Let's start with the report of the last two days... phenomenal windsurfing conditions made for two five stars days in a row!
Tuesday 10 23 was mast high at Hookipa and all the pros out. I wasn't there but Makani has some videos on his website.
I, instead, had two killer sessions at lower Kanaha where the waves were the usual mix of sizes from shoulder to almost logo high.
Wednesday 10 24 there was a Hot Sails Maui photoshoot at Hookipa. Very tricky conditions with waves still logo+ and wind extremely gusty and light on the inside. I sucked, but I'm sure that Diony and Andres got some killer shots. I'm just glad I didn't go on the rocks, didn't break anything and didn't get hurt... I actually had a couple of good rides too... so definitely fun.
Nothing compared to the sunset sesh at Lowers, though. After sailing Hookipa, Kanaha is so easy that it makes you feel like Robby Naish... and that's all it counts!
Here is a sequence of photos I took between the two sessions. It starts with a goiter by Diony.
Btw, the goiter is my favorite move to watch from the downwind channel at Ho'o... Here's what happens. Usually, when you're done with your ride, you jibe and you slowly slog out in super light wind. Here you have the time to watch the others. Sometimes they can be really close. I remember once the impact of the spray from a top turn by Josh Stone almost made me lose control of my sail... so cool! I told him to please provide me with some soap next time...
Anyway, this sequence will explain what I'm talking about.
Right after his goiter ride, Diony had the opportunity to watch Taka smack a lip...
...then Robby get some air...
...and right after that Robby again about to wipe out right on Taka's gear... look at that fin, sketchy uh? Now, how cool do you think it was for Diony to watch all this from so close? As long as he doesn't get involved in the massacre, of course...
Let's talk for a moment about Diony's sail... I mean I don't even particularly like that one (a bit too noisy for my personal taste), but do you see how much cooler it looks than anything else out there?! Here, vote you favorite sail look in this poll:
Couple of more main page shots. Here's Nat Gill with a huge aerial. No, it's not that your screen went black and white... it's the sail that is like that.
Kevin Pritchard was probably the last pro still traveling. Now that he's back too, we can officially say that all the pros are back on the island after the PWA contests in Europe. Welcome back to all of them... honestly, I didn't miss them at all... it was a lot less crowded!!
A few more shots in this slide.
Not many photos, because I mostly took videos. Here is the outcome. A bit shaky, but you know... the head rest wasn't particularly steady... ;-)
This one, instead, is a single wave ride at Lanes on Sunday afternoon. Sharon took it, thanks a lot. I left it without a soundtrack because I like the contrast between the absolute peace and silence that I was experiencing and the noise of civilization. Try to put yourself in my shorts and imagine how nice it was...
Here, this photo should help...
Hookipa was slightly more crowded.
Today the French and Japanese guys who had their gear confiscated by the DLNR police at Hookipa will discuss their case in the court. I will keep you posted.
Last but not least. Yesterday I saw the 11th hour. I enjoyed it a lot.
I just posted a few comments about it in this thread of my forum.
13 comments:
nice conditions and photo's indeed, i'm jealous !
can't wait to see you're videos !! are their pieces with you're new mounting point included ?
Nope, as you can see from the video I added after you put this comment, I'm still working on that...
Nice post G.P. loved the video, incredible how Robby still rips hard after all these years!!!
great footage !!
btw, have you seen the diary, part 1 of Jericoacoara (club ventas) ? not really hardcore action but rather a nice quick overlook of the spot (its just the first part hé)
Hi Robin,
well when you're that good at 13 y.o. and you kept sailing for the rest of your life, I don't see how and why you should not rip at 44!
44 is a great age to rip... or to r.i.p. (requiescant in pacem)! ;-)
FSWP, watched half of it hoping for some chicks, but got bored with the windsurfing conditions... you know, I'm sligthly spoiled!
Btw, maybe you want to change that drewling to drooling in your profile?
Is it really all that responsible and wise to continue promoting Ho'okipa in word and in image, with obvious consequences of personal gain (sorry, just being blunt), when overuse of the resource is a problem, and continued access is threatened? Just asking.
Unfortunately, the worst-case scenario is not just the ultimately inevitable loss of Ho'okipa for windsurfers. This is a nearly foregone conclusion. Sure, everything is fine again now, for a limited time. However, in the easy-to-envision worst case, the resource user conflict and the administrative restrictions at Ho'okipa will spill over to other sailing sites. Once the heavy-handed County administration gets involved, everyone loses big. At that point, you, Cammar, would have to go back to Italy, if you wish to continue to windsurf.
There are plenty of other locations around the globe for people to sail and ride waves. You, as a responsible pseudo-local in Maui, should be directing them there, and not here. Sure, you're not the only one drawing attention to Ho'okipa and Maui as destinations. So, consider for a moment that you're not the only one using fossil fuels, generating garbage, polluting, and so on. Yet you do try to act responsibly on those issues, don't you?
Probably you are not going to like this comment. Whatever. Think about it. You have put yourself in a position where you have a significant part to play.
Anon, thanks for your comment.
The main reason I have this blog is to spread the stoke.
