Rower Kelsey Pfendler, who was aiming to break the speed record from California to Hawaii, trained in Monterey Bay before setting off on the trip in May.
Kodiak Greenwood/For SF Chronicle
After nearly a month and a half at sea, ocean rower Kelsey Pfendler was on the verge of touching down on the island of Oahu Friday night, finishing in a finish that would break the California-to-Hawaii rowing speed record and make her the first American woman to accomplish the feat.
Pfendler, a 31-year-old Grand Canyon river guide, set out in May from Monterey on her 24-foot boat loaded with supplies in pursuit of world titles.
“I love competitive sports,” she told the Chronicle before the launch. Chasing records “pushes people to become stronger and better.”
Article continues under this ad
On Friday morning, two days before her 32nd birthday, Pfendler’s satellite tracker showed her nearing the finish line at Ala Wai Boat Harbor in Honolulu, where friends and family would be waiting for her. Barring a last-minute disaster, she would finish in about 43 days, making Pfendler the youngest woman to cross the mid-Pacific Ocean solo.
In a video message Friday from the deck of her boat, Pfendler spoke of being within sight of her goal and knowing it will set a new standard for future mid-Pacific rowers. She said that at the beginning of her journey she was plagued by self-doubt, but then she set a total daily mileage and tried to work until she reached or exceeded it.
San Francisco Chronicle logo
Make us your preferred source to get more of our news when you search.
Add preferred source
“I think it will take a while to really sink in that this is actually happening, but for now it will happen,” she said. “It’s a crazy feeling to experience this moment when I never expected to completely break the women’s record… I’m so grateful for this moment. It’s very important to me for many reasons.”
Kelsey Pfendler in her boat’s cabin before launching.
Kodiak Greenwood/For SF Chronicle
Pfendler’s expected finishing time has been cut by about nine days from the previous overall speed record, a 52-day mark set by British rower Robert Eustace in 2014, according to the Ocean Rowing Society. A short list of others, making the journey of about 2,300 nautical miles, took between 57 and 111 days.
Article continues under this ad
“She handled it,” said Carlo Facchino, an ocean rower from the Bay Area who completed his solo swim to the islands in 2022 and was part of Pfendler’s shore team while rowing.
As with all extreme water sports, Pfendler’s achievement has nuances that set it apart from similar achievements.
Notably, she is rowing a new class of rowboat, known as a “concept” boat, created by English boatbuilder Rannoch Adventure. Rowers say the style has come into vogue in the last five years or so because it is aerodynamically different and considered faster than the “classic” rowboat designs used by many previous Mid-Pacific rowers. One of the key advantages is that Rannoch boats have large bow cabins, which better catch tailwinds and help propel the rower forward.
“She’s essentially setting her own record, completely breaking previous records, and it’s incredible,” Facchino said. “I bet whoever goes forward will be rowing a concept class boat, but they will have a hard time beating Kelsey’s record. She sets a new gold standard.”
Kelsey Pfendler set out on a journey of nearly 2,300 nautical miles in hopes of breaking world records.
Kodiak Greenwood/For SF Chronicle
Pfendler completed the journey in the mid-Pacific in 2024 as part of a four-woman team that completed the journey in 41 days. She was so excited about the adventure that she wanted to create another ocean challenge, she told the Chronicle.
Article continues under this ad
“What I really love about sports and why I find it beautiful is that it’s like a metaphor for life,” Pfaendler said before her launch. “You will suffer, but the more you don’t shy away from stress and discomfort, the easier it will become to cope and overcome difficulties.”
Setting out from Monterey, Pfendler almost immediately encountered adversity.
The most difficult part of these paddles is often the first 250 miles, when paddlers struggle to separate from the mainland, being pulled south by strong offshore currents. According to video updates Pfendler posted during her trip, the first two weeks were extremely tiring. At one point, she slept about seven hours for seven days, spending every waking minute frantically pushing the oars to sail west into the deep ocean.
Kelsey Pfendler rows through squalls and occasionally scrapes barnacles from the hull of her boat during her solo trip from California to Hawaii.
Courtesy of Kelsey Pfendler
Although Pfendler launched without much fanfare, her ratings soared during the scandal.
Article continues under this ad
While at sea, Pfendler posted daily video reports from her tiny vessel, detailing her progress, emotions and daily routine—like what she eats for breakfast (Cheerios with powdered milk and protein powder) and how she has to periodically scrape barnacles off the hull to reduce drag. Interest in her journey has skyrocketed, with her Instagram following growing to nearly 600,000 and scores of commenters wishing her well.
In a recent video message, Moana stars Katherine Lagaaia and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson congratulated Pfendler for crossing the halfway point of her journey.
“We are deeply inspired by your strength and courage to leave shore and boldly chart your own course,” Lagaaia said.
“We can’t wait to welcome you to our Hawaiian Islands when you cross that line and finish,” Johnson said. “Chi-Hoo! Tequila is waiting for you!”