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!
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.
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!
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!
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.
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.
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!
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