Messages

16

Random / Re: GPT 5, Sam Altman, What's coming

« on: February 19, 2024, 10:41:21 AM »

If this really is just me operating in my own simulation, man, am I a creative dude.  Not only did I write in you characters, but look, I've invented AI.

Perfect.  I found just the 'man' to ask.

Hey Rando, I got a problem.  I'm madly in love with an internet personality. 

What's the deal with copyright on an entire person? 

I want an A.I. Dina Belenkaya personal assistant/companion. 

What's the wait time?  I'm anxious.

Here's my girl, she's from Leningrad.

She's in North Carolina now, on a work visa. 
First visa granted in the US, for "internet content creator"

In this school, they don't let the kids resign.

https://youtu.be/YI54O-BRfYI?feature=shared

17

Foil SUP / Re: Foil Videos

« on: November 12, 2023, 05:51:24 PM »

happy to see these sitting in a dark and rainy Seattle winter...

Kai Penny occasionally posts foil stuff on his site:

https://mauisurfreport.blogspot.com/

18

General Discussion / Re: Maui is on fire.. literally :(

« on: August 19, 2023, 10:23:20 AM »

Here is a video of the town from up above.  It helps illustrate how much grassland burned.  It helps me understand the overall nature of where it may have started and eventually spread.

They opened the bypass Wednesday, from 6am to 10pm to allow access to west Maui, so I've been driving thru.  Tremendous loss to the islands.  I'm going to miss Lahaina.  It's all like a bad dream.     

19

General Discussion / Re: Maui is on fire.. literally :(

« on: August 12, 2023, 02:51:15 PM »

Three of the plumbers on our project live in Lahaina.  All 3 are ok.  1 home survived, other 2 are "nothing but white ash."  The homes lost were both a stone's throw from the banyan tree.  As with so many others, they basically grabbed a cellphone and dashed.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-66465570

20

General Discussion / Re: Maui is on fire.. literally :(

« on: August 11, 2023, 12:29:44 PM »

The video in this clip is my usual commute, from 0.20 to 1.00.  It's where I described the 60mph wind blasting the foliage and creating a snowstorm of leaves.  That section of road used to be like a tunnel of green, you couldn't see the houses on the left or right.  They are all burned to the ground now.  I lived on the right side of that road from '98 to '05.  The death toll will probably be up in the hundreds. Last I heard the list of missing persons was over a thousand.  Part of that is the lack of communication, but it's gradually coming back. 

s

21

General Discussion / Re: Maui is on fire.. literally :(

« on: August 10, 2023, 12:24:54 PM »

I had a look at the power outage updates from MECO, wondering how things are going.  Power is out from the tunnel to Honolua Bay.  Literally the entire west side.
 
That rabbit hole led me to this early video of the day the Lahaina fire started.  The reporters are commenting on other fires, but briefly mention the Lahaina fire's early stages. 

It's a 7 minute video, the Lahaina fire is just starting.  It's visible from 0.19 to 0.30.

You can see the wind on the water.  It was like that all the way to Kihei.  It was even stronger right in Lahaina.

The big river valley above Lahaina is a funnel for wind.  Olawalu is famous for that extra boost of wind velocity too.

I rode a motorcycle to work back when I lived in Lahaina, commuting to Kihei.  Some mornings the wind was knarly, but never like that day.  That's how I learned about those canyon winds. 

There's a spot just after the tunnel, when you are curving around to Maalaea when the wind switches direction.  Hard left to hard right, in an instant.

It surprised a tourist on a Harley one day and he went over the guardrail, down the cliff.  I passed that accident just after it happened.  I wasn't sure what had happened until I read about it in the paper.  Traffic was kinda slow, but moving.  Cops were not around yet, but the Harley was there, parked normally on it's kickstand. The people walking around had a very somber attitude. Turns out the rider was just married and his wife was following in a car.  She saw him go over the cliff.  When the trades are blasting, the wind is knarly on the back side of that mountain.

 https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2023/08/08/strong-winds-knock-out-power-thousands-statewide/



 

22

General Discussion / Re: Maui is on fire.. literally :(

« on: August 10, 2023, 09:36:37 AM »

Watching the last video in this article puts a new perspective on it for me.  The electric company guys are driving around, as the town burns.  One of them shoots a bit of video.   

That morning, our owner (client) stopped in to visit, about 6:30am.  The power was off.  We are doing a remodel on one of his homes up in Napili.  He had been driving thru Lahaina and told us he saw a string of big power poles, 4 or 5, tipped over.  I thought to myself, this power ain't coming back on anytime soon.  How can a worker go up in a bucket in this wind? 

