Author Topic: The fall and winter Maliko report  (Read 58379 times)

headmount

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The fall and winter Maliko report
« on: September 10, 2011, 11:11:50 AM »
It's almost officially fall but already feels like winter.  We're getting our first north swell of the season, the wind has lightened and the mornings have been glassy.  Of course that will change and we probably have a few more great downwind days left before the winter doldrums set in and we're forced to ride surf.  Excited about adventures to the southside since northerly winds are more prevalent in the winter.  The great baleens arrive from the NW around the same time as PBill and the big question is... how overloaded will Bill's Jeep be? 

Maliko has no new pavement going into the gulch and a bit more traffic.  Make sure you slow down when you enter and watch out for fisherman's lines off the ramp.  Be friendly and remember they will remain behind when you leave your car for a run.

headmount

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Re: The fall and winter Maliko report
« Reply #1 on: September 10, 2011, 03:19:35 PM »
meant to write ... now has new pavement... which can get people to go a little faster sometimes and with expensive equipment laying around in the drive up, we don't want to run anything over.

LaPerouseBay

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Re: The fall and winter Maliko report
« Reply #2 on: October 02, 2011, 10:54:45 PM »
Here's an interesting development down in maliko gulch.   This sign was in a clearing at the turn by the river. 



Wind was excellent today.  HM and I did a fun run to the oil tanks.  Here he is chillin' early on. 



Resetting the camera every ten minutes or so makes editing easier.  With the mount on the tail of the board, a remote control would make life easier. 



Hope the footage is good, it was fun out there. 
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808sup

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Re: The fall and winter Maliko report
« Reply #3 on: October 02, 2011, 11:21:11 PM »
It was a fun run today. Haven't been to maliko for a few weeks and was disappointed when I saw that sign on the way in. I wanted to respond by declaring some thoughts of my own and posting them as well but decided not to stir the pot. The shuttle arrived before i got there and most were headed for the water already. Met a friend of mine and headed out. Didn't see anyone ahead at all until kanaha where I saw a couple of sups ahead of me. I got some really long glides and nearly caught up when they turned inside and headed for the tanks.It was a pretty good run for me. I like the delayed starts. They give you something to chase.However, there are so many fast paddlers here that if they get ahead at the start you will never evan see them at all. Something to strive for...

headmount

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Re: The fall and winter Maliko report
« Reply #4 on: October 03, 2011, 12:33:17 AM »
Don't know the ramifications of what that sign will be.  It's been a few weeks since I last did a run and suddenly there's changes.  Who knows.  But you often see these signs out in that neck of the woods.  Can we return to 1898?  I guess some people think so.  Fortunately paddling of any kind is inside the realm of Hawaiian traditions  and even though LaPer and I are white boys, the vibe is always good and we slid out today with smiles all around.  Felt great to get back on the smoking track and take off on some bombs.  I saw a total blue day and asked LaPer if he was up for the stop and go of a video shoot.  He said yes so we cut the run up with several stops for camera reset and discussion of  positioning.   It's a hassle for sure but I got some stuff and hopefully I can pick out something for you Zoners to hold your interest.  It's difficult to follow, stay close but not too close and try to ride a glide together.  We had to jump off a few times to avoid high speed collisions.  Got a few good clips but also had periodic water drop issues.  Certainly enough to pick out a short vid in order to show PDX what it means to downwind.  

LaPer is a great carpenter and the old hale where we came in was what he called a fixer-upper, though I think the termites were eating- it-downer.  Here's where we came in and LaPer's future ocean front pad

LaPerouseBay

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Re: The fall and winter Maliko report
« Reply #5 on: October 03, 2011, 12:12:15 PM »
/ Don't know the ramifications of what that sign will be.  It's been a few weeks since I last did a run and suddenly there's changes.  Who knows./  /Fortunately paddling of any kind is inside the realm of Hawaiian traditions/

Personally, I didn't get a feeling that maliko was going to be shut down.  The sign is in a small clearing, at a turn that leads down to the run. 

If maliko closes, so be it.  It's a big island and I'll move on.  Perhaps Kelly's shuttle will drop us off at Hookipa instead.  Now THAT will add some spice to the run.   :o

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdzC9g5UsRQ

This type of controversy alway leads me to famous quotes:

An individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for the law.

Martin Luther King, Jr.
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headmount

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Re: The fall and winter Maliko report
« Reply #6 on: October 03, 2011, 07:55:46 PM »
So here's a vid LaPer and I did yesterday.  Really difficult positioning so that the camera points at the subject (LaPer)  He's zigging left when I'm right and so on.  Felt like some fighter pilot video game only I was trying for "camera lock" with my tail mount.  Had some Malolos hit me in the shins but the camera had heavy water drops on that clip.  You see me splash back with my blade to clear it.  Anyway paying attention to the camera took my focus off trimming the board sometimes and you'll see it bury.  We went again today, high cirrus so no good for camera but a fantastic run where I didn't have to think about the camera angle.  Anyway here it is...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FqPo6XE37w

pdxmike

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Re: The fall and winter Maliko report
« Reply #7 on: October 03, 2011, 08:31:19 PM »
Headmount--definitely one of my favorites of your videos.  Because it shows both you and LP, I can really see the glides and speed you're getting as one of you takes off in relationship to the other.  It's hard to see that when a video just shows the board relative to the water, or to other paddlers that are off in the distance.  Also like the combination of music and no music, and seeing the sparkling water and sun--not much of that around here anymore.

