Author Topic: Downwind Nostalgia  (Read 4616 times)

LaPerouseBay

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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
« Last Edit: March 16, 2023, 02:46:31 AM by Admin »
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PonoBill

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Downwind Nostalgia
« Reply #1 on: March 15, 2023, 09:23:38 AM »
Ah, yes. Stuey Campbell and the Penetrator 572. Named for its length in centimeters--18.8 feet. Yup, I was standing behind the board holding it up. Rereading some of the posts in that thread is such a pleasure. I'm gonna get a cup of coffee and read the whole thing. And then maybe the Maliko thread. Those were sweet days. Foiling is fun, but it's not the magic of flying down the coast on a skinny board with a bunch of good friends, whooping and laughing.

Looking at the hull of the penetrator (it's the yellow one) it's easy to see where the secondary stability comes from, and how skinny it got when the deck was 2" above the water. A handful, and the steering was screwy, but crazy fun. Strangely, I remember the flatwater paddling I did with it most vividly--I paddled it from Thousand Peaks to the Mala Wharf one afternoon--probably eight miles. Had lunch at Mala's, then paddled back. Glassy both ways, it felt effortless.
« Last Edit: March 16, 2023, 02:46:49 AM by Admin »
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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Downwind Nostalgia
« Reply #2 on: March 15, 2023, 09:54:04 AM »
I think you did your first Maliko on that board.  Check this out:  https://www.standupzone.com/forum/index.php/topic,1346.0.html
« Last Edit: March 16, 2023, 02:47:01 AM by Admin »

PonoBill

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Downwind Nostalgia
« Reply #3 on: March 15, 2023, 02:37:46 PM »
How soon they forget... If you look at page two of that thread you'll see my fat ass sitting on an Aqua board that I nicknamed Gumby. It was Bill Foote's first downwind board that he made for himself. It looked like he took an 11-foot blank and glassed it. It did indeed look a lot like Gumby--Brother Bob was incensed that I did such a shitty job drawing a Gumby cartoon on it with Posca Pens). I rode that rather slow board for at least a year before I bought the Penetrator. Once I learned to catch bumps with it I was able to speed up a little.

I switched to riding the Ku Nalu (12'2" X 25"). which was actually my first SUP surfboard, after I realized it was much faster than Gumby on Maliko runs--as long as I could stay on it. The Ku Nalu has all the secondary stability of a log. I still have one in hollow carbon that I got Mark to make me before he sold SIC.

I'm surprised you don't remember, because you and Chan took me on my first Maliko Run, sometime in 2007. Of course, you left me so quickly out in the middle of the ocean, chugging along on an 11-foot semi-surfboard that you probably didn't get a good look at little Gumby and mistook it for a 19-foot monster. Part of the great Maliko tradition--give newcomers a few rudimentary instructions and then leave them briskly, waiting at least 15 minutes in the Harbor to see if they survived, then send a few thoughts and prayers and head for home. I probably came in at least two hours behind you, falling every fifty feet and scared shitless. It's a good thing it was so much fun.

The Penetrator came much, much later after some heated exchanges here on the Zone about waterline length and speed. Stu Campbell agreed with my position and made me a board at a reasonable price and shipped it to Maui in the most robust crate I've seen before or since. It took me a couple of hours to uncrate it in a parking lot on Oahu with rudimentary tools from my jeep. I brought the Funmobile (RIP) over on the Superferry (RIP) to pick up the board.

The succession of boards after the Penetrator got folded (yes, it was RR) were mostly SIC, with a brief sojourn with a Foote Maliko, which was one hell of a good board. Back then you thought Vortices were fast. Apparently, you and Chan were on drugs. Faster than Gumby, perhaps, but otherwise...

I remember that ultralight Foote Maliko you got. The first time I picked that thing up I was blown away. Billy had already figured out that I'm a little hard on equipment, so my Maliko was about the same weight as it would be if it was made of stainless steel.

« Last Edit: March 16, 2023, 02:47:13 AM by Admin »
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.

PonoBill

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Downwind Nostalgia
« Reply #4 on: March 15, 2023, 06:05:35 PM »
Hey Admin. How about moving this thread hijack to a thread called something like Downwind Nostalgia.

