Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Small Kine Surf - 60 Days of Summer Day 52

We went West side early to catch some south swell but it was extremely flat and we opted to chill out instead at Canoe Beach.

We have been here a few times recently and I really love it. Kinda want to get into one of the canoes.

It was wonderful to walk to Black Rock and swim in the calm waters in front of the hotels. A different scene is always good and I had never actually been there.

It might be tourist heaven but the sand and water here at Black Rock were truely amazing and I can't wait to go again. I also cannot believe that I have never been here before!


After a rather bigger than expected lunch at Subway I made my way back to the North Shore and Liz hung out with the family for an SUP. I had expected more from Ho’okipa but I guess there were a few left over waves but nothing special.

Mark Angulo in action. He has been sailing alot recently I wonder if the rumors about a possible return to competition in the PWA Cabo Verde are true?

I remember this moment very clearly, I was setting up for a backie and looking for a steep ramp. I thouht that I would be a little late and tried to power through, in reality I was a little later than planned, produced a few great pictures though so that must be good for something!


Sailing record: 84% 43/51


On Water Record: 88% 45/51


More to follow…

Speed Surf - 60 Days of Summer Day 51

Today it was all going to be about going as fast as possible in a somewhat straight line. It is amazing to look back at the old speed needles that people used to test the speed barrier with and I love these old pictures of the early pioneer Fred Haywood.

Fred Haywood in Weymouth, UK

It is amazing how gear and speeds have changed.

The Black Project Fins VMax Speed Challenge is run on the same course that Fred himself used to train. The course is not very flat nor very windy but the reef does provide some protection and the summer winds do provide enough puff for some respectable speeds. Check out the full results and report here. While I set a new 100m PB of 33.7 knots it was someway short of what I had expected which may be partly down to the fact that there was a decent swell which made the conditions rather tough and probably distracted me a little! At the end of the day I was far too tired to get my wave board out but I hear that there were some fun sized waves up the coast.


Tom on his 7.3m! Ever so slightly different to Fred's wing!

Me 6.0m... trying a new board, I am sure that I can go much faster!

It is rather shallow, so watch out for the coral heads.

KP enjoying the better than normal summer waves at Ho'okipa. Missed it, why do two things have to come along at once?

60 Days of Summer Update:

Sailing Record: 84% (42/50)
On Water Record: 88% (44/50)

More to follow…

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Camp One, SPEED and Jumpfest Update - 60 Days of Summer Day 50

It looked as though it would be another day of rainy sailing and I didn’t even drive all the way to Ho’okipa because I could see that there was now wind at all. I had some board repairs to do in preparation for the speed event so that kept me distracted. As the day progressed the weather settled down and for a change of scene I decided to sail between Sprecks and Camp one. It is so great to just drive 1 minute then be at the beach. As expected the small wind swell combined with the local wind waves and 20 knots meant that there was great onshore bump, jump and slash. One thing I love about summer here is that there are so many hours in the day that you can sail, in the winter you really have to be on it between 12 and 3 to get the best of the wind but I didn’t hit the water till gone 4 today and had a great time playing in the waves with massive planes flying over. Having spent so many of my teenage years sailing Camp One I always love to get out there with a few waves, I was totally alone and it was great fun.

This shot was taken back in Spring 1996 at Camo One. We spent so much time there back then as did many others.

Tomorrow is all about SPEED but the not the type that Madam Hilton would be interested in! The F2 Missile is almost ready to go and received a little paint before it was dark, just needs some grip, straps and a fin now. Luckily a big box of Black Project fin samples arrived from China yesterday and I got my hands on some in the evening, pics will follow but they look fantastic. I was immediately really impressed with the CNC quality and finish and can’t wait to stick one in my board tomorrow.

For more info on The Black Project Maui Speed Challenge check out the Maui VMax Blog.


JUMPFEST UPDATE: with just 40 hours of voting left the positions currently stand;

Pro Men: Graham Ezzy 25%


Am Men: Tom and Morgan are tied on 25%


Girls: Tamara 35%


Funnies: Tom Hammerton 33%


Tamara's leading shot... rumor has it that she'll be competing in the speed event too...

