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Topics - PonoBill

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1036
SUP General / working on stuff
« on: January 16, 2009, 11:05:04 PM »
two projects, I'm doing a SUP distance/race/downwinder board showcase on Maui at the end of february and early march. Similar to the general SUP showcase we did last year, but not so elaborate. I don't expect to have too many participants, I've invited all the manufacturers I think are making racing boards to participate, but i know shipping these craft can be prohibitive, and many of them don't have representation in Maui. Boards will be grouped into 12'6, 14' and unlimited categories

Details are on Ke Nalu. If you'd like to paddle in this thing let me know. It's a pretty nasty commitment though. we're doing three venues--a flatwater paddle, a downwinder, and a BOP-style four leg course. You'd need to be available for multiple days since the wind and weather might not cooperate.  We'll try to get everything done expeditiously, but it could get weird.

If you know of a manufacturer I might have missed please let me know. Off the top of my head I contacted Bark, Blaine, C4, Angulo, BIC, Starboard, Jimmy Lewis, Infinity, Surftech, Foote, Naish, SIC, Hobie, and ULI. Email addresses would be very helpful.

Second project is a serial book on Ke Nalu about surfing SUP boards. It will eventually be gathered together into a single e-book with photos and videos, but for now it's all text. I'm doing it in four tracks: Basics, Surfing, Theory, and Conditioning. this thing could really use your input. I've been gathering materials for this for the last year, but as many of you know, I'm a long ways from an expert surfer. I'm mostly just a writer.

The multi-track approach is to keep me from going insane slogging through all the Basic stuff, and to make it more interesting for people who need only the info in one or two tracks.

Each chapter has a forum link. I'd love to incorporate your knowledge and ideas in the chapters as they unfold and in the finished product.

1037
Gear Talk / Lost my paddle
« on: January 16, 2009, 07:40:57 PM »
What a moron, I think I left it at Kanaha two days ago--my favorite. An old Quickblade with red hockey tape on the handle. If someone came across it I will gladly pay a reward of course.

1038
Downwind and Racing / Try the Penetrator
« on: January 16, 2009, 10:13:33 AM »
Anyone on Maui that wants to try the Penetrator is welcome. As Randy said, there's a long tradition of community ownership on Hawaii, I certainly don't care to buck that tradition.

I'm serious though, I'll be keeping this thing on the jeep pretty permanently. Once these Kona winds mellow out a little (or even if they don't if you're braver than me) I'm perfectly willing to let anyone give this thing a run. I'm going to be trying one of Mark's new production F14's shortly. From the looks of the thing and after talking to Mark I might be adding a second downwinder board to the quiver. I'll have to sell a few things first though. My new deal with Diane is a lot like my motorcycle deal--some stuff has to go before new stuff comes. Fortunately I have a Yamaha 350 enduro sitting in the garage that is surplus to my needs.

1039
Sessions / Fogged
« on: January 12, 2009, 10:07:51 PM »
Pretty big waves today overhead to double. Too much wind and the swell angle was nasty--bowls that closed out pretty quickly. Got my ass kicked a few times, but it was sure nice to have some waves. Looking at the ocean from Ponohouse at sunset all I could see was corderoy to the horizon with some really big stuff mixed in. I think our big swell has arrived early.

On the bad side, the GoPro fogged badly. Probably from being so far under the water so many times.





I like this one--gives some idea of what my afternoon was like. I think that's my paddle going past in the wave. Blub.

1040
Gear Talk / The downside of a handle
« on: January 12, 2009, 07:20:27 PM »
Just came back from a fairly heavy session at Kanaha. Been soaking my fingers in ice, took a couple of advil and washed them down with a Margarita. Yup, I found my personal upper limit for grabbing the handle, a little more than overhead and a half, especially with quickly closing faces.

I missed the wave I was going for, turned and saw I was hopelessly caught inside. Dropped into the water behind the board and grabbed the strap with both hands. Didn't go over the falls, but there was No way I could hold on. somehow the strap kind of wrapped around the first three fingers on my right hand. They look like gecko pads right now.

1041
Gear Talk / penetrator pics
« on: January 09, 2009, 12:38:27 AM »
Some early shots. Stuey said it took him six hours to pack the thing. I thought he was exaggerating, until I saw it. It took me 40 minutes to unpack it--with a knife. The guys in the freight dock were getting antsy because it was taking so long, until they saw the board, then they gave me all the time i needed and let me fill their dumpster with packing materials.







Fits perfectly on the funmobile. I just need some red flags for the front and back.

I'm really glad I came over to get it. the way it was packaged it could have taken a lot of punishment, but why chance it.

1042
SUP General / PenetrAtor first try
« on: January 08, 2009, 06:03:07 PM »
Straight from the airfreight co to Honolulu harbor. First impression. Holy f$@&kowitz this thing is fast.  Gps batteries dead. Oh well. This from my phone. Much more later. REALLY fast.

