and the winner of the photo contest is...

...this image submitted by a guy called Noaa!


Just kidding of course, even though that is a beautiful image indeed since it shows a fetch of wind perfectly oriented towards Hawaii. That low has been around for a few days already and that means that the buoys are already up to 7 feet, 11 sec from NNW. That also means that I'm going surfing and possibly I have no time again to post the winner of the photo contest. I actually just like to keep the suspense going...

The short Kona wind episode seems to be confirmed for Thursday afternoon and Friday. Photographers, get ready to shoot Lanes!

Here, I'll give you one more. It's winter time and nobody checks the south shore anymore... nobody but me (and Pat Caldwell)!
That fetch means a sweet south swell a week from now. Don't tell anybody... :)


And now, surprise... here it really is the winner of the photo contest!!!
Submitted by Sander de Leeuw from Holland. I like:
- it's different
- the spirit. Sander said in his email "Making the best out of conditions, since the only water out there is solid at the moment"
- the sail. From the 80s (from his dad), perfectly kept, great colors.
- the fact that he's able to get the thing going in a breeze that is so light not to bend the grass at all. So light the battens of the sail rest on the windward side of the mast...
- the surreality of the surroundings.
- the sense of peacefulness
- a few more details, but this time I really got to go surfing... congrats Sander, shoot me an email with your address and hang in there... sonner or later that ice will melt!