Thursday, December 04, 2008

Thank god for ice

What a grand day it was!

With a new swell on the rise and a promising morning breeze, I made the wise call not to surf in the morning, watch the surf contest at Sunset beach online instead, get in the water early with 5.0 and 90l board and score some fantastic head to logo high glassy waves.

Try to picture this (having been in Maui helps... smoking something might as well).

Blue sky, even more blue ocean, warm temperature, the majestic green Haleakala on the background.
15 seconds period translated in what looked like a football field between the waves.
A few windsurfers out playing with them in the morning light.
Did you picture it? Cool! And now imagine how it feels to be one of those windsurfers...

I sailed a couple of hours and had a really awesome time.
I wish I had my camera with me. Actually no, since the video would have been extremely disappointing compared to the real experience.

I timed the lunch break to watch the semis and final of Sunset. Right after that, I went back in the water for the sunset session. This one, unfortunately, wasn't as enjoyable, since I hurt my ankle in a wipeout. Going over the falls with a foot stuck in a footstrap is one of the scariest feelings I can think of. You know you're stuck, you know you're gonna get worked and you think:"oh no, oh no, oh no!!!"
Sometimes you get away with no damage, but some other times you don't.
Usually you can tell right away how bad the injury is. Thank god in this case I think it wasn't really serious. I stretched those muscles/ligaments on the front by overextending the joint, but I didn't break anything. It could have been a lot worse... I'm icing it now.
Oh well, at least I got hurt trying to hit a lip!

BTW, C.J.Hobgood won the contest. Great performances of Jordy Smith (who dominated his heats but disappeared in the final) and of three Maui surfers: Hank Gaskell, Dusty Payne and across the street neighbor Ian Walsh.

Hey, where was that list of things to post? Let's have a look again.

- 1) reef model (don't get too excited)
2) underwear website link
3) windsurfing pole vault video
- 4) quatro/goya/mfc sale banner
5) photos kanaha (mine and alex)
6) photos hookipa (mine and jazz)
7) Kazuma series
8) my new wave board quiver (I still have to take a photo of this)
9) Chico's amazing windsurfing photos
10) windsurf boards museum. You guys won't believe your eyes...
11) description of a scary moment at Hookipa

What? I only did 1 and 4? Let's get rid of a few more.

Here's number 2, courtesy of blog reader Matt from Guernsey.
I tried ALL underwears on ALL models...

Here's number 3, courtesy of my friend Francesco who borrowed my gear during a short visit lately.


Just got up to get a couple of Advils... damn it hurts!
Clearly tomorrow it's going to be epic with the swell peaking in the morning and stronger wind.
If I can't sail, you guys are going to score, since I'll be forced to take photos at Hookipa, which I predict is going to be all time (da hell does "all time" means?).
I will not be pissed off (I'm talking to myself now) since I will be watching one of the best shows on Earth. No wait, is any pro sailor going to sail Hookipa tomorrow or are they all going to be at Jaws?
We'll find out! Anybody going to Jaws with a four wheel drive that wants to give me a ride?

PS. Talking about Jaws, these are Ray's photos from last Sunday.

PPS. Not many Maui resident know that the same epic Ahi Poke that the Nagata store use to sell is sometimes available at the Kuau Mart. Freaking delicious. Go get some, so that they will keep buying it, maybe every day.

7 comments:

PeconicPuffin said...

Ice is a beautiful thing when you hurt yourself. When my wife and I bought our refrigerator she indulged my request that it have an icemaker...it gets a lot of use.

Heal fast and well!

Sharon said...

The knicker-picker is genius, I bet Ms.32A is knackered with all that walking, undressing and turning around you made her do! Bloody hell, beware of flying rigs, but a stroke of luck that Fra caught it on vid.

cammar said...

PP, ice cubes are good, but sometimes it's hard to wrap them around the sore part. Unless you buy a specific soft ice wraps like those, a good house remendy is to use a small bag of frozen peas. They adapt well to the shape of the part and the don't leak water...
Make sure you eat the peas if they defreeze or mark them with a big X is you freeze them again to use them at the next therapy session!!!

Sharon, surprisingly I think I had Ms. 32DD do more miles for me... most of which with Fascinante Tai by Valisere.

PeconicPuffin said...

Cammar...that's why our refrigerator makes crushed ice.

:)

I have owned half a dozen different cooling packs...none of them get as cold as ice. My physical therapist (who specializes on athletic injuries) is a strong proponent of crushed ice. If you can only use fully cubed ice, then adding water to the icebag helps spread the cold for effectively.

cammar said...

PP, I didn't realize what kind of expert I was talking to...

Good tip to add water to the ice cubes.
Instead, I add onion to my peas for flavor... :)

Frank said...

Ciao Giampaolo,

I'am very happy to see my video in your blog (I was waiting for that),

next time a forward :)

I had great time in Maui

cammar said...

Well, come back soon because tonight I ate the last of the icecream you bought...