Olukai 2016

[PonoBill]

Nice.

[covesurfer]

Nice Blueplanet!

Takes me right back. What a fun day that was!

[808sup]

Good job on the video. That crazy start looked challenging just to stay upright . I was unable to make the race again but this video made me feel like I did. Amazing how long you had to go before you had some clear water ahead of you. The organizers need to change that start to make it fair to all. Paddling through so many others costs valuable time that you just can't make up. Fun to watch though. 😏

[PonoBill]

I was on my knees for at least the first 100 yards. Couldn't get up without someone banging into my board, so I just stayed there.  Takes me about 30 seconds to wobble to my feet (knee needs a booster shot) so there just wasn't any way in that crowd.

[covesurfer]

I hope they change it back to the open water start for next year. That bay start was a shit show for sure. Somehow, even though I was boxed in, I managed to get decent water but I also went off to the right as everyone else bolted for the buoy. I don't think it hurt me much as I got a good line by just ignoring the temptation to turn down early. No matter how they do it, getting it to be fair is difficult but not impossible. Do a couple of waves, let the elites go first, and don't dilly-dally getting the waves off - the wind is going to be pushing everyone over early.  A few jetskis and a couple of boats can manage holding the line I'd think.

[headmount]

Great vid Robert.  Cool seeing you blitz by me at the start. 

The start looked great on video and pictures for the sponsors.  With all those paddlers, en masse, it was quite dramatic.  But for us it was not so great being in that heavy congestion.  If they don't change the format next year I'll probably pass.  Getting banged around before the start was simply a drag.  You get much more intolerant of that kind of stuff as you age.  Boards are expensive.  I don't play contact sports any more.

[PonoBill]

A year from now you won't remember that the start sucked. You may not remember that you did  the race. And quit with the old guy stuff.

[blueplanetsurf]

Great vid Robert.  Cool seeing you blitz by me at the start. 

The start looked great on video and pictures for the sponsors.  With all those paddlers, en masse, it was quite dramatic.  But for us it was not so great being in that heavy congestion.  If they don't change the format next year I'll probably pass.  Getting banged around before the start was simply a drag.  You get much more intolerant of that kind of stuff as you age.  Boards are expensive.  I don't play contact sports any more.

Sorry about bumping into you at the start Bill, I was totally boxed in and had to stop and go around instead.  That start was more like a demolition derby than a downwind race but it's all good.

[headmount]

A year from now you won't remember that the start sucked. You may not remember that you did  the race. And quit with the old guy stuff.

You're probably right about forgetting.  But thinking about it, even now a few weeks later, I still remember and I'm not stoked.  The conditions were epic tho on the rest of the course but it took me awhile to get into my groove after that initial mayhem.  Maybe I shoulda stayed on my knees till the buoy but that would have been too weird. 

Putting our gripes about the start into the cyber sphere is hopefully a legitimate avenue.  The organizers told us at the pre-race meeting this year that they had listened to our concerns about the inequality of the open ocean starts last year and that's why they changed to the inside.  So I can dig that as a step in the right direction, just stagger a few more groups into the equation to thin out the demo derby aspect.  You obviously didn't like it either.  I'm dead center in first pick.  Weirdly up before many other better paddlers.  The second pic I'm digging away at the mayhem as Robert charges up the middle.

[headmount]

Great vid Robert.  Cool seeing you blitz by me at the start. 

The start looked great on video and pictures for the sponsors.  With all those paddlers, en masse, it was quite dramatic.  But for us it was not so great being in that heavy congestion.  If they don't change the format next year I'll probably pass.  Getting banged around before the start was simply a drag.  You get much more intolerant of that kind of stuff as you age.  Boards are expensive.  I don't play contact sports any more.

Sorry about bumping into you at the start Bill, I was totally boxed in and had to stop and go around instead.  That start was more like a demolition derby than a downwind race but it's all good.

No worries.  It was kill or be killed.  If I'm going to do these kinds of starts I need to train.

[PonoBill]

Train? There's a scary thought. No, I didn't like the start, I thought it was silly to do staggered starts and not have any good effect from it. Easy to fix if they pay a little attention to how many people will be in each start group.

[coldsup]

Hey Robert...great vid. Do you have the start at normal speed that you could show ...that would be interesting to watch.

[headmount]

Hey Robert...great vid. Do you have the start at normal speed that you could show ...that would be interesting to watch.

That thought went through my mind as well.  The fast speed worked to convey the feeling very well but it would be interesting to dissect how paddlers approach a crowded start like that.  I know I had my head down to a foot in front.  Lots of yelling, banging and guys falling in dramatic fashion.  If you paid attention to any of these distractions you would fall in as well.  The buoy didn't seem too far away and I knew what I was going to do as soon as I reached it... which worked.

[blueplanetsurf]

Sure, headmount, I'll post the start in regular time later tonight.  You had me boxed in pretty good.

[blueplanetsurf]

I just changed the speed of the start to regular speed, the rest of the video is the same as the original version: