Prefect Lower Kanaha day after day!

Finaly time for some new post. I have not had time to post for a while, so much to do: “Sleep, eat, drive to Kanaha, rig up the gear in time before 11, windsurf , brake with food and water, windsurf, break with food and water, even more windsurf sessions, talk to all the nice people at Kanaha about the perfect ride you had on a shoulder on a wave, about a wave you missed because somebody dropped in on, about a kite who was weary close, about a nice kiter who helped you in to the shore, talk about windsurfing gear, and talk about how nice these days have been, then rig down the gear drive home make some food with lots of proteins, go to sleep dream about windsurf, and the same all over again next day”
So as you understand we have had so so nice conditions now, even one day with mast high sets, but I think we in average have had around head high to logo about every day. Some few times we also have had some big sets coming even more than logo high. But sometimes, and particularly in the start of the wind period we had was it sometimes quite crowded. The picture above a windsurfing friend, Petsch and his girlfriend Yvonne took of me point that. The title of the pix is “you are never alone at lower kanaha” And below 2 pictures of an another windsurfing friend Andrea with the blue NP zone sail. As you can understand you have to be observant with all the people around you, and you have to be extra concentrated to follow the roles in the waves.

But the bad part is that not everybody follow the roles in the waves at kanaha so you can be quite stressed. But if you are clever you can find time on the day when it is not so crowded.. and that is during the morning and afternoon session. The windsurfing friend Petsch have now started to look at the clock if I arrive a bit late before 11 o’clock and then he say with an Swiss accent “you are late” with an slightly gruffness in the voice. But I have had my payback days when I have had my gear almost tuned up when he arrive and been able to say “you are late”

About my new Quarto quad boards, I am so in love with them, they work absolutely perfect for me. Some days I have used my 95 liter some days my 80 liter. I hope I soon have time to write some more about them at my quad board article series.

So now rest day yesterday and surf at the south shore today, and probably surf tomorrow. It was in fact now wery wery good for the body, arms and mind to have some rest. It looks like we probable will get huge swell and wind on Friday. The forecast the following days also predict much wind. As I also have heard is that there is some lowpressure/highpressure disturbance south of Maui the mess up the normal wind. So my conclusion for that and that the forecast have changed a lot form hour to hour we can not be to secure that we will get wind as we hope for. But anyway when the wind suppose to arrive I think we can score with some windsurf if we really follow the conditions and goes on the water when the wind probable arrive, even if it’s only for some hours.

So here in the end of the post a couple of pictures I took with my zoom lens of upper Kanaha a day we had mast high conditions. (I go Lower Kanaha on days like this)

Perfect Kanaha, Perfect quad 95 liter board.

There is in fact no time to blogging now, so much to do, surf, windsurf and to Halloween party tomorrow. But I have to blog about this day. I try to do it short…need time to digest the impressions from the for me perfect day, and I need good sleep for preparation for more wind and swell tomorrow,

First of all sorry to al windsurfers that I don’t had time to anny photos today. I have got a lot of feedback on my photos, and all the pro windsurfers have starting to nag me..”heei Tormod take a picture of me,,,,see here I do a bacloop wit no hands…see here I do an new move..and so on” as you readers understand a joke about they asking me to take pictures, what’s in fact is true Is that I have got some good feedback from some pro windsurfers about the pictures, and I am so happy for that. I have also had nice discussion with the blogger and windsurfer Giampaulo, He have a cool discussion on his blog about the Boom height. Cool my pictures have been helpful. And thanks to Giampaulo for sharing a maybe secret surf spot and for the info about the importance of surfing, as a basic for windsurf in waves. I have the last days before the super windsurf today had a huuuuge step and progress in surf now with sooo many takeoffs and soo may rides. I am later going to write an article about how to deal with fear in waves and the article will definitely involve a importance part of surf. I am now so in love with my Kazuma performace longboard, I was so happy to get from Jørgen, thanks Jørgen, the board is so abselutely perfect for me!!!!!!!!

Ok, so it was not time for pictures today, so I found a picture of Kieth at Ho’okipa 21 Okt, from my big big picture archive ..Hope that’s good enough.