Support your favourite shot/sailor by voting each day. You can check out the action and cast your votes at WindsurfingMag.com. Also remember that by adding your name to the comments puts your name into the hat to win a signed and mounted print from the contest.

60 Days of Summer Records:

Sailing record: 84% 41/49


On Water Record: 88% 43/49


More to follow…

Friday, August 27, 2010

The Black Project Maui Speed Challenge 2010

When: Saturday 28th August 2010
Where: Spreckelsville, Maui
Time:  11am – 3pm
Organiser: Tom Hammerton
Photohrapher: Jimmie Hepp

This weekend marks the return of the Maui VMax GPS Speed Series. Many of Hawaii’s fastest sailors are currently dusting off their speed boards and GT-31 data loggers in preparation for the first speed meeting of the year. The format is the same as in recent years with the fastest 100m runs counting towards the overall result. Last year’s Maui VMax series winner and overall fastest sailor with a speed of 38.3 knots Peter John has confirmed his attendance as has former world speed record holder Eric Beale who placed third in the series last year logging a best 100m run of 37.7 knots. The results will also count towards the HAM Speed Challenge which pits teams of sailors and kiters from The Gorge, New England & Hawaii against each other in search of the fastest 100m, nautical mile and Alpha 500 speeds.

Strap a GT-31 to your arm and see how fast you can go!

This is a FREE event if you own your own GT-31 or GT-11 data logger and for a small fee you can rent one for the day. There will be divisions for Men, Women, Wave & Under 18 so if doesn’t even matter if you don’t have speed or slalom gear you can come down and have some fun. I personally competed in my first speed event last year on my twin fin wave board and had such a great that it was the catalyst for my GPS and racing exploits this past year. The weather forecast is excellent with 20-30 knots of wind expected; this combined with a high tide should mean that the course (between Spreckelsville and Camp One) will be at its flattest and fastest during the middle of the day.

New for this year is the support of Black Project Fins, the newest fin company to come out of Hawaii who are currently putting their 2011 line of fins through a rigorous testing regime.

More to follow...

Sailing in the rain, New Prototype Fins & SPEEED - 60 Days of Summer Day 49

It is amazing that as soon as a few clouds come through and we get a few spots of rain the beach empties. Now it is true that when it rains the wind generally dies or at best is rather squally but often it gets super glassy too. Today was rather rainy, we even had rain at our house in Sprecks which is rare for summer. Driving up to Ho’okipa I could only see a solitary sailor out but with a few waves a Mama’s it looked like it could be a fun session. I was pleased to see an empty beach, a few waves and some wind and got on it as soon as I could totally undeterred by the rain. In fact I was revelling in the rain and actually enjoying the slightly unpleasant conditions, I as actually thinking of Wales and how I miss it and could see images of Horton in my head, the waves were about the same too!

Horton, South Wales, the place I used to call home... I kinda miss it some days (others less!
I had fun picking my spot and scored some decent ramps, not surprisingly that my board has more cracks but nothing too serious this time and to be honest with not many more sailing days left and the thought of new boards I don’t really care, it has served me fairly well although I think I cracked it the 2nd day I had it – sailing on a speed course! I had a really fun and productive session when many missed a day of action.


My main focus today was testing my new set of Black Project Twin Fins which I had collected only this morning from the Maui CNC factory. These ones have a more raked outline and a new foil with the wide point further back. Typical as I sailed out at full speed with virgin fins a massive turtle tried to commit suicide by fin but luckily I just managed swerve just in time. This was in fact the first real feel that I got of the new fins and they felt great. While not as fast upwind (as expected) they came alive on the small waves and I was super pleased with grip and slip on tap as required. As the day closed I heard a rumor that the Type 'R' and Type 'S' samples had arrived from China just in time for the speed weekend, I am looking forward to checking them out tomorrow.

The Black Project Speed Challenge Saturday 28th August 2010:

Confirmed entrants:
  • Erik Beale (Ex-Word Record Holder)
  • Peter John
  • Dan Ellis (PWA Racer)
  • Chris McNeil
  • Tom Hammerton (HSM Sail Designer)
  • Chris Freeman
  • + more
Time to charge yoru GPS unit and sand those fins!

