Ku Ikaika Challenge (Just One Participants View)

[DavidJohn]

Fantastic pictures Blane..

Just wondering..does the vest help much getting back up for air or is it more a safety thing if you hit your head or something.

DJ

[Blane Chambers]

Fantastic pictures Blane..

Just wondering..does the vest help much getting back up for air or is it more a safety thing if you hit your head or something.

DJ

I used it for all the above reasons and I also wear it for side impacts hitting the water or protect you from the board hitting your ribs etc....   In bigger waves the big board becomes a very dangerous projectile.            Others who wore the vest are Sam Pae who wears one all the time and Garrett McNamara.      I think I'll open up a new post about it...    I'm heading to the airport soon from San Diego to go home so I'll post when I get back...

Aloha,

Blane



www.paddlesurfhawaii.com

[Dwight (DW)]

Fantastic pictures Blane..

Just wondering..does the vest help much getting back up for air or is it more a safety thing if you hit your head or something.

DJ

I used it for all the above reasons and I also wear it for side impacts hitting the water or protect you from the board hitting your ribs etc....   In bigger waves the big board becomes a very dangerous projectile.            Others who wore the vest are Sam Pae who wears one all the time and Garrett McNamara.      I think I'll open up a new post about it...    I'm heading to the airport soon from San Diego to go home so I'll post when I get back...

Aloha,

Blane



www.paddlesurfhawaii.com

I can confirm the board is a weapon. My ribs put a 5" crack in the rail. Torn cartilage around the ribs is the result. And incredible pain 

[HaleiwaBill]

Sounds like I should considered a vest as well. I bruised several ribs on wipeout last weekend.

[Princess]

Awesome youtube video. That's nuts!

[Big Island Mike]

I am so stoked you got to surf in this Blane. When I got the first email from Jodi Wilmott I thought your name definately should have been up there for the main invitee list, as a dedicated surfer and one who has probably done more for the sport than anyone I can think of.

Keep up the great work in the shaping room and the green room.

ALOHA.   PSH forever!!!

PS.  What was your fin set up on that 10'6??

[Paduan Sam]

That's just nuts Blane!  I'm glad you got to surf good Makaha with ony a couple of guys out in the water.  Stoked!!!   

[stoneaxe]

Awesome post Blane. Had me at the edge of my seat with your blow by blow of the action! Congrats!

[Blane Chambers]

PS.  What was your fin set up on that 10'6??

Thanks again everyone for the kind words.    Howzit Mike!   The fin set up I use on that board is a 8.5" Hull Flex from Rainbow Fin Co with regular FCS GL side bites.    Feels good!

[Paduan Sam]

Aloha Blane

Do you think that an 7.0 cutaway is good enough hold a 10'0" in waist high grovlers?

Sam

[Blane Chambers]

Aloha Blane

Do you think that an 7.0 cutaway is good enough hold a 10'0" in waist high grovlers?

Sam

For sure!   We use 7.0 Cutaways in well overhead surf with small 3.5 sides.    Definetly need to place it where it will hold for your style....

Aloha,
Blane



www.paddlesurfhawaii.com

[Big Island Mike]

I've been using a 6" cutaway with G5 sidebites and the 9'2 turns on a dime in smaller (below head high) waves, the tail slides but holds as it is a consistent slide. I love it, will put in my 7" cutaway for overhead surf, I have the Future 7" and man that is a NICE fin, great template and super precision.

[val]

good story blane and congrats on getting some nice waves...  funny side story, a few months ago aaron called me about my old PSH I was selling on craigslist...  he'd been borrowing boards and was looking to get his own...  my board was great but pretty beat so I told him it probably wouldn't be the best for him...  anyhow, we talked awhile and (since I knew a bit about his surf rep) I suggested he just get a sponsor...  he was so humble and selfless, nahhh, don't want to ask anybody for that, just buy 'em... anyhow, maybe he earned that sponsorship after all...   

[Blane Chambers]

Last night I got a disk from Allen mozo with pics from Makaha.    Here's the pictures to complete the story...

The horn blew and the 3 others stroked it off to the point but I held back a little as there were more bigger sets hitting the bowl.   Right off the bat I got a solid one there and had to iron leg a big whitewater but pulled it off.

This is the first one...

I was out to the point ahead of them and a indicator set started bombing off in the distance...   I stroked hard to a lineup Mel Puu taught me.   I could hear Dave yelling at Chris who was behind me, "Follow Blane!!"     I went over the first wave and there was an absolute beauty and I was in the perfect spot..  Thanks Mel!    I turned and paddled into this awesome glassy wall...   Dave was yelling, "GO BLANE, GO!"    Once in I took the high line and just focused on big swooping turns to connect the sections and made it all the way to the channel...   STOKED!

This is the above one...


And the big one that taught me a valuble lesson.   The Makaha Bowl wins 9 times out of 10!
The take off...


This shot was given to me by Aaron Napoleon.   We don't know who took it...  The Bowl about to teach my dumb a$$ a lesson!


Aloha,
Blane




www.paddlesurfhawaii.com

[Admin]

Blane, I gotta say, it really looks like you scored the macker of the day!

A lot of the video footage looks normal big, but that one looks stomach-dropping big.  Was that set a one of a kind or was it just constanly rising as the event went on?