So, as I'm driving into Lahaina that afternoon - almost to the exit for the Lahaina bypass - I see the reason for the slow traffic.  Sure enough, those electric worker guys are scrambling around, repairing that line of poles that had been down all morning.  Cops all over the place, directing traffic.  I think to myself "Jeebus, those are some rugged bastards'. There was a lot of stuff flying around in that wind.   

So, in the video, there are those guys driving around in bucket trucks about 4 hours later.  I was home by then, moaning and groaning about how tired and hungry I was.  Those guys just saw the whole town burn to the ground.  What do they do now?  Everything is broken. Everything. 

https://mauinow.com/2023/08/10/lahaina-front-street-photo-journey-west-maui-wildfire-aftermath/

23

General Discussion / Re: Maui is on fire.. literally :(

« on: August 09, 2023, 07:06:34 PM »

I lived in a house in that video, at 1:37 about a half block from the water.  From '98 to '05.   Very very happy time in my life.  Every house in that neighborhood (and so much more) appears to be burned to the foundation.
   

I was driving home to Kihei, from work in Napili, yesterday, at 1:45.  I was on the road you can see directly behind my old house about a block from the water.  (Fire started about 3 or 4 hours later). 

The traffic was stop and go, we were all trying to get to the Lahaina bypass, one more stoplight.   Power lines had been down at that intersection all morning, crews were working to fix them, cops everywhere in a windstorm like you wouldn't believe.  So, as we are inching along, the wind is whipping 60+ out to sea.  Shredding the foliage, leaves flying thru like snow.  Coconuts rolling across the road.  When I finally made the light, it was smooth sailing, everyone zooming to get the hell out of West Maui.
 
That wind is what torched the town.  I shoulda taken video of the water as I left town.  I've never, ever, seen the ocean shredded like that.  From Puamana to Maalaea was as white as I've ever seen any ocean water.  It was on par with the crazy shit on video from Cape Town South Africa.  Typical 40+ wind has occasional curtains of spray zooming across the water.  This water was another level.  Those curtains were everywhere, near and far, nearly constant. Grandma's surf break had head high breakers and they had some mighty long streamers out back.  Blazing blue sky and sunny.  Out about a mile offshore was like an invisible fog bank going up thousands of feet.  All water torn off the ocean. 
 
Brutal to see the video now, that was one fine town to live in.  So much history.  So many old time local families, churches, schools, museums, homes etc. etc. That town truly had character.  All gone.  Many dead.  Just terrible.  I moved there from Cape Cod.  I marveled at the similar buildings, all due to the whalers from back in the day.  So much history preserved there Old boats, you name it.  All gone.     

So I finally get home after a trip to Costco and Office Max, at 5:30.  Starving, exhausted.  Try to sleep, too frazzled from a stressful day at work and that freaking wind.  About 10pm I smell smoke.  Phone is on sleep, so I didn't get the alarm.  I go online - my neighborhood (maui meadows) is being evacuated.  Fire on the way.  That explains the traffic at midnight.  So, I go out on my deck and see the glow.  I say fuck it.  I'm too tired.  If it gets close I'll grab my snorkel and hide in the pool.  I'm too fried to mess with traffic.  I check the wind and the glow a few more times then doze out about 1:30.  Dumb luck got me thru that fire.  If the wind had switched to more NE, I coulda got the bum rush from the cops.  I didn't lose anything but some sleep.  Real bad here.  Not looking forward to driving thru my dear sweet Lahaina, burned to the ground.   :'(     

24

Prone Foiling, Surf foiling, Pump Foiling / Re: Swim Missiles

« on: June 22, 2023, 09:56:37 PM »

LPB, does hi tech stock this kit? 

Yes.  I call him Kai Penny, but most refer to him as Giampaolo. or GP.  He's the dealer here.

Ask him.  He's honest about what it takes to downwind on foil. 

You probably know him.  I think he was here before you left.  http://mauisurfreport.blogspot.com/

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Prone Foiling, Surf foiling, Pump Foiling / Re: Swim Missiles

« on: June 21, 2023, 09:21:18 PM »

Cool.  Thanks guys.  Tell me what I need to order and I will get it.

Call Hi Tech and ask for Kai Penny. 

26

Wingsurfing, Windfoiling, Wingfoiling, Wing SUP / Re: Zero wind.. No problem.

« on: April 07, 2023, 02:30:14 PM »

Hey, if any of you Maui folks see Devin tell her I need her mailing address. the blades on the SIC board are for her.

I'll text her.

27

Downwind and Racing / Re: Downwind Nostalgia

« on: March 18, 2023, 01:53:22 PM »

I think you did your first Maliko on that board.  Check this out:  https://www.standupzone.com/forum/index.php/topic,1346.0.html

Indeed, 'ol Red is on page 5 of that excellent thread, thanks for the link.  You and Bill Foote waited at the reef and pointed out the keyhole I needed to aim for.  Thanks for that. 