More details of the event will soon be available on the MauiVMax Blog


Sailing record: 83% 40/48

On Water Record: 88% 42/48

More to follow...

Thursday, August 26, 2010

2012 Goya, Backies, Speed & More - 60 Days of Summer Days 47 & 48

By my own admission I have been taking it a little easy of late and I have been rather slack on my writing. I didn’t sail on day # 47. One reason for my lack of water activity on the north shore has been the state of my board quiver which has taken rather a beating. Thankfully after three days of sanding, filling, laminating, sanding, spraying, sanding, my wave board was ready to get back on the water and considering the amount of water that had come out I am confident that I will notice an improvement in performance! The added bonus of smashing up the Tabou was that I could fix the speed board at the same time and that is looking great. There is a speed event coming up this weekend so it will be ready for action, my personal aim is 37 knots but that will be difficult on the extremely bumpy course that we have here, the best guys are maxing out here at 40 knots but usually in the 39 area.

On Day # 47 (they are going so fast) the wind was good and with a few waves so I decided to make up some lost ground and got to Ho’okipa early for an all day stakeout. I have really been trying to improve my backloop statistics as I can crashing far too many landing and I had earmarked today; BACK, BACK, BACK and MORE BACK and when I first went out I found ramp after ramp and did just that. I tried a few ideas to improve my landings with mixed results but practice does make perfect so I need to keep at it. The second session was not as productive, the wind was a little more inconsistent and it was harder to find waves, I found myself rotating a lot but generally in the forward plane. A really fun day on the water. Almost forgot, had a good run this morning, I have been wanting to increase my distance and today I did with an 8km stretch, will look to do a 9 and a 10 later this week. Legs are now sore!

Back, back, back...

Both the Goya team and Ezzy crew were out in force testing sails today. Dave and Graham have been working with their Wave Panther III recently and I guess that a few more arrived on the boat today as they had other sailors testing out the new gear. Personally I like the look of Graham’s orange version but am not so keen on the green/blue colour scheme. Performance while they look great (as always). The Goya crew including Francisco were all sharing one all white 2012 FOUR BATTENED wave sail prototype which looked to have a very short mast and very high clew with the batten layout much like that of my HSM Bolts. So it looks like a totally different and more compact look than the 2011 Guru or Eclipse but I guess it is the earliest of days yet in the 2012 cycle.

JUMPFEST – the contest continues to get good press and voting continues. It looks like Graham is pulling away from the pack in the Pro Men while Morgan and Tom are battling it out in the Am Men. Nadia is fighting off stiff competition but it looks like she may take it. In the Funnies Bjorn has stormed into a substantial lead but I wonder if Tom will be able to catch him. Check out the action and cast your votes. Remember that you can vote once in every 24 hours and that by leaving your name in the comments section you stand the chance of winning a signed and mounted print of one of the shots of your choice.

CAST YOUR VOTES at WINDSURFINGMAG.com


On the Horizon:
Friday, Saturday & Sunda - SOUTH SWELL: looks like we are in for a treat so it'll be bags packed and off south for early sessions.

Saturday 28thThe Black Project Maui VMax Speed Challenge: do if you are in town dust off your speed board and GPS unit and let us see how fast you can go. There are divisions for Men, Women, Wave and Kids. There will be a number of GPS units available for loan so if you have never tried before then this could be the day. Confirmed entrants include Tom Hammerton and Dan Ellis fresh from his travels on the PWA tour.

Time to get back on the 6.0 GPS...


Sailing record: 83% (39/47)


On water record: 87% (41/47)


More to follow…

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

JUMPFEST Voting Day #1 - 60 Days of Summer Day 45

As JUMPFEST voting for day #1 comes to a close we have a number of early front runners. Currently in the lead in the pro section is Picture #11 Graham Ezzy and his no handed backloop with nobody else close at the moment. In the Amateur Men's section Tom Hammerton (HSM Desigmer) and Morgan Henderson are currently neck and neck with 31% and 29% of the vote respectively. Nadia has moved into a clear lead in the Girl's vote with 42% of the votes cast, Shawna is currently trailing in 2nd with 24% of the audience. Finally but very importantly Tom Hammerton's 2012 Beer Prototype is holding of stiff competition from Shawna and Bjorn.