And then about today..I think this day, ye right now this day was my best day on a windsurf board ever in my life. My boddy is now so fitted and longlasting after days with surf and windsurf so It is so eacy for me to stay out there in long time, today in 3 long sessions. For me Kanaha was so perfect as it could be with sets about up to logo High, some people thought it was bigger but I think logo is correct. Some of the waves had a tendency to close out, but if you found the right one you could easy go on the sholder and take turns all the way from the channel down to kite beach. My quarto 95 litre board is so on my team, it works so absolutely perfect. The board kind of do what you think and want to do..not more not less.
But it was also a day with a lot of people on the water so, it was sometimes a bit to crowded. There was also many horrible and close maneuvers as drop in on the waves, people loffing up against you when you are on the top of the wave, people going really close and so on. But I did a mistake today as well. I must admit I was a bit to mush focused on some swell sets coming in and was taking a jybe right in front of a swell, and forgot to see me enough back before the jybe and there it was a windsurf friend coming right behind me. ..It went ok, but I hate to do mistakes like that…so sorry.

So then more wind and swell tomorrow.

Big Ho’okipa 25.09.09

I have now finished even more albums from the photo session yesterday. Maybe it is a bit many pictures, but I think it is cool to show hole sequences, as an inspiration of waveraiding. In the Ho’okipa album you also see Keith on the rocks after doing some really radical waveriding. After some short washing around in the rocks, He sailed out..I am impressed.

Robby Naish Ho'okipa wave pictures sequense2 25.09.09

Ho'okipa 25.09.09

Kieth Teboul ho'okipa wave sequence pictures

The pictures is from yesterday. But today I had a day off from my camera. Sailed with my new quad 80 liter and 4,7 sail at Lower Kanaha had good wind and some nice waves witch was smaller then yesterday. The wind messed up the waves a bit. But down to the kitebeach witch I now often end up with the super nice wave addicted super riding board, the waves was cleaner. I must later go on with write more about my experience with quad…I just love the boards, they are so in harmony with me, and make me ride waves like I never did before. I also met Pio from Maui fin company (MFC) today. He was at Kanaha to test out quads in the waves there. He also gave me some god advices in waveriding with the quad boards. You can push it really hard was one of the things he told me, next to the possibilities to stay up in the waves with quad. After a brake I really tried to push it more in the bottom turn. I feel total grip all the time, and I just know I am far far away from the limits. Keep up follow the blog.

Super nice windsurf at Lower Kanaha

I had a super fine windsurf at lower Kanaha today. Even when I in 2008 was windsurfing up to mast high, I now sort of have to start all over regarding feel relaxed out there in the impactzone. For me these days have been absolutely perfect. Started Wednesday and Thursday with friendly waves around knee high. And to day bigger around up to head high plus, wish now is in my comfort zone. I am that person who not necessarily say the bigger it is the better it is. I am more the cleaner it is the better it is. So today A perfect day, In my impression it started with smaller waves and got bigger during my sessions. So then perfect for my steps in comfort zone witch until now have given me a fast progress.

Here some pictures of lover Kanaha, to give an impression of the conditions to day.

Lower K. Last day

It was in fact a bit depressing day. I am that cind of person who are a extremely happy windsurfer when everything works ok, so then this time after one month I really started to feel really comfortable out there. I also started to know a lot of nice people. At Kanaha it is often much the same people and when you are there for a while you know more and more of all the nice people, addicted to this nice sport windsurfing.
So today when driving..I was thinking, this is last time this year driving trough Paia, and last rigging. And when out there last jibe inside and last jibe outside. My last way out I went really far out, and when heading inn again I slowed down and just looked at haleakala and the palm trees to "print" it in my brain to memorize it. To day I also had only my surf shorts on, no raschguard, just to feel the nice water and weather.
To day the condition was a bit on and off. I was on with my 4,7 and still with the Goya 90L board. I had a 22 fin on it today, but today the board was sometimes a bit to big. And there was definitive some waves today, maybe head high or perhaps a bit higher sometimes, and the set’s was coming a bit oftener than yesterday. I was not on the water weary long maybe around 2 hours. Because of the sometimes strong wind the waves was not so clean, and there was a lot shop in the waves. I think the waves and waves was better later on the day , when I was packing my gear, and preparing it for flight, at Kanaha beach park.

