Author Topic: The Smokin' but Sometimes Fickle South Side Report  (Read 98506 times)

PonoBill

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Re: The Smokin' but Sometimes Fickle South Side Report
« Reply #135 on: February 24, 2015, 12:35:38 AM »
Nice Maliko today, kind of 101, and I kept wondering where everyone was. I turned early on the way out of the gulch and ran down the reefs. Really fun, and it picks up your concentration because even with the small surf there were some surprising random big guys to run from. I didn't do anything like Gregg and Kathy's time, and I didn't see them pass me--they were way outside and I was way inside. They thought I left the gulch behind them, but actually they were still going out when I started catching runners.

For as light as it was, the bumps weren't bad, and I would have been quicker but I had to stop twice for technical issues (my music quit) and twice to answer phone calls. I wouldn't normally have stopped, but the phone kept ringing, so I figured it was urgent. It was Diane telling me that Bill needed to be retrieved at Sugar Cove.

I called Bill, he was mostly worried about my boat. Diane and Marcia (Greggs wife) went to retrieve him, so I told him to leave it on Martin Lenny's lawn and I'd just pick it up. Then I ran into Kai, with a buddy, doing sprints on some slick-looking 12'6 Naish boards. I told him Boyum was at his house, probably spewing on the lawn from the sound of things. Wasn't quite right, the Lenny's have a gate now. I guess they got tired of a bunch of random downwind bums parking on their lawn and using their hose as a shower.

Anyway, picked up the boat, went to Paia and had dinner. we wanted to stay close to Bill's place in case he took a turn for the worse and needed to go to the ER. But he's fine, apparently. Just some kind of bug. Or all that funky hippie stuff he eats. A guy needs a hotdog every now and then to make the immune system pay attention.
« Last Edit: February 24, 2015, 12:39:39 AM 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: The Smokin' but Sometimes Fickle South Side Report
« Reply #136 on: February 24, 2015, 09:37:33 PM »
Unlike yesterday, Maliko bumped up to 300 level today. Not post grad material, but a lot more technical and windy than Monday. I took a one macanu again today but I would have been just as, if not more happy on my board. By the time I was on the road to meet up for the shuttle, I realized that the wind was cranking and it was too late to head back and retrieve my F16. So, canoe it was and would be.

SB and Kathy were really fast - 1:04 to the harbor. I finished 5 minutes back, at 1:09, which is a respectable time, but I felt slow. There were some major drops and I strung together a few but mostly, it seemed confused and tough to catch the big, fast windswell that was running. Yesterday was so different. Much more organized and smaller. Funny that I thought I had gotten better at reading the conditions after yesterday's walk in the park but today straightened me right out. Lots more technical and much tougher to put things together.

Surprising surf rolling in showed itself around outer Sprecks. I was on an outside line, so it was not an issue. But the wind was dead east, and strong. Being further out, I had to hook left harder to make the harbor entrance. That put the boat with significant wind and swell on the ama. I was really close to going swimming numerous times that last 1/4 mile or so. Fun run served up with plenty of Maliko humility.

PonoBill

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Re: The Smokin' but Sometimes Fickle South Side Report
« Reply #137 on: February 24, 2015, 10:02:30 PM »
Yup, that was a toughie. So crossed up. You might not have been so happy on a board. I think I went out too far. Jeremy and Peggy were even with me but so much further in that they were specks. I could tell from their motion that they were in smoother, less confused water. I was certain they were going to pay the price at Sprecks, there was some big windswell refracting in--fast movers. Scared the crap out of me even as far out as I was. The kind of drop you don't want to fall on 'cause your board won't be stopping anytime soon. But they had an uneventful run.

I took one hard fall on one of those big rollers at outer Kanaha and tweaked my shoulder a bit. Nothing terrible, I just sat for a while and worked it around. Jeremy and Peggy pulled way ahead and while I watched them I resolved to try that line next time its wacky--they were flying.  The gal that is friends with Peggy--Jaycie I think her name is, that just moved here from Cali came up on me while I was working the kink out. She looked kind of wide-eyed. I stuck with her to the mouth of the harbor. she did well on the Jimmy Lewis board. I met her last year at the BOP, she's friends with my good friend CapoBeachBoy. I don't think that's her first Maliko, but I think this one spooked her a bit. Hell, it spooked me. I was planning on something easy, not my board bucking and pivoting like one of those redneck bar bullrider thingies.

Coming into the harbor was insane. The swells were coming from every direction. Total washing machine. Pulling in behind the breakwall was a pleasure, and then I realize the wind was howling sideway across the harbor. Nothing to do but put my head down and paddle hard.

