Woulda, should rode the 999

[PonoBill]

It was nuking today on the southside of Maui. As in Gorge level nuking. I was going to do a downwinder with Steven Ross, but I misread conditions and rigged a 4.2 Strike wing and a 1150 wing. How stupid!

The wind was shit close to the beach, but as soon as I got clear of the jetty I was in trouble. Even flagged out or overhead with one hand I was overpowered, and the 1150 was reacting to the swell constantly. I was on or over the edge of control constantly. After about ten minutes of nutball thrashing, I pulled the pin and winged back upwind to the launch. fortunately, Bill Boyum, who is still on the injured reserve list was still there. He was going to shuttle my van down to the Mauni Kai--our destination. I planned to drop the wing to 3.5 and the foil wing to my 999. Steven also returned, so we decided to just mow ze lawn. Given the conditions that was fairly adventurous. there wasn't a single craft other than a guy with an OC1 hugging the shore anywhere in sight. No wingers, no windsurfers, no whale-watchers, no sailboats. Nothin, nada, as far as the eye could see.

For some stupid reason I didn't switch to the 999. Big mistake. the 999 controls swell like no other wing I've ever experienced. I had a good session, which is surprising considering my left knee has been total shit lately. the 1150 is way too reactive, the 999 would have been a lot more fun, though at the typical 999 speed my falls would have been like bouncing on concrete.