Niiiiice windsurf at lower K Testing Goya custom 90 L

OHH, what a lovely day. But also a day with a bit of sadness because I leave this fantastic island tomorrow evening. For sure I will manage to have a whole day with windsurf in this swell with wind.
But about today, have been testing out Goya custom wave board, 90 litre. Was at Lower K, and was on with my 5,3. The wind was a bit up and down , quite strong in the start of the day, and could definitively had my 4,7. But later on the day the wind decreased a bit. But now about the board…what have I been doing, I have now for first time really been riding waves. Of course I still like my rww 76 litre, but it is something wrong with it in side shore "big" waves. When going on with the Goya board it sort of was going where I wane to go when I was in the waves. When standing on a top of a wave waiting for it to get steep and then drop down of it the Goya board was really a partner to trust, and it was easy to have the speed up down the line, with several bottom turns.
For me , my weight is 80 kg, 90 litre of a wave board sounds big, but in fact it did not felt big. Even in the shop on the inside of the reef I felt full control even when going very fast.
When the wind dropped a bit it was really nice to have the floating litres, and always have the feeling that come back to the beach will not be any problem. But about this huge difference and progress, is for sure not just about the board, it is also a result of that I am getting better, more relaxed in the waves and I am now ready for that kind of board.
About the waves to day: It was not really big waves, but some good sets was coming now and then, maybe head high. I think the swell is a bit too much from vest to get all the way in to Lower K. When the swell is to west Lower K is someway in a wave shadow behind the vest part of Maui. But as told there was some sets coming, and today I was sometimes a bit in un sync in meaning of that I had waves when going out, but no waves when going in.
So sorry no pictures from this day. Was on wather from 12.00 until 17.30, with only one brake ☺ In meanings no time for the camera.
You should really check out Paal’s blog and web album. He manage to take a picture of a good trial on double back loop.

Upper and lower Kanaha.

In fact nothing special to blog about today. I was after all long time on the water, so it is really a windsurf day to log. The wind was quite offshore, almost no swell so I headed to upper K, but quite messy up there no order so I went down to Lower, almost no waves. The wind was extremely gusty, sometimes underpowered with my 4,7 sometimes slightly overpowered. And I thought what a messy day, I was thinking just to go in. But then I thought “think about it Tormod” you had a perfect day last day and you are starting to be really fastidious, even If the waves is messy the wind is gusty, you are actually standing here only in a windsurf shorts. Its warm in he water warm in the air, the ocean is blue, some turtles are sometimes coming up to say “hello” and when sailing against the shore you see palms and sand. You are actually in heaven. Those thoughts helped me to get the right perspective, and I stayed out there just for have a good time. Was practising more tacks, riding some small waves with several turns and so on.

Extremely nice Kanaha

Are now in heaven, and suffering from TMS (to mush surf), after being on the water with 2 sessions in long long time. Or maybe more exactly long long long time ☺
Were around 11.30 again at Kuau for considering the condition, Paal was already ready to go. But again I evaluate the wind to bit light. After talking with Paal later it was not light at all. Honour to Paal for going out at Kuau today as well. But I headed Kanaha and had probably my best sessions there ever. I forced my selves to go aggressively on, never chicken turn, never out in the channel, jibe right after brake and jibe when the brake begins. I also did a lot of successful tacks on my 76-litre board. Yesterday I read about tacks on the Guy Cribb page and that was really helpful. The clue for me is where and how you put the front foot in front of the mast.
The waves were about up to head high and really nice. It was sometimes a bit difficult to fin the best sets, but I have started to be a clever one to find the biggest one and to be on the right position. The most funny and best success with catching waves was when jibing up on the wave right before it brakes. It is also then easier to find a wave you have for your selves, even thou it wasn’t crowded to day. Have really been going aggressively in to the bottomturns, and one wave I had, I really forced hard, with back hand far back, and felt that this was cool, lets do it again, and try to reach the lip, but the second turn, I don’t know what happened, some kind of spin out, catapult, the sail into the water or taken by the wave but I was thrown away with a loop, and then washed by the waves coming. Glad I did not have my helmet on (have not have it on at all this trip) If I have had it on the crash on the water would felt more painful.
I also saw two Main O War (Portuguese warship) today, inside the brake between Lower and kitebeach, right by my board after a crashed tack, so that was almost the end of tacks for this day, then only secure power or duck jibes ☺
I invited Paal to my place for diner today, and what a clever solution. After big shopping at Costco and Paias mamafood Paal who is a professional cook made a extremely well tasty dinner, now called Paal Texas steak, ref Texas steak on jacks but this tasted extremely much more better. So then because of all the windsurf today, no picture of that, but I have a picture of Paal’s Texas steak. (first picture of a steak on this blog ☺)

We are now relaxing after dinner, watching windsurf video, bogging, checking e-mail from other windsurfers, checking the Internet for the forecast of wind and swell tomorrow, and conclude the there would be wind and suitable waves, drinking a bear…..oohhhhhhhh life is gooooood. More wind and swell tomorrow
And one more thing Paal took some really nice picture of the pro’s at Hookipa.
He is editing the pictures now, check out his blog and web album later on.
Paal’s blogg

Kanaha head high, wind up and down.

