a world of Wind & Waves

Going Loopy?

2011-05-04T07:12:00.000-07:00

Today I decided to write a post about looping aimed at inspiring those who so far have not joined the club, I hope that you enjoy it and are motivated to do your first loop in 2011.

Extract: "I have been trying to get my brother to master the forward loop for a number of years and I am determined to ensure that 2011 is the year that he sails away from his first full rotation. Learning to loop is so much easier in 2011 and my aim is to give you some confidence and also a little instruction so that you can enjoy the feeling of soaring into the air, flipping over and landing smoothly, there is something rather surreal about the feeling of ultimate control while doing something which seems so illogical.

The first thing that I will say is YOU CAN DO IT"

Read the full post here: GOING LOOPY?

More to follow...

Why Do I Windsurf?

2011-04-30T12:47:00.000-07:00

I bet we have all asked this question a few times! This is a great post by my brother and well worth a read, some of us should probably take note, check it out and decide for yourself;

Why Do I Windsurf?

Andy's Kona ready for some action - who cares about the wind?

More to follow...

New National Speed Record!

2011-04-29T01:40:00.000-07:00

This blog has moved to http://www.k97.co.uk/ please update your links and feeds.

Check out my latest post:

BAHRAIN NATIONAL RECORD

This is the view of THE WALL, the Bahrain speed strip

Aloha

Chris K97

HOT new site

2011-04-14T10:51:00.000-07:00

Check this out :)

HOT New Site

http://www.k97.co.uk/index.php/2011/04/14/hot-new-site/

Cheers

Chris

BPF: What size is best?

2011-04-09T10:34:00.000-07:00

What size slalom fin do you use the most? Cast your vote on the Black Project Fins Facebook page.

Click here to cast your vote>>

More to follow...

Bahain on the Brink (and windy)

2011-03-15T10:25:00.000-07:00

This site has moved to www.k97.co.uk

It is a difficult week so far here in Bahrain and we have no idea of what will happen, on the + side of things it is windy.... check out my full post from today....

Bahain on the Brink (and windy)

More to follow....

Here comes the WIND!!

2011-03-13T09:07:00.000-07:00

THIS SITE HAS NOW MOVED TO WWW.K97.CO.UK

So looks like it could be the best few days of sailing in the 4 years that we have been in Bahrain... sounds like it isn't just here though with Kai Lenny calling for some of the best days of the year in Maui too... (good news is that I have just heard that work is closed tomorrow!)

Check out the full post...

http://www.k97.co.uk/index.php/2011/03/13/here-comes-the-wind/

More to follw...

Japan Tsunami Video & Hawaii Under Threat

2011-03-11T02:09:00.000-08:00

As a Tsunami approaches Hawaii as I type check out this video of what happened when it hit Japan... Stay safe Hawaii and we are thinking of you in Japan..

Read the full post here: 10m Tsunami Video – Japan 11th March 2011

A 10m wave hits Japan - March 11th 2011...

I will update when I hear more from Hawaii... the first Tsunami waves are due to hit at 3.07am HST (12th March 2011)

Heat #1 Vs Robby Naish?

2011-03-04T23:45:00.000-08:00

My site has now been relocated to: http://www.k97.co.uk/ please update your links.

Check out my lastest post: Heat #1 Vs Robby Naish?

"The big news this week for the American Windsurfing Tour is that the King himsef Robby Naish has signed up for all the events. This is great for all concerned and I know that the Tour creator and manager Sam Bittner is rather ...."

11 City SUP Adventure?

2011-03-04T07:49:00.000-08:00

My site has now been relocated to: www.k97.co.uk please update your links.

Check out my lastest post:

11 City Adventure?

Extract:

"In recent days I have been talking with Anne-Marie & Patrick who are the organisers of the 11 City SUP Tour of Holland and I think that maybe I will give it a go. Being a complete novice when it comes to SUP racing I am starting from complete scratch. The 220km course winds its way through canals, lakes, rivers big and small, 11 cities and all in 5 days."

Aloha

Chris Freeman K97

Chris is sponsored by: Hot Sails Maui and Black Project Fins

Comp Time 2011: Bring It On!

2011-02-20T07:13:00.000-08:00

Well it has been a difficult week here in Bahrain, I am sure that many of you have seen the pictures and video on TV. Just for the record we have been able to keep well away from any troubles and have been able to enjoy lovely sunny weather and even some wind on our island. Hopefully all is resolved soon; it is such a shame to see this tiny nation in such turmoil and my heart goes out to those injured and killed during this past week of upset.

Amwaj GoPro freestyle (one form of competition I will stay well away from!)

I thought that this little break from work would be a perfect time to have a look at my competition calendar for 2011. We will be here until the 15th July before moving to the US so my time is rather limited but it looks like I will be able to fit in a few events (more will follow in 2012) to get me back into the routine.

The first couple of events on my calendar are actually a non-windsurf event but one that will test me to the max for sure and the training is great for windsurf prep. Later in the year I will catch the tail end of the Maui Race Series, I had hoped to compete in more events but I will only be able to be at the last two (in fact the one on the 16th is unlikely because we will not be in Hawaii until late on the 15th after a 36 hour journey so not sure that is possible but I will try). Once these are completed it will be time to get back up to speed for the Maui VMax series while the wind blows in August and then time to switch codes and get ready for some jump and wave action on the American Windsurf Tour stops in Hatteras and Maui. There is also the possibility of a trip to the UK for the British Wavesailing Association’s Tiree event but lets see how the funds go but not been there before so could be fun and a good opportunity to hook up with my brother!

2011 Calendar of Events

1st April 2011: Amwaj Triathlon, Anwaj Islands, Bahrain
29th April 2011: BRR Duathlon, Al Jazir Beach, Bahrain
16th July 2011: Maui Race Series, Kanaha, Maui
30th July 2011: Maui Race Series, Kanaha, Maui
August 2011: Maui VMax Speed Series, Maui (Dates TBC)
14th – 17th September 2011: AWT Hatteras Wave Jam, Cape Hatteras, NC
8th – 14th October 2011: BWA Tiree, UK (Dates TBC)
27th – 29th October 2011: AWT Maui Makani Classic, Ho'okipa Maui

The next stage I guess is to work on some logistics and get training. I must admit that I turned my back on competition in my early 20s as I never really enjoyed it as much as being at Ho’okipa, this I admit was probably (almost certainly) a mistake that I don’t mind admitting. A decade or more has passed I do feel ready to throw my hat into the ring again and get out there for some serious competitive action, this might have something to do with the better locations that now seem to be on offer. One thing that the 2010 Maui Race Series taught me was just how tough it was going to be to get back into a competitive position at this later stage in my life, I will be 34 this year but there is plenty left in this ship yet it is just going to be very tough to keep up but I am ready for a challenge.

More to follow…

Fun FreeSTYLE

2011-02-13T09:37:00.000-08:00

I had a fun light wind freestyle session this morning, I wanted to test out my GoPro as I hadn't used in Bahrain yet and was interested to see how it hanlded the colder water. No fogging!

With the wind rather on the light side for my 5.6m the session was short but the sun was shining so it was great to be on the water. It looks better for tomorrow so you can be sure I will be on it early. Would have been great for slalom training today. I was testintg the Black Project FreeSTYLE 19cm Proto today and I was very impressed, enough grip to get upwind in the dodgy conditions but with plenty of speed and slide on tap.

Old Skool Freestyle

Amwaj Isalnds in the GoPro lens...

More to follow...

Sun, Wind, FreeSTYLE & GPS

2011-02-09T21:13:00.000-08:00

It looks to be shaping up for a good fun weekend here in Bahrain with sun and wind. The weather has been a little odd recently with more rain than normal and rather cold (down to 14C over night and 18 in the days) but it looks like we'll be back to cruising in boardies soon enough.

Last weekend was fun with some good bump n jump, freestyle and a fun few speed runs at the wall. Unfortunately I only have my freestyle gear here at the moment so my 26 knots was rather below the potential. The tide was down a little too which meant that the flattest water is in a wind shaddow. This place is incredible though and will prodce serious speeds if I can get it all together.

This weekend I will be testing the latest Black Project FreeSTYLE 19cm which arrived on Tuesday, so more of that to follow...

Black Project Fins FreeSTYLE Prototype - READ MORE

I will try to get my GoPro out this weekend and upload some GPS tracks to map out where I go exploring.

More to follow...

Rigmarole - still the best ever!

2011-02-08T00:00:00.000-08:00

This is one of the most iconic bits of windsurfing video ever produced... I remember being transfixed (alongside my brother) at the Neil Pryde stand at the London Boat show, was that 1990; wow I was 12 and wore a bright yellow and pink chest harness in those days (funny seems like thats almost back in fashion!) …

There were a few other bits of video that I watched over and over again in those early years in particular one of Robby getting trashed on the rocks at Ho’okipa (I will try to find a clip) and one of Dana Dawes at Diamond Head, Oahu… Enjoy!

More to follow...

New GoPro LCD BacPac

2011-02-03T23:35:00.000-08:00

When I first got my GoPro last year one of my only issues was the lack of a screen which sometimes meant that alignment was hard to set up and it was impossible to check your footage without going back to the PC, not great when you want to get the perfect shot on location.

I knew back then that the GoPro HD was set up already for the promised LCD BacPac but there was no release day. Well it is here now and at less than 80 USD you can have one too! It comes with a number of backdoors so that it fits into the housing that you already have. Looks fantastic and I can't wait to try it out.

Now you have watched the video check out some product pics...

Put quite simply, the best just got better!

More to follow...

Windy Weekend For Some!

2011-02-02T07:06:00.000-08:00

Well it seems like this weekend could be just what the wind starved UK has been waiting for!

This is the chart for Weymouth, anyone for some GPS speed action?

While not as windy, it will be rather warmer here in Bahrain and looks like we'll have some good action too.

Not so windy in Maui!

More to follow...

2011 American Windsurfing Tour (AWT)

2011-01-31T21:29:00.000-08:00

The American Windsurifng Tour (AWT) is something that is finally a reality. For many years sailors have been questionning why countries such as the UK etc. have great wave tours but the USA with so much potential had vitually nothing.

Sam Bittner has changed all that and last year re-introduced the Pistol River Wave Bash and has worked hard to develop a full tour taking in both East and West coasts, Hawaii and Mexico. This is a proper WAVE tour with stops in great locations. At a time when there seems to be only a few wave events on the PWA calendar maybe a few more pros will be tempted to compete for a title and some exposure.

Unfortunately due to prior commitments I cannot attend the early events but have myself signed up for the Hatteras Wave Jam and the Maui Makani Classic and I am hoping that in 2012 I will be able to do the full tour.

OK so what does this mean for me? Well about time to get my competition shoes on. I have for many years dabbled at best with contests but competing in Hawaii last summer gave me that buzz again and perhaps had forgotten how much the pressure of being ranked against your peers makes you strive to raise your game. And raise my game I will sure have too as I feel that I have slipped somewhat. I'll have a good couple of months bump and jump training this summer in Maui and I used to live in NC and Hatteras was my local spot so it will be great to make a week of it and maybe visit some friends too.

You can be sure I will be taking my GoPro with me!

I will document my progress in preparation for the evenst here and be following the earlier tour stops. My wife Liz and I are currently packing our Bahrain bags, we have been splitting our time between Bahrain and Maui for 4 years and we are now finally moving back to the US full time this summer so all is coming together nicely.

Anyway more soon, but I just wanted to get it out there and kick start my prep, after all making it public makes you push harder.

Wind is on the way this week looks like 25knots bump and jump so that could be great :)

More to follow...

Fin Box Talk

2011-01-24T11:26:00.000-08:00

So what box have you got in your waveboard these days? It seems that there has been an explosion of fin box designs after it all seemed like we had all settled for the traditional US box. Personally I have my own ideas of what is best and what I think should be in productions boards going forward but I would love to hear your views/comments.

Check out this thread on the Black Project FB page:

What fin box to do you have on your waveboard?

Some Black Project Multi-Fins ready for a bit of slot box quad action!

