Superferry
Here, read this article that appeared today on the Maui news about the Super-Fucking-Ferry.
Here's a close up of the map.
My first comment when I read it was... WHAAAT???!!!
This is just too much. This way of obtaining things is really disgusting me. Here's a short summary:
To avoid potential protests like there have been in Kauai (surfers paddling in front of the boat) the Superferry corporation with the help of the governor managed to get approved a law that will forbid surfing in the harbor from an hour before the boat arrives to 10 minutes after it leaves.
FORBIDDING SURFING IN HAWAII??? You got to be kidding me... AND CANOE PADDLING???
Un-believable. This is un-believable. As a matter of fact, I don't believe it will happen. If the harbor is going off, there's no way you can keep the surfers (me included) out of the water. Overall a very stupid move, since it will piss off a lot of people.
I'll take part to the rally organized by Maui Tomorrow on Sat 12/8. Everybody who thinks this is unfair, (and/or is concerned about the other issues that the SF will bring: more traffic, criminality, drugs) should come to the rally and protest. Not convinced? Read this (don't be deceived by the date, they changed it to Sat 12.8 so that more people could attend).
More details about the rally.
The best way of protesting, in my opinion, is to boycott the Ferry. Just don't use it. Even if they put tickets down to 5 bucks, please don't buy them!
Enough of that.
Jaws.
Different SF story. Much better one, since SF in this case stands for SuperFreak...
Last Friday Diony Guadagnino took his SF at Jaws. It was his first time there. Read the story on the Hot Sails Maui site.
Sunset beach
Great surfing at Sunset beach in Oahu, where the second event of the Triple Crown of Surfing is taking place. In Maui it rained pretty much all day and I really enjoyed watching the live webcast.
Here are the best waves of yesterday. Check it out, it's really worth it... I love the water shots that give a much better idea of the size of the waves.
BTW, the first surfer is not Bruneau, but 15 (!!!) years old John John Florence who advanced two heats before being eliminated...
And these are the best waves of day two.
Sunset session
Inspired by all this great surfing, and by the fact that finally around 4pm it stopped raining, I went to Hookipa to check the surf. It looked pretty damn good, but I knew that it was going to get pretty big and crowded, which is a combination that I don't particularly like... specially at Hookipa.
So I chose to challenge the break of Noriega on my standup board. The launch at Kuau is from the rocks and it's a bit tricky with a big board on your shoulder, so I picked my super light 12.2 Starboard, instead of my extra heavy 12.6 Timpone. Actually, I was just lazy... it was already on top of my car and it was getting late...
When I paddled out, there were three tow-surfing teams on their stinky skis. They were all smiling and friendly with me, also because in theory they should move somewhere else as soon as a regular/standup surfer shows up.
I don't care. I let them surf, even though I hate the noise and the smell of the jet-skis. "At least it's good to have them around in case I break my leash", I thought...
Anyway, the sets were rolling in often in the double overhead range (thank god I didn't go out at Hookipa, I thought...) and I managed to drop into four bombs that really got my heart going...
Then the sunset started to go off. Big time. I just knew it... when it rains all day and there's a big NW swell, the sunset is often amazing... one of those special winter days that just stays under your skin for a while.
I was admiring the beauty of the incredible sunset (slightly disturbed by the jet-skis noise) and contemplating to catch a last ride in (it was 5.45 and it was starting to get dark), when - CLEARLY - a huge set appeared on the horizon.
"Oh well, looks like I'll take a few on the head... no big deal, as long as the leash doesn't snap".
I dove under the first wave and... SNAP! The leash snapped.
In a fraction of a second I went from the extasy of a gorgeous sunset to some seriously deep shit. The jet skis? Magically disappeared...
And there I was, in the middle of the impact zone, with a paddle in my hands, taking wave after wave on my head under a dramatic red sky...
Swimming in the current with a (long) paddle is not the easiest thing in the world, but somehow I managed to get back to shore. While walking back on the rocks, I even ran into my board! Well, actually into the two pieces in which my board had snapped...
Still... stoked! I really like that shape a lot and tomorrow I'll take it to Ding King and ask Mark (the original shaper) to put it back together. He already did it once... that board, in fact, is a particularly light and fragile one that was only built for a photoshoot. I assume the production ones are stronger, but hey... a twelve feet wave is a twelve feet wave! It will break even the strongest board if it hits it right...
Forecast
Here's Pat Caldwell's latest forecast.
The surf is going to be ginormous on Saturday. Not hard to believe, seen the Tursday morning weather map...
Mmm... Kona wind. Is it going to be one of those epic days when the pro sailors challenge Lanes? We'll see...
For sure, I'll put the Timpone on my car so that if (after the rally!) there's light Kona at Kanaha, I'll be sailing on mountains of water... let's see if I manage to snap another board! Well, considering how delaminated most of the deck is, that is not unlikely at all...
And it's also not unlikely that the Eddie Aikau will take place at Waimea bay. Check their website for the webcast.
Aloha from an extremely stoked simple guy who bloody loves winter in Hawaii...
Geez, it was sooooo beautiful out there today!!!
I wish I could record that feeling on a disk and send it to all the governments of the world (and to the Superferry managers): they would immediately stop thinking how to make money and wars and start reconnecting with nature...
Mmmm... on a second thought, I'm not sure I wonna have all those jerks in the lineup though...
PS. Do you smoke? Have a look a this, maybe it'll help you quit.
2 comments:
part one: It cracks me up Giampaolo, how, though we go to the same beaches, drive the same roads and know many of the same people.. you are so much better informed on the key issues that affect us north shore folks. Thanks for the great thought provoking blog.
part two: anyone telling the authorities you protest the surfing/paddling ban during the stupidferry's arrival/departures, please add that closing the beach parks at night is also wrong. The problems at Ho'okipa (for example) were almost non-existent before the gates went up and nighttime (when the waves are big) is when the local fishermen routinely could be seen all night. Why punish them with the gate?
Hi Anon,
I don't like the fact the parks close at night either. I believe (but I'm not sure) that they do it so that the homeless people wouldn't make them their permanent place where to park their cars and use the bathrooms and showers of the parks.
Result? The homeless people park their cars just outside the park (like in Kanaha). Sure, there's more parking in the park during daylight, but:
- didn't resolve the homeless people problem... (to fix which the only way is an effective affordable housing policy)
- pissed off the fishermen and whoever likes to bbq after dark.
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