CHECK OUT THE ACTION AND CAST YOUR VOTES @ WINDSURFINGMAG.COM

As we move into Day #2 (of 7) of voting remember that you can vote once in every 24 hours so support your favourite picture/sailor and remember to leave your name in the comments section so that you can have the chance of winning a signed and mounted print of the winning image.

Graham currently has the leading image, I wonder if that will last?

60 Days of Summer Update: Since the conclusion of the Jumpfest I have been rather quiet and actually took 2 days fully out of the water, my tiredness was neatly paired with my cracked and water logged wave board so I have been grinding, filling and laminating in the hope that I'll be back at Ho'okipa for day # 46. This morning I went for a short surf on the west side but the surf was too small and choppy although it is expected to be better tomorrow. Late on the wind was light on the north shore so I got out on my 8.0m for the first time in a while but didn't manage much in the way of speed.

Sailing Record: 86% (38/44)
On water Record: 91% (40/44)

More to follow...

Monday, August 23, 2010

HO'OKIPA JUMPFEST VOTING - Now LIVE

VOTE NOW: Check out the images and cast your votes on WindsurfingMag.com

Jimmie's Jumpfest at Ho'okipa last week pushed sailors (and their equipment) to their limits. The explosive action was all caught by Jimmie Hepp (Photographer). Pro and Amatuer riders were pushing it hard to get the best shot and none more so that Skyler Haywood and Graham Ezzy who for three days worked tirelessly to get the perfect shot - and they both have a couple of crackers. In the Girls section Shawna and Nadia were battling hard and going BIG! The Amateur Men's section produced some great shots and I think that you'll agree the Funnies section got people thinking and it will be hard to choose between Tom's new 2012 HSM Beer Sail Prototype, Colin's Deep Impact and Morgan's Hawaian Skirt!

A simple and very popular format had sailors pushing their limits for three days.

Did somebody say JUMP?

Graham Ezzy JUMPED, JUMPED and JUMPED some more, I think that you'll like his shots.

It was a little crowded at times but is was all great fun.

Voting will now run for a week and close on Sunday night HST / Monday morning GMT. So check out the shots and cast your votes. REMEMBER: you can vote once a day in each of the sections.

WIN A SIGNED PRINT: Leave your name in the comments section either here or on the post on WindsurfingMag.com and you'll be entered into the draw to win a signed copy of one of the images of your choice from the competition.

VOTE NOW: Check out the images and cast your votes on WindsurfingMag.com

More to follow...

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Jumpfest Day #3 - 60 Days of Summer Day 43

The wind was stronger and more consistent for the final day of JIMMIE'S JUMPFEST and with some remnants of the swell from yesterday and a bit of wind swell it was again great for jumping and the regular crew too full advantage of the conditions in search of the perfect shot.
This was one of my favourites from today but it didn't make it into the top 20!

Graham was pushing hard today.

I have plenty of writing and editing of photos to do will have to leave you with a slideshow of some pics from today, note that none of these made it into the photo contest which should be live soon and I will post a link when it is so that you can see all the action and cast your votes.





Created with flickr slideshow from softsea.


More will follow...

Friday, August 20, 2010

Jumpfest Day 2 - 60 Days of Summer Day 42

The day that we had been waiting for arrived with small waves and a very gusty wind. The sun was shinning and Jimmie was keen to get shooting the numerous sailors at the ready to impress. It actually turned out to be a rather testing session with the shifty and gusty wind making it difficult for riders to hit the ramps on cue which led to a ton of crashes. It was great to see so many people out all trying to get a decent shot and for a while it was a complete zoo. People were getting into the spirit of the Jumpfest and Tom Hammerton and Morgan Henderson do deserve a special mention, obviously both aiming to win the funny picture contest. I expect that they’ll both be in the running for that crown!

