Big SURF Tuesday

Eddie Aikau Invitational dec 8 2009, Kelly Slater after one of the rides of the day.

A perfect work day. Dagmar and I had 2 stand up sessions, we checked out Jaws with Jeff's family and the kids and we still worked from 9 to 14:00, a perfect work day on Maui. Now I have to admit, it's not always like that. But you can always squeeze in a small session on the water somewhere when it's good. And it was good!

Here's some of the action of today.

First, Stand up Session at Kanaha this morning

Jaws was still breaking on Maui, 40 feet waves around midday and around 25 feet when we got there. Dagmar took some pics.

On Oahu, the Eddie Aikau was on. in The last 25 years, this big wave event only took place 7 times. They had a 50 foot waves at Waimea. I just saw some footage on Television. The 25 bravest of the bravest were in this competition.

Wiped out, Mark Healey

Traffic on Oahu was crazy

Jaws breaking big time 40-50 feet

Since days, everyone is watching the weather and swell forecasts. A deep, double low pressure system was heading our way. It could be the swell of the century.

Since I don't own a jet ski and my tow partner is working on his ski, I had to go and see jaws for my self by other means. SUP

6:30 I arrive at Maliko, I can't believe it's closing out. I have never seen Maliko closing out. Even in huge swells you can still go out there. Luckily it was only in the sets. So I get me stand up board and wait for a good time to go out.

At 7:30, After a 45 minute paddle I arrive at Peahi ( Jaws). I almost passed it, because I had to be far out at sea not be caught by a freak wave breaking on the rocks and with so much spray in the air you could hardly see the coastline.

It's already full with jet skis. Laird and Dave Kalama and some are towing in but most are just checking out what it looks like. It's a very westerly swell which makes Jaws a little more tricky.

After an hour there are about 30 ski 5 boats and 4 helicopter above our heads.

After a couple of hours it's time to head back, the weather is changing and it's time to work. After a quick paddle back I enter Maliko again without getting washed. Here are some pics and a little go pro video. The video is done with the wide angle camera which doesn't do good to the size of the waves but it gives a nice impression.

So yes it was big but not the swell of the century that one still has to come. Maybe tomorrow, the Eddie Aikau is on for tomorrow on Oahu and

the swell is going to peak to night so it could be even bigger tomorrow.

Here are some shots from the water (SUP).

For really nice shots from the cliff check this site from a friend of mine,Anita Harris, Anitas latest Post

Womens Stand Up Event January 9th 2010

A free women SUP event organized by Suzie Cooney. My wife Dagmar and many other women from all over Maui will join this great event. You can even win a Starboard stand up board. We will be there with our boards and paddles to try out.
Place: Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea Beach
Time: January 9th from 8am to 2pm
Check out her site: www.standuppaddlingfitness.com

SUPer day and Hookipa heaven

Woke up early today to do a Stand up session with Hizkia before work.

We checked out Kuau and Kanaha Kai and decided that Kanaha Kai looked to small and windy and Kuau kind a big so I decided for Kuau where only a few tow-ins where playing. Hiz took some shots.

Getting out was hard work

But once on the wave very rewarding.

And then here are some shots Hizkia took of Hookipa yesterday. There was definetly some size to it and good action too.

Levi still the king of Hookipa

Keith also a contender of the crown.

Nice aerial off the lip from Hot Sails rider, Andres

Aloha

Time to play

It's good to be back in Maui. Today we had a classic day in Kuau, if you don't know Kuau, it's just a little down wind from Hookipa. What a day. Good size waves and just enough wind to be out on a 5.0 or 5.3. The waves picked up during the day from logo high to more than mast high. The whole week looks pretty good, so more Stand up and windsurfing action to come.
Yesterday I had a downwind with my good friend Hizkia from Holland. Today I went out with another good friend Gerardo who did amazingly well in the huge waves. Here is a little clip of today.