Andres Martinez shows of his pair of Multi's to Jimmie Hepp at Ho'okipa the other day... These ones have a US box on them.

Andres again slashing his Multi's. Pic Jimmie Hepp

Fast Fins

2011-01-17T11:20:00.000-08:00

Wanna go quick?

Well check out this article by SpeedSurfingBlog.com and Black Project which looks at the BPF Type S speed fin and possible future developments.

Black Project Fins Type S - Interview Tom Hammerton or

Check out the BLACK PROJECT FINS website

A Closeup of the Type S - mms do matter!

More to follow..

MAUI MISSING PERSON PLEASE HELP

2011-01-15T03:02:00.000-08:00

It is will great sadness that I write this post. My long time friend SAGE BARRON daughter of my friend Phil Baker is currently missing in Maui. Sage is 16 yrs old and lives in Haiku. She was last heard from on Saturday 8th January via a phone call, she said that she was in Kahalui.

Sage, 16 years old, missing in Maui.

Sage Barron is the step daughter of Phil Baker long time Maui resident and windsurfer, if you have any info please email me or call the Maui Police Department immediately.

PLEASE POST THIS ON YOUR FACEBOOK AND BLOG AND LOOK OUT FOR HER.

MAUI POLICE DEPARTMENT PHONE NUMBER: (808) 244-6400

More updates will follow...

Fins

2011-01-05T10:02:00.000-08:00

Ok so I have been rather quiet recently on this blog. To be honest I have been working hard with Black Project Fins and wanted to share this pciture of a pair of 14's that we'll be sending to 2010 UK Wave Champ Debbie Kennedy.

Nice pair of 14s ready for use.

Was great to start the new year with some sailing a couple of days back, not epic but 20C, not a cloud in the sky and a bit of fesstyle action. Jan and Feb are somewhat colder than the rest of the year here in Bahrain but still beats the cold of Europe!

It looks like more wind is on the way in the next few so should get some decent action, will try to take the GoPro with me so that I can share some shots.

More to follow...

What’s on a Windsurfer’s letter to Santa this year?

2010-12-11T02:42:00.000-08:00

With the onset of winter and with Christmas now just 2 weeks away it is time to have a look at the top things on a windsurfer’s letter to Santa this year. If you have a windsurfing crazed husband, wife, girlfriend, son, boyfriend, daughter or even granddad then look no further you’ll be sure to find something here that will fill them with Christmas cheer even as they gaze out the frosted window praying for Spring to arrive. If you are the crazed windsurfer yourself why not send your loved ones this link and keep your fingers crossed!

1) O'Neill Mutant Cold Water Booties
It is getting rather cold in many northern parts and layers of neoprene are always welcomed around Christmas and New Year even if like me you manage to escape the deepest an darkest days of winter by keeping near the equator. For those in the coldest regions these new booties from O’Neil are sure to keep your loved one a little warmer this winter time. With their 6/5/4mm thickness they offer a nice balance of warmth and flexibility for cold water use. The internal split-toe feature gives you better control over your board, while the sealed seams keep cold water out. The entire boot is lined with poly fleece which feels great and wicks moisture from your skin. Also features a top velcro closure to ratchet down a great fit. Sounds good to me! Available from http://www.wetsuitwearhouse.com/ and priced at $64.95 these are a fantastic stocking filler.

2) The World Kite and Windsurf Guide
This the first comprehensive spot guide to the kite and windsurfing regions of the world! Introducing almost 100 regions in nine continental chapters and featuring over 1,200 of the world's best spots it will have the wind enthusiast reading for hours and they’ll probably come up with some interesting family travel plans for 2011 for all the family. Available from http://www.stoked-publications.com/ and priced at 45 Euros.

3) Windsurfing The Movie II DVD
Christmas is traditionally a time to sit together as a family and watch festive movies, well what could be better than a Christmas movie from Poor Boys Productions? Their second instalment of their windsurfing journey is white hot right now and while it is not your traditional seasonal flick watching Levi and friends tear it up is sure to get the Christmas cheer flowing. Available from http://www.thewindsurfingmovie.com/ and priced 29.95 USD this is an ideal stocking filler.

4) Quatro Quad LS 2011
There are wave boards and then there are Quatros. If you want your loved one to take their wave sailing to the next level next year they’ll need the right tools for the job. Levi Siver's signature Quad wave board the Quad LS is judged by many as today’s best wave board. The Quad LS apparently represents Levi dream of an ideal wave board for all conditions. If you have seen him sail recently you’ll probably agree that he is the King of Ho’okipa so despite the hefty price tag and the difficult wrapping job (easier if you leave it in the box) it is for sure money well spent. Priced from 1800 USD for more information check out the Quatro website at http://www.quatrointernational.com/.

5) A New Fin or 4 from Black Project Fins
With the explosion of multi-fin’d boards there are endless opportunities to try out new set ups and 2011 is going to be a year of innovation, so why not get your wave starved loved one a set of fins so that they’ll be ahead of the game and be able to start dreaming about warmer spring time waves. Even for those lucky enough to be somewhere with warm big waves at this time of year they’ll appreciate that extra grip which might just save them that big swim. This little stocking filler comes with its a protective foam stocking of its own and is available from http://www.blackprojectfins.com/ priced from 62USD.

6) A Plane Ticket to Cape Town, South Africa
It is true that the SAD disorder affects 8/10 windsurfers around this time of the year which is far higher than in the normal population. Seasonal Affective Disorder or winter depression sets in when the days get shorter and the potential for sailing falls. There is one way to prevent the onset of this and that is to get away from the cold and dark days so why not treat your special someone to a plane ticket to the Southern Hemisphere this winter and Cape Town could be the perfect opportunity, the water is still rather cool at this time of the year but the wind and waves are ripping right now and the seasonally depressed windsurfer in question will have a big smile on his or her face. Prices will depend on your current location, American Airlines or BA would be a good place to start.

7) PX Dominator Environmentally Friendly Board Shorts from Billabong
So these gifts ideas have had a rather cold water feel to them so far, but as much as many of us like to forget there will be those amongst us spending the holiday period on a sunny beach and with all those heavy water rinsing that they have been getting recently it is probably time for a new pair of boardies. These specific shorts from Billabong are leading the way with their environmentally friendly construction made from unwanted disposed textiles. Yep, your read right, that dirty old flannel that they were wearing to death last winter is now a pair of boardies and that has to be good for everyone. Available for various retailers and priced at around 80 USD.

8) F-Hot Go-Pro Carbon Mast Mount
It seems that every windsurfer out their worth his or her salt was experimenting with Go-Pro cameras in 2010 and I know that I am not the only one to have received one as a gift for my birthday! One problem I experienced was that the mounts from Go-Pro were not always up to the job. Step in F-Hot who in conjunctions with Dave White and a number of top windsurfers produced the Carbon Go-Pro Mast Mount which clips directly onto the mast without the need to cut the fabric and even turns to film on each tack, the end result is more action and less editing all at the perfect angle. This is a total must for all Go-Pro enthusiasts. For those looking for a cheaper option they have just also made a fibreglass version. Contact Steve at F-Hot on steve@f-hot.com for more information.

9) Trickpack
The Trickpak combines both the Trickionay Book and the Trickionary DVD. Together these form the ultimate windsurfing bible, which I guess is fitting for this the most religious part of the year! I had the pleasure of reading the book last Christmas while visiting my brother in the UK, I did try to steal it but the sensors picked that up at the door upon leaving. Even if your windsurfer is a self proclaimed pro then there is still going to be something for them. The three double layer DVDs come packed with over 400 minutes of video which document over 150 moves while the accompanying book is stuffed full with step-by-step how to guides from the basics to advanced moves including 80 pages of wave technique written by John Skye and Victor Fernandez. Available from http://www.tricktionary.net/ for a very reasonable 79.90 Euros.

10) The One Thing They Really Want
Wind and and warm waves! Soo keep your fingers crossed and hope that a warm front comes over, that the wind blows and that magically perfect waves arrive just on cue.

So there you have it, 10 gift ideas that will make the windsurfer in your life know just how loved he or she is at this special time of the year.

More to follow…

Kauli's Quad - The Man Himself Explains All

2010-11-22T07:48:00.000-08:00

It is amazing that how much a picture of or a few words from Kauli can create a stir, my post "Kauli's Odd Looking Quad'' commenting on a single picture snapped by JC in Cabo Verde is so far the most read post on this blog since it's creation.

While people are rushing out to buy the latest 2011 gear manufacturers are already looking towards 2012 designs and I wonder if we'll all be riding boards like this is 12 months time?

Enlarged view of the boards that have caused such a stir!

John Skye managed to ask Kauli a few questions about his latest quad designs.

"I managed to track Kauli down and ask him what the deal was with his funky tailed boards. He says the winger keeps the tail width narrow and allows him to really turn the board off the tail when he needs to get vertical. The swallow tail he said was to keep some drive through the tail, which has a lot of rocker. For me Kauli is the master of innovation. He is thinking so far ahead of everyone and has been since I first met him nearly 10 years ago. Even then he was experimenting with really short boards and whilst people laughed at them, see if you can find any board over 8'0 now! He had an off hand comment at the beach the other day that he couldn't sleep at all because he thought of something new to try... Who knows what it is, but if it works, expect the world to be following in his footsteps shortly!"

So there you have it sounds interesting. Thanks to John for passing on these comments.

More to follow...

Speed World Cup - The Heat is ON!

2010-11-20T02:31:00.000-08:00

Well it all comes down to the final leg in France, with the 2010 title being chased by Bjorn Dunkerbeck, Anders Bringdal and UK's Martyn Oiger.

Martyn is currentky set to win the 2010 title but Anders is pushing hard and Bjorn is not far behind and is currently leading this event.

The green flag has been raised so we'll know within a couple of hours who will be crowed 2010 Speed World Champion. Fingers crossed for a British triumph.

Martyn Oiger, Speed World Cup, France 2010. Martyn is sponsored by Hot Sails Maui, Starboard and Black Project Fins.

More to follow...

NO PWA Power NO Excuse

2010-11-18T02:36:00.000-08:00

OK, so I have been looking forward to watching LIVE video and reading the TICKER on the PWA site during the event but all we seem to be getting is the excuse "Just like the past few days, there's no power or internet connection at Curral Jaoul" which to me is rather a poor excuse! Did noboddy think that maybe just maybe they would have to move location, could they not get a gererator, could they not have a mobile phone link so that the ticker at least could be updated from the main base. All seems a little odd to me! I bet there are other frustrated fans out there and that is a real shame.

For those who don't know what this is, it makes power! Answers on a postcard to the PWA!

More to follow...

Mid 1980's Quad – The Missing Link Between Windsurfing & High Fashion?

2010-11-18T00:04:00.000-08:00

I am not a particular follower of fashion. Or so I thought. On reflection it seems that we are all a product of the fashion industry. Take my current getup as example A: I am wearing my usual uniform of cutoff cargo shorts and a faded t-shirt – a look that my wife, who is a religious Vogue devotee claims is very on trend. Apparently there is something of a nineties revival happening in the fashion industry at the moment. Having chosen today’s outfit based solely on what was clean and close when I emerged from the shower, rather than what deemed “in” by fashion editors, I am reminded of the trickle down effect. If design houses like Burberry and Prada hadn’t decided that the mimimalism of the nineties was due for a comeback, would I be wearing something different? Are my Old Navy shorts simply an economic alternative to what was seen on the fall/winter runways. Probably. This is where I admit that my clothes (and yours) were chosen for me. The conclusion: we are all a product of current (and past) trends in the fashion industry. It might sound like something from the former Soviet Union or Orwell’s 1984, but it is the fashion designers and the editors who have first glance at their creations who decide what we wear, how and when we wear it and how much we pay for it. If you can get it on the high street, rest assured that there is a far more expensive original floating around on Bond Street or in Harrods. Unless you eschew clothing altogether; or you are a designer yourself, you can thank the Matthew Williamsons and Anna Wintours of the world for whatever “look” you are currently sporting.

1980's fashion!

Fanatic 2011 or is it 1985?