Jimmie is still working on the 1600+ images but these are a few that he has sent through to me so far, I will add more to the slideshow when they are available. ENJOY!


Created with flickr slideshow from softsea.
 


Jake Miller and Skyler Haywood were both charging in the Pro Men section both hitting ramp after ramp and scoring sick air but on looking Graham Ezzy was unfazed as he launched into a no landed backloop and landed it clean. It will be interesting to see how the readers rate these images when they are released. The girls were pushing hard too with Tamara Bockius and Shawna both making some moves which should score highly.
This is part of an eight shot sequence and I expect that it could make it into the top 20.

There were a few waves to ride if you could avoid flying objects.

The sunny conditions were perfect for photos and Jimmie tells me that he got 1600+ shots during the two hour session. With one more day to run it looks like it will be hard to pick the best shots which will be included in the WindsurfingMag.com vote. The forecast is for better wind and some waves tomorrow so I am hopeful that there are even more great shots out there just waiting to be snapped (urhhh like my board today!) Jimmie's Summer Jumpfest concludes tomorrow (Friday) and he'll be choosing his top 20 shots in each category Friday evening with the aim of getting voting underway on Saturday morning,

60 Days of Summer Update:

Sailing record = 88% (36/41)

On Water record = 93% (38/41)

More to follow…

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Jumpfest Day 1 - 60 Days of Summer Day 41

Are your cursed the minute you try to organise something? Well that’s how it felt when we arrived at the beach today with the wind somewhat dubious and rain on the horizon. Despite the conditions it was great to Skyler already out there catching some waves and managing to find enough wind to get some jumps. It wasn’t long before others turned up. All were eager to get out there motivated by Jimmie to make the most of it and have some fun. While most stayed at home or took advantage of the south swell those who did venture out all had fun and got a few shots in the bag. Tomorrow looks like the day and Friday could back that up with a windy one. Skyler was the man to watch today, I wonder how he will fair when the rest show up tomorrow?

Skyler was working the conditions hard today, respect! This is my personal fav of the day, lets see what tomorrow brings.

Graham Ezzy was at the beach checking things out but didn’t go as far as getting wet. Jake Miller, Bernd Roediger and friends are waiting to get in on the action tomorrow and I am sure they things will hot up when they hit the water. The girls were out in force today and impressing in the light winds. Nadia and Shawna will certainly be ones to watch as the days progress.

Some shots from today's action:



Created with flickr slideshow from softsea.


See you at beach tomorrow, Jimmie will start shooting at 1:30pm for two hours. I can't wait to see the pics.


60 Days of Summer Records:
  - Sailing record = 88% (35/40)
  - On Water record = 93% (37/40)

More to follow…

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Jumpfest Preview - 60 Days of Summer Day 40

So with just a few days planning Jimmie’s Summer Jumpfest is almost under way and by this time tomorrow the first day of shooting will be complete. The forecast models show that the best action is likely to be on Thursday with a small NW swell expected currently predicted in the 3ft range with 12 second intervals. If we get some wind this will produce some great jumping conditions and it’ll be perfect for the photo shoot. Today the technical details were put together and tested and the plan is for the slideshows and online voting to be live by Saturday morning on WindsurfingMag.com, (the slideshows and a link to the voting will be provided on this site and elsewhere online.)


There will be having separate votes for Pro Men, Amateur Men, Women, Under 18, & Funniest Photo. Readers will be able to vote once each day in each of the categories and the polls will close one week from going live. When you vote you should also leave your name in the comments section and your name will be put into a hat with a winner drawn at random who will receive a Jimmie Hepp signed print of the winning photo. The most popular images will be made available as Wallpaper downloads once the competition concludes.




Some recent images from Ho'okipa.

Being a photo shoot contest it is a little different to normal competitions for most of these guys. Previous experience working with a photographer will help but I have also heard rumours that in an attempt to sway the judges (i.e. you) that a number of costumes normally reserved for Lahaina’s Halloween parade might make an appearance later in the week!

