The winter Gulch report

[PonoBill]

Speaking of what those Kalamas are or are not drinking, I heard they started a tea company, named after their family, but it was a disaster from the start.

Better lay low if you come to Maui, you may have a nuclear wedgie coming. I was dodging around Paia a few years ago after saying Dave was fat like a fire hydrant is fat. I meant it as a compliment but Diane concluded Dave was likely to pull my boardshorts up over my head.

Of course that all blew over now, I think...I hope.

[pdxmike]

Speaking of what those Kalamas are or are not drinking, I heard they started a tea company, named after their family, but it was a disaster from the start.

Better lay low if you come to Maui, you may have a nuclear wedgie coming. I was dodging around Paia a few years ago after saying Dave was fat like a fire hydrant is fat. I meant it as a compliment but Diane concluded Dave was likely to pull my boardshorts up over my head.

Of course that all blew over now, I think...I hope.

I guess if saying something about the Kalama Tea Co. was bad, I really shouldn't say anything about how Laird Hamilton was really Naish's first choice for sponsorship before Dave Kalama, but Laird turned them down.  He was afraid that if he became associated with a company with a silent "i" like Naish, people might start calling him "Lard". 

[headmount]

I hate to miss a day.  No excuses on the work front today.  Cleared for launch.  Usually after you can squeak out of Maliko, you're good as long as you pay attention no matter how big it is.  And if the wind is blowing I like to go.  It was today so I gave it a solid check from the road above the mouth of the bay.  There was only a fifty foot gap between white froth on both sides.  The resulting consequence on the downwind side was a horrific hammer on anvil situation.  But I started thinking maybe it was doable as long as I put the hammer down and didn't screw up.   But when I looked closely at the water, it seemed weird.  The current flow was definitely stronger than how fast I could paddle and if I got caught up in the residual suds, the board might not point where I wanted it to point.  Timing on the sets seemed erratic and I just lost confidence in knowing it would be a sure thing with my $2.5k board.  So I passed.  It was the second time I've passed this season when the surf was in the large category.  The other time the wind was really too light but today it was 20-25 @ 2PM.  Coulda been good.  Uppers also looked to be breaking a few miles out and I swore to myself the last time I cleared that area on a huge day that I'd have my back pack set up with at least one fin and my goggles... the next time.  Today was that time but I didn't have that together yet.  So I went for a swim and saw two kiters ripping it up all by themselves at outside Spartan reef.  Man I hate to miss a day.

[Pureadrenalin]

Speaking of what those Kalamas are or are not drinking, I heard they started a tea company, named after their family, but it was a disaster from the start.

Better lay low if you come to Maui, you may have a nuclear wedgie coming. I was dodging around Paia a few years ago after saying Dave was fat like a fire hydrant is fat. I meant it as a compliment but Diane concluded Dave was likely to pull my boardshorts up over my head.

Of course that all blew over now, I think...I hope.

I guess if saying something about the Kalama Tea Co. was bad, I really shouldn't say anything about how Laird Hamilton was really Naish's first choice for sponsorship before Dave Kalama, but Laird turned them down.  He was afraid that if he became associated with a company with a silent "i" like Naish, people might start calling him "Lard". 

Wow bra you get one big fucking mouth I hope you can back it up when come time. I hope you not one off those guys just hide behind the computer. I really hope you can backup your wise ass mouth.
I love to see the day I bump into you at one of the races.

[DavidJohn]

I can see the joke in what pdxmike said..  .. It's pretty funny.. 

DJ

[PonoBill]

Wow bra you get one big fucking mouth I hope you can back it up when come time. I hope you not one off those guys just hide behind the computer. I really hope you can backup your wise ass mouth.
I love to see the day I bump into you at one of the races.

Geez, Ninja, chill out, it's a joke. PDX is the funniest guy that posts here. You might not get the joke, but you should assume it IS exactly that.

[pdxmike]

Thanks guys for the support.

As it is, I'm already at the point that I can't go to Hawaii without getting a wedgie from the entire Kalama clan, and if Laird Hamilton decides that I hurt his self-esteem, I also face getting beat up by the Fittest Man on the Planet!  I'm already in trouble for telling him at the REI clinic in Seattle that he didn't invent standup paddling--Al Gore did.  

[Pureadrenalin]

Wow bra you get one big fucking mouth I hope you can back it up when come time. I hope you not one off those guys just hide behind the computer. I really hope you can backup your wise ass mouth.
I love to see the day I bump into you at one of the races.

Geez, Ninja, chill out, it's a joke. PDX is the funniest guy that posts here. You might not get the joke, but you should assume it IS exactly that.

Well for like some of us who are not wine drinkers there is some off us that don't like his stupid humor.  I'm straight forward and call it like I see it regardless of what other people think or say. You guys find him hilarious alright not all of us is into his stupid humor. Straight up

[PonoBill]

I hate to miss a day.  No excuses on the work front today.  Cleared for launch.  Usually after you can squeak out of Maliko, you're good as long as you pay attention no matter how big it is.  And if the wind is blowing I like to go.  It was today so I gave it a solid check from the road above the mouth of the bay.  There was only a fifty foot gap between white froth on both sides.  The resulting consequence on the downwind side was a horrific hammer on anvil situation.  But I started thinking maybe it was doable as long as I put the hammer down and didn't screw up.   But when I looked closely at the water, it seemed weird.  The current flow was definitely stronger than how fast I could paddle and if I got caught up in the residual suds, the board might not point where I wanted it to point.  Timing on the sets seemed erratic and I just lost confidence in knowing it would be a sure thing with my $2.5k board.  So I passed.  It was the second time I've passed this season when the surf was in the large category.  The other time the wind was really too light but today it was 20-25 @ 2PM.  Coulda been good.  Uppers also looked to be breaking a few miles out and I swore to myself the last time I cleared that area on a huge day that I'd have my back pack set up with at least one fin and my goggles... the next time.  Today was that time but I didn't have that together yet.  So I went for a swim and saw two kiters ripping it up all by themselves at outside Spartan reef.  Man I hate to miss a day.