So how does this relate to windsurfing? Have you looked at a magazine lately? The 2011 sails, boards and related paraphernalia seem to have gone back to the flouro colors that we all remember from the 80’s. It looks like Klepper are making a belated comeback. It is not just about colour; even some wave boards are starting to mirror their mid-80’s relatives with wide points moving forward and asymmetric board and fin combinations starting to rock the traditional boat once more. Is it just me, or has Video Killed the Radio Star been on repeat in the Fanatic design studio for the past year? They might just be onto something at Fanatic…after all, the era of excess is when people made money, took risks and lived large…what could be more fitting for board design than a throwback to the energetic 80’s? Take a look at this picture sent to me by Chris Jackson who made boards in the UK during the 80’s (and is getting back into the industry, but more of that cycle later).

Doesn't look that different to Kauli's latest designs! Although not so sure about those clear plastic fins.

While quads didn’t catch on 25 years ago, perhaps because Kauli wasn’t around to give the trend validity, some designers were way ahead of the game, or perhaps just at a different part of the cycle. Now that production techniques, equipment and sailors themselves have improved, it is interesting to see how design concepts come in and go out like the tides. These waves of creative destruction, a phrase coined by economist Shumpter, encourage producers to seek out new products and new companies try to exploit new market niches, those companies that do not innovate are left in the wilderness as new brighter and spunkier ones start to strut their stuff. By following the trends set by riders in Hawaii, Australia, South Africa or even Cornwall (which seems to be going through its own 80's revival in the industry with a number of innovators starting to get noticed), the industry is constantly evolving. While new designs are not always better than their predecessors, over time mistakes are ironed out and we all win.

More to follow...

PWA Cabo Verde – First Action

2010-11-17T05:28:00.000-08:00

The final PWA event of the year finally got going at 10.57 local time although it must be rather a frustrating day for all but one of the competitors as they wait for their chance to shine in the long man on man 30 minute heats. Thomas Traversa must be feeling rather happy with life after progressing in Heat #1, now he can sit back and relax as the others struggle to get enough wind to complete heats, while Sorlut must be wondering whether his contest is already over as it looks unlikely that the double elimination will ever get off the ground.

It is easy to see why Thomas Traversa made it through his heat, he's been enjoying the light winds, although that is not surprising his listed weight on his PWA profile is 61kg!

Heat #2 was on the water with Angulo leading Voget when the conditions worsened and the heat was cancelled. They’ll now have to stay on full alert on a short holding period until their heat is run. Those further down the order of play sailors can relax, not quite as much as Traversa but with some confidence that they will not be needed today.

More to follow…

Kauli's Odd Looking Quad

2010-11-16T19:39:00.000-08:00

I have been following the PWA Cabo Verde event closely. I have teamed up with Skyeboy to bring you some snippets which are posted on WindsurfingMag.com which you might want to check out. But my post is not about that but about Kauli's interesting looking quads. Check out this picture from yesterday.

Pic Carter/PWA

Here is the enlarged version, you can clearly see the shape.

Fins are a long way forward with a strange looking tail shape, forward fins are very close to the rail. Looks like the two back fins are quite a bit bigger than the front which look like big thrusters.

I will see if I can find out some more info.

More to follow...

Speed World Cup Preview - Port Saint-Louis

2010-11-12T20:27:00.000-08:00

You would be forgiven for thinking that the PWA Cabo Verde event is the only windsurfing contest this week but just as things are starting to heat up on the desert island (and I can’t wait to see the live video) the best and most dedicated speed sailors are making their way to the south of France to rather less glamorous industrialal town and port annex of Marseille at the mouth of the River Rhône.

The Speed World Cup which started the season back in April with the F2 Gruissan Speedweek (Gruissan France) and has taken in ranking events in France, Germany, Spain, Sweden and the UK before returning to France for the final 2010 showdown which will decide who finishes the year as the world’s #1 ranked speed sailor. While GPS tracks have increased in popularity with sailors competing virtually with each other across continents it is always great to get people together and tackle the same conditions and push each other forward in more traditional competition.

The rankings are currently being led by Anders Bjorkqvist SWE with Steven Flanagan IRL not far behind. Bjorn Dunkerbeck SUI is currently ranked in 8th and I will be interested to see if he makes the journey south. With a weighting of 3.5 this event proves to be decisive and the 5000 Euro prize fund should help to temp a few more of Europe’s fastest sailors who want to end the year with a little bonus going into the expensive Christmas period.

My man on the inside Martyn Oiger currently ranked 14th will be reporting from the event. He has been training hard and after a 3rd place finish at the last event in Weymouth he is poised to challenge for the title and improve his ranking. The wind report looks good for the event which runs from the 16th through to 21st of November in the town of Port Saint-Louis, France.

Not much so far on the event website but I believe that tracks will be posted when the event kicks off.

More to follow…

Wanna Go FASTER - The Art of Speed Sailing

2010-11-11T06:00:00.000-08:00

I certainly do! I have now competed in a couple of speed events in Maui. I even made the trip to Molokai to check out a potential speed course protected by a shallow reef but fast speeds remain extremely elusive with my best 100m speed of 33.7 knots which I set back in August. Now back in Bahrain and with the desire to record my first open water 40 knots I decided to enlist the help of a couple of friends more familar with the art of speed sailing and asked them to give me their top secrets to going fast.

Check out my full article on WindsurfingMag.com: Wanna Go FASTER - The Art of Speed Sailing

Deep off the wind is fast but remember that you’ll need to have plenty of power, so rig big, very big. This image was generated using a real GPS speed track, the further the green line from the centre the faster the sailor was going. But be warned, go too far off the wind and your speeds will drop dramatically.

More to follow...

Weymouth International Speed Week 2010

2010-10-29T07:58:00.000-07:00

While Weymouth turned out to be not so windy, Martyn Ogier's account of the week's action is well worth a read especially as he explains the complicated world of international speedsailing!

"The weather forecast leading up to the event was about as bad as it could be, NO WIND! As the week edged closer the forecast started to look better with a slight possibility of some light winds during the week."

Read the full article on the Black Project Fins website:

Weymouth International Speed Week 2010

More to follow...

You Can Race!

2010-10-28T10:47:00.000-07:00

This year my bro Andy decided that it was time to step forward and throw his wetsuit into the competitive windsurf scene for the first time and as the UK 2010 slalom season draws to a close I thought that it was about time to ask him a few questions.

Cold water training!

Check out the full article here:

“…if you can sail out and back; then you can race!”

on http://www.blackprojectfins.com/

More to follow...

The Sunset Sessions

2010-10-15T04:19:00.000-07:00

I knew that it was windy but didn't think that I would make it back in time for a session. We are so close to the equator that the days are quite short and with it light soon after 5am sunset today was 5:07pm. After rushing home I threw my gear in the back and rushed to the beach - so fast in fact that my gear fell out the back of the car, twice! I arrived at the beach, everyone was packing up but I quickly rigged my 5.6 and dashed out (the Bolt is proving to be really great here). The sun was just setting with the sky golden it was about as beautiful as Bahrain gets! Soon is was dark but I could just about see where I was going to stayed out for a while and had fun splashing around during my freestyle practice. Having not expected to get out on the water today I was super stocked just to get wet and wash off the day at work.

Heres hoping for some more action soon. BTW rushing back home my gear fell out the car once more, maybe I should be more careful! Luckily all that was damaged was my fin and I have plenty of new Black Project Fins on the way soon so that's not really an issue!

More to follow...

The return of Noon Island

2010-10-13T10:45:00.000-07:00

So since arriving in Bahrain from Hawaii at the beginning of September I've hardly had the time to stop and think let alone type, but I guess that I wrote plenty over the summer so maybe it was good to have a rest from the blogging scene for a while. During my 6 week or so break I really did enjoy watching online footage from Cold Hawaii and hope that such coverage continues. More recently I have been checking out p as the winter swells start rolling in. Having left my trusty twin fin with Colin I keep seeing it pop up online (kinda makes me feel a little more connected with the island!)

It has been windless here, totally still for weeks and super hot. Yes I have kept busy, plenty of training, lots of running and even a biathlon last weekend which was somewhat fun. Trying to run between 30 and 40 km a week, keep in the gym and work on my swimming and biking. Work does seem to get in the way but I keeping active and ready as best I can.

At last the weather broke and today we were treated with a decent breaze, perfect for my 5.6 Bolt and 105 Sumo. It was great to see my buddy Carl getting some rides on his kite too. The water was perfect, about 28C with the air in the low 30's. After not being on the water in ages it felt amazing to be blasting about and chucking in some freestyle moves (I mean crashes of course!). As for the title of this post, Noon Island refers not to some deserted spot but one of the big ships that is mored just offshore where I sail here and it was great to see her again close up.

No, this isn't Noon Island!

So here's me hoping that's the longest I'll have to go without wind for a while, looks like to could be windy tomorrow too, heres hoping.

Hope all those in northern climes are not getting too cold!

More to follow...

Vintage TWIN fin

2010-09-16T23:22:00.000-07:00

This is what I came across this morning while looking for a new slalom board. You'll see from the discription that this is a TWINZER!

In action!

Removable TWIN fins!

View this baord/rig on ebay.

With a starting price of £19.99 what a bargain! According to the description it is so stable it doesn't need footstraps!

More to follow...

F-Hot GoPro Mast Mount

2010-09-13T21:45:00.000-07:00

Having spent many hours of my youth at the F-Hot factory which was near my childhood home in Essex it is great to see them thrust back into the limelight. I have not yet seen one of the mounts in person, it is a bit harder to get to the factory these days but I will be for sure contacting Steve and getting one of these beauties sent out. I love the idea that it rotates round the mast so that you don't have to turn the camera off it just keeps filming on the new tack.

More Windsurfing Videos

Made from carbon the mount is lighter than the camera. I would like to see more adjustment options so that you can point the camera exactlty where you want but I will have to wait to test before I can criticize in any way.

For more info check out the F-HOT website.

More to follow....

Hot Sails 2011 Wave Collection

2010-09-13T06:34:00.000-07:00

Want to know more about the sails that I'll be riding for 2011 then check out this e-catelog which has just been released from Hot Sails.

Click here to view>>

And here's me testing out the Bolt 2011 during the summer. I was really pleased with the increased stability which helped to improve both riding and jumping.

I can't wait to get my hands on a full set of the new sails.

More to follow...

Have Starboard Gone Mad?

2010-09-13T05:51:00.000-07:00

Watch the video then leave a comment below.

I look forward to seeing your comments!

More to follow...

Cut 'n' Stitch Video

2010-09-11T04:36:00.000-07:00

I came across this neat video today and wanted to share it with a wider audience. With all the hype that follows the big sail brands these days it is great to see that there is a small team keeping it real in deepest darkest Cornwall.

Wanna know more check out the Ross Windsurf website.

More to follow...

JUMPFEST RESULTS & Reflections

2010-09-05T20:47:00.000-07:00

The offical JUMPFEST Results and Reflections article has now been published on WindsurfingMag.com, check out the full article which looks into the contest results and considers whether the US should try to mirror the UK's wave and slalom circuits.

More to follow...

The Start of Something New - 60 Days of Summer Days 55

2010-09-04T01:26:00.000-07:00

As I rode my last wave yesterday I knew in my heart that would be it for me. Today we have to pack and get ready for the long journey back to our other home on the Amwaj Islands, Bahrain. Stuffing all of our things in boxes is always a little bit traumatic but over the years I guess we have gotten used to it but that doesn’t mean it is easy. Clearly my gear feels the same way and in a final act of defiance my slalom board decided to choose today to balloon up in the sun just as I was about to remove the air plug. In the knowledge that I would not take a wrecked board with me the 125ltr Exocet clearly decided that drastic measures were needed if he was to get to stay in paradise.

The Exocet in action, before it decided to desert me! Really gutted as I was hoping to use in Bahrain to great effect! Guess I'd better get myself on ebay and see what I can pick up.

