Owner:
IainO
Member
Member#: 1780 Location: Registered: 13-03-2006 Diary Entries: 9
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4th December 2004
Windsurfing: Hookipa, Maui Wind Direction: E Wind Stength: F3-6 Surf / Sea State: Big Air Temperature: Warm Sea Temperature: Warm Weather: Sunny Max Speed: Distance Covered:
After a chat with some of the Army lads in the pub it seemed that some
wanted to try Hookipa on their last day, so I said that I would join
them.
Arrived at 10.30 and rigged a 4.7 as that was what Sean Ordonez was rigging
and I figured that he knew best. Only one of the Army lads was up for the
challenge and I can't say I blamed them as it is quite scary up close. The
launch point is only 10m wide with rocks to the left and a sharp lava shelf
to the right. The wind is incredibly fluky on the inside and there is a
rip that takes you onto the rocks.
Steve launched first as he has sailed here before but a combination of bad
luck and the rip landed him on the rocks with gashed legs but intact
kit.
My turn and I waited for my window, jumped on the board and got past the
rip planing. Got over bigger and bigger walls of white water but lost too
much speed and received my first Hookipa drilling. It was a pleasant
surprise that it wasn't any worse than getting rolled at Bigbury but it was
considerably shallower and sharper. I cut my losses and headed back to the
launch point for another try.
The second attempt resulted in another drilling by a bigger wave but a
quick recovery and I saw a path through and was cheeky enough to pop a
little jump on the way out.
On the outside the swell was massive and the gusts on the top hit you like
a sledge hammer. Looking back to the beach I realised how small the launch
point is. Spent the next 20 minutes struggling to get up wind to get back
in. I figured that the lack of sailors out on a Saturday was a sign that
all was not well here.
Eventually got lined up to get back and didn't risk a waveride, just
straight back to the beach being chased by some big waves.
Apparently Robby Naish had turned up but decided the wind was too offshore,
probably the reason the place was so uncrowded. My first sail at Hookipa
and my first Hookipa scar (sliced ankle), what more can you say!
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