Imagine paddling 32 grueling miles across one of the world’s most treacherous stretches of water, the Kaiwi Channel, known chillingly as the Channel of Bones. This is not just a physical feat; it is a profound mental undertaking, a deep dive into self-imposed suffering in pursuit of something extraordinary. It is in this crucible of wind, wave, and sheer exhaustion that champion watermen forge their deepest connections to the ocean and, crucially, find the elusive flow state that defines peak performance.
Today, we delve into the world of Nick Franco, a world-class prone paddle boarder and innovative board shaper, who has mastered the art of competitive endurance and translated his passion into a life lived entirely on the water. Nick’s journey is a testament to the power of commitment, showing that even the most daunting challenges can be overcome with grit, humor, and an unwavering desire to be fully immersed in the ocean life. His story reminds us that the greatest victories are often found not just at the finish line, but in the moments of struggle that lead us there.
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From Duct Tape to Dominance: Nick Franco’s Journey to Waterman Status
Nick Franco’s origin story is rooted in a fundamental appreciation for the ocean’s depth and diversity, cultivated from his earliest memories of surfing with his father. Growing up, Nick was captivated by the legends of old—the multi-disciplinary watermen like George Downing and Gene “Tarzan” Smith—who were not just surfers, but also divers, paddlers, and fishermen. This vision inspired him to become more than a single-sport athlete, driving him to be strong in the water across every discipline he could master, seeking out adventures that tested his limits and expanded his ocean repertoire. His initial foray into shaping came early when, as a high schooler, he secretly hacked a 10’6” longboard blank in his dad’s garage, crafting a crude, needle-pointed paddle board that, despite its rough appearance, felt like the ultimate tool for exploration.
This desire for an integrated ocean life eventually led him to competitive prone paddle boarding, though his start was hilariously humble. Nick recalls his first legendary Davenport Downwinder, a brutal 14-mile race in cold, kelpy conditions, where he showed up completely unprepared. Having no idea that hydration was essential for such an event, he quickly learned from fellow paddlers that he needed water immediately. Scrambling back to his truck, he grabbed a half-full bottle of bubbly Crystal Geyser, which he then duct-taped haphazardly to the deck of his secondhand board—a genuine “kook” move that promised an easy victory for his competitors. Despite his absolute lack of preparation and his makeshift gear, Nick’s inherent athleticism and raw drive shone through, allowing him to smoke many seasoned veterans, proving immediately that he possessed the competitive fire that would soon define his career.
This initial spark ignited a relentless competitive streak, transforming Nick from a novice into a contender who was soon crossing the Monterey Bay and setting his sights on the ultimate test: the Molokai to Oahu race. He realized that competitive paddling was the perfect vehicle to push his mental and physical boundaries, combining his love for the ocean with his lifelong drive to be the best athlete he could be. From that duct-taped beginning, Nick dedicated himself to structured training, incorporating swimming, cycling, running, and surfing to become a truly well-rounded, world-class endurance athlete.
The Channel of Bones: A Debut Defined by Disaster and Dedication
The Molokai Channel crossing, a 32-mile endeavor against relentless currents and high winds, is the pinnacle of prone paddle boarding, demanding meticulous planning. Yet, Nick’s debut attempt in 2011 became a legendary lesson in logistical failure and sheer perseverance, a story that perfectly illustrates his unwavering commitment to the ocean life. Having just met his future wife, Sarah, Nick convinced her to join him for the race, serving as his escort boat crew—a role she quickly discovered involved much more than cheering.
Instead of flying the boat across, they decided to motor from Oahu to Molokai the day before the race, setting off late in the day when the Channel of Bones was already living up to its name. Midway across, their small catamaran began taking on water, listing dangerously in the high seas. The situation escalated rapidly; the manual bilge pump was lost overboard, forcing Nick and Sarah to frantically bail water using cut-open gallon jugs. A Mayday call was issued, leading to a dramatic Coast Guard rescue that involved a helicopter hovering just ten feet above them and a rescue swimmer dropping onto their deck with an emergency bilge pump. After hours of struggle, the Coast Guard and Maui Fire Department escorted their crippled vessel, which had lost an engine, into Molokai harbor at 12:30 a.m.—a mere seven hours before the race start.
Exhausted, soaked, and having shared only a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for dinner, Nick and Sarah were forced to sleep on top of fish bags in the front of the boat, as their captain initially insisted they couldn’t race due to the boat’s condition. In a stunning reversal just 30 minutes before the starting gun, the captain managed to get one engine working, sending Nick scrambling to the beach. This debut was the ultimate test of resilience; having faced a sinking boat, a Coast Guard rescue, and a sleepless night, Nick still made the starting line. That experience confirmed for him that if he could push through that level of chaos and exhaustion, he could push through anything the race could throw at him, solidifying a bond with Sarah and an unbreakable resolve toward the sport.
Beyond the Wall: Hitting the Dark Place to Find the Light of Flow
While the physical challenge of Molokai is immense, Nick emphasizes that the true barrier is mental, making the race the ultimate crucible for achieving a deep flow state. Over five or six hours in the vast, bright blue water, the mind inevitably begins to play tricks, struggling to reconcile the effort expended with the apparent lack of progress toward the distant Oahu shoreline. Nick vividly describes hitting the mental “dark place” that every endurance athlete dreads, a low point where self-doubt becomes overwhelming and insidious.
During one particularly brutal race, Nick recounts bonking so severely that his internal monologue turned vicious, telling himself he was “the worst human to ever walk the face of planet Earth,” and that he should “just roll off this board and drown.” This profound negativity is the wall that tests the very core of a competitive spirit. However, Nick knew that the key to achieving flow in endurance sports is not avoiding the darkness, but learning to navigate it. By accepting the despair and continuing to paddle through the sheer utter darkness, he eventually reached an imaginary line where the mental suffering broke.
Coming out on the other side of this mental collapse, Nick experienced a sudden, exhilarating shift—a feeling of being reborn, laughing with giddiness and renewed energy. This breakthrough is the essence of the flow state in endurance racing: a moment where the physical pain recedes, the mind clears, and the athlete enters a zone of effortless action, feeling completely integrated with the movement and the environment. Nick learned that by pushing past the point where the mind screams stop, you access a deeper reservoir of strength and resilience, a lesson that translates powerfully into everyday life, teaching that things can be terrible, but if you keep moving, they inevitably get better.
Adding another layer of complexity and pride to his competitive success—which includes multiple age group victories in Molokai—Nick achieves all this on boards he shapes himself under his brand, Shearwater Paddle Boards