I know what you mean, but it gets really lonely out at Upper Kanaha when you can't tell how far out it's breaking, but no matter how far you go it seems it might be further. I know you worry about breaking your board, but I've done a couple of leash rides under mine and it's just not that much fun.

[headmount]

PB wrote... "I've done a couple of leash rides under mine and it's just not that much fun." 
Well I agree emphatically.  I'd much rather break my cord and swim than tweak my ankle or leg.  The body comes first.

[headmount]

Woke up this morning and it was still pouring rain.  Hard rain.  Guy Hagi had forecast a return to trades but the monsoon was still here.  But then it stopped and a light trade started up.  Maybe?  Then by 12 it was really picking up.  I got ready and had a 2:30 launch and it was ripping.  Airport reading during my run was 24 gusts to 36.  Yep the wind was back with a vengeance, especially on the lower half.  After what seems like an eternity we got our conditions back.  Nice and groomed also.  No swell crossing the grain up.  Perfect wind direction for both ins and outs.  The only thing missing was my stamina but paced myself since I had no one to race with.  Only did a shorty to Kanaha which was plenty for today.  No falls and the whole time I focused on DK's reach mantra.  It really does work.  I'm a bummed I'm so slow to catch on.  There were times when the crest of a glide was already forward of the middle of the board, a point where I normally give up and wait for the next set up, but today I was able to crawl over the top of some of those teetering crests and drop in.  Felt real good.  Of course I was jacked to be downwinding again and my appreciation was high.  Also MR fixed my leak and the board was bone dry at the end of the run... which is cool.  Gunga gunga galunga

[LaPerouseBay]

And a very fine gunga galunga to you HM.  We just missed you today.  The shuttle was full, all girls and 2 guys.  My ego is too fragile to get chicked, so I headed up wind for a mile.  Jeebus the wind was good today.  I was focused on keeping my heart rate down below 80% and still broke the hour.  Best conditions I've seen in 4 months.  Still buzzing and visualizing some great rides.  The lefts at pier one were off the hook.  Super, super fun. 

 

[PonoBill]

I still have my sister and brother in law here, so a Maliko was out, but I took my footie along to the South side where we met them for lunch at the restaurant next to Sorrentos. The wind line was way out when we first got there, so I paddled out for a few miles going west. Swells but not much wind. Turned around when the wind came up a bit and scooted back. Had lunch. By the time I finished it was whitecaps all over. So Diane shuttled me to Sugar Beach and I did a downwinder to Sorrentos. The wind was very onshore at first, but I just went straight out towards Molokini until I started to see some east in it.

Funny you should mention doing Dave's reach mantra, Bill. I was also channeling Mr. Kalama--working hard on my reach, cleaning up my stroke, and thinking about his "Possessed" article. I was pushing hard, and getting a little tired, so I decided the answer was: Push much, much, much harder.  Despite fairly light wind and unfavorable swells, I gradually cranked the little Footie up over eight MPH and held it (except for a few dips) for ten minutes. Even after letting the speed drop a bit to seven I kept paddling hard, all the way to the beach.

Diane said she thought I was either being chased by something or was showing off when I came in, because  I was paddling so hard, and going so fast, but I did that all the way.

I think the Possessed article may be the most important one Dave has written so far. At least for me. Now I know there's more than what I usually think I've got. I suspect this is just the beginning.

[LaPerouseBay]

Another killer run today.  Shuttle was full.  Clouds moved in and blocked the strong winds.  With a fetch going out thousands of miles to the east, swells were quite powerful and perfectly aligned.  Kind of glassy compared to yesterday.  Very good surf action.  Glassy and big swells was great for spotting links.  Time was 1'04".  Stacked up big again from kanaha to the entrance.  Zero windsurfers, scores of canoes, just a few standups.
 


Training hard for this weekend's MCKC race.  Weather forcast is very positive.  Should be big tradewind swells, maybe some flat grinding at the end.  Whatever - it's all a blur once the horn sounds.



This one is in 3 weeks.  It has me a bit spooked.  First half is all rock cliffs.  Beautiful, but unforgiving.  It's cool to see the stronger paddlers start showing up for the final races.  Dave K. may show for this one. 

[PonoBill]

Yeah, I was jonesing all day, should probably have taken the Scorpius out. I don't know how many times I talked to Mr. Headmount, but the news was all bad from where I stood--blocking clouds rolling by one after the other.

I did that race last year, it was a grinder. I'll do it again this year. the SUPs start from Napili Bay, which is a little kinder, but it's still a slog.

The next one I don't know where the SUPs start from. Maybe Maliko? The website doesn't say. I want to do a run from Kaenae on a SUP sooner or later, maybe sooner is sooner.