I was working for the Erdman's up at Ulupalakua Ranch on my first Maliko.  I had the key to the gate up the dirt road behind the Prince hotel.  I'd paddle in the mornings at Makena landing, then drive upcountry to the ranch.  This thread you linked was just a bit later, but soon after, because 'ol Red was still pristine.  I was at Oprah's by then, we did 5 houses for her.  I mention those locations because downwinding was yet to be, but the early morning stuff in flat water is almost as rewarding on a standup.  Whale action, sunrises, long paddles heading south, really nice down there.  But, then there is downwinding... 

That day on the north shore introduced me to wind.  No more early mornings, I began starting work early and finishing early to get to the wind.  I'd take my board or OC-1 to work, drive straight to the boardwalk and do a run.  Then I'd walk home with the boat - or board and bike back to my truck.  I did that for many years, to stay in shape to play weekend warrior on the north shore.  So fun.   

You convinced me to try OC-1 during my 3+ years working upcountry.  I sure remember that day too.  I found a great boat to buy the next day.  That is archived in here too.
 
Back to the first run.  It was you and Chan, Footie, Kent and Gail, RR and Jeremy.  You guys were all north shore veterans and surfers.  It was my first day stepping foot into the north shore on any watercraft.  I'm not a surfer, still have yet to do a true bottom turn.  Ha ha.   
I'd been doing standup for about a year, but that was in flat water at Makena/Kihei.  I found the zone and followed your exploits "downwinding" something called "maliko." So, I contacted you via PM here on the zone.
 "You have an F-16? sure come on over." 

Like I said, thanks for waiting at the reef.  Ha ha.  Remember how I asked you "is that where we finish? (pointing at Tavares) "Um, we are going down there, see those trees sticking out?" Um ok.  I figured if Jeremy could do it standing on a ham sandwich, I'd give it a go.  Unlike Jeremy, I didn't do much standing that day, but I sorta caught one glide, that's all it takes. 
   

Those were super fun times.  I can't remeber how long it took to get an F-16 but that was when it got good.

Pages 7 and 9 of that thread you linked.  5 weeks for you, 5+ months for me.  And you seemingly invented the dropped deck mold Raaphorst created for your F-16.  I remember looking at that in the shop before you picked it up and muttering 'this is going to be more stable, that bastard.'   

Thanks again Rando and keep this forum going.  I got a second lease on life from downwinding in the ski.  It all started here - on the zone - with that first Maliko.  Flat water would not have fixed up my lumbar issue.  I was hurting big time back then, nagging, sometimes debilitating back pain.  It's all gone now thanks to the ski.  Not swimming, not cycling, not Sup, not outrigger.  They didn't fix the root problem, but ski did.  Yoga fixed it for awhile, but that ain't fun like the ocean. 

28

Downwind and Racing / Downwind Nostalgia

« on: March 14, 2023, 09:17:50 PM »

A somewhat whacky mega long (about 19' as I remember) raceboard I bought from a shaper in Australia (I don't remember the guy or the name of the board)

Stuey, Penetrator 572.
 
Page 9 from the wayback machine.  That's probably you holding the board up. 
Weisel's house sold for 45M a few years back.  I always loved working on that house - his art collection is fantastic.  I met him once, I was using one of his boards at lunchtime, doing an upwind/downwind.  "Oh, hi Mr. Weisel, hope you don't mind me using this big tanker, I couldn't resist" He just smiled and said "Help yourself".  He had about 100 boards in his garage.  Bezos bought the LaPerouse house I worked on when it was built back in 04.  I did some work in there awhile back, it still looks brand new.  That's where I took my screen name from, I love that area.  That house sold for 75M.   https://www.standupzone.com/forum/index.php/topic,25640.msg267627.html#msg267627

29

The Shape Shack / Re: Print to Ride

« on: January 08, 2023, 08:25:38 AM »

I am wide open to suggestions on super durable adhesives, etc. 

https://www.sika.com/en/brands/sikaflex.html

30

Wingsurfing, Windfoiling, Wingfoiling, Wing SUP / Re: Hotel advice Hawaii please.

« on: December 28, 2022, 06:41:44 PM »

Thanks guys ,so stay on the West of Maui and drive/

/snip/   

Mike

No, don't stay on the West side of Maui (probably a typo on your part).  Traffic is getting bad on Maui, the West side is closer to an hour each way to the north shore, Wailea is 30 minutes to Kanaha - if you avoid rush hour.
 
If you come to Maui, stay in Wailea.
They launch at Ulua Beach, in the afternoons.  It's where we finish our downwind runs, I see wingers all the time.
 
No south swells to worry about.  Our south shore actually faces west, so it's nothing like the south shore of Oahu (regarding summer south shore surfing).
   
https://goo.gl/maps/GvdSdCDnJobyNGpV7