Monday 2-28-05

windy (5.0 sail) but messy waves. A couple of hours windsurfing at Kanaha just to keep the muscles greased for tomorrow’s new NW swell.

Sunday 2-27-05

damn strong wind, I don’t like that. I prefer to go check the south shore at sunset. A small out of season was supposed to arrive at dusk. I didn’t see it, but the sunset was pretty nice.
7 out of 7 in this week. Very high mark:8.75. Total percentage since the beginning of the year: 36 out of 42: 85.7%

Saturday 2-26-05

strong and gusty wind. At 5 pm it drops a notch and I can go out with the 5.0 sail. Not great, but still fun.

Friday 2-25-05

the swell drops and the waves get messy. Nevertheless, I surf Hookipa in the morning. Still better than nothing (or than working…)

Thursday 2-24-05

unreal. Mother nature went off. It was the sunset windsurfing session at Kanaha. I was on my 12.6 longboard with the sail and the wind got so light that it was only two of us windsurfers, 3 kitesurfers and 3 surfers. Around 5.30 the wind picked up again. Nice and steady, didn't bother the waves at all. Even the waves picked up. Haleakala went thru a series of colors that it's quite hard to describe. First it was super-green (sounds like something to clean the bathroom, I know..) creating a big contrast with the darkness of the ocean, that was already in the shade of the West Maui Mountain and its hat of clouds. Then it turned into a red that reminded me of Ayers Rock in Australia. Finally it became deep purple (sounds like a rock band, I know..). I even saw a breach 500 yards outside and went to check that out. It was three of them. Two adults and one little one (still bigger than me, though..). I didn't get closer than 50 yards, because I thought that the adults would be aggressively protective, but I was still close enough to be able to admire the beauty of a whale tail arch and submerge...
Wave after wave we got all stoked out there! Glenn, the other windsurfer, in a rare moment of close sailing action, shouted: "What is this?"
I don't know, my friend, but I'm happy to be here, right now! Actually I'm happy that you are here too, because it's nice to share this emotions with somebody else. Windsurfers, kitesurfer and surfers enjoying nature to its maximum (in my humble opinion) expression of beauty and harmony. And it felt like we were part of that harmony. I must have sailed quite well, I suppose...
We got out of the water at 7.05, in complete darkness. An idea arose in my mind. "Glenn, should we wait for the full moon to come out and go sailing again? It's still pretty windy!".
The answer wasn't a bit disappointing. "Yeah, let's do that!"
I knew the moon was supposed to rise around 8. One of those things that for some reason I know...
So we chatted for a while but when the moon came out, the wind had unfortunately dropped. But, the reason because my wonderful board is a wonderful board is that it's eclectic! I got rid of the sail, took my paddle and paddled alone to the reef. "Just a stand-up paddle to the reef in the moonlight. Nothing more." ... "Ok, maybe I'll catch a wave or two..."
The moon was covered by clouds and I wasn't sure where the channel was. Just for the non surfers: not knowing where the channel is is not a good thing.
When I thought I was at the reef, the moon come out of the clouds and it was like somebody turned on the light. Just in time to see a wave of such dimensions that an interesting reaction happened to my body: my ass hole suddenly wanted to show me how tight it can get. I had just the time to think:"Ops, I must have missed the channel..." and then I jumped in the water trying to dive as much as I could without hitting the reef (not an easy task in Kanaha). Roarrr... I must confess that I love the sound of a wave when it breaks over me. I got out the water, pulled my leash and quickly got back on the board with the paddle under my belly. Even though I am not scared of sharks during the day, I couldn't stop a stupid (or healthy) sense of discomfort being in the water at night (in a spot close to the Kahului harbor, by the way). So, I started paddling to try to catch the next wave. I didn't even look back to see if there was another wave. I know those big ones don't travel alone... I didn't even look back to check if I was in the right spot. I was gonna get worked anyway...
Lucky as I am, I was in the right spot. I caught that wave easily and surfed it for a while. Then it closed out and I was still riding the white water. The light of the fool moon makes the white water kind of phosphorescent and I was surrounded by it. I raised the paddle in the air and screamed with joy. Then, I paddled in. That was enough. That was one damn good moment. That was one damn good session.

Wednesday 2-23-05

another very good day. Stand up surf in the morning at Lowers. In the afternoon a light wind allows me to replace the paddle with the sail and to ride tens of more waves.

Photo: surf conditions at Hookipa

Tuesday 2-22-05

oh my… morning session still at Lowers. 2.5 hours, 25 waves: the average is still the same. In the afternoon I surf Hookipa with a little energy left… it’s just too good to just look. Two, three feet overhead, glassy and sunny… I catch 5 lefts and a right that was so steep that I only needed some offshore wind to get barreled…. maybe.

Monday 2-21-05

a new NW swell gets on the Hawaiian north shores and the wind dies as it often does in winter time (love that!). Fantastic conditions at lower Kanaha. Head high, sometimes overhead. With a 10 footer I catch 20 waves in 2 hours, one every 6 minutes. Considering that between ride and paddle out it takes about 3 minutes (it a quite long ride), that means 3 minutes average waiting time. More frequent than the London underground! A wave machine!! Too tired for the sunset session, I’ll surf tomorrow…

Sunday 2-20-05

super sunny day. I’m busy all day and I choose to get in the water at sunset at Hookipa (Lanes, actually) with the 12.6 and the sail. Not a good idea! Those waves are way too fast and powerful for my big board. I better keep for Kanaha, were the waves are more slow and gentle. Plus, now I know the reef over there like my pockets. Which is a pretty easy task, though, since in my board short pocket there’s essentially a bar of wax…
Total of the week: 6 out of 7. Mark:6 (too much windsurf , not enough surf). 29 out of 35 from the beginning of the year: 83%

