Catching Up

Sorry about the lack of reports, been busy the last few days. But that doesn't mean we haven't had wind. To the contrary, we've had some pretty nice wind here the last several days in a row. The holiday weekend turned out to be great sailing, with winds in the 4.5 to 5.0 range for guys and 4.0s for the gals with clear, sunny skies and warm temps. We had a little bit of wind driven backside riding swell up at Camp One on Sunday, but that decreased on Monday and even more yesterday. The best rides have been the rolling swell outside the break at Camp One and between Camp One and Sprecks. Clean, blue, rolling smoothies to shred - almost like the Gorge, maybe not as big and as long though.

We seem to be in the definitive summer pattern now - strong winds and no waves. All the slalom racers are out in droves practicing for this Saturday's first Maui Race Series event. The winds backed off a bit today and tomorrow may be similar, but the forecast for Saturday is for strong winds to return.

Seems like winds this May on Maui have been more like March. We've had several days in a row of pretty light winds. The forecast today was looking pretty sketchy too, but upon checking all the beach weather data this morning it was apparent that the trades had filled back in. Turned out to be a pretty nice day of sailing. Lots of action happening at Kanaha with Team Tabou/Gaastra demoing the 2006 Gaastra Manic wave sales and Tabou Da Curve boards. Gotta say, both are pretty sweet. The Manics are incredibly light and smooth and the Da Curve is a fun lively, loose wave machine.

The park cleared out early today as everyone wanted to get over to Kanaha Kai Maui's first birthday party just up the road. Scores of people showed up for ono grinds, raffle and give aways and outdoor video screening projected onto the side of a big white van.

Now that the trades seem to have re-established themselves, it looks like we should get some nice wind for a few days.

More light breezes the last couple of days so there's not a lot of powered up sailing going on here on Maui unless you have pretty big gear. The racers out practicing for the upcoming slalom season might have been able to make it work. Or, if you're a kid like Bernd or one of the other local rippers practicing for the race season, you might be able to get by with a 4.7. Here's some more video of Bernd practicing for the race season. (10+ MB Real Media video).

Fresh Hookipa Video

Got some fresh video from Norm today of Bernd sailing Hookipa. It might look like a small day at Hookipa but for Bernd, it's head-high plus. This is a big video file, 10.1 MB, so if you're on dial-up, take a nap while it's downloading.

Winds today continued their downward trend. Got a call from Jazz who sailed 5.3 Hookipa and said it was epic, with logo high sets and nobody out. Report from Kanaha was light 5.0 sailing for my wahine who reported in. She said she had to work it at that. So, 6.0 + would have been required by the guys.

This shot wasn't from today. Local sailor Jazz got UK photo guy Dave Blythe to shoot him at Hookipa and Jazz came through with his signature tweaked table top.

Winds today were a bit too light to launch this kind of air. Guys at Kanaha were on 5.8s in the late afternoon with some mellow sailing. Winds didn't really pick up to later in the afternoon.

Winds are trending down currently and will probably become very light and southeasterly starting Wednesday for the rest of this week. Then they're supposed to amp back up to normal trade conditions some time this weekend.

After a few light days, the trade winds returned to Maui on Friday, bringing us a spectacular day of wind, waves and sunshine. A late season north swell brought us head- to logo-high waves at Uppers and the trades wind antied up some nice 5.0 wind. Warm temps and sunny skies rounded out an epic day of sailing at Kanaha. Hookipa was also firing with logo- to mast-high sets. Days like these are what help define Maui as the mecca of windsurfing.

Yesterday, the waves dropped in size a little bit and the wind compensated by kicking in a little more. After some squally conditions in the early afternoon, skies cleared out and we once again had beautiful conditions. Winds were in the 4.5 range for most guys, 4.0 for the ladies. Waves mostly around head high or so. Uppers was packed with windsurfers vying for their piece of rideable water.

It's late Wednesday afternoon here on Maui and we're currently under seige by a weak cold front/shear line that has brought cloudy skies and light rain throughout most of the day. Winds have been light and out of the north so far this week - too light to sail anywhere on the north shore. Monday might have been sailable in Kihei, not sure. But I think it has even been too light there the last two days.

