... First of all, whoever was reminding us to post.... I agree... Even the Windsurfers in Winter... Skyline Drive and Monte Cristo etc. sounds sooo fun... Anyway... I eat cereal from time to time, meaning not too often, but when I do, I need a nice big bowl, a nice sized spoon if available, and a lot of milk... This morning (In Sandy) I decided I was in the mood for some Quaker Granola cereal I'd bought from none other than Costco... Pertinence, um, probably none except for release of minor manic energy... Actually, I was in a short sleeve shirt, the sun out, and I had a windline sweep across my milk... I saw it from the other side, but there was no time to rig... So, I just sailed my equivalent 7.5 spoon acrossed the rippled lactic liquid... Could've had smaller... But I couldn't help sharing...
If I didn't have to work I would probably be at Provo Boat Harbor wondering why it's only blowing 9.0...
Maui was beautiful... I didn't even change out of my nice clothes from the flight (standby) before going to Kanaha beach... How awesome... I hate it! Love it!... Too far away... I'll try to make this shorter... I disciplined myself to absorb the Island first for 5 days... Road to Hana, Haleakele volcano (nephew found and picked up an old bomb tip looking ordinance...yikes), Humpback whales breeching, Snorkelling, the culture etc... Then on day 5 I said goodbye to family and went to the beach with my rental gear that all fit inside my 2 door Cobalt LS (27 bucks a day from Budget)... 1 board 83L, 2 sails 5.8,5.0, 2 masts, boom... It was great... Over the next couple days I had some great sailing and wave riding that has forever tainted me nicely... I can't believe how much fun it was... I am glad I "saw" the island first, cuz, now, I won't be seeing too much of the island when I go unless the wind turns off...
Usually it's not windy in these months but it turned out windy for the week I was there... In fact, they said it's been very windy this winter compared to normal... While on the water A couple kiters pointed at the water as to indicate shark or turtle, I saw a turtle and still have all of my limbs... The coral cut up my feet pretty good, but it was soo worth it... For all of you who've been to Maui, you know... Now I do... The wind was very nice... My two sails happened to be perfect... But earlier in the week they said they were sailing 4.5...
The people were so cool... First day there, 1 hour off of the airplane we went over to Ho'okipa and a guy named Dave Osborne was shredding it up in the waves in the evening... I went over and talked to him while he was derigging... He is a very good sailor... Ex pro still winning masters... But I told him I'd been sailing for years in Utah, first time there and he invited me to Kevin Pritchard's BDay party a Ray Master's art gallery in Paia, a lot of people, some utah blood... I went, and it was crazy... Met Matt Pritchard, Robby Swift, Josh Stone, and a bunch of others... They were all soo cool and not too cool... I was soo impressed... And of course I went through the whole... Hmmmm... I need to move here thing... Of course, everyone does...
Then the last night I was there in Maui, I had sailed Kanaha that day, Kevin Pritchard was out there sailing, and LOVING it and giving up some wha hoos! It was 5.8 and he was loving it... I thought, man, this is a freaking great sport...
I was to fly out that night, so, I went to have one more moment with Ho'okipa to watch some evening winter waves break, I didn't feel ready to want to try to sail there this trip... I stopped in Paia and treated myself to a sweet ol' dinner of sushi... Kalama was there with his wife... Then half way through my meal while I was reading my 98 National Geographic I'd brought in about "JAWS"... Robby Naish walks in the restaraunt. So, of course, on my way out, I shook his hand because his wife and other people with him had stood up to go over to the bar... He grabbed the National Geographic from me and said "Oh wow, cool, I haven't seen this one in a while"... He turned to the page where he was 25 feet up in the air bailing off and said, "Too bad you're going back home tomorrow Rick, Jaws is going off tomorrow!"... ... ... I didn't make it on my flight... Anyway, at the restaraunt, I had to have him sign his pic in the NG... It was pretty cool... He was delighted to hear that there were those of us who'd been sailing since the late 70's in utah and still doing it...
I extended my flight and watched Jaws go off the next day. 30-50 ft waves being ridden by tow in surfers. Then the windsurfers came out and rode.. They rigged their sails on the little platforms being towed by the waverunners. Seeger (an old guy next to me knew who they all were out there) had a rubber dingy type boat out there also. They rigged up and rode these monsters. Getting down to "Jaws" or Peahi is a 15-20 minute white knuckle somewhat rutted dirt road through a pineapple/Sugarcane field to get to where you can see it... But I got video of Naish and Polokau doing a cross over on a 35 foot wave face.
But still sailing at Kanaha took the cake. I can't wait to get back... I think I'll wear some kind of foot protection the next time though... But I was still excited as ever to get some sailing in today if time and wind had of cooperated... PS... Rob, I read your post after writing this and am so impressed that Kevin Pritchard sails out there so often... Sweet huh!?
