Pineapple Maze Champion!

I set the new record for the fastest time posted in the pineapple maze at Dole Plantation on Oahu!

I completed the maze in 12 minutes, beating the previous best time by a minute. Flags fly forever.

The maze attendant puts my name in the top spot on the all-time leaderboard.

It took me four tries over two years to conquer the maze, which was the "World's Largest Maze" in the 2001 Guinness Book of World Records. This time, victory was mine.

The goal of the maze is to reach each of eight checkpoints hidden throughout the shrubbery. At each of these checkpoints, you have to stencil a figure onto a scorecard to prove you were there. Your card is timestamped at the beginning and end of the maze to verify authenticity.

I knew going in that a top-five time would win me a free poster of the maze, which I wanted to hang in the office. It also came with a claim to fame.

The first two times I tried the maze, I walked and just wanted to complete it. It took me more than an hour each of those times. The third time through, I ran through and was in good shape until one of the checkpoints stumped me for about 20 minutes, putting my final time at about 40 minutes -- far short of what I needed to get my poster.

This time, I took on the maze again with some of my girlfriend's relatives who are vacationing here. I copied a rough map approximating where each of the checkpoints is located, information that's provided before you enter. The map didn't tell me exactly where the checkpoints were, but it would help me if I missed any station so I wouldn't have to backtrack much.

Lane, a 12-year-old in the family visiting us, teamed up with me and we were off, running as fast as we could and taking down the checkpoints in order.

Everything fell into place perfectly. I found the stations quickly and efficiently. Even when I missed one, I realized it immediately and retraced my steps to discover the checkpoint.

After stenciling in the last one, I knew I had a top-five time (I needed to beat 17 minutes). I busted through some of the bushes rather than following the path as I sought an exit as quickly as possible. Out of breath, I crossed the finish line, had my scorecard timestamped and found out I was the winner.

My record and my name will remain on the leaderboard until five people knock me off with faster times -- something I hope never happens.