Things are supposed to turn around tomorrow as trade winds are supposed to return and then on the weekend they're supposed to get pretty strong.

Kids Who Rip

Maui's own Bernd Roediger is a featured ripper on the Kids Who Rip website. Pretty cool to see a kid that we see at the beach every day featured. Kids like Kai Lenny, featured in the latest Windsurfing Magazine and Conner Baxter have gotten a lot of press lately, but for my money, kids like Bernd and Kalani Hunt are the fun ones to watch. Also watch out for Dave Ezzy's daughter. She can't be older than 6 or 7 but she rips. All these rippers will no doubt bring a bit more attention to windsurfing over the next several years. Anyway, congratulations Bernd!

Yesterday's wind on the north shore never really got going. I hear Kanaha slalom racer Captain Greg was the only one really planing - on his 10.5 sail and formul board. Kihea was windier again due to the northerly component in the wind. Waves were miniscule everywhere, even at Hookipa where they were reportedly about knee high. Might get a north swell in the next day or two from an area of low pressure to our north, but it may coincide with a few days of light wind early in the week.

There was a great turn out last night at Kanaha park for a memorial to our departed friend Bob Peck. Seventy or more people gathered on the beach to remember Bob. A friend of Bob's brought his bagpipes and played a mournful eulogy, bringing tears from the clouds blowing on shore. If you come to Kanaha in the future and see sailors patting a post by the bench at the launch at Uppers before they head out, and wonder what's up with that, this is our way of remembering Bob as we head out to sail.

It's Sunday morning here on Maui and we've got some rain showers along the north shore, making for a soggy morning, but also giving all the mothers out there some nice rainbows for a Mother's Day present. Happy Mother's Day to all you moms out there.

Light to moderate trades have continued along Maui's north shore the last few days. With quite a bit of north component in the wind, Kihei has seen the stronger winds. Thursday was a bit of a sober day at Kanaha for many of us who new Bob and were still in a bit of shock at his passing. Nevertheless, the wind called, perhaps suffused with Bob's spirit. Many sailed out to Uppers with flower leis around their necks to place and scatter the flowers in the waters of Uppers that Bob loved so much.

Wind on Thursday was mostly around 20 or so at Kanaha with little action in the wave department, at least at Kanaha. I've heard that Hookipa has continued to get some nice rideable swell the last couple of days. Yesterday, the winds swung around to a bit more northerly direction and lightened up a little more still. Lots of the local racers are starting to come out of the woodwork to start practicing for the upcoming Maui Race Series that start on June 3, as well as the U.S. Nationals in August. Lots of blazing reaches and laydown jibes.

Also seeing some interesting and unconventional slalom board designs on the beach. Jacque of Jacque's restuarant in Paia is sporting a new twin-nose (or maybe a split nose would be a better description) board shaped by Richard Green (board shaper for Neil Pryde). Lots of gear shuffling going on as long-time Maui racers change sail and board brands, testing their new gear. Seems like several people switching over to either Gaastra or Maui Sails.

Not quite sure what the next few days hold in store. I suspect winds will be light the next couple of days, but may still be sailable this weekend before dropping even more early in the week. Then it looks like the trades will build back in later in the week.

Kanaha Mourns

Local Kanaha sailors today mourn the loss of a great windsurfing soul. Bob Peck, a 77 year-old inspiration to us all sadly passed away today while sailing at Kanaha. The details aren't certain, his rig and gear were found in the water, then he was found unconcious. There was a fantastic effort from local sailors who tried to revive Bob in the water while others raced in to get the lifeguards. By all accounts, local sailors and lifeguards performed heroically in getting Bob back to the beach, but sadly it was too late. The theory from a visiting ER doc is that Bob suffered a heart attack. No external injuries were apparent.