First a couple of pictures from yesterday, of the always smiling and beach including, Goya windsurfing team rider Nadia. Check out her website: www.mauitouch.com
On her fist way out at Kanaha for sure she have to say hallo to the waves by doing a frontloop.






I arrived Kanaha today about 11.30, but in the start the wind was a bit weak.

Upper Kanaha

Lovely Kanaha

I rigged my 5,3 and had a couple of no planning turns, but decided to save my strength to better wind. I t was then a couple of hour’s of waiting, but finally the wind sort of came. It was a bit up and down, but for sure enough for Paal and me to have a lot of fun out there.
To day in head high waves I felt more relaxed and forced my selves to go out in middle of lower, and was sometimes washed. The washing is just like get a bucket of weather in the head so that’s rally no problem. Had sometimes some real good rides with up to five bottomturns.


To day as well it was a MAN O WAR warning on he beach. It means gel fish or the blue Portuguese warship. Have seen them before at Barbados, but never here at Maui. I did not see one to day either but a Japanese girl was stinged by one today in her leg. She was swimming in the brakes and was stinged by a blue one she told. She had some quite big blisters on her leg and it looks quite painful. I advised her to go to the lifeguards for advice.



Tomorrow, wind swell :-)))))))

Check out Paal's blogg with Ho'okipa picures from today.

Logo, side to side on at Lower Kanaha

Maui is absolutely fabulous. When we had a few days without wind, everybody was talking about Wednesday. And for sure to day the trade was back.
When I was putting my gear into the car, I first had to fight with this creature (picture below) I don’t remember the name of it, but I know it is some way of poisonous. First it was under my sails, and then ran in to my waist and tried to bite that. I just sprayed some mixture on it, and then took a picture of it.
When driving past hookipa, I understood that this day the swell was here as well together with the trade wind. Driving to Kanaha, but in the start of the day from about 11.30 when I arrived it was light wind big waves sailing. I don’t like that with my 76-litre board. But after a bit waiting the wind picked up and was perfect with my 5,3. The wind had an influence of north so the set up was not always totally clean sideshore. If you want to go out trough the channel, as I often do, you had to take good highness. After all a really nice day, with lot of challenging waves, I think up to logo high. But still after a lot of rides to day I am still in a situation that the waves own me and not opposite. To morrow a bit smaller waves and I have decided to go on more aggressively. To day the lifeguards had some works. I saw 2 people swimming in the channel next to one board and sail. Further down at lower it was a sail and board of its own. Anyway the calculation was right. About the 2 people swimming, from my view thy where swimming in the channel right out between lower and upper. When the lifeguard picked them up they was even further out. If you swim in the channel I think the best is to swim to the side down, somewhere in middle of lower. If swimming in channel you probably will be drifted out trough the channel and then get washed down again in the waves. If you then don’t stay out of the channel you get even once more ride, and so on. I am not sure about this, just what I think.

Here a few pictures taken, before the wind picked up, in my web album (click on the picture)

Lower K. 29.10.08

Wind and swell yesterday!

Lanes, Maui 23.10.08

When driving trough Hookipa, the wind looks a bit week. We stopped by lanes and I took a couple of pictures from windsurfers on Lanes. (click on picture above)

Lower Kanaha Maui 23.10.08

We headed then to Kanaha.(click on picture above) Was on water from around 12.30, the wind was quite strong, had my 4,7 tuned up. The waves was quite big, I think maybe head to logo high, and the swell outside of the reef was really nice with good order, sometimes really big out there, which is a really nice nature experience, and in my opinion it was quite easy to pick out some good ones to follow down to the reef. But in the start was it quite choppy in the waves. A bit later the wind dropped a lot, and I had to take a brake. Later I rigged up my 5,3 and that was perfect for me. The waves was now much more glassy, and more cleaner. Had some really good rides, but so far I did not go down as aggressively as I should want to. Feel the board and sail sometime is a bit out of control when going fast on a wave. I have still my JP rww, 76 litres, and it is a bit too wide in big waves. Have now planes to test out a Goya or Quatro board, to test out how it works in waves. Took some pictures in a brake on Kanaha. So sorry not big quality pictures, sheep objective and it was a bit cloudy this day. We were out on the water until sunset, but for me with a lot of brakes with food and propel sports water and in the end a Redbul to squeeze max out of this fantastic day.

After windsurf Lower K

To day is it swell, not as big as yesterday, but unfortunately no wind. But after all ok with a day to rest. Think my body and scar from meeting with reef need a day off.