Saturday 2-19-05

Saturday 2-19-05: wind for a 5.0 and more waves. After 4 years in Maui, I finally decide to try Kuau (close to where I live, by the way). Getting in and out is quite tricky. Those rocks are slippery and there’s a narrow channel with sketchy wind. Waves are logo high at times the wind on the inside is light and there’s not a clear channel. The only advantage compared to Hookipa is that if you get worked you got to swim but the current doesn’t take you on the rocks. Also, it seems like you can spot the sets more far away. There’s way less people and the color of the ocean is sooo deep blue. But, I can only get a couple of bottom turns, before the wave closes out. My friends tell that when it’s bigger it’s better… We’ll see. But I wasn’t impressed at all.

Friday 2-18-05

strong wind and slightly smaller waves on the north shore. I’m busy. Which is good. I need some rest.

Thursday 2-17-05

more wind and waves. The best session is the morning one, on a 4.7. Head high, sometimes overhead and not too crowded. In the afternoon the wind gets super gusty and there’s too many people. I can’t even water start! I better go home for a nap…

Photo: Hookipa, windsurfing mecca. This is why.

Wednesday 2-16-05

oh my god. What a day! More wave sailing with the 4.7. Waves down to head high, sometimes logo high. 3 hours of absolute fun. At sunset, I choose to rest (more waves are on their way) and go to Hookipa for a photo session (see above).

Tuesday 2-15-05

in the morning I surf Honolua Bay… for business!! I love myself even more when I do shit like that. In the afternoon, I go back on the very windy north shore for a fun session of wave sailing. Lots of people out at Kanaha, but half of them are friends and that’s cool. Waves were logo high and the sail was a 4.7. Hookipa must have been pretty big, in fact a few pros were there. On one wave I was upwind of Kevin Pritchard. It’s not the first time that I have a pro downwind of me. Usually they don’t give a shit about the priorities, so I was expecting the same behavior. I start my down the line series of bottom and top turns and he dows the same. I was bottom turning and I could see him hit the lip 20 yards downwind. Cool, really cool. When I get closer, he smiles and let me go. That’s the way to go Kevin. You must be a nice guy.

Monday 2-14-05

light wind and messy windswell. A couple of hours on the 12.6 with the 5.5. Better than nothing. Tomorrow a new NW should bring the surf up again. Windy, though. Well, we’ll sail…

Sunday 2-13-05

light wind and small waves.

Saturday 2-12-05

today, intead, it rains most of the day. In the afternoon fresh trade winds start blowing, but waves suck and it’s kind of cold. Maui cold, I mean. We’re so spoiled down here…

Friday 2-11-05

one of those three days a year with perfect kitesurfing conditions in Maui. Thank god I don’t have that kind of equipment anymore… 13 knots steady like out of a fan. No waves, it’s not worth to go out on the 12.6. The sun shines and the colors are unreal.

Photo: Laird gets in the water off the rocks with his 12 footer. Notice the green seaweed carpet (freaking slippery!) and the approaching wave... he's not from this planet!

Thursday 2-10-05

wind for the 5.5 and 8.6 wave board. Small waves, sunny skies and with the complicity of the low tide, unreal colors on the reef. I go check the sunset at Hookipa, and spot Laird Hamilton that goes out with his 12 footer… off the rocks! You guys don’t know how freaking slippery those rocks are. Notice the green seaweed carpet and the shorebreak approaching wave in the above picture… Laird is not from this planet.

Wednesday 2-9-05

still windy and leftover waves. I go out at sunset with the 12.6. A lot of fun.

Tuesday 2-8-05

still windy, this time for the 4.7… too much for the longboard. I choose my 8.0, but the wind goes up and donw and the session is quite disappointing. One more reason to love the longboard: less sensitive to the wind drops.

Monday 2-7-05

today it’s windy (after a long while) and there’s waves. I change three boards at Kanaha (8.3, 8.6 and 12.6) and two sails (5.0 and 5.5), the most fun session being the one with the longboard. I can’t believe that now I have more fun with it than with a shortboard…

Sunday 2-6-05

I must have not managed to keep my finger crossed during the night… the swell is blocked big time by the other islands (Kauai, Oahu e Molokai). Anyways, I surf Hookipa for two hours with an incredible sun. No complains.
This week (6 times in the water out of 7) barely deserves a 6. I thought about an even lower mark, but what about those shitty summer weeks with super strong wind and flat water? I better save the low marks for those. The total percentage of surf/windsurf days from the beginning of the year is 19 out of 21: 90.5%. Not too shabby.

Saturday 2-5-05

surf session at Hookipa in the afternoon. Not so good, but I had a good ride. That all it takes… Tomorrow, WNW swell. I’ll try to sleep with my finger crossed.

Friday 2-4-05

oh, what a bad surf session I had in the morning at Hookipa! Shoulder high, super fast and mean waves. I didn’t catch any!!! Fortunately, in the afternoon a light wind allows me a longboard sailing session at Kanaha and the smile shines again on my face…

Thursday 2-3-05

rainy day, shitty waves. Hey, sometimes it happens even here!

Photo: Lahaina sunset

Wednesday 2-2-05

nice surf session in the morning at Hookipa. Head high, sometimes overhead. Fun.

Tuesday 2-1-05

today I bought a gunny 9 footer, big wave rider. Two hours of surf at sunset at Hookipa… it works fine! Steep take off down the water mountain… like on a railroad! Cloudy, unreal colors.