We now have a 33 hour door to door journey to enjoy and it will be Friday and Day #57 before we get back. So I must leave you now as I have some more things to pack! ... ... As we drove to OGG I glanced at the clock and realised that exactly 15 years ago to the minute when as an 18 year old full of excitement I arrived on the island for the very first time, and I must admit that there were a few tears in my eyes. Liz reminded me that this would be the last time that we would be leaving and in 15 years time we would be able to look back and remember the last time we had to leave our precious and wonderful home.

When I get back we will have about 30 hours before we have to leave for work but the 60 Days of Summer will continue until fully complete. Fingers are already crossed that it will be windy when we arrive back in Bahrain and I will be hoping to get out on Day #58, if not it’ll be time for a long swim or paddle. Once the project is complete I will be taking a step back for a little while but will be posting whenever there is something interesting to report. I will also continue to write for WindsurfingMag.com so look out for some fun things there. It will not be long and I will be back with a new project, I have a few ideas so stay tuned.

More to follow…

My Inspiration Way Back When - 60 Days of Summer

2010-09-03T13:52:00.000-07:00

I found this on YouTube and want to share. I had a VHS tape in terrible condition that had these videos and a few others. They were my initial inspiration to chase waves all the way to Hawaii.

I watched this time and time again between the ages of 5 and 18.

Robby Naish Worldchampionship Scheveningen 1983

Sylt 1983

More to follow...

South Side Ride & Head Cam Ho’okipa - 60 Days of Summer Day 54

2010-09-03T12:23:00.000-07:00

Liz and I started the day with a 23km ride from Wailea to La Perouse and back. After so much riding on the windy north shore it was great to have less of a battle and be able to check out some different scenery for a change. It was hot and I cannot explain just how good it was to dive into the cool Pacific afterwards.

How amazing it felt to be in the cool Pacific waters after a hot ride.

On the north shore the wind was back to full strength today and it is amazing how much better small waves can look when you have some power to boost. With small waves I chose to sail maxed out and opted for a 5.0m and strapped on the head cam to shoot some stills and clips so that I could share the experience here.

Not a special moment of action, I just liked this shot.

Again nothing special about the action but love the photo. The whole point of mounting the camera to yourself or your gear is so others can see what it is like and that is one reason I like this picrure it just captures windsurfing.

Mid way through a high spock (which I didn't complete!) on the outside.

Gazing at the sun midway through a backloop.

On the way down, time to spot the landing.

The view from above, this is what it looks like when you are 20 foot up and rotating through a forward. The pic doesnt look like much but enlarge it and look a little closer.

I will edit some video soon but for now here is some unedited stuff from today's action.

Over rotated this one!

I had such a fun session with tons of jumping, a few slashes and just a few friends out.

Sailing record: 85% 45/53

On Water Record: 89% 47/53

More to follow

Windy Surf and Jumpfest Results - 60 Days of Summer Day 53

2010-09-03T11:32:00.000-07:00

Following a few less than optimal surf missions I decided to make an attempt at catching Ho’okipa without too much wind early on. Despite being on the water by 8am the wind was already on the up and the left overs were not really epic. I caught a small bunch of waves on the 8’0” and got some exercise and was certainly much more fun than running!

I arrived later in the day of my windsurf segment and again it was far from the best session of the summer season but these are the days that you just have to work at it and get what you can, a few waves, a few jumps and it was time to call it a day.

JUMPFEST Update:

The voting closed on Sunday night (HST) and I am pleased to announce that the winners were:

Pro Men – Graham Ezzy

Am Men – Olaf

Girls – Tamara

Funnies – Tom Hammerton

Graham's winner! Contact Jimmie if you would like to purchase a print.

A full report and more pictures will be on WindsurfingMag.com soon. Congrats to the winners who all now receive a mounted print of their winning shot courtesy of Jimmie Hepp, I have seen them and they look fantastic and you really should consider ordering one for yourself! I hear that Tom has a good idea of what to do with his but I will save that for another post!

Sailing record: 85% 44/52

On Water Record: 88% 46/52

More to follow...

Small Kine Surf - 60 Days of Summer Day 52

2010-08-31T10:59:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-31T01:51:00.000-07:00

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…

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

2010-08-28T10:37:00.000-07:00

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…

The Black Project Maui Speed Challenge 2010

2010-08-27T14:52:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-27T11:49:00.000-07:00

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...

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

2010-08-26T11:10:00.000-07:00

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 28th – The 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…

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

2010-08-24T00:46:00.000-07:00

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...

HO'OKIPA JUMPFEST VOTING - Now LIVE

2010-08-23T09:20:00.000-07:00

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...

Jumpfest Day #3 - 60 Days of Summer Day 43

2010-08-21T13:08:00.000-07:00

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...

Jumpfest Day 2 - 60 Days of Summer Day 42

2010-08-20T01:48:00.000-07:00

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…

Jumpfest Day 1 - 60 Days of Summer Day 41

2010-08-19T02:35:00.000-07:00

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…

Jumpfest Preview - 60 Days of Summer Day 40

2010-08-18T00:52:00.000-07:00

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…

Sunny Sessions - 60 Days of Summer Day 39

2010-08-17T12:07:00.000-07:00

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…

Respect for Small Surf - 60 Days of Summer Day 38

2010-08-16T12:59:00.000-07:00

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…

Unexpected - 60 Days of Summer Day 37

2010-08-15T02:02:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-15T01:28:00.000-07:00

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…

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

2010-08-14T11:12:00.000-07:00

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…

Island Magic - 60 Days of Summer Day 35

2010-08-13T11:20:00.000-07:00

The mayhem seems to have calmed down a little here with more normal wind conditions apparent on the north shore. We had a fun surf in tiny waves on the west side before heading over to Ho’okipa after lunch where just a few sailors were enjoying the 15-20 knots and occasional ramp. I jumped in with my 5.0m to grab some of the fun, since I banned myself from forwards yesterday I tried to work on other things like backs, pushies and even some freestyle, I did squeeze in one forward, just for fun, the ramp was perfect and I couldn’t resist!

Pic(s) of the day goes to Franck Berthuot the man behind MauiWaterShoot.com check out his web and I am sure that you’ll agree his shots are fantastic. Franck is in the water most days and has a fun daily feature on his site called ‘Crash of the Day’ which is always a great laugh. You can buy his images directly from his site.

Crash of the day! Copyright MauiWaterShoot.com

Franck takes time off from is work and gets in some action of his own, caught by Jimmie's lens.

New Gig – I recently confirmed out that I would be writing for WindsurfingMag.com in the US. I will of course be continuing with my blog here but will be writing some special reports and feature articles for their site. My first posts should be live soon but for now check out their website or pick up a copy of the magazine.

I am very excited about this new venture on WindsurfingMag.com

As I have always tied to stress there is far more to Maui than Ho’okipa even if recently I have been writing mainly about the spot so I want to share some of Jimmie’s pictures from his travels around the island. Well before he started shooting at the beach Jimmie established himself as a leading island photograher and his images are sold in lots of stores around Maui and you can order prints etc. and I believe that he can arrange shipping to the mainland or further afield too. Check out his website for more info. Here are some of his images from around the island. ENJOY.

Love or hate it the Sugar Cane factory is an iconic image in Maui

I love to get up high and look down.

I love hiking in the West Maui Mountains.

Tourist heaven!

I love plam trees and I love blue skies and this one has them both.

South side beauty

View from Upcountry

Molokini!

West Maui Mountains.

Somethimes it is great to just sit back and enjoy the beauty that this place offers, what a place to call home. Thanks to Jimmie for his shots today.

Sailing record = 91% (31/34)

On Water record = 94% (32/34)

More to follow…

Recycled - 60 Days of Summer Day 34

2010-08-12T11:08:00.000-07:00

Okay so another super gusty and flat day. I went out for a quick blast at Ho’okipa but others seemed to make more of it than me.

And I though that freestyle was banned at Ho'okipa, surely the life guards have a buzzer for that?

Not sure who this is but I love the shot.

Liz gets caught in Jimmie's Lens sporting the now trendy Mana foods beach bag, oops I mean re-usable shopping bag, the Whole Foods ones are actually better xx

Pascal, this is fav windsurf shot of the day.

Pascal, not sure I saw a wave like that. Nice work if you can get it!

I rigged too big and I am now officially banned from forwards for a while, I have been doing far too many and need to get out my comfort zone (and proect my board too!)

Bob adding some fun and laughter...

Off the water today was I day we had been waiting patiently for some time. The day we get to take all of our bottles and cans that we have carefully saved to the redemption centre. It is like getting money for nothing and today’s haul of thirteen dollars and forty cents wasn’t too shabby. We treated ourselves to a lovely Whole Foods takeout. I have been a critic (perhaps rather unfairly) of the new chain and still believe that they may be a classic example of a business trying to tell us that it is ethical while at the same time fleecing us for our hard earned dollars. I will say that their burritos are pretty good and they really have improved the availability of good food on the island, far better than the Star Markets which occupied the same lot for many years.

Bottles mean bucks!

I remember a presentation at work about recycling recently and we were shown a pair of Billabong board shorts made entirely out of plastic bottles. Then just the other day Liz bought a new pair of Volcom shorts which too were made out of plastic bottles and as if I needed a further reminder I read an article in Time magazine today which highlighted that Nike supported by Coca Cola have a range of sportswear made from plastic bottles and that 9 of the 2010 World Cup teams where wearing 100% recycled material strips. This has got me thinking and I wonder how bad windsurfing is for the environment and what can the industry as a whole do to reduce the impact of our actions?

The Billabong Recycler Series

One interesting development here on island is Team +H20 (check out their ideas at http://www.positive-h2o.com/ ) but I think that we need the industry to take more of a lead. What happens to all those trashed boards, sails, masts, booms and bits? I bet a large percentage of them actually end up in the local dump. All that polystyrene cannot be good, surely the board manufacturers could set up collection points, give you a few bucks as an incentive and dispose of them in an environmentally friendly way? What about using some recycled or environmentally friendly materials in boards, sails and accessories? Even if you cannot find suitable materials on the recycled market what about the Fair Trade movement http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/ ? I guess one question remains that being; Would the consumers (us) be happy to pay that little bit more for their gear if they knew that it’s impact on the environment that we enjoy is being taken care of? The fact that I see so many windsurfers and surfers alike in Mana Foods (Paia) and now Whole Foods suggests to me that they will. I think that maybe it is time for the windsurfing industry to do more for the environment which we so greatly enjoy. Yesterday I wrote about using my SuperFreak but what if it had actually been an EcoFreak; that would surely be great for the environment and not too bad for business! I encourage you as consumers to get out there and recycle your bottles then buy them back in the form of shorts or t-shirts. I hope that someone in the industry takes more of a stand and launches the first fully EcoLine that is produced in a sustainable way. I would love to hear what people think.

Looking ahead: I head heard mumblings about a few more waves on the horizon, the only thing is that I am not sure whether that was a rumour that I started a few days ago just making its way back to me! We got out bike back today so thinking of a trail ride at some point soon check out this website for some Maui trails http://www.islandbikermaui.com/bikingmaui.asp and hoping to wake up early enough tomorrow to pop over to the West side for some small breakers.

Picture of the day

Juan Ignacio Aguirre and Esteban Trevia here demonstrating the 60 Days of Summer Spirt...

Sailing record = 91% (30/33)

On Water record = 94% (31/33)

More to follow…

WINDY - 60 Days of Summer Days 33

2010-08-11T10:38:00.000-07:00

The morning started with a tough run, Liz had taken the GPS with here on a ride so for the first time in a while I was running solo without the aid of a tracking and pacing device. With the wind on my back for the first 3.5 km and singing along to my iPod I think that I went a little faster than planned. I was having fun and kept going, without a timing device I wanted to ensure that I wasn't gowing slower than normal. The result was that I probably set a new PB and was totally surpised at the time on the cooker when I got back into the house. I had arranged to meet Liz at Anthony's in Paia for a quick lunch so jumped in the car without thinking too much about it but I could feel my legs!

I don't drink coffee but the teas here are great!

We had our first ever date here so it is kinda special and rather in keeping with the sail choice for today!