Jimmie will start shooting at 1:30pm Wednesday for 2 hours and then be back Thursday and Friday at the same time, the images will not be made immediately available but I am sure that a few of the best might be leaked this time tomorrow but we will see. I am looking forward to seeing as many sailors out there tomorrow, it may be a good day to get a few shots in the bag early. The best thing about Jimmie’s Jumpfest is that it is all for fun and it is bringing the Maui windsurfing community together at a time when things are normally fairly quiet on the Valley Isle. If you are currently on island get yourself down to Ho'okipa and get your jump on.

ARE YOU REAY TO JUMP?

Today’s North Shore action: The trade winds stay light to moderate. I had a fun late and uncrowded session at Ho’okipa on my 5.0m. It seemed to pick up after 4pm and there was a hint of a few teeny waves. It was again fantastic to be on the water and having fun.

Sailing record = 87% (34/39)


On Water record = 92% (36/39)

More to follow…

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Sunny Sessions - 60 Days of Summer Day 39

The lighter than normal summer winds seem to be holding at the moment and again I was surprised if more prepared when I arrived at the beach. I rigged 5.0m at first and that was fine but it was clear that the wind was on the way down so it wasn’t long before I changed to a 5.6m. I was a little quicker to change in the knowledge that I had a 2011 5.6m Hot Sails Bolt in the car and hadn’t really had much chance to try it out before and was really keen to see how it worked. I really love the increased stability which will be great in the waves when I get hold of the smaller sizes. It feels like it has all the best bits of the Fire with the weight of the Bolt and the softness of the Smack. Think that it'll be killer and I really want a full set but unfortunately there are none available so I'll have to wait...

Old School Fun: Nice bit of Photoshop from Jimmie.


Taking the new 2011 Bolt for a spin.

To be fair the sailing was not much to write about but egged on by Jimmie and Colin I stayed out for quite a while and was just having fun even though the conditions were not epic. You can’t beat being in the water on a sunny day and even on these days when the conditions are not great I love the fact there is always a bunch of people just having a ball.

Stoked on life...

Hopefully the wind will be better for Jimmie’s Jumpfest later in the week.

Sailing record = 87% (33/38)


On Water record = 92% (35/38)

More to follow…

Monday, August 16, 2010

Respect for Small Surf - 60 Days of Summer Day 38

I first picked up a surfboard when I was 18 and jumped in at Paia Bay and to say that I never looked back would be quite simple incorrect! I had a torrid time learning to surf in The Bay but I did persist and followed it up with many sessions at Llangennith in South Wales while at Swansea University. At that time we always used to tease my friend Toby for riding a longboard even on the biggest of days. I think that my mistake was to ignore his wisdom (he was and still is a great surfer) and continue to ride a 6’6” shortboard, okay I say ride in those days surfing to me should have been renamed paddling because that is all I did. After many years and winters washing around in Paia Bay I finally became far more confident and could finally call myself a surfer, I mean I actually rode waves now but often only briefly before getting a heavy pounding! These days my surfing has improved and the poundings have gotten heavier!

Small SURF = Massive FUN

It wasn’t until last year that I got back on a board greater than 6’6” for the first time since I was a teenager and it instantly changed my outlook of these big lunps of glass and foam. My friend Dave was selling one in Hawaii, I was in Bahrain and just said “Yeah I’ll have it, stick it under Col’s house and I’ll PayPal you some $$” I didn’t think much of it until I got back to Hawaii many months later. One day I grabbed the 8'0" and ventured over to the West Side and suddenly I was catching far more waves and enjoying them all. While the rides were not heart pounding they were great fun. I didn’t surf that much last year and recently I have been trying to get out more. Every time I go out I just marvel at how much fun I am having in waves that barely cover my ankles.


Today was the first day that I had used the GoPro after applying RainX to the lens. It seems to have done the trick, you seem to get a few droplets but better than the larger patches of blur I was getting before.

I now realise that I now want a big nose rider longboard because those guys seem to be having even more fun. At a time when everyone is reaching for SUPs to ride small waves I am actually enjoying the purest form of surfing more than I could have ever imagined. I have a new found respect for small waves and big boards. I eagerly await any wave that the ocean spits out and am stoked every time I surf.