I've read about 18 of the 25 pages of the South Side downwinder thread. Really fun. I only quit to take part in a zoom call about our investments, which was WAY more fun than reading about downwinders of yore.  :o
« Last Edit: March 16, 2023, 02:47:24 AM by Admin »
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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Re: Downwind Nostalgia
« Reply #5 on: March 16, 2023, 03:02:28 AM »
That would be polite.  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.

PonoBill

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Re: Downwind Nostalgia
« Reply #6 on: March 17, 2023, 11:08:41 AM »
I read all 25 pages of the southside thread. Then I looked at the Maliko threads and decided I need to wait until I have a long down day. Damn, we did a lot of runs. It's amazing how many times Boyum and I did double Maliko runs. I did a triple Viento run once, and a lot of doubles, but that's a cheesecake run compared to a Maliko. I told a friend once that doing a Maliko prepares you for a Viento, but doing a Viento doesn't prepare you for a Maliko. It's like preparing for Mars by scuffling around in some New Mexico desert. Similar, but not quite the same.
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.

LaPerouseBay

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Re: Downwind Nostalgia
« Reply #7 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. 
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Chan

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Re: Downwind Nostalgia
« Reply #8 on: March 19, 2023, 08:26:25 AM »
Great times!  I wonder if any of our old SIC boards are still around.  I had a 15'6 that would be fun to take out for a spin again.  With our new foil prone paddle boards ready for their first run, it feels like Deja Vu all over again.

PonoBill

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Re: Downwind Nostalgia
« Reply #9 on: March 19, 2023, 08:37:43 AM »
Yeah, it should be a good summer in the Gorge. My dance card is filling up briskly, but there will be plenty of watertime. I look forward to seeing you guys.
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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Re: Downwind Nostalgia
« Reply #10 on: March 19, 2023, 09:45:54 AM »
LPB, So many great runs but a few that stand out as all time crazy.  One of those was a big Maliko (I can't remember if it was canoe or SUP) but there was a big swell running and I remember that we wanted to be way outside.  The wind got light and this foggy rain brought visibility down to zero.  We couldn't see each other a lot of the time and had no idea if we were too close.  As we approched the outer reef sections you could hear and feel the thunder. 

PonoBill

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Re: Downwind Nostalgia
« Reply #11 on: March 19, 2023, 05:43:00 PM »
Reading the Maliko thread made me relive both the fun and the occasional terror. I guess that's what makes a sport addictive. I doubt I'll ever golf unless I figure out some way to scare the shit out of myself. Though one of the five or six times I golfed was on the Naval Base in Subic bay. There were Cobras on the course--that came fairly close to spooking the crap out of me. They look like big worms when they aren't threatening to kill you.

Boyum, Gregg Leion, and I did a race on the SS once where we were paddling towards dark clouds with thunder and occasional streaks of lightning. Just as the storm moved out a huge waterspout appeared right off Polo beach. We were headed to Makena.

And Boyum and I did one of those ill-advised Malikos where the entire north shore was lit up, with a 10+ foot North swell and East wind swells that had been building for 2K miles. We planned to come in at the oil tanks, but it was just impossible. We would have been shredded crossing the reef. Had to go in the harbor mouth and THAT was spooky enough--waves smashing on the breakwater with mountains of spray. Pier One looked like a big day at Waimea. And as we turned in I saw that huge Tiger that sometimes hung out there, but he wasn't on the bottom like he usually was. I probably could have touched him with both feet if I fell in. Wasn't going to happen, I was glued to the board like an Opihi. 

Apocalypto, dude.
« Last Edit: March 19, 2023, 05:48:07 PM by PonoBill »
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.

covesurfer

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Re: Downwind Nostalgia
« Reply #12 on: May 29, 2023, 08:58:35 AM »
I was checking out the forums, which I rarely do these days, and saw this. That took me down the rabbit hole and I ended up re-reading a bunch of posts on the s side and Maliko threads. Wow. Those were some great times! The best part of it, to me anyway, was that we had such a big group of stoked paddlers that were always on deck for a downwinder. I've gone on three canoe runs in great wind and waves the past three days. And it's just as much fun paddling and surfing as it ever was, but the stoke of those days, with that group of folks, was really special. Lucky to have been there for a good chunk of time.

 


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