I had left it until 3pm to go to the beach today in the hope tha the conditions would be at their best. It is not often that I reach for anything smaller than 4.5 in Hawaii but before I even rocked up to Ho’okipa I could see that the ocean was being whipped up by an unusually strong trade wind. While we had expected stronger winds for today I am not sure we really expected to be overpowered on 4.2m sails. Following a few days of rather poor conditions and with the prospect of some trade swell in the coming days most sailors had either opted to take a rest day or gone somewhere else. Egged on by the fact that Jimmie had just turned up and that Liz had come down to watch I took only a moment to grab my special HSM SuperFreak and rigged quickly.

Warming up with a few spins.

When it is this windy at Ho’okipa it is generally extremely gusty and extremely small, today both of these were true and it was a real effort to get settled down enough to be amble to find a ramp. There was plenty of potential if you could hit it right but with tiny short period swell and cross, sometimes cross/off conditions getting up to full speed between the choppy waves was the real challenge and not one which I rose to particularly well. I treated it as an on water gym session and the 30+ mph winds tossed me around enough to ensure that I had a few aches and strains by the end of the session. I know that 4.2m sails are commonly used in waves around the world but when you are used to the consistent 5.0 weather here it comes as a shock. Today's conditions gave me a big reminder that I need to get to Pozo and/or Guincho for some high octane sailing as it has been a while.

More forwards, my board is going to hate me!

Low and fast pushie. Great feel from the Freak.

A very rare small wave. Later on as the tide fell some more a few waves started to form and the forecast for tomorrow is waste to chest high waves and maybe a little more.

The sail: I cannot conclude this post without talking a little about the sail I was using today. I don’t generally carry a 4.2 around with me in Hawaii but today before leaving our house I grabbed a very special sail. It was given to us as wedding present from Anne and Tom then decorated by all of our wedding guests at the reception with Sharpies. As I rigged it did create a bit of stir and prompted a few comments particularly with the on looking tourists. I have only used it a couple of times but it always makes me smile and reminds me of our friends. I don’t usually use HSM Super Freaks which have achieved an almost cult following out here and in many places around the world and it was interesting to experience the very different feel. In many ways the sail was the perfect choice and it's softer characteristics helped to smooth out some of the gusts. These sails feel a little different in the air because they have less pre-shaped foil giving a slower, smoother rotation on forwards and amazing feel on pushloops and other moves where you are back winding the sail.

This is a very very special and totally unique sail.

Pic of the day

There is nothing better than watching the sun go down in Hawaii after a fun day on the water. I took this picture a couple of year ago in Haiku looking towards the North Shore. CLICK TO ENLARGE.

Sailing record = 91% (29/32)
On water record = 94%

Nice to see these numbers slowly creeping back up, my foot is starting to heel and I am in less pain although when I land jumps it is a little tender.

More to follow...

Picture Gallery - 60 Days of Summer Day 32 (late update)

2010-08-10T10:48:00.000-07:00

I was super tired tonight so couldn't stay awake long enough to see Jimmie's pictures for the day so I have inclduded some of the best here in a special post. There is a few great pictures of Graham, a great sequence of Kai and a few so so ones of me. Enjoy...

Really trying to work on my back loops but my landings were not very consistent.

If in doubt do a forward.

Next time hand on and go for two.

Graham is in there!

This was a nice one handed back.

Love this shot, this was the move of the day by a country mile.

The sequence of this was perfect.

Thanks to Jimmie for all his pictures and good work out there guys it was tough to do anything!

Pic of the day

Not sure who this is but it is such a great picture, not sure the landing would have been so nice!

More to follow...

An Ezzy Day - 60 Days of Summer Days 32

2010-08-10T00:36:00.000-07:00

The wind REALLY picked up today and with the tide high during the middle of the day I opted like many others to try and sail later in the hope that the conditions would be at their best sometime after 3pm. I watched from the railing for a while and it was clear that Graham was really up for it and putting everything into the only so so at best conditions. My only guess is that he like me has the thought in the back of him mind of getting on that plane soon and saying goodbye to home for a few more months. After watching 10 minutes of super-charged Ezzy I guessed that the conditions were better than they looked. I was a little puzzled about sail size but opted for a 4.5m. Upon hitting the water it was clear that my sail choice was wrong however I think that every sail size would have been wrong in the super shifty and gusty conditions. At times I could hardly get going and at others I couldn’t hook in, add to this a sloppy choppy mess on the reef didn’t make for good sailing on my behalf. I feel sorry for Jimmie who watched us all patiently from the hill with bated breathe; with the hope that someone would do something worthy of a picture. From what I saw it was only Graham who actually put anything consistent together, Kai came out for a brief period and nailed a lovely pushloop-table top but not much else. Late in the day the wind steadied and the waves started to break a little cleaner on the reef so fingers are crossed for the next few days.

Graham Ezzy made by far the most out of the poor conditions today.

Despite the poor conditions I had some fun, it was great to be back on the water and in no real pain, even though I hadn’t managed much more than a few forwards, crashed backs and a pushy I would have stayed out much longer but the increasingly fickle wind encouraged me to pack up and grab a beer.

Sailing record = 90% (28/31)
On water = 94% (29/31)

More to follow…

Making the most of it - 60 Days of Summer Days 31

2010-08-09T12:55:00.000-07:00

A few days of lighter winds and a higher than normal tide levelled the bumps today and Ho’okipa was as flat as you’ll find it. Pavilions did have a fun small surf wave and it was great watch a number of beginners getting some nice rides. You might expect that it is when the conditions are at their best that the best step up to the plate but I think that today’s images from Jimmie point out that it is when the conditions are at their worst that the aces in the pack show what they are made of. Today I want to highlight in my view three of the best windsurfers in the world all working hard to make the most of the poor conditions when many wave sailors would have hung up their fins. None of these sailors have really made it in PWA competition, which is due to the fact that we don't actually have a wave tour. If we did have a world tour that actually included waves then they would be right there. In many people's eyes Levi is King of Ho'okipa and having watched him since he was a young kid I certainly agree. Kai is certainly one to watch and is developing into a true waterman with a wide range of talents especially on a SUP. Graham has been away at Princeton University for three years and will soon be back in the windsurfing world full time, with his personallity, intelligence and flair on the water I fully expect that he will be a major force in the industry and before long I expect he will be helping to drive the Ezzy brand forward.

Graham Ezzy

Kai Lenny, young and super talented.

Levi Siver, the not so old master.

Personally I opted to relax and swim at Kanaha with Liz and initially was planning on giving my foot one more day. I was then introduced to blog fan Andy from Europe who has just arrived on the island; he was super stoked to have had a great day on the water after two years away from windsurfing. He tells me that reading the blog for the last few weeks has really motivated him for his three week Hawaiian holiday, which is turn motivated me to get out and give my foot a test out.

It was a little late in the day so despite the 20+ knots I rigged a 5.0 Bolt and got out there. By the time I hit the water the wind had actually moderated a bit and it was perfect. I worked on a little bit of freestyle trickery but much to my disappointment the choppy conditions were really making my foot sore so I called in a day early. Great to be back on the water and I know that some good days for me are just around the corner. The wind and hence windblown wave forecast is on the up and I fully expect that we will have some head high waves by the middle of next week.

Sailing record = 90% (27/30 possible days)
On water record = 93% (28/30 possible days)

More to follow…

Is it half full or half empty? - 60 Days of Summer Days 30

2010-08-09T02:15:00.000-07:00

HALF WAY! From my perspective it is ceratinly half FULLI can’t believe that the project has reached the 30 day mark. Today I took a little step back and stayed out of the water and off the bike and running tracks to let my body heal up a bit as I have been suffering a little of late and I want to get back to top form. It has given me a great opportunity to reflect on the first half of the project and look ahead to the next 30 days.

So far I have been pleased, even amazed at how writing this blog has motivated me to get out there and make something happen. Even on days when the conditions have been far from perfect I have really had a great time on the water and I am sure that my sailing will be much better as a result in the next 30 days. I have been thrilled to hear from other water sports enthusiasts and how the blog has helped them and I have also been pleased to hear that non windsurfers have enjoyed my comments, pictures and video. The viewing figures are on a steady increase with nearly 3000 page views in the first month. Google Analytics has provided me with some very interesting and detailed information about visitor trends and I am motivated to know that my words have been read in 53 different countries. The most popular post so far was my Maui Race Series report followed closely by my look at Jimmie Hepp’s photography, I am using the viewing stats to help guide my writing so that future posts appeal to a wide audience and please get in contact if there is something that you feel I should write about.

Maui has been consistently windy recently and that has meant that I have actually spent more time windsurfing that expected. By my own admission I have not had a great variety of activities to write about and that is something that I will try to adjust as the upcoming days turn into weeks. In 29 possible sailing days so far I have taken 3 days off because of my cut foot otherwise I would have achieved a 100% windsurfing record but my current stats stand at 26 days windsurfing out of a possible 29 (one day was taken up with travel). This equates to a 90% record but, I am keen for this to edge back up towards 95%.

Last weekend's wind was one of the strongest days so far! Maxed on a 5.5 race sail. Here I am crashing during one of my heats at the first turn!

Early on I realised that I would need a fair amount of equipment as so far I have used; 3 wave boards, 2 slalom boards, 5 wave sails, 4 slalom sails, 5 masts, 3 booms a number of fins and 2 surfboards. With the 2010 MauiVMax GPS speed series about to kick off I have a speed board waiting to go once I have fixed it. In the coming weeks I hope to get out on the SUP, my 6’3” surfboard and would love to check out the Paia skate ramp! I will be trying out more 2011 sails and equipment so I expect my tallies to go up significantly.

Just some of the equipment that I have used so far!

What can you expect to be reading about in the coming weeks? Lots of windsurfing, Maui seems to be in a very stable weather pattern at the moment with more consistent summer wind (albeit not as strong as recent years) so I expect that there is a good chance that I will be on the board a lot. More surfing, I really want to get out on my surfboards a little more and think that I should be spending some time at Pavilions during early morning. SUP action, despite talk I am yet to make it onto an SUP board and that is something that I will address. Windfishing, I have been invited to go and it just needs a little organisation on my part to get that going, should be really interesting and a fun experience. More biking, I think that it is about time to hit some of the mountain trails, I have been waiting for a new part for the bike for 7days so that has slowed me down a bit. This is just an idea of some of the things that will be happening and I will be trying to write some standalone articles too. I will aim to provide more video and more images too.

To sum up, it has been a great start but there is plenty more to come. Please spread the word and pass on the link to others. Please leave your comments about posts and possible future posts as this will help me to improve what I write.

I will leave you today with my favourite shot of the day from Ho’okipa.

Junko caught by Jimmie.

More to follow…

West Side Story - 60 Days of Summer Day 29

2010-08-06T21:04:00.000-07:00

With the forecast for wind to remain a feature of the current weather pattern for the foreseeable future, my painful foot and an unluckily placed cut (sustained on my finger while opening the peanut butter pretzel jar) I decided to make the hard decision to give windsurfing a rest for the day and let my body recover a bit. I have not been able to push it this week because of pain and I want to get back on track. I am confident that a day of rest will do the world of good and I will be back for the weekend. A day off windsurfing didn’t mean a full day out of the water and we once again packed our things and headed to the west side to catch a few waves.

This angle was ok but later I angled it up further towards the sun and that was better. You can clearly see the moisture strips and the leash, I have added a loop with kite line to the board so that it is easier to attach the camera safety leash, be sure to tidy up any loose lines and these can easlily mess up a good shot.

The GoPro Surf Hero set up I used today and positioning on the board. The stick on pads are great and it is so easy to attatch the board and or swap with your friends while on the water if they have a surf hero mount, I am going to get them for all my surfboards and would love to try mounting on a windsurf board but I am worried that I will smash it off with the rig.

While the waves were smaller and bumpier than yesterday it was again great to be out on the water enjoying some summer time treats. I managed to set the camera up better today and as a result got some better pictures.

Riding bubbles!

I love spray and water droplets in pictures.

The waves were small but super fun and there were not too many people about and the weather was perfect and you can see!

Happy to be on the water!