Nothing fancy, just so much fun... Toby and Bulsk I hope we get to surf together sometime soon, it has been far too long.

I guess my message to you is grab a longboard and get out there and have some fun  I expect that my shortboard surfing will have improved too when the winter comes around again. Message to Toby “U Da Man!”

NORTH SHORE UPDATE: Not much happening on northern beaches today, a few people ventured out to get wet and Kanaha was full of slalom racers. After our long surf session I was rather tired so decided not to sail but went for a bike ride instead. It does look like the conditions will improve in the coming days with a small NW swell expected Wednesday and Thursday which is perfectly timed for Jimmie’s Jumpfest Photo Competition which will run Wednesday thru Friday.

This week's big hope!

Carl enjoying the light winds on his SUP/Freak combo. Carl (orriginally from the UK) sails by day and makes a living by making silver surf inspired jewellery by night, proving that you can have it all!

Not your usual Ho'okipa shot!

COMMUNITY: Since the start of the project a number of websites have started to use this site in their feeds and I would like to welcome new readers directed here from the Continent Seven website which is the latest known addition. If you have a blog or website please add my link and I will be happy to do the same for you.

Sailing record = 86% (32/37)

On Water record = 92% (34/37)

More to follow…

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Unexpected - 60 Days of Summer Day 37

Sometime you get caught short. After so many days of strong trades it didn’t even cross my mind that the wind would be light EVER! I had the feeling in the morning that it wasn’t too windy but I didn’t give it much attention. On arriving at Ho’okipa I was a little shocked, totally flat, not much wind and nobody on the water. I had not even packed a 5.6m! I did think about rushing back home to grab a bigger sail and board combo but I stopped myself. Why not relax for a bit on the beach, chat with family and friends and not worry too much about it all. Sometimes you just need to put it all in perspective and make sure that you are having fun and it was great to be on the beach in the sun and hanging out although the smell of roasting meat wafting from Pavilions was making me rather hungry!

Later on some people did venture onto the water but this shot sums it up and this was the move of the day!


Liz enjoying the sun, sea and sand on a relaxing day at the beach...

I am sure that the wind will be back tomorrow but if not I’ll have my 8.0 and slalom board at the ready.

Sailing record = 89% (32/36)


On Water record = 92% (33/36)

More to follow…

Jimmie’s Summer Jumpfest Photo Competition – Ho’okipa August 18th thru 20th 2010

Updated: 6:35pm 15th August 2010:
The recent strong winds and explosive jumping at Ho’okipa got Jimmie Hepp thinking. He’s taken tons of great jumping shots of the North Shore crew recently and we decided to spice things up a bit. So next week as a bit of fun and in the true spirit of The 60 Days of Summer project we’ll be having the first annual Jimmie’s Summer Jumpfest Photo Competition. With the emphasis on fun the format is going to be super simple;

  • Sailors wanting to take part give their name to Jimmie either at the beach or by email letting him know what gear they will be riding. 
  • For three afternoons Jimmie will shoot from his spot on the rocks. 
  • The photoshoot will run on Wednesday 18th, Thursday 19th & Friday 20th between 1:30pm and 3:30pm each day depending on weather conditions. N.B. There is a small NW swell forecasted for Wed and Thurs.
  • The best shots, one from each sailor will be posted online on WindurfingMag.com and readers will be able to vote for their favorites.
  • The winning pictures (one MALE and one FEMALE) will be the ones with the most votes and receive a special prize (which is yet to be decided).  
  • This photo competition is all about having FUN at a time when not much is normally happening at Ho'okipa and all those taking part will get a little exposure too which never hurts!
These are two of my personal favourites of late both for very different reasons, I wonder what next week will produce?

The winner may not be the biggest jump; it could be the worst crash or funniest picture so get creative. If you are in Maui on these dates and fancy your chances or just want to have some fun then get yourself down to Ho’okipa, put your name down on Jimmie’s list and get out there and see what you can do. I can’t wait to see the pictures!

