Author Topic: Winter Malikos  (Read 49336 times)

Argosi

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Re: Winter Malikos
« Reply #150 on: February 28, 2013, 04:29:26 PM »
Thanks for the vid. Keep em coming. Hope to see some video to go along with those great downwind stories.

supthecreek

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Re: Winter Malikos
« Reply #151 on: March 02, 2013, 08:03:20 PM »
Fun vids... thanks for the ride.

808sup

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Re: Winter Malikos
« Reply #152 on: March 08, 2013, 11:16:34 PM »
Here is a pic. of me trying to run down a friend of mine last weekend. Borrowed his v-1. Enjoyed the glide even though it was set up goofy-foot.

808sup

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Re: Winter Malikos
« Reply #153 on: March 08, 2013, 11:25:27 PM »
Almost borrowed a paddle from you Bill but thought it better to ask first.

PonoBill

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Re: Winter Malikos
« Reply #154 on: March 08, 2013, 11:53:04 PM »
Nah, next time just give it a go. Just  leave me a note.
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.

808sup

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Re: Winter Malikos
« Reply #155 on: March 09, 2013, 09:10:25 AM »
shoots!

headmount

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Re: Winter Malikos
« Reply #156 on: March 09, 2013, 09:23:17 AM »
Is that you? (Name starts with a K)  Thought you had a V2?

808sup

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Re: Winter Malikos
« Reply #157 on: March 09, 2013, 07:26:02 PM »
No HM, that's not me. That is Karl in the pic. I have the go-pro on already and it just caught him checking out Bills' paddle. I own a f-16 v2 but was riding Karls' bullet v1 in the pic. ( Kevin )

covesurfer

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Re: Winter Malikos
« Reply #158 on: December 11, 2013, 11:00:43 PM »
Noticed that it's been since last winter that anybody's posted on this thread. Well, it's winter again and there will be Malikos.

Received a morning downwinder call from one Mr. HM around 10 am. The word was that Maliko was looking very promising and that he and PB were saddling up early. The days as we near winter solstice are compressed. There was little to no wind developing on the south side for today so it was out in the wild blue on the north side or no downwinder at all. This is day two of what the forecasters are saying is only a two day episode of trade winds. So today could well be our last downwind opportunity for a while.

It's been a long time since I've done a Maliko run, the last one was October 16 with JC; the last one HM did with me was October 2. I hadn't paddled a Maliko with Pono Bill since last January.

HM has lived here a lifetime and he makes excellent calls on when, where and whether it is going to be good conditions. He also takes more in stride as far as conditions than this mainlander boy. When he says, 'there's a little swell', I usually experience a slight to moderate pucker response. When he adds that 'we're going to paddle into the oil tanks' (rather than the harbor), the pucker gets stronger. Going in to the oil tanks means taking a line across the reefs somewhere and I typically have pictures in my mind of huge walls of blue rising up steeply and beginning to break, somewhere behind me on a 16', high volume rudder board. Yikes!

I need to add that HM and PB are the guys that have basically taught me most everything about downwind paddle surfing on Maui. I wasn't going to say 'maybe' or, how about coming in at the harbor? Even though my immediate thoughts were 'I wonder if the cat will survive until my wife gets back from Seattle after my premature death on the Maliko run this afternoon'.  :P

Besides, PB took me on my very first downwinder, back in the Gorge a few years ago. Showed me the ropes. Then made sure I was properly broken in, with just the right amounts of fun mixed with pure terror, last winter on Maui.  Anyway, you couldn't ask for better paddling partners but wussing out is just not an option. Trust me, you're not going live that down with PB. So, anyway, in spite of the fear factor, I actually got pretty excited about going (what else is new? it's like Pavlov with me and down winding). I was going on my first winter Maliko run of this season. I made sure there was enough cat food and water in the dishes that the cat would survive a few days but I felt at least 63% confident that I'd survive just fine.