So, despite a very nice day of 5.0 sailing, we feel a sobering loss of a man that inspired us with his energy and friendliness. Bob was an active windsurfer, surfer, paddle boarder and swimmer. I'm sure we all hope to be as athletic and active as Bob. We console ourselves in the thought that he passed on doing what he truly loved - living life fully, and extend our condolences to friends and family. His presence at the beach at Kanaha will be sorely missed. Happy sailing and good winds be with you Bob.

Back into a nice trade wind pattern folks. After a soggy, soaking, saturated Saturday, the rain and clouds cleared out yesterday for some good mid-afternoon 5.3 sailing. Wind kinda pooped out later in the afternoon, but good stuff earlier. Winds notched up more today. The weather started out sunny and beautiful. By midday, clouds had moved in, but not rain, and the wind was blowing a fairly steady 4.5.

Got a minor bump today in the swell department. Might have had too much west in it to really hit Kanaha. Only saw an occasional head high set at Uppers, most was waist to shoulder high and Lowers was maybe knee to waist high. All weather sources are pointing to a trade wind pattern for at least the next week.

Trade winds returned, kind of, on Thursday. It seems that often when we transition from a northerly, sea breeze period into a more trade wind type period the transition days are kind of funky. That was Thursday. It looked like it was going to be light the whole day until about 2:30 when the wind decided to wake up and get going. Dubious that it would last, I nevertheless headed down. Got about 20 minutes of fairly powerd 5.0 sailing in before the wind started dropping. Wind was coming from several locations and a bit holey and the water was pretty messed up - churny and choppy. Not many people out, not very great conditions, but it was sunny, the water color was spectacular and it just felt good to be planing.

Yesterday was a soggy Cinco de Mayo. The trade wind pattern has re-established itself, but unfortunately we have lots of clouds and moisture up stream. So, yesterday's north shore was an onslaught of one squall after another. Local sailor Jazz opted to try Hookipa. His report was that it absolutely "sucked." Kanaha was pretty full of eager sailors anxious to get on the water. Sadly, most of us were on the beach, gear ready and waiting to go, waiting out one squall after another. Got suckered out a few times on 5.0 between squalls, but inevitably the wind would die after about 15 minutes. I dare say some people spent more time swimming yesterday than planing. I know I did. Too bad, cuz there were some pretty sweet waist-high waves at Lowers - clean, smooth, really nice.

Another local sailor, Speedy, yesterday reported spotting a baby whale out swimming around between the inner and outer break at Uppers. This raises lots of questions of course, like "where's your momma?" "Are you injured and is there buffet line of tiger sharks lurking around you?" Pretty late in the year for humpback whales to be hanging around here we only rarely see them off of the north shore.

Today looks like it may shape up to be similar to yesterday. Lots of clouds visible out the window. Lots of rain visible on the radar shot. Things are supposed to improve over the next few days though.

Robby Naish. Windsurfing Instructor?

It's been a light week of windsurfing so far this week, with weak northerlies barely blowing 10 mph. Today, we saw slightly stronger winds as trades start to rebuild. The winds were good enough today to bring windsurfing legend Robby Naish down to Kanaha, but not to sail, but rather teach a beginner how to windsurf. According to one of my local Maui Windsurfing correspondents, who also happens to be a windsurfing instructor, Robby has been the subject of a CNN international piece on windsurfing. Today, he could be found teaching the CNN journalist how to windsurf.

Kanaha was pretty deserted (any windsurfer jonesing to sail would have been better off in Kihei today) as our correspondent/instructor stood on the shore coaching her student alongside Robby Naish coaching his student. How cool is that? The most famous windsurfing icon in the sport teaching a beginner how to windsurf and doing so without throngs of paparazzi and reporters around. Just hanging out, coaching his student and casually chatting with another windsurfing instructor teaching another beginner. Another reason windsurfing is the coolest sport or outdoor activity around.

Looks like the trades should be rebuilding over the next couple of days. My guess is that tomorrow may see some more sailable conditions and things will get even more windy Friday and Saturday and look to hold through at least the early part of next week. The only fly in the ointment is that we'll probably see some occasional showers along the north shore starting tomorrow which can make conditions a bit gusty at times.