Windsurf lower Kanaha

The wind was cind of back today.
Mathias and I had first a look at sprecs looks windy but no waves, so we headed to Kanaha. Went out with 5,3km2 around 11.45. The wind was really crappy in he start but picked up later on. We heard later on the day from the Swiss windsurfer that the wind had bean crappy at sprecs as well in the start. For me had a really really nice session at lover Kanaha. Almost no waves but sometimes possible to do some bottom turns. Are practising to move the backhand far back during the bottomturn and back again against mast when doing cut back. My experience of this when putting back hand far back you automatically lean forward and get the speed of the board. And as heard on a Peter Hart video, during bottom turn think that the mast foot is your front foot and have pressure on it. I feel I experienced that it works. And then up to cut back when move the backhand close to the mast hand you open the sail and get power and speed to go on down the wave again. Are now looking forward to try this out in bigger waves, and do it more aggressively than done earlier. There is some south swell coming on Saturday. We don’t know so far where to go to find the right spot on south shore. If someone reading this blog knows about a spot to recommend please mail me ☺ The south swell is the new mingling talk here now. Somebody will go to Oahu for surf/windsurf at Diamondhead. We are thinking a little bit about going there by take the fast ferry. But for us it sounds a bit complex with find place to sleep there and so on. The forecast looks good now, with wind probably every day, south swell on Saturday, and later next week some new north swell is coming. Tomorrow hope for some pictures again. Cant promise anything if we are to busy with be on he water, but I know that pictures are wanted.
Actually we did some headcam filming today. But it was during the light wind in he start of our session, so the film is not worth to show here. After all it was nice to try it out.

Light wind at Kanaha, waves up to logo.

Was out there, but my 76 litre board was a little too small. Had a 2 really nice rides, but when trying to go out in the brake again, had the water sometimes to knee. I don’t like to stay in the impactzone without knowing to make it without swimming back to shore. Mathias had really good time out there with his little bigger board in the waves until it was dark. Should be more wind tomorrow, and still swell coming in :.)

Kanaha, side head to logo high.

Classical Kanaha today with side shore head to logo in the afternoon.
There is actually not anything more to say about that. So sorry no pictures had not time for the camera. Paal, Mathias and I had today a fantastic day and our dreams come true about the swell announced in the afternoon. The swell arrived about 15 o’clock and ended up with sometimes head to logo high waves. We were out there at the reef until it was almost dark.
For me I normally like to catch the waves with a jibe after windsurf out quite long up at the lower, and the have then possibility to look after the sets, if its flat I slow down and sped up and point out the wave before its reach the reef. If I don’t have speed enough through the jibe and lose the wave it’s often a new one right after which sometimes even is bigger. That’s way of do it I also find it easier to pick up waves which is not crowded. But Paal and Mathias told me that the wave further down towards the kite beach break longer and its possible to do more bottom turns. They then go out again between lower K and kite beach. I remember I did that sometimes last year, and for sure next day with such conditions I will try that again. Looking forward to it, you get really addicted and want more, and even more.
Everybody is talking about the swell, and as I wrote yesterday they say “its gone be huge” but unfortunately there will probably be light Kona wind tomorrow in meaning for s/v I think it is and not from around ø/n/ø or something, witch is normal here. After all if we don’t are able to windsurf tomorrow its no problem after this incredible day, and after windsurf in 6 days in row. And if the waves get really big maybe they get to big for me, if its get over mast high at Kanaha. But we will in any case do some search for windsurf spot tomorrow, maybe on the south side of Maui. Tomorrow I promise to set up some pictures, from windsurf or for other things here ☺

Light wind at Kanaha.

Was at Kanaha around 11 o’clock, but so far it was no wind. The wind come later on the day I and was out in approximately one hour. 5,3 sail and my 76 litre board. Still no waves at all. But it has so far been a tremendous positive experience of using the xcombat rdm mast. When doing a manoeuvre, a tack for instance it is easier to handle the rig. So far I don know for sure the best way to tune the rig. There is noticeably less downhaul, but still the sail feel really stable through the gusts. Tomorrow is Paal and me probably going for some surf (wavesurf) early in he morning. So far no pictures, keep following the blogg, I will probably ad some pictures later on ☺ so far it has been a lot to do and no time for the camera. Aloha

Light wind at Kanaha, no waves

This was a day with a lot of doings, by new sails ,new bace extention ( and so on. Had a problem with my renting car so I had to deal with that as well. Was driving by Hookipa, arond 12 o clock and i was small waves there, about waist? Was at Kanaha around 02.30 I think (I am not weaing any clock)