LaPerouseBay

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Re: The fall and winter Maliko report
« Reply #8 on: October 03, 2011, 10:35:10 PM »
Very cool HM, that was a fun day.  Thanks for taking the time to put it together.

Downwinding close together is not easy on such different boards.  Like you said, the F-16 needs to turn more.  Your speed suffered when you altered course to get me in the frame. 

As we slowed and steered towards each other then took off, it was a good chance to compare the performance of the boards.  That bullet flies when you get it up to speed.  I had the edge in the tighter swells, but when it spread out, you ran away.     

Jeremy and Travis are going to be in my sights one of these days.  I'll chase them with a camera mounted on my canoe.     
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headmount

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Re: The fall and winter Maliko report
« Reply #9 on: October 09, 2011, 09:56:49 PM »
Missed the shuttle but went with my pal around 2.  Count Basie was seen just outside the bay at our start.  Went right under Victor's board, easily as big. But we didn't pay it much attention because right off it was a cranking day, a real surprise with how grey and lifeless it looked from shore.  A small N swell was crossing it up a taste but still pretty damn good.  October holding up well.  5 out of the last seven days. 

PT Woody

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Re: The fall and winter Maliko report
« Reply #10 on: October 09, 2011, 11:36:09 PM »
Wow, terrific vid. Is that the Panasonic FT-2? Doesn't look like a GoPro wide angle.

JonathanC

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Re: The fall and winter Maliko report
« Reply #11 on: October 10, 2011, 12:47:52 AM »
Great video Bill, so clear and a great angle with Larry in the shot. Really shows the speed.

You seem to be really solid on the Bullet now, interesting to see some of the pretty decent waves you can take without having to move back much at all. 


headmount

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Re: The fall and winter Maliko report
« Reply #12 on: October 10, 2011, 10:33:19 AM »
JC... The illusion of the lens and its position creates the effect of everything being forward of where it really is.  The fact is that on one of those step-backs (the one with the Cars drum intro to 'You're All I've Got Tonight) my foot was only inches in front of the lens and the camera mount was just behind the steering cable turnstyle... basically right over the rudder.  On the big drops I live back there in order to coax that ship (my pal calls it an Italian yacht)  into a sideways slide into the trough so I don't stick the front. (I also included a couple of nose submerges in the vid so you can see what Bullet drivers deal with)   But yes on the medium glides you don't have to drop back too much as long as you steer an angle to it.  In Kihei it's really wild.  

PT.. yeah TS2.  Until I can afford a GH2 the Panny works for me.  Drops on the lens are a constant challenge with this low mount and that's why I demonstrated the splash back stroke to clear the lens.  You have to have a clear blue day for these point and shoot cameras with small aperture openings.  That was the only clear day (with LaPer) like that in a long time.  Been high cirrus and grey since then.

headmount

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Re: The fall and winter Maliko report
« Reply #13 on: October 17, 2011, 09:57:52 AM »
LaPer just posted an epic run on the southside yesterday.  My old theory was one side or the other but yesterday it was good over on the north side also.  The day before (Sat) I took a video of friend, Victor, who I've been surfing with for 35 years, which I'm still editing.  Then sunday it was 060 and LaPer called with the enthusiastic southside report.  But then I looked out my porch and it's ripping on this side.  So as much as I have begun to love that southside run the decision was made to not burn as much fossil fuel.  

Driving up to Maliko we saw the surf was over mast high at Hookipa. The dreaded roguish NE swell.  This resulted  huge cross ups that either knocked us out of glides or jettisoned us into a whoppers.  Past Paia the wind lightened up a tad and we had to work harder to get in.  My eyes were glued to the  few feet in front.  We waltzed into the outer Sprecks area and I'm slightly ahead and outside of Victor and Don.  Victor yells, I look up and see a full size set rolling in and I'm right in the line up.  The first one is already breaking just downwind of me.  Slip over the shoulder but when I do I see the stack of waves behind it.  I'm going to get caught inside and break my godamn board if I don't get out of there fast.  So the next wave looms up, I can hear  Victor hooting in back and inside of me.  Two solid strokes and I'm in.  Now going with the wind, to the right isn't an option and going straight is a for sure pearl up to my neck.  The wave is going top to bottom and I have a 17+ board.  As soon as it releases I railroad two staircases and am on the third.  One more chop and I'll drop into the pit so on the top third of the wave I kick the rudder into a hard left, get on the tail, lean backside on the blade.   The board trims perfectly.  Finally drop into the main face and am flying directly at Victor who has wisely negotiated the channel.   Blaze right up next to him in a deep crouch and he's howling so hard we both sit down to decompress and watch to see how Don Shear (the heli pilot) fared going through the lineup.  The set lulled and Don was fine but his rudder fell off for some unknown reason so he got creamed coming across on the camp one reef.   I told him to let his leash drag behind him and that worked pretty good till the finish.

  I usually spot surf line ups miles ahead but I'm out of practice.  I guess winter is here.  Forgot for a moment and my partner saved my neck yesterday with a warning yell.  

Anyway from the pics of LaPer it looked great on the south... two sides had great runs on the same day.

PonoBill

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Re: The fall and winter Maliko report
« Reply #14 on: October 17, 2011, 11:04:14 AM »
That's what you get for following Victor on his crazy inside line. He's got the right genes for that, and you do too, but I'll be the guy a mile outside headed for the Harbor.

The thought of crossing the reef with a double overhead top-to-bottom wave on a Bullet has the hair on my neck standing up. Not that I haven't followed you over a few spots that kicked my ass, but geez. Summer in the Gorge didn't prep me for that.
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

 


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