time to pass him. He became desperate and decided to stop, and sure enough, Baxter was able to take the lead. Baxter said had he and Grant not been neck and neck near the end, he probably wouldn’t have been able to push himself to break his own record.

For the women, Sonni Hönscheid from Germany took first with a time of 5:12:38 and Jenny Kalmbach from Hawaii took second with a time of 5:15:40. Check out raw interviews with the athletes below, gathered by Fin Film Company.

Image courtesy of Connor Baxter/Facebook