I need more speed, someone give me a paddle!

I really like this shot, would be good with another surfer in the background.

You might ask why I took a rest but still went surfing, well the plasters (Band Aids for the US readers) I am using are so good that they stay on and protect even in the water especially when combined with New Skin. The problem with sailing is that they only stay on so long and then the straps have been rubbing and making my gash worse.

These are the best plasters (band aids) I have ever used.

As the day draws to a close I look forward to having some friends over for curry and relaxing with a beer. I do feel ready to get back on the water tomorrow and hope that there are some waves left. If it is flat I plan on going SUPing and/or working on some freestyle moves. In any event I recon that tomorrow will be lots of fun and I look forward to reporting back in due course. I must remember to pick up the sander from Colin and get working on the speed board, the Maui VMAX Speed event is coming up very soon.

Sailing record = 93% (26/28 days)

On water record = 96% (27/28 days)

Pic of the day

I chose this as the pic of the day just because it made me laugh when I saw it, I look so funny!

More to follow…

Waves on all shores - 60 Days of Summer Day 28

2010-08-06T19:31:00.000-07:00

We woke early as planned and quickly chomped on our breakfast before strapping our longest surfboards to the roof and headed to the Launiupoko Beach Park on the west side to take advantage of the small south swell. On arrival we realised that the surf was smaller than expected but it was uncrowded and looked fun. While Liz worked on her core strength exercises I checked out the small waves breaking on the reef and was fairly pleased with what I found. I was using the Surf Hero mount for the first time today which was great fun but I didn't angle it up enough so some of the shots chopped off my head, will sort tomorrow.

The perfect summer spot

Fun summer waves. Loving the 8'0" Elua Makani.

Just great to be on the water.

Before we came back to the north shore we popped into Lahaina to have a wonder and check out the waves at the harbour (which looked great and I look forward to trying them out soon). Before our repatriation to the north we had already had the call to say that there were some waves and the wind was up so on arrival in Sprecks I quickly changed codes and dashed the 4 or so miles up the road to Ho’okipa. Jimmie pulled up next to me in the car park and we both quickly got into our respective positions.

On the water I was finding it hard to pick a decent wave and when I did I couldn’t find any rhythm so concentrated on jumping for a while. Eventually I found a few waves but was finding it hard to get speed and make anything happen off the top.

Tyring to make the most of a leftover.

Whether they are fast spins or high stalls I always find forwards fun, although my boards tend to complain after a while!

My foot coped relatively well but it was bothering me towards the end so I think that I will have to take another day off to try and get it to heal a bit more. Later in the evening It wasn’t long before I was fast asleep on the couch after a long and fun day on the water.

Pic of the day

Kai Lenny Pushlopp Table Top, I was just behind him and it was a sweet move, nice job Kai.

Sailing Record = 96% (26/27 days)

More to follow

Summer Waves - 60 Days of Summer Day 27

2010-08-05T21:28:00.000-07:00

The recent strong trades have generated a little bump on East facing shores so Ho’okipa has been getting some wasit to head high waves. While not of the best quality or longest period the swells have comes as a welcome boost to the wave starved North Shore community. Getting me on the water took a fair bit of preparation and plenty of New Skin (still excruciatingly painful to apply!), I am looking forward to this nasty gash to heal but I figure that I could stay out of the water for 5 days and it would still not heal fully so I have been taking care to keep it clean and protected as much as possible and it is healing slowly and hasn’t bothered me too much on the water.

Today wasn't a day for big moves but a day to have some fun on whatever you found out there.

I was a little late to the beach but on arrival I reaslised that I had not missed anything yet and it had just rained. There was a little more rain in the air before a I got my gear ready. As it cleared I rushed out to take advantage of empty waves even if the wind was a little light, although when I planed out and launched into a back loop others quickly rigged. Maybe I should have made it look like it wasn’t so windy! I knew that it wouldn’t be long before a ton of people jumped on it so I was super motivated to get the most out of the very technical conditions.

Not too much opportunity for jumps but managed to get a few backs.

I must say that the reduced weight of my rig this year really seems to make a difference in these marginal conditions and I felt really comfortable while others struggled. I was testing some more prototype Black Project Twin fins today and they felt really good with plenty of grip on the bottom turn but enough slide when I wanted it off the top.

Getting air was hard today with little power from either the wave or the wind.

As expected more sailors soon joined me out there but it stayed light and rather stormy so there were never more than ten or so sailors (mostly my friends) so it was great fun to be getting some rides and the odd jump. As the rain returned I headed back to the beach quickly before the wind dropped, others were not so lucky and swam home!

Happy to have had some fun uncrowded waves. Not sure what is happening with the hair!

Sailing Record = 96% (25/26)
All pictures (c) 2010 Jimmie Hepp

More to follow…

New Skin - 60 Days of Summer Day 26

2010-08-03T21:00:00.000-07:00

I didn’t expect to be on the water today but my fingers were crossed and even at lunchtime I thought that it was not going to happen. I decided to get the New Skin bottle out, boy that was painful but the pain wore off and I strapped my gear to the car and rushed up to Ho’okipa where I was greeted with fun waves and wind.

I have used this a few times now, it stings like hell but helps to get you back on the water sooner.

In all the rush I had forgotten my duct tape but luckily Colin was on hand to lend me some. So unexpectedly I was on the water and not in too much pain, in fact the duct tape lasted about 15 minutes before I crashed a back and it was gone. I was actually less painful with the tape gone but I knew that my time was short before the New Skin would rub off. I managed to get a few fun waves but I was a little out of sorts and didn’t achieve anything close to special. In all the rush I put my camera too high up on the mast and to rub salt into the wound I had to bin the pictures. While I didn’t have a great session in any regards it was good to be back in the water, I need to improve my sailing though in the coming days and I need to get some decent shots, I think a little more focus will go along way!

Some of the shots would have been great if the camera had been 3 inches further south. Gutted!

Sailing record = 96% (24/25 days) there has been a few sketchy ones recently, ready for a good day wave sailing!

More to follow...

Ten of the best Photos - 60 Days of Summer Day 25

2010-08-03T13:13:00.000-07:00

With my foot extremely sore and inflamed, totally my fault for sailing yesterday I had to sit out today. The conditions looked really fun at Ho’okipa and it was hard to resist but unfortunately I lost my 100% sailing record. I did manage a windy and cold run later in the day with a new PB! I am hopeful a day out of the water will do it but I may need two. For today’s post I decided to highlight one of the North Shore’s new personalities Jimmie Hepp who sprung onto the watersports scene this spring, not for his sailing, he doesn’t even windsurf but for his photos. His daily presence at Ho’okipa rivalled even the most die hard Baker brothers and his images have lit up Facebook and are starting to get wider recognition in the industry. I have chosen ten of my favourite Jimmie pictures to share with you today; so sit back click enlarge and enjoy.

Pic # 1: This picture was taken from the State Championships this past weekend. I love the confussion in the image. You can see how windy it was and getting round the marks was extremely difficult.

Pic # 2: Taken at Makena during the recent skimboard event. Jimmie has covered every water sport you can imaging in the last six months, if it has been on he has been there.

Pic # 3: This was taken at the North end of Front St by the old Chart house. While not a watersports one it does include a few boats so I guess that counts. WOW!

Pic # 4: This is the start of the MORMAI'I MOLOKAI PAILOLO SUP RACE.

Pic # 5: 22nd May, Ho'okipa, Skyler Haywood and Bernd Roediger, maybe Tatiana and co should try to re-create this with her Butterflies?

Pic # 6: 22nd May, Ho'okipa, Bernd Roediger alone this time, perfect sailing and perfect shot!

Pic # 7: 4th May, Ho'okipa. Levi rocks whatever the conditions (OK onshore 35 knot Pozo isn't his fav!)

Pic # 8: 27th April, Ho'okipa, Diony Guadagnino testing his 2011 Bolt, love the colours, great action, love the shot!

Pic # 9: The Butteryfly Effect, created by Tatiana Howard

Pic # 10: Pavillions, Ho'okipa back in March. Love the shaddow on the wave.

It was really hard picting my 10 favourite shots, there are so many, I tried to look at non-windsurf pictures too so that I got a good balance. My favourite one is PIC # 7 (I think) what's yours? PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW SO WE CAN SEE WHICH ONE IS MOST POPULAR.

Jimmie's pictures have become extremely respected and popular in Maui and I am sure that before long we will be seeing some of his pictures in print. Keep up the great work. ALL of Jimmie's pictures are available in full res for sale so if you see anything that you like please contact him and he will sort you out. At the moment he is putting together a CD of all the pictures from the Maui Race Series and that is being sold for a very reasonable 50 bucks. So if you have not already done so make Jimmie your friend on FB and go from there.

Sailing record = 96% (23/24 days)

More to follow...

New GoPro Mount, waves and new challenges - 60 Days of Summer Day 24

2010-08-02T10:59:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning and could not believe that it was August already, the time is flying. I also realised that my foot was rather sore; I had cut it on my fin yesterday. The forecast of 20 knots and 7 ft wind waves looked promising and I had arranged to go sailing with my buddy Marc at Sprecks.

Plenty of duck tape later my foot was ready to hit the water. It was such a joy to be on super light kit today after two weeks of being maxed out on big heavy sails. There were some fun waves on the Camp One reef and while my 4.5m Bolt was a little small for jumping it was great fun to be in some swells and getting some backside rides.

The sun was shining, the wind blowing and the waves somewhat peeling but one problem, my right foot! The cut on my right foot was rubbing too much and it was super painful to do anything particularly when in the front strap. I tried to loosen the strap but that didn’t seem to change anything, I was OKish riding with it in the back but I knew what the real solution was and it wasn’t long before I limped back to shore and packed my gear. It was only then that I realised just how painful my foot was and I was rather angry at myself because I should have known better and sat out for the day, the waves have just been too tempting! Tomorrow I will have to stay off the water and likely avoid running or walking much too. Maybe I’ll hit some golf balls but I want to be super careful in the hope that I can get back on the water after just one missed day. GUTTED!

Before I went on the water I tried out a new mount on Marc’s gear and on review I am really pleased with the new angle and when I am back sailing and we have some conditions it will hopefully produce some good shots. I do need to solve the water droplets issue and will try the RainX solution.

I used a mix of bits from the bike seat post and roll bar mounts. It attached to the mast about 6 inches about the boom and facing towards the sailor in a portrait orientation. We had the camera at a slight angle, you really need to try to think about the sailor, sail and board positions while sailing to ensure that you get the shot you want. We realised later that we should have rotated it into landscape for the video footage.

This will be a great angle and I look forward to trying it!

I really like landing shots with tons of spray. Can't wait to get this to Ho'okipa. Thanks Marc for your camera work today.

With the racing finished and the wind blowing hard one of my next challenges will be too see if I can break 40 knots on a windsurf board. Last year I had one day on a slalom board (the same one I used for the racing) and a 6.0 and managed 33 something. This year I have a F2 Missile to fix and I know that can go REALLY fast in the right hands. The board does have a few issues but nothing a grinder and some resin cannot fix. While 40 knots does not seem fast by modern day speed sailing terms we do not have a proper speed course here, we just have the inside of the Camp One reef and you sometimes get a flattish section between the waves so getting fast times is really hard (and scary!). There are some MauiVMAX days in the pipeline for August so that should help. I will be spending a lot more time in the waves too and I cannot wait to get back into my normal habitat.

66 litres of pure speed! I think that the smaller size will really help me becuase with my lack of weight I find it hard to keep the board on the water when it gets super over powered.

