Maui on Fire

The year just started but it started off with Hookipa on fire.
A squall gave us a perfect rainbow.
Here are some shots Jimmie Hepp made. He is every day in Hookipa and anywhere else on Maui making awesome shots. http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000830216933

Hookipa January 2nd 2011

Squall

Beautiful whale shot from Hookipa

Mark going off, just before he went on the rocks

Mark again, sailing very well , as always

Master Robby Naish with Kai Lenny

Here I Kind of lost my board, my bullet proof smack can withstand anything though

Aloha from Maui

New Boards and New Waves on Maui

Yesterday we got the NEW 2011 Quads in. They not only look amazing but they are also sophisticated. That's why they are called Quad IQ. They have a clever new box system so you can switch out the front and back fins (onshore bigger fins in the front, side shore smaller fins in the front) and even use the board as a twin fin (skatey feel). All the quads come with 6 fins, 4 for a quad set up or 2 for a twin set up.

2011 QUADs fresh, fast and so turny

Yesterday we had another great swell again. Stand up in the morning and windsurf in the afternoon. Pictures below are made by Simone Reddingius find here on facebook if you need a Maui Photographer.

Bart, Hookipa/Lanes, on a Starboard 9'1 Pro

Kai Lenny, Hookipa

Andy not so Happy, Hookipa

Robby Naish Hookipa/Lanes

I am off to South Africa for the german SURF windsurfing test for the next 4 weeks. I will keep you posted.

Plenty of wind, Hookipa sessions and a turtle downwinder

Last week many good days in Hookipa. There is a whole Scandinavian Crew sailing in Hookipa and Kuau. Pilip Wallin shot a nice video in HD which you can see below. Hot Sails riders Ola & Andres & me and other riders Mark Angulo (always there and always sailing amazingly) and Robby Swift who hurt himself this session as did Robby Naish a few hours before. Pilip gives a niceview from the hill overlooking Hookipa beach a place where you can spend days just watching, the sailing, the waves, the crashes on the rocks and everything else what's going on down there.


Last week I had a few sessions on the Quad 71. I use the 76 as a alround light to medium wind range board and the 71 in Medium to stronger wind conditions. The 76 is very forgiving, and easy to get through the white water but still radical, with snappy top turns. In big waves where you generate a lot of speed the board is a bit wide. Still it is my all time favorite. The 71 feel a lot smaller and is not so forgiving on the wave. But It handles tight turns and lots of speed. Last week we were looking to go to Jaws for w windsurfing session in the end it didn't happen because there was to much wind chop which would make it impossible to stay on you board coming down wave size that big.n For days like that were you don't need tight turns but most of all control I think a narrow single fin board with some double concave is the best option. For everything else a Quad.


MALIKO DOWNWINDER


This weekend I made a downwinder with Dagmar. Nice day, medium trades, sunny and many turtles.

The Maliko to Kanaha Run is about 1 hour and 35 minutes if you take it easy and 1hr and 15 minutes if you go full on.

A Downwinder is a nice combination of paddling & surfing. You are basically riding the wind chop/swell the whole way. A few strong strokes and you catch chop ride 50 meters a few more strokes an other chop.... Good training and lots of fun.

ALOHA from Maui

Family time in Sprecks

This week the wind picked up again and we had some family time in Sprecks.


My Daughter likes to get out on the board with me. We started together when she was 4 years old. At 5 years, she was planing and jibing but lately it gets harder now she is getting taller and older (10). But with her own HOT Sails micro fire 2.1 she starts to sail by her self now.

Tomorrow is the Olukai Stand up race from Maliko to Kanaha. so stay tuned for some action.

Stand up session

Yesterday we had a nice afternoon session in Kuau.

The Sun going down, the waves rolling in , all good. I used the 10'5" and had theGo Pro camera on the paddle. An interesting angle. This was just the first try. Today the winds turned North and a low pressure is passing by in the next couple of days. But there is also a big swell forcasted so lot's to get excited about. Check this little video out.


Aloha from Maui