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

Oh Beautiful Hookipa

Sunday morning,
glassy, big waves a beautiful day, a stand up day. I leave my wife and daughter before breakfast, after quick birthday call to my sister in Holland. I drive down 3 minutes before I see how good the waves really are.
After a couple of tries I made it out in Kuau. Getting to know my new 9'1" a little bit better. A few amazing drops and rides.
Although the forecast wasn't to good. The wind picked up strong enough in the afternoon. This time Hookipa. The Light winds on the inside made it challenging to get out. Below is a picture of Ola from Sweden with a huge set in front of him.
Once you were out you could ride the big sets and just get out in time and don't ride them in all the way. But what fun it was. Sharing Hookipa only with hand full of other riders. Brilliant as ever Robby Naish. Daring as always, Mark Angulo, Young riders Bend, Connor Baxter and my friend Andres. Hookipa at it's best.
Thanks Kate, for the pictures



Ola facing nature

Robby Naish

Bootm Turn Robby Style

Bend on of the youngest riders in Hookipa

Mark Angulo

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

PWA Canary Islands

While we have a breezy summer here on Maui with consistent winds and some summer south swell. The PWA tour was making a stop in Pozo, Canary Islands.

It has been a while but Hot Sails Maui has a team rider in pro-racing again. Diony Guadagnino competed in Wave and Slalom and made a success full comeback in pro windsurfing. Slalom 15th place, wave 17th place.

Philip Koster took the overall title in wave.

Take a look at his last explosive heat.

New Sails & Boards in Kanaha Kai

All the new Hot Sails Maui came in and are ready to go on the water The latest Superfreaks, Fires, Smacks and DDs.
Friday we have all the new Starboards coming in. Kodes, Evos, Evil Twin, Futuras.

The last 3 weeks have been windy as usual in Maui. Most days 4.3-4.7 sails on the water combined with the swell we had this week it's Maui at it's summer best.
I have been out of windsurfing the last 2 weeks due to a little accident I had while doing a Willy Skipper in Sprecks. The foot is still a little sore. No windsurfing for me for another 2 weeks.
But I do have a little SUP down winder video this time, which I have been doing a lot recently. Getting ready for the upcoming races.

Here you can see why a down winder is so much fun. It's a good exercise on the water which involves a lot of technique, endurance and surfing.
So enjoy the video and see you on the water.
Aloha from Maui

Last year's best pick

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