Sailing record (for now) 100% (23/23 days)

More to follow…

Maui Race Series State Championships: a racer's view - 60 Days of Summer Day 23

2010-08-01T21:07:00.000-07:00

26 years ago (in 1984) the first Maui Race Series champions were being crowned. If you are old enough and were windsurfing at that time cast your mind back to what it was like in those defining years. I still have windsurfing magazines from 1984 (I was 7 years old); the iconic images of Robby Naish, Mike Waltz, Pete Cabrina and many more of that era inspired me and began to mould my future path. I was 18 when I put my academic career on hold, sold all my race gear and bought a ticket to Hawaii. I owe a debt of gratitude to those early pioneers just as the sport of windsurfing owes a debt of gratitude to the organisers of events and competitions around the world. Without event organisers there would be no stages for our champions to be born and publicized. I want to publically thank the Maui Race Series organisers and volunteers for their hard work, it was hell out there at times today and it took grit to get through the races, imagine how horrid it was on the start boat and this is Hawaii, people do it in Denmark, in Scotland and many other cold and wild places just so that we can race, jump and spin in front of the cameras. I also want to thank the sponsors of the series and all companies who have sponsored events in the past here and around the world, without this cash injection it just would not be possible. I am sure that association with such an amazing sport is beneficial to these companies so it is a win-win situation.

Some last minute advice is always good. You can see the flag order clearly writting on my arm so that I didn't forget! Picture courtesy of Jimmie Hepp

This post will concentrate on my experiences today and reflect on where my racing career might go from here. For an article about the whole event and all the results check out The Maui News - Double honors for McGain, Roediger.

The alarm sounded at 7am this morning and it took a period of total concentration for the next ten and a half hours to ensure that I was: prepared, rigged, at briefing, at the start line, ate food, drank water, changed sails, changed fins, completed races, de-rigged, packed my gear, attended the after party at Neil Pryde and finally drive safely home! I didn’t stop for a moment and had very little time to actually step back and ponder what was going on, I didn’t even notice the results to other divisions or races, how others were doing, barely had time to say two words to Liz who was gallantly supporting and assisting all day (Thank you xx). It was great to see baby Jack turn up to support his uncle on his first trip to the beach and I am sure that he will become a regular feature of the Kanaha and Ho’okipa car parks in future years. I did manage to grab my helmet cam for a couple of heats so that you can experience what it was like out there.

The Maui Race Series is split in two parts; first up it is age groups then in the afternoon it is mixed up into ability groups each section has four races with one discard and prizes are awarded for both. This format is excellent but some sailors do feel the strain and there tends to be a few less survivors on the start line in the afternoon (especially today with the brutal conditions). The quick running heats are extremely efficiently organised and a total of 44 heats were run in 4 hours of racing.

My camp during the pre-race set up. Picture courtesy of Jimmie Hepp

Nervous, yes extremely nervous is the best way to describe how I had been feeling in the run up to the event. I knew that I had put a lot into it over the last couple of weeks, I knew that I had been absent from racing for a long time, I knew that I had been writing about in online, I knew that lots of people have been reading about my adventures… the list goes on, lets just say I was nervous! I was pleased and sort some comfort into the fact that my logistical preparation had gone well and I had a very calm set up in the morning although the changeable wind made equipment choice critical and had many scratching their heads a little. Before long I was sat on the beach upwind of the start with just 5 minutes to go with a bunch of other racers. My nerves were calmed a great deal when Matt (Wicks) joined me (we races together from age 13 to 18 I think) and his cheerful words made me feel at home.

To the start, well I have been practicing so was a bit confident but the strong winds of up to 40mph+ of the last couple of days had made it extremely choppy with some rolling waves out to sea so setting up was rather hard. Two minute count downs go extremely quickly and all of a sudden I was crossing the line with the pack sprinting to the first mark at full speed and within just a few minutes I was crossing the finish line just behind Matt and in 8th place (out of 10). Wow that was quick, I knew that my hesitation on the turns had cost me a few places but I was so pleased not to have embarrassed myself and completed the first race.

End of Race # 1, Matt wins this one. Picture courtesy of Jimmie Hepp

During the set up for the second race I was concerned that a heap of the other sailors seemed to be way ahead, was I late? But, as we came within ten seconds of the flag it was clear that a number of sailors were over early and would be disqualified. Matt and I were again side by side, I led to start but my lacklustre gybes let him through and I was playing catch up. After 3 minutes with the throttle on full we both crossed the line within 15 feet of each other, that was so much fun! I thought I was in trouble with the officials as one came running down the beach screaming at me, luckily all he wanted was my name!

The end of race #2, maxed on a 6.0m. Picture courtesy of Jimmie Hepp

The wind had increased and I just had time to change down to a 5.5m but didn’t have time to change the fin. Liz handed me the helmet cam and I dashed off to the start, you only get about 5 minutes before you need to get back upwind to the start area. The start was amazing, I think I reached the first mark in fourth but once again the turns were causing me trouble and I slipped to eighth by the end.

This is mens 19-39 age group race # 3 including the pre-race countdown. A good start but it goes wrong!

With the wind still maxing out at 40 mph on the course I stayed with the 5.5. Not such a great start but again I was right up there at the start before drifting down the pack after a series of poor gybes, I couldn’t understand why my corners were so bad on race day after being so good in practice. I was certainly playing it too safe. With some disqualifications I ended up with a sixth place in this race so it turned out to be a good result.

I didn’t stay for the final prize giving and results so it was only later I got to read the full results and much to my surprise I came 5th overall in the 19 to 39 division and in that second race where a few people were over early I WON! My results were 8th, 1st, (8th discarded) and 6th = 14.7 points. Consistency and start discipline had really paid off and I am really pleased because this was one of my major weaknesses as a teenage racer. I only wish I had known these results before going into the afternoon as it would have given me confidence to push a little harder.

I think this is the start of 19-39 Race # 2, you can just see me in the middle behind the white North.

After a short lunch break where I spent much of my time adjusting my 5.5 to cope with the increasing wind only for the wind to drop down and me have to switch back to the 6.0m! I did get some much needed rest back at my base camp, having a good race day camp is so important and I always try to get out of my wet gear whenever possible, the longer you are in wet clothes, wetsuits etc. the more energy drains out of you.

For the afternoon I had signed up for the Expert division and the increasing wind, swell and rain made for torturous conditions but it reminded me of racing in Denmark at the 1994 Youth World Championships and I was relatively comfortable. With even less time between heats in the afternoon there was barely time to catch your breathe before you had to be on your way to the start boat. The wind picked up some more and I could see more coming upwind. I just had enough time to change down to the 5.5 again and change the fin before the third race. Again my turns were letting me down but my speed was good between the marks. With better turns maybe I could have won the division but I ended up third with a 1st, 3rd, 3rd and 3rd (Discard) = 6.7 points. Again I didn’t realise that I had won the first race until later when I realised that Bernd was over early. As I rounded the final mark I started to reflect on the whirlwind of a day and smiled but was a little sad that it was all over and I would have to wait until next year to race again.

This is the Expert group race # 3 including the pre-race countdown. Too many mistakes, really over powered on 5.5m.

Max 100m speed of 29.95knots during the races.

So where to go from here? I am certainly keen to continue with racing for fun and aim to compete in a few Maui Race Series events next year. In a month I will be leaving Maui and going back to Bahrain for a number of months and I will be sure to take some slalom kit with me because the conditions are perfect there to train. I had luckily borrowed virtually all the gear used from Hot Sails Maui and Tom and to compete in the future I will have to get some boards and order sails, booms, bases etc. This is expensive but with careful planning I am sure that I can reduce the cost a lot. Slalom racing is fun and my advise to any budding racer is prepare, get your practice in and get signed up, if you approach it with the right attitude you will enjoy yourself and your sailing with improve immeasurably. Now that this challenge has been completed it is time for me to start my next. Check back tomorrow for more info about my next mini-challenge!

Sailing record STILL 100%

More to follow…

Maui Race Series State Championships Event Preview - 60 Days of Summer Day 22

2010-07-31T00:55:00.000-07:00

Saturday brings the Maui Race Series to a close with the final event of the race season here on the Valley Isle. The Neil Pryde sponsored State Championship will bring together racers from around the globe as far a field as South Africa, Australia, the UK and of course there are a lot of riders from the USA many of whom are Hawaiian grown. All racers will have one thing in common as the first hooter blows, a desire to become State Champion in their respected division and by this time tomorrow we will have our champions crowned.

All sticker'd up and ready to roll...

On a personal note this event will mark my return to racing after a 15 year gap and I am really looking forward to it. This afternoon it all camer back to where it begun some 20 years ago at Alton Water in the UK when I first applied my sail numbers to a green and black Dolphin Sails 6.0m, back then it was K197 but I later shortened that to K97. The sails and boards may have progressed some what but, the feeling of marking a sail and preparing your gear for race day is still the same and those feelings came flooding back today.

Planning is everything and I thought that I had all bases covered but, then it got stupidly windy for Maui with gusts of 41 mph today with the same forecast for tomorrow. Today I could not sail in a straight line with my 5.5m (my smallest!). The last 2 weeks of training has been with 8.0 thru 6.0m. Enough of today, tomorrow is race day, all bets are off, the sun will rise and I will be on a mission until the final chequered flag falls to signal the end of the final race.

Bring it on! Tune in tomorrow for the full report with pictures and onboard video action, see what it is like to compete and hear how my return to racing goes!

More to follow...

GoPro tails, Weird Wind and a little bit of Perspective - 60 Days of Summer Day 21

2010-07-30T12:04:00.000-07:00

I decided to take a rest from my slalom training and popped down to Sprecks for a quick session to test out some different sets of twin fins for Black Project on my wave gear. It felt rather strange to be on small and loose kit after two weeks of slalom sailing. I am not sure what was happening today but I couldn’t seem to get comfortable even for a moment. One second it seemed stupidly windy the next not much was there, I wasn’t the only one having the same issues, it was just a really funky day. When I looked online later I saw that it was gusting from 20 to 36 mph and rather shifty so that explains a lot. With the wind so unpredictable it was hard to settle into any sort of rhythm but the sun was shining and the water is warm so I wasn’t complaining (OK maybe a little!).

I was working with the GoPro again today. I am still trying to iron out a few issues. Stills from the mast mount seem to be coming out blurred, which I am convinced is due to the vibration, I will try some different settings and see if that solves the issue. My lens for the most part did not fog up but I did notice a little water later in the session but this did not affect anything, this is totally my fault for not changing the water absorbing strips before going out. I have 3 sets and they all look identical, I am going to get my sharpie out and number them so that I don’t make that mistake again. NOTE TO GOPRO: WHY DONT YOU MAKE THE DIFFERNT COLOURS OR NUMBER THEM LIKE GOLF BALLS? The final issue is not quite knowing how hard to tighten the screws, I want to leave a little give in case of collision but today I didn’t do them up enough and most of my mast mount footage was lost because it kept slipping as I went over the chop.

A rare non blurred mast mount shot, often they seem to have patches but I am confident I can solve the issues.

So of you who have read a few GoPro related posts will be starting to wonder; Why bother? The answer is simple to explain. You would take hundreds of photos on land to get that perfect one in relatively controllable conditions, getting the right shot is never easy there are so many variables. Now add water, wind, vibration and human error into the mix and it is clear that you are unlikely to get the perfect shot straight away when you strap a camera to yourself or your gear and go onto the water. There needs to be that element of luck present for you to get the picture that you are looking for. That being said, you need to persevere and eliminate error wherever you can so do take advice from others and do get out there with your camera, gain experience, iron out the issues on the so so days. In time you will be ready for when the conditions are good and you’ll end up with the great clip of video or the stunning shot. I am yet to get there but I feel that it is just around the corner.

This is just a sample of some of today's video, nothing too exciting but great as always to be on the water and hope you enjoy the ride.

What’s coming up?

Tomorrow, I will be looking ahead to the Neil Pryde State Championship which will take place on Saturday with my full event preview including my take on preparing for the big day, hopefully this will give you the motivation to get out and give racing ago even if you are (like me) a die hard wave sailor at heart!

Pic of the day

This picture was actually taken last summer, the stunning Makanalua Peninsula behind me is protected by some of the world's largest sea cliffs and is home to the Kalaupapa leprosy colony.