Good run. If it's anything like that tomorrow I'll be better prepared--at least mentally. I'd call that a 400 level Maliko--not for size, and not for intensity, but for sheer cussedness.
« Last Edit: February 24, 2015, 10:08:05 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.

headmount

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Re: The Smokin' but Sometimes Fickle South Side Report
« Reply #138 on: February 24, 2015, 10:24:43 PM »
You guys are on the wrong thread.  Glad I checked this one.  Still weak today but felt OK.  Moved around and helped the purge.  Great to see it crank out there.  I ate tonight so I might be ready tomorrow.

covesurfer

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Re: The Smokin' but Sometimes Fickle South Side Report
« Reply #139 on: February 24, 2015, 11:03:26 PM »
Glad you are coming back to life HM. You looked pretty pale and dizzy yesterday. I was a little paranoid that it might hit me today. So far, so good.

Jaycee, I don't know how it's spelled, she's done the Maui to Molokai so she's got some open water time under her feet. But, it's interesting, a day like today on Maliko, to me, it's more challenging than crossing the Pailolo, at least as far as conditions go, not the distance/endurance part, but balancing, catching waves and staying out of trouble are all skills you hone on a tough Maliko day.

I'm out tomorrow and it may be our last day of good trades for a while again. Hope you guys get some good conditions. This little run of wind and manageable swell on the north shore has really been a mid-winter treat.

PonoBill

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Re: The Smokin' but Sometimes Fickle South Side Report
« Reply #140 on: February 25, 2015, 12:06:00 AM »
I don't know where you guys get this notion that winter Malikos are rare. Two years ago I did 103 Malikos from November to May. I didn't count Southside runs that year, but I bet it was no more than a dozen or so. And if I did those Malikos, Boyum did them. This is a very weird winter. I guess el Ninio got us.  I've done THREE Malikos this year, and two of them were the last two days.

I've never done a summer Maliko run.

Oh, yeah, and it's Covesurfer's fault that we're in the wrong place.
« Last Edit: February 25, 2015, 12:47:47 AM 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: The Smokin' but Sometimes Fickle South Side Report
« Reply #141 on: February 25, 2015, 01:30:53 AM »
Since I started this thread, it is all my fault for sure.

Maliko's this year have been pretty much non-existent. I just checked my Garmin calendar from last year, it was almost just as bad. Then, the last two weeks of March, it started to go on the north side. So, our pattern this year is not so different from Winter 2013-14.

2012-13, I was only here through November to mid January. I think I did 5 runs on Maliko during that time and PB and HM probably did 2x that many.

Looking back to last year, February of 2014 also sucked for downwinders. We had 2 south side runs and no northside. Best news is that March was a lot better and if there is a pattern there, we may start to see the light at the end of the tunnel soon.
« Last Edit: February 25, 2015, 01:35:44 AM by covesurfer »

PonoBill

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Re: The Smokin' but Sometimes Fickle South Side Report
« Reply #142 on: February 25, 2015, 08:51:02 AM »
That would be the oncoming train.
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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Re: The Smokin' but Sometimes Fickle South Side Report
« Reply #143 on: March 01, 2015, 11:02:29 PM »
Fun run today, most of the usual suspects except Mr. Boyum. I probably should have talked him into it. His truck was out of commission, but we could have worked out the shuttle and I could have picked him up.

Anyway, the wind was decent, the glides started quickly, and after all the boat guys went by I started doing long angled glides, going as far as I could on the faces and not trying to find a spot to punch through. Fun practice though I got rolled sideways a few times and fell trying to come out of the wave on a few others.

I saw a big whale do kind of a half-hearted breach quite a ways away, but then it started moving pretty fast in a line more or less towards me. It did a couple of rolling dives as it headed towards me, and then when it was about 50 feet away it stood on it's head and waved its tail way out of the water. Biggest whale tail I've ever seen. Fricken Moby Dick. I started paddling briskly (I probably looked like someone stuck a weed whacker in the water), but it didn't do any slaps, just a big, long wave.

I'm a damned whale magnet, and I'm not even taking any of Boyum's Krill Oil.
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.