Knowing that some people gets inspired by it in their homes and offices all over the world makes me feel like I'm sharing part of the richness that I have living here. It's like sending a donation to the Unicef of the windsurfers...
I started dreaming about Maui back in 1984, when I bought my first windsurfing magazine with a photo of Alex Aguera (winner of the first Aloha Classic) on the cover. That photo was showing a true thing: a windsurfer on a beautiful wave at Hookipa.
So, I discovered Maui thanks to the media showing me the truth. Without that I wouldn't know about Maui and I wouldn't live here.
Think about this: without some of the media showing us the truth we wouldn't even know about global warming!
I understand your point of view and I do try not to mention the names of not so known surf spots on the island, but for Hookipa I'm afraid it's a bit late... it's the most famous windsurfing spot in the world, every windsurfer knows about it already! Get any windsurfing magazine anywhere in the world and count how many photos are from Maui on each issue...
You (or somebody else) can try to say that Maui sucks like in those comments in the past posts... go ahead, eveybody can say everything in the comments. But I think that's a losing strategy... not many are going to believe it.. at least on this blog! Why don't you start a blog called Mauisucks.blogspot.com?
What I try to do here is to report the truth. So if the conditions are excellent, I post that. If two windsurfers get their gear confiscated because of the new rules that make windsurfing not so appealing here anymore, I post that too.
I think Maui is still great, but yes, it was way better years ago and it's going to be way worse in the future, because of more and more people moving here. It's inevitable and it's fair. All places on Earth belong to all Earth creatures. And if one day aliens will land here and surf at Hookipa, I'll welcome them too (unless they have four arms to paddle with...).
It's not hiding a place that you keep people off it. Maybe years ago, not in 2007.
Show the truth, show the power of a blog and more blogs will pop up showing other places in the world so that people will choose freely if to stay home or go in vacation to Maui or Jericocoara.
Not long ago I posted a report of a friend of mine about a Danish windsurfing vacation... missed that one? I don't receive many of those, otherwise I would post more of them.
Internet is the only hope we have to save the world from ourselves. It's one of the few good things we've done.
I'm sick of all the bullshit that is given us daily by the mainstream media to achieve the government interests. That is an instrumental use of the media... sorry, I'm not going to do the same.
On this blog you're only going to read what I truly think, and I'm ready to face the consequences and to move somewhere else if (or when) Maui will get too crowded for me.
Aloha.
Cammar, Your argument flows just fine, it's moderately coherent, albeit not entirely well-reasoned. Until, that is, you get to the final paragraph:
"On this blog you're only going to read what I truly think, and I'm ready to face the consequences and to move somewhere else if (or when) Maui will get too crowded for me."
You've stated elsewhere in your blog that you fancy yourself as a dog. But here, you seem more like a seagull. You know, a marine bird that lands somewhere, deposits guano all over everything, and then.... flies away, leaving its mess to be dealt with by others.
There is no talent more dangerous than the talent for self-justification. As Rome burns, Nero laughs.
Thanks for comparing me to a seagull. You just reminded me that it's time for me to read again this wonderful book.
@ Anon,
And what is your contribution to a POSITIVE way of life?
Treating the place you live with respect is what I read from Cammar and the comparrison to a seagul doing his dropping and then leaving is a lame one. Can you just give use a bit more insight in WHY you are so bittered? We might just get some understanding.
on topic.. Robby his style is great! he almost slides his backend of the board into spinout while bottom turning! So much front rail commitment that de backend almost breaks loose!
Sorry, wrong link. That's the book I meant.
Nelisblog, Robby's style is classic, but I'm also digging the new top turns snaps that Levi, Keith and others can achieve thanks to the new twin fins...
I didn't like the twin fins I tried so far (two production and an old custom), but I still have to try a new good one, I guess...
It's more difficult and it requires you to change your style and adapt it to the board... not sure I like that.
In other words, IMO for what I've seen so far, twin fins are for the really good guys only... but of course, thanks to the marketing and the uncontrollable desire of most windsurfers to buy the latest stuff, they will be a selling hit!
My friend Pio (Maui fin company owner) must be stoked!!
You know i like this blog i dont agree with everything cammar says but guys like anon really bug me. At 1st anon raises a arguable opinion,albiet his own agenda to stop cammar form showcasing hookipa. cammar replies, anon disagrees but then insults, and starts throwing down the shit ( seagull style) ...grow up,
you say cammar's argument is barley coherent, but you sideswipe him with that comment then insulting him. But in doing you such degrade yourself your opiion and a valid argument, now riddled with spite.
anon states "You, as a responsible pseudo-local in Maui, should be directing them there, and not here."
"here" anon states, Anon your true colours are clear, you sound like another angry local who wants to keep things to him/herself. but anon IMHO unless your related to king kamehameha himself or close to true blood aka ka'amaina, people who really have a IMHO a beef , stop with the bull shit. your an "invader" like the rest. Go hit up windsurf mag surfing magazine etc etc if you mean it, i think they are doing more "damage". Picket the kahului airport, But i think you just want it for yourself....petty and weak.
Jeff
cammar makes his point in english much better than I could make my point in Italian ...
I wish I could speak two languages.
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