Spread the word, more details will follow…

Saturday, August 14, 2010

5 Fins the NEW Fad? - 60 Days of Summer Day 36

So we have had singles, doubles, tri, thrusters and quads - which are currently the favoured choice out here and around the world. We have been here before numerous times and we have always returned back to the trusty single fin. I myself have been using a twin fin set up for more than a year on my wave board and while in some areas I see improvements it does seem to come at a cost at other times. Recently I have wondered whether I should follow the fad and grad myself a quad and I must say the Quatro ones look kinda sexy! With all this hype about quads at the moment I wonder how long it will be until we start to see a The Five Fin Concept being used and photographed? As we add more fins we get more weight but some of that issue has now been negated by the new Slot Box from Tabou and Starboard which cuts the weight of the boxes down dramatically.

The new Slot Box saves weight and makes it easier to attach your fins, important when you have lots of them.

So could we now see five fins become the norm and if so what format would it take? One of the issues is that we need to have board and fin companies working together; those who have been reading my posts will know that I have been working with Black Project fins the newest kid on the block in terms of fin design out here and this is what they said when asked: Could a five fin set up be the new quad?

“Hmmm, 5 fins? The problem is that every time you add a fin you decrease efficiency due to losses at the fin tip and interference drag at the base. The benefit is that you can get a faster roll rate due to the shorter fins which have a smaller rotational moment. So to put it succinctly the more fins you have the easier it is to roll from one rail to the other..." sounds good!  "but the more drag you have which requires more energy to overcome." Not so good! "If you have plenty of wind and a steep fast wave you have plenty of energy to play with and it may not be a problem.” So it sounds like it could work on Ho'okipa's fast waves.

I didn’t have time to get in contact with Quatro but will try to canvass some opinions and post them here in future updates. Based on the above comment and the recent trends to me it seems likely that we’ll see people testing the 5 fin set up this winter.

Okay, time to talk about today’s action. It was great to get my bike back as it has been in for some repairs at Maui Cyclery in Paia and I went out for a short test ride before I take it into the back country and immediately I knew two things, firstly the bike felt great and secondly it was very windy again!

When I arrived at Ho’okipa it was immediately apparent that it was going to be a better day with what looked like a more consistent (4.5m) wind and small waves. Jumping was certainly on most people’s minds and crashing was the order of the day. In comparison to past years there is a core of sailors who seem to be pushing themselves more that they normally would in the summer and I wonder how much that is down to the fast that Jimmie and Franck have continued to shoot all summer when normally the beach park would be devoid of professional photographers at this time. I myself have certainly been motivated to get out there is the knowledge that I’ll get shots.

Lets start with some jump shots...

If he gets any more inverted he'll have to move to Australia.

Here me controlling my crash landing rather than going for the second scoop. I seem to have a mental block, I have plenty of hight, plenty of rotation but apparently not enough balls! Maybe the knowledge that it was Friday 13th was holding me back?

This was a sweet pushloop tabletop from Graham

Low altitude push

Still working hard on improving backloop consistency - hard in the recent strong winds.

This was the jump of the day.

Shawna Cropas showing that girls can jump. Here pictured with here great looking new JP Quad.

For those who had the patience and were not scared of being hit by the crashing jumpers there were some teeny waves to slash and bash. With September approaching proper waves will be here soon, I just hope that we get a swell on September 1st. I am not sure that I will be able to leave the island if we get some early swells, I might just have to quit my job and stay!

Some nice wave shots...




I set up a GoPro mount today which almost didn’t happen after I broke one of my mounting pieces as I tightened too hard, arhhh… luckily I was able to raid Col’s van and grab some tools to fix. I got a couple of pics that I like and some video (which I will post later).

For anyone learning forwards note 3 things here: #1 my hand position way back on the boom, #2 how my body is inboard and looking back and #3 that I have sheeted in hard. This was quite a big forward and they are so much fun but you have to wait to start your rotation or you will over cook it.

Note the very different position here on this pushloop.

I have had alot of questions about my mast mount and this image clearly shows its position, here set up for jumping.

Overall, a fun day on the water, hopefully more of the same tomorrow.


Sailing record = 91% (32/35)


On Water record = 94% (33/35)

More to follow…