Southbay

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Re: The Smokin' but Sometimes Fickle South Side Report
« Reply #144 on: March 01, 2015, 11:14:47 PM »
Today was really fun.  Tomorrow is looking decent too.  I was in the boat crew today.  Still trying to get prepped for a potential M2M run in the boat in April...but I am starting to jones for the SUP.  I work my ass off today keeping Kathy and Larry (LP) close.  At one point LaPerouse and I were being guys, trying to push it too hard, and I hulied the boat.  I didnt think that I was that close to him, but apparently he was laughing so hard at me that he had to jump off his ski to avoid hitting me!  haha...felt pretty bad, this is the not the first time I have made LP have to bail!  Sorry friend. Meanwhile Kathy passed by and I could not catch her the rest of the run.  It was not my best run, but the surf was excellent, and the weather really great.  Didn't see any whales today, and that does not bother me one bit!

covesurfer

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Re: The Smokin' but Sometimes Fickle South Side Report
« Reply #145 on: March 02, 2015, 12:05:27 AM »
The weekend was about the weather. Yesterday, we had the sky lower down and dump rain as it can only do in the tropics. Drenching, hammering, sheets of it. We don't get a ton of thunder and lightening but we did yesterday. And, it turned out that Kathy actually raced the Maliko run in those conditions. It sounded terrifying to me. She could see nothing, no land, no buoys (there are none), nothing but water. She made it and won, of course. Impressive but I wasn't sorry that I skipped the race for the second weekend in a row.

Today, it was sunny and lighter trades began to fill in behind the departing front. There was a mass uprising of downwind junkies and we decided to group up at Makena at 1:00. It has been pretty thin for downwind runs the last few months and after being cooped up in the house while it flooded from the skies, today was going to be great. No matter what. Just to get out there!

Since it looked like it would be on the lighter side for wind, I opted for the boat. I really wanted to do a stand up run but I knew I'd get more out of the OC1 in the light conditions. Better glides and smoother paddling. I'm convinced that the boat is making me a better stand up paddler.

It was a beautiful day on the water. We had a big crew - three stand ups and four of us in boats. I liked riding up with SB to the top of the run because I knew when we got on the water, he and Kathy and LPB would be gone so at least I could harass him in the car.

Conditions were fun, I stayed with the skis and SB in his canoe for about 10 minutes before they pulled ahead. I spotted Pono Bill way on the outside and chased him down, said hello and kept on going. When you're doing the boat right, it feels like you are literally sliding downhill continuously. I got that feeling like five times during the run. I'd look at my Garmin and I'd be in the 9 to 10+ mph range. Fun stuff. Now, I have to learn to make that happen more instead of semi-randomly. Great run that left everybody smiling. Feel very blessed for days like these and with a fine crew to share it all with.
« Last Edit: March 02, 2015, 12:07:27 AM by covesurfer »

PonoBill

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Re: The Smokin' but Sometimes Fickle South Side Report
« Reply #146 on: March 03, 2015, 09:25:21 AM »
Fickle indeed. Yesterday's run was good for the first half, but when I got to the Four Seasons it felt like I was anchored. I was looking at that damned blue roof for half an hour. Once I got past Polo it cleaned up again and was OK, but by them I was pretty wasted. Still, caught a bunch of bumps and connected them pretty well. The boat crew (which was everyone but me—sissies) said it was tough for them in that area too. Not sure if it was just the wind dying and the swell being ridiculously crossed up, or if there was some nasty current, but it was a grind. They were all checking their cell phones, thinking I might have bailed, but I chugged through it. Can’t say I didn’t think of going in at the four seasons for a beer and some pupus, but I had to drive Kathy back to the ponds.

Should be decent today—at least that’s what Shep said. The flag at the bunseeker is fluttering already.

Junkie
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: The Smokin' but Sometimes Fickle South Side Report
« Reply #147 on: March 03, 2015, 09:34:26 AM »
Agree, it was weird yesterday. Especially for the south side where we've come to sort of expect near flawless, groomed conditions. There was all kinds of weird chop out there. I made a video, it's under 4 minutes and, I don't think it's all that great but I just don't have the patience for editing these things. Still, I got a few highlights, the crew leaving at the top, PB out in the middle of the ocean, a huli and a few fast sections. When conditions are marginal but there are bumps, boats are amazing. They cut through a lot and when they release, you just fly.


Southbay

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Re: The Smokin' but Sometimes Fickle South Side Report
« Reply #148 on: March 03, 2015, 09:41:22 AM »
Maui 2km is pretty weak on that side till late, like 3. That site is not perfect, but often a good guide. Wind guru is saying the same thing.

Great video Cove. Shows how choppy it was outside 4 seasons. Getting good glides before and after!  Love the huli cam too.

covesurfer

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Re: The Smokin' but Sometimes Fickle South Side Report
« Reply #149 on: March 03, 2015, 09:50:17 AM »
Always up for a run if the sun will be up and there's wind! 8)

 


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