1043
SUP General / Off to Oahu
« on: January 08, 2009, 07:13:41 AM »
Got to go jump in the Vomit Comet. Apparently the unusual motion of the Superferry causes some folks to part with their stomach contents. I've only been seasick once in my life, and I've given myself plenty of opportunities. I hope my streak holds. Might stop at Denny's for a big greasy breakfast just to push the odds.

I'm going to be there for three days (returning Sunday). Where should I surf? Looking for some nice overhead stuff, but I'm still a little nervous about double. Looks like a moderate swell headed in.

On another topic, where the hell is our winter swell? Surfing has been pretty lousy lately. the latest economist has a very gloomy special section on the ocean. Don't read it if you're having a good day, guaranteed it'll ruin it.

I guess that was two topics. See Sam, I hijack my own threads. It's not lack of respect, it's ADD. My new excuse for being a knucklehead.

1044
SUP General / Cool Photo Tool
« on: January 06, 2009, 04:27:55 PM »
I just did a post on Ke Nalu about Konrad's Ship Gallery that includes an animoto video. It's made from still shots and music, and you can add text. Takes minutes to do and the result is a lot more pro than I could manage. While I was doing it I thought of all those stills that a gopro generates. It in the Around Maui section of Ke Nalu (http:www.kenalu.com)

They have free music or you can use your own. the service is free for short videos or about 30 bucks a year for unlimited long ones.

Seems like something you could rock with Byron and Sam.

1045
Downwind and Racing / Penetrator is here
« on: January 05, 2009, 06:09:42 PM »
Or at least, it's in Oahu in customs. the shipping company called me today to tell me i needed to get it cleared through customs. I was going to go over on the superferry and maybe catch a few days of surf, but it looks like the surf isn't going to be much for the next week. So I guess I've got to find a customs broker and get it put on the Young Brothers barge.

Haven't done this stuff before, any recommendations for a broker?

1046
Sessions / Kanaha Polar Bear Club
« on: December 31, 2008, 07:14:19 PM »
Nice day at Kanaha, good to see Randy and Chan, Brian, and a host of other regulars. the Italian guys were a bit of a pain, but more or less harmless and fun to listen to them yelling to each other WITHa that UNAmisTAKEable CAdence.

My shoulders are dead, but I'm looking forward to tomorrow which I think we should designate the Kanaha Polar Bear Club day. Everyone that braves the freezing waters and surfs on new Years Day gets to be a member.

You east coast, Northwest, Chcago and canadian folks have nothing on us. we're tough.

1047
Sessions / ARRGH--we need some waves
« on: December 27, 2008, 07:40:21 PM »
I'm going nuts.  We better get some swell that doesn't include 20 knot winds pretty soon or I'm going to buy an enduro Kart.

I guess I could go windsurfing. Doesn't feel right though.

1048
SUP General / Lucky we live Hawaii
« on: December 21, 2008, 03:24:25 PM »
My sister in law tells me there are eight foot drifts on Germantown road (where I live in Portland). Just before that I was whining because there wasn't much surf and the wind was picking up.

1049
Sessions / I do love big waves
« on: December 17, 2008, 04:42:05 PM »
But all there was this morning were little anklebiters at Kanaha. I needed to get wet, so I paddled out anyway, and had a fine time. Just three of us bothered, but it was so nice and mellow. I worked on all kinds of stuff I normally forget to try when the waves are bigger.

I'm now a cross-stepping fool, and I can get both feet past the Gecko--sometimes--and still make it back. I'm also perfecting a backside hard turn with the paddle on the inside. I think it would be called a laydown if I was going fast and hard enough to actually lean back more. Made two out of twenty three attempts still standing.

Little waves are cool. It's all about attitude.

1050
Travel, Trips, Destinations / Paia Inn--what a find
« on: December 17, 2008, 09:15:57 AM »
Maybe I'm just the last one to know. Diane and I stopped at the Paia Inn yesterday to shoot some pictures for Ke Nalu. I figured it would be a few musty rooms for north shore oriented surfers on a tight budget. What a surprise. Beautiful place, extremely comfortable and elegant, reasonable prices, right next to Lightning Bolt, and THEY HAVE PRIVATE ACCESS TO PAIA BAY. You can keep your SUP board (and anything else) in their storage, walk fifty yards to the water and toss it in.

I did a review on Ke Nalu. Yeah, it's kind of gushing, but we were really blown away. The place is very surfer oriented but beautiful and comfortable as well. Solar heated outdoor showers. gorgeous courtyard. Whoda thunk it. Given that fact that it's so cool, reasonably priced, very small (five rooms) and is the only accommodation of this quality on the North Shore now that vacation rentals and B&B's have been hosed by the monumentally goofy Maui government, I suspect that it's going to be tough to get one of these rooms once the word gets out.

No, I don't have any financial interest. i just like what the owners have done. Haven't met them yet, just a very personable and lovely young lady running the front desk who showed me around and showed me the PRIVATE ACCESS TO PAIA BAY.

I sure liked that.

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