Look here what is coming this week. Two more big swell on the horizon. Huuaaa!

Aloha

South Africa SURF test (40 boards, 40 sails)

I know it was very quiet on the blog for the last few weeks.

I was busy testing boards and sails in South Africa for SURF magazine. This 5 week test is the most comprehensive test done in windsurfing. This is already my 15th year as a tester. Time is flying by.

Rigging in Platboom, Cape of good hope

We have been coming here in South Africa for the last 12 years already. Our base is Langebaan where we do all the flat water testing. For waves we have 3 options; Swartriet, 30km from here , Cape point, 200 km from here and Elands bay, 100km from here and famous from the Endless summer movie. If you are prepared to drive you can windsurf a lot but in the last 3 weeks we have already driven 2800 km to find the waves and the wind.

Baboons at the Cape of Good Hope

However we were successful because we had 16 days out of 20 of water time. If we would have stayed in one place you would have 5 days max. This year South Africa is up side down. Most of the time we have had wind from the right and cold and rainy conditions which almost never happens and if only for a day.

Rainy and muddy conditions

For me wind from the right is actually better since I am used to that from Maui, for most of the other testers it was a little adjusting.

This year we test 75 liter wave boards, 85 liter free-wave boards 110 liter slalom boards, 4.7 wave sails, 5.3 power wave sails, 6.0 free move sails, and 8.0 slalom sails.

Only in wave boards we have 18 boards, single fin, twin, triple and quads.

Platboom, always amazingly good

Witsands, this year mostly wind from the right. At our last sessions, I saw a big shark there.

Stephan, test leader and Photographer

Next time I hope to have some action photos. Today we leave for Elands Bay.

Aloha from South Africa

South Side Swell

The wind is back on the North shore with a small North West swell. But the South side had a late season South swell hiting Maui. La Perouse, beauitful as always had a great display what happens when the swell hits shallow lava bottom there.

Big smackers rolling in La Perouse Bay

My Daughter Soleil enjoying the view.

Surfer record in South Africa + new online Magazine

Watch this link on the BBC to see a new record attempt to get as many surfers on one wave as possible. And we think that Hookipa is crowded sometimes. It's not official yet but they counted 103 surfers on one the wave for 5 second or longer.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8290351.stm

Then below here is an image, we get excited about here in Maui. The swell forcast. The deeper the red, the bigger the swell. Looks like we will get some nice Hookipa time in a couple of days. Although after sailing Hookipa the last 3 days we have no complains about wind and waves. 2 days ago We had some Manta rays in the line up while we were sailing. Off course GP got some great pictures. http://mauisurfreport.blogspot.com/2009/10/manta-rays-at-hookipa.html


This is the new online Windsurfer International Magazine October Issue. Check the link to read the magazine it's free. http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/50192322#/50192322/1

Also, We have a new Wave world champion. Josh Angulo just won in Sylt in hard typical German conditions, cold windy and unorganized waves. Very little wave riding lots of jumping.

Aloah from Maui

MAUI is going off & PWA world cup SYLT

Friday morning Hookipa

This september has been great. Every week another swell comes in and the winds have been good almost the whole month.

The last 3 days stand up paddling in the morning in Hookipa then in the afternoon a windsurf session in Kuau or Hookipa. Maui at it's best.

Here are some early morning SUP pictures

Here is one shot of Phillipe and one of Robby Naish taken by Giampaolo. http://mauisurfreport.blogspot.com/

Robby is still going as strong as he was many years ago.

He has some amazing shots from Hookipa while I busy sailing myself in Kuau just a half a mile down wind. A beautiful day with mast high waves and 4.8 sail.

Also, Hot Sails Maui has 2 team riders competing in the Wolrd cup in SYLT. Diony Giadagnino and Paul Zeper. Paul is a young new rider. He just got the new 2010 Hot Sails BOLT .

http://hot-trips.blogspot.com/

Aloha from Maui, Bart