We got to Maliko about 1PM and headed out. The "little swell" had looked pretty significant to me from the highway on the drive up. I kept a mantra for myself that 'outside was my friend today' and decided to trust HM's judgement on going in at the oil tanks. I would follow his line and survive just fine thought I. Anyway, it really wasn't any biggie paddling out of the gulch, the rip along the right worked fine and the side chop and swell were very manageable. HM had suggested keeping a sharp eye from Baldwin on down for outer reef breakers and that's what I did. That and staying close to his line. ;D

Wind was excellent, gusty but strong. As soon as I turned downwind I started to pick up some nice fast glides. The airport reported gusts to 30 but I think it was stronger, especially on the upper portion of the run. The first half of the run was really fun, lots of big drops. I was glad I'd taken my Maliko blade instead of my Wiki. You needed the power. I saw one huge turtle, usually I see a lot more, and I saw a lot of splashes which were the result of sea life but I wasn't sure what. With all the shark stuff off Maui lately, I was frankly just a bit spooked. Keep moving, paddle fast, look at and enjoy the incredible beauty of being out on the open ocean on a screaming Hawaiian winter day. It was just exhilarating even if a tiny bit scary.

By the time we got closer to outer Upper Kanaha, it was time to really pay attention. HM suggested we take a more outside line - there were large breaking waves visible ahead and we were pretty far out. (Outside is your friend) Great idea, right rudder and lets go! There was a good easterly windswell and a deeper more northerly groundswell but it was all manageable, especially with our good outside line. After we passed Outer Uppers, we could more safely start lining up on the smokestack near the end of the run. The last mile and a half or two miles was actually really fun but we had to really angle sharply to make it in. And, once you do that, you're committed, no matter what it does. You can't make the harbor once you make that sharp left and give up your position outside.

Somehow, we took a darn near perfect line and had luck on our side, sliding inside across the reefs during lulls between sets. The set waves that I could see breaking outside behind us were fearsome (to me anyway) but speed in those conditions can be your friend. Trying to catch maximum glides was getting us out of the danger zones while the ocean allowed us to pass through. Near the end of the run, I bragged to HM that I hadn't fallen in the whole run - a rare achievement for me. Of course, this resulted in an immediate get-off, but only about 20 yards from the beach. I'm still stoked I stayed on my feet until then.

It wasn't a very fast run, but it was really satisfying, especially that we got in with absolutely no drama. That felt really good. The conditions were challenging, especially compared to the cakewalk groomed stuff we had yesterday and on other runs over on the Kihei side. PB, who had been pretty close to us, decided to just run for the harbor. Once we figured out what he'd done, we made a quick trip over and picked him up. It was a good day.

http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=2495817
« Last Edit: December 11, 2013, 11:19:08 PM by covesurfer »

stoneaxe

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Re: Winter Malikos
« Reply #159 on: December 12, 2013, 05:54:30 AM »
Fun post...we needs some pictures.

So jealous...pretty sure we'll be out sometime in March...hope he doesn't kill me. You're making me pucker from here.....having been taught things by Bill a number of times I understand that death is a often a possible result.....and that was just learning how to build a PC... :o ::) ;)
Bob

8-4 Vec, 9-0 SouthCounty, 9-8 Starboard, 10-4 Foote Triton, 10-6 C4, 12-6 Starboard, 14-0 Vec (babysitting the 18-0 Speedboard) Ke Nalu Molokai, Ke Nalu Maliko, Ke Nalu Wiki Ke Nalu Konihi

Muskoka SUP

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Re: Winter Malikos
« Reply #160 on: December 12, 2013, 06:16:20 AM »
Thanks Covesurfer.

I'm heading to Maui next May, and all I've been dwelling on lately is Headmount's "off the reservation" thread...too many shark thoughts for my freshwater mind....gotta refocus and think "Maliko"......

Nice long detailed posts like yours help a lot in keeping me objective and stoked. 

DS
It ain't over until the fat board sinks....

PonoBill

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Re: Winter Malikos
« Reply #161 on: December 12, 2013, 08:13:35 AM »
That was a fun one. You made the right choice with the Maliko blade Cove, I couldn't buy a linked up glide with my little Wiki. Mack to Molokai blades for north shore--you need torque.

You guys were pretty far out in front, and when we got to Camp One my problems getting into the big swells got worse and I was just paddling. I planned to cut the reef tight and saw that you guys were pretty close in, but then you turned sharp right and headed for the horizon. Having followed HM into the "valley of the shadow of death" a few times I thought "uh, oh" and pointed my bow at Oahu. By the time I calmed down I was too far out to make the tanks comfortably, though in retrospect I certainly could have, but the harbor was an easy choice. Thanks for the pickup. Beats doing the walk of shame back to my rig.
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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