In the 1800's it was chosen at the perfect(?) place to isolate leprosy victims. I am currently on a self proclaimed mission to find wind, waves, fun etc. but at age 33 (the same age as me) and in 1873, Father Damien deVeuster, arrived at Kalaupapa. A priest from Belgium, he served the leprosy patients at Kalaupapa until his death 16 years later after contracting the disease. Father Damien built homes, churches and coffins; arranged for medical services and funding from Honolulu, and became a parent to his diseased wards. Puts what I am doing into perspective some what but it is really motivating to see what is possible! You can read more about Molokai and the Makanalua Peninsula at http://visitmolokai.com/kala.html and lots of other sites. The isolated community is still there today and yes, still cut off from the world although largely by choice.

Sailing record = 100% (20/20 possible days)

More to follow...

Eight in the 808 - 60 Days of Summer Day 20

2010-07-29T10:44:00.000-07:00

My Tabou received some more attention this morning and is now sporting a flesh lick of paint. I am itching to get back onto a wave board and sail after a couple of weeks dedicated to being overpowered on big gear. After confirming my entry this morning and choosing my event t-shirt size (which ended up being quite difficult!) I arrived at a much windier Kanaha than was presented yesterday. It was set up to be a great opportunity to get some high wind practice in and I rigged a 6.0 with most people of 5.5 – 5.8m sails. It looks like it will be rather windy on Saturday so I had picked up a 5.5m to add to my ever growing quiver of boards and sails. There are not many details online about the 2010 Maui Race Series but this weekend Kanaha will host the Neil Pryde State Championships, the first possible start is 11:30am so get down and check it out. It should be a good watch for all the family (entry if FREE for spectators!). I will be posting a report on Saturday evening which will include onboard video from my races so that you’ll be able experience what it is like to hurtle round a slalom course with 10 other guys all trying to beat you!

With my two week preparation almost complete my plan for today was to simulate a full race day which consists of 4 races in the morning and 4 in the afternoon, I would use my timer to practice my starts and try to get into some sort of rhythm. It was extremely choppy especially in the upwind area where the races will start. It is hard to fully visualise the course without the course actually being laid but I know the Kanaha waters well and the GPS tracks are interesting and show that I managed to keep a fairly constant course throughout the day. I completed 4 back to back downwind slaloms with a max speed in the low 29’s.

The timers used these days are rather better than what I had15 years ago with a big display and being easy to use.

After a brief lunch break I was back on the water for the second set of 4 races. The wind had picked up (but looking at the online data it appears that it wasn’t as windy as two days ago when I was on the 6.6!) and I was thankful of the extra inch of downhaul that I had added during the break but, the broad downwind legs especially the first two were extremely tough and it was hard to keep the board in a straight line and from smashing into the chop. I have been practicing on a figure-8 course in recent days so it was interesting to try out a different angle.

This is the analysis of one of the practice races, you can clearly see the sail upwind and start (the shorter red ones) where I was coasting and then the 5 legs. The start is towards the beach from the outside and it this clearly shows how much slower it is going out through the chop on the 2nd and 4th legs. At the weekend I will try to set a WAYPOINT at the startline so that I can assess my speed at each of the starts.

By 4:15pm I had successfully completed 8 practice races and hadn’t fallen off at a gybe mark even once! I figured that was a good time to quit for the day! My max speed was clocked at 29.82 knots and I was pleased with a new Alpha 500 PB of 22.734 Knots which will go towards the HAM challenge score, looking more closely this was completed with only a max speed of 26.7 knots which makes me think that there is more that I can do here.

Check out the HAM website, maybe you could do a challenge in your sailing area?

This GPS image shows all of the tracks from today, again you can clearly make out the start area in the top right, the five legs and the upwind cruising (back up to the start).

After arriving home having completed some errands (of which one was to stock up on Powerbars!) I once more donned my running kit and set off into the wind and up to Paia before going straight up the hill, it was a fairly short but tough run and I was really pleased after a fairly taxing day at the beach. I do feel somewhat ready now for the weekend and I may not train tomorrow or Friday instead opting for some bump’n’jump action as I am keen to get on my waveboard and try those new fins some more.

Pic of the day

On top of the world, click to enlarge

Sailing record = 100% (19/19)

More to follow...

A Beautiful Day to go Sailing - 60 Days of Summer Day 19

2010-07-27T23:25:00.000-07:00

The morning started with some much needed repairs to my wavebaord, who will be back to pounding the waves in Sunday once the racing is completed rather than sat in my back yard cooking in the sun.

It looks rather messy at the moment, but a good layer of filler today and plenty of sanding and it looks much better, all that is left now is some spray paint and some Sharpie markes (for the graphics) and she'll look as good as new (almost!).

My box of board fixing tricks.

With not too much wind forecast in the 808 state I had half planned an SUP downwinder before the wind picked up enough to get some light air slalom practice in. The downwinder will have to wait until after Saturday as I really need to keep training. It was a very different to normal Kanaha today with very few people at the beach, it was a peaceful and pleasant place to hang out and the 10-14 knots onshore breeze was perfect for the 8.0m and 80cm wide board.

Later in the session the wind picked up a little but not enough to challenge Tom’s record speed of yesterday.

I tried a slightly different set up today with more downhaul, slighter higher boom and longer lines, this seemed to work well and I felt the most comfortable that I have on the big kit. With the sun shining on the deserted beach it was great to hang out and swim with Liz before getting out for one final session. No great speeds today on the GPS as it was a little too light, it would have been good to have tried an 8.8. Thanks to Liz for all the pics today.

Not much wind today but great to be on the water on such a beautiful day here in Hawaii.

So it is just a few days to go until the Neil Pryde State Championships and everyone is getting geared up. It looks like there will be 20-30 knots of wind on the day so looking at the logistics because I definitely need 5.5, 6.0, 6.6 and 7.3 rigged and ready to ensure that I am covered. The thing that I never forgot about racing was the enormous amounts of equipment needed, it is a bit easier here in Hawaii because it is one warm but secondly the wind is relatively constant but it will start off lighter in the early rounds, get windier as the day progresses and be lighter for the later races so I need to be prepared for everything. With the first race at 11:30am I am guessing that my mound of gear will need to make the short journey from my house to the beach around 9am.

It was great to feel a lot more comfortable today in the gear, what a difference from 2 weeks ago!

One more question on my mind is whether to enter the Semi-Pro or the Expert division, I want to race against my buddies Matt Wicks and John Smalley (who I used to race against when I was young) but I don’t want to chew off too much and be at the back of the pack all day. I will get the opportunity to race in the 19-39 category too which will be really tough but great fun. I need to register tomorrow so will sleep on it and make up my mind in the morning. I finished the day with the Kanaha and back run and was pleased with my pace.

Pic of the day - I have talked about the Kanaha run lots in the last couple of weeks so I though that it was about time to include a picture that I took while out on my bike along the path. What a beautiful place to run/ride/walk, it is really motivating to look up and see this.

Click to enlarge

More to follow...

Records Smashed! - 60 Days of Summer Day 18

2010-07-27T19:40:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the later than normal post, the internet has been down here in Maui, just as a reminder how isolated this place actually is!

Today was a slightly strange day, when you have had wind everyday without fail I guess you get a little complacent. In recent days I have been sailing a little later in the day, we have been so busy and it has been good to avoid the hottest part of the day (although any day feels cold here compared to Bahrain!) too. Tom (HSM Designer) and I had arranged to sail together today so that we could test the 2011 Hot Sails GPS and the new prototype Black Project fins but to our surprise the wind looked light on the north shore so we opted to race over to the forbidden south side to sail at Kihei (most sailors fear the 8 mile drive down south but, as Tom pointed out when you have driven 6 hours to sail in Cornwall only to be “skanked” and drive 6 hours back home a 20 min round trip doesn’t seem all that bad. On arrival in Kihei I was thinking to myself that I had never actually sailed there (yes, I too have been one of those sailors!), I didn’t want to jinx the trip so kept quiet but, those thoughts were enough to ensure that the God of No Wind had cast a shadow on us! Oh well back to Sprecks (where Liz and I live) but rather than the having to listen to the same CD over and over (like on a trip to Cornwall) there was barely enough time for 2 tracks of the pounding Hammer music.

When the wind is light and from the North or North East then it is usually windier in Kihei but it is not that popular unless you are a racer or freestyler.

On arrival it seemed pretty light so Tom rigged a 2011 8.0m GPS prototype and I rigged a 5.6m 2011 Bolt prototype. I was a little concerned that the Light Wind Speed Challenge was on his mind and fearful that my record would fall. I was also testing the new 16cm Twin Fins and the GoPro anti fog strips. Unfortunately the light wind meant that while I kept my 100% record for the summer it wasn’t the most exhilarating 30 minutes of my sailing career. I was trying to work out the criteria for claiming the day but, as I caught a gust and managed an under rotated back loop I figured that would do it. All the time I could see Tom thundering down the Camp One Speed course and couldn’t help thinking that the record was about to fall but much to my surprise when back on the beach Tom had not managed to break the record YET!

Tom eventually smashed my best 8.0m speed by setting an impressive 29.9 knots (10 seconds) and with that he regains the Light Wind Speed Challenge trophy. That speed is going to be hard to beat here in Maui but you wait until I get the 8.0 out at The Wall, Bahrain. Tom is pictured here with his new 2011 GPS prototype.

The wind had dropped down and I decided to summons the wind gods once more by de-rigging in the hope that the wind would materialise and give the Hammer another shot at glory. Right on cue as the final piece of my kit was neatly stashed away the wind picked up to a steady 15 knots and Tom was back out, even from my vantage point some distance away I could see the record tumble and Tom regained what is rightfully his with a speed of 29.9 knots. Tom will have to wait a little longer to get the trophy back in his house as it was unfortunately smashed in transit between Sprecks and Paia but, the less said about that the better! Congrats to Tom who raised the bar today. If you are interested in joining the Light Wind Speed Challenge and use HSM GPS sails please email me.

1st Tom Hammerton 29.9 knots (2011 8.0m GPS Prototype, 2005 Exocet S4 125 ltr)
2nd Chris Freeman 27.14 knots (2009 8.0m GPS, 2005 Exocet S4 125 ltr)
3rd Andrew Freeman 25.33 knots (2009 8.0m GPS, 2005 Exocet S4 125 ltr)

You will see that we have all set our fastest times with the same board!

2011 HSM Bolt Sneak Peak – I moved over to the Bolts (from the Fire) for 2010 so it was great to be able to try out the 2011 prototype and I was instantly impressed by what it brought to the table. The light weight and easy handling has been maintained but with added stability. The now fashionable shorter boom with over hanging leech, new panel layout and new colour scheme make it look the part too. Sail and board fashions have meant that we have had a variety of contrasting looks over the years (remember the fluro Kleppers of the late 80’s that fell apart at the seams then compare that to the very plain white F2s of the 90’s) but for 2011 it seems that manufacturers have gone for lots of really bright colours and the water will look like a gay pride parade through San Francisco or Brighton for the foreseeable future (that is until the 2012 sails are released when I am sure all will change again).

For 2011 the Bolt features a new panel layout and great new set of colour schemes.

Bolt 2011: Loving the new colour scheme and easy handling. Today I was trying a new boom mount with the camera very close to the clew; I also angled the camera to give this slanted view and to get a wider field of view, will be good when we get some bump'n'jump or wave riding. CLICK TO ENLARGE

The Bolt’s x-ply window has been kept for added strength and the four battens remain (I wonder if any manufacturers will seriously try to make a 3 batten wave sail? I saw a prototype from one company at Ho’okipa a couple of weeks back). As you know from reading the above there wasn’t mush wind so I will have to leave my full analysis until I get a better day to test but, my first comment was; “When can I have one?” I will have to wait becuase they are not available yet.

Providing that there is wind it is back to the training ground tomorrow and some more slalom practice, if the wind is light I will be trying the regain the trophy! I must make sure that I register for the weekend too.

Pic of the day

As I said that the beginning of my 60 day mission, you need plenty of gear to be on the water everyday and as you can see from the photo the gear is mounting up in our back yard. Normally I just have one waveboard and two sails! Luckily for me Hot Sails Maui are always there to sort me out, I can't imagine how I could cope if I had to pay retail for all this stuff!

Sailing record = 100% (17/17 possible days)

More to follow…