My Own Surfing Thread!

[tevake]

Thanks for those video clips Geary. Some fun nostalgia in looking at the Endlass Summer. What a ground breaking movie that was.

The Piha footage is so beautifully artistically done, that's a keeper.
Very cool spot, that.

Bill. My time in NewZealand was so focused on getting a Tevake rebuilt and tuned for cruising that I didn't get in much surfing. Had a few windsurfing go outs on the east coast N Island. But usually ended up back on the beach shortly trying to get warmed up.

The name Tevake means Tropic Bird and is well suited to me. Also the name of one of the last traditionally trained navigators from the Soloman Islands, a key figure in the rebirth of polyneisian voyaging.

Our boat, Tevake did end up carrying us to many best life time surfing adventures in warmer waters along our travels.

Cheers Richard

[Baz]

Thanks for all the entries......loving it......

[tevake]

What Ive come to understand , is that if we want our favorite threads to continue, then they take support to keep going.

And this is a very good one , thanks Tweeze. Wish you were still sharing your stoke with us Girl!

You too Baz have continued to post cool pics and inspiring stories, keeping it going.

In the years I've been here I've progressed from an somewhat active surfer and very active windsurfer into a spectator and fan. This thread is one of my portals into that world for me.

I hope others enjoy it likewise.
Let's keep it going!

Cheers Richard

[Bill Douglas]

Richard another way to enjoy the water without beating the body up too much, as windsurfing does, is to get out on a SUP.

I love getting out and just cruising. Sometimes kilometers out to sea which LOL sometimes isn't a good idea around here. I love the feel of the big ocean swells passing under the board and being in my own mind space out there.

And sure, if a nice looking swell is coming in while I'm paddling back to shore I'll hook into it.

[tevake]

I hear you Bill. Lots of friends here in the islands have gotten into Sup, and recomended that I give it a try.

I have done a little, but lately I've been kayaking in the spring fed streams that are all over the Fla panhandle area. Really enjoy the cool flowing waters and wildlife along those streams.
Unfortunately many of them are now a tangle of downed trees from hurricane Michael last year. These will take many years to recover. So I've been looking further to the west for areas less affected. Still some more to explore that way.

A little more strenuous that regular stand up. Is this new foil paddle boarding, the guys doing that say it's big fun even in marginal waves. Have you seen any of that happening in your area?

There are a few of them with small electric motors mounted down near the foil that Ive seen cruising hanalei bay since I've been back. This seems like the easy way to get the feel for foil boarding , sort of a training tool to learn the critical weight placement aspect involved.

Cheers Richard

[Bill Douglas]

Originally Posted by tevake

A little more strenuous that regular stand up. Is this new foil paddle boarding, the guys doing that say it's big fun even in marginal waves. Have you seen any of that happening in your area?

There are a few of them with small electric motors mounted down near the foil that Ive seen cruising hanalei bay since I've been back. This seems like the easy way to get the feel for foil boarding , sort of a training tool to learn the critical weight placement aspect involved.

Cheers Richard

I've seen a few around here. There was a guy on a foiled surfboard with a motor Now I've seen everything. But I just enjoy a slow thoughtful paddle. I like looking down at the fish or gently prodding a stingray with the paddle.

[Geary]

My thanks too to Tweez for starting this thread, and to the many surfers (esp Baz) for keeping it going over the years. There's obviously a special kinship between we ocean lovers on Pelican, even though it was our favorite marque that led us here. Something about slicing through the water, especially when riding swells & breakers ..

Growing up on Oahu, the ocean has always been part of my life. As a kid, I kept a surfboard in a Waikiki locker right in front of Canoe's surf break. Big for my age, I was recruited at 10 for Hawaiian canoe racing on Waikiki Beach by Rabbit Kekai, which led to a long and warm relationship with a Hawaii legend. I was only one of hundreds of kids mentored by Rabbit, and he remembered every one of us by name for all of his life. In the '60s, Rabbit was quoted in a mag interview declaring surfing to be on par with sex. With the constant flow of coeds to Waikiki, he did a lot of both.

After over a decade of no canoe paddling, I've recently ordered a 1-man, specifically for downwind coast runs, in which you can connect swell after swell, practically doubling your speed. Portlock to Waikiki will be our main run.

A week ago, my wife and I borrowed this 2-man canoe to paddle my Mom's ashes out to sea, joining my Dad off Diamond Head .. and when my time comes, the kids know where to take me .. back to the sea.

[Baz]

Condolences on the loss of your Mom, Geary.

Thanks for sharing this with us.

Much love and hugs.....

[Geary]

Thank you, Brother Baz .. I know we'll ride some waves together one day soon ..

[tevake]

I'm with you too Geary on your moms passing. Nice vessel to help transport her on her way.

Speaking of canoes, I just bumped into Nick Beck. He has just returned from Wellington NZ. Bills neighborhood, Where he is having some four man canoes built for sale here in Hawaii.
Four are in shipment now.

I'm now wondering if they might be sailing canoes.
Coming soon to waters near you.

Geary once you get into that swell surfing, it won't be long before the Molokai channel race is calling you.

Cool that you got to spend time with Rabbit. Quite the waterman ohana down at Waikiki beach.

Cheers Richard

[tevake]

Solid 8 ' at J Bay today for the semifinals .
Hope you guys can watch or are recording this.

Medina vs Andino on now. Toledo up next.possibly vs Ziets.

Toledo will be amazing to watch in this new swell

Cheers Richard

Correction Toledo vs Ferreira, the Brazilians are a big presents on the tour these days!

[Geary]

Mahalo, Richard .. Mom made it to just 3 days shy of 95, so a long and fulfilling life.

Interesting about Nick's canoes. What we need is a light 4-man, as those patterned after the Hawaiian 6-man are rather heavy. The 21-pound "Ares" that I ordered will be Hawaii-made, even though Kai Wa'a now has them made in China. (Somehow that didn't sit well with me.) There's a bit of a connection, as Kai was married to an old surf partner's daughter for a number of years. He told me the top 20 Molokai finishers were using his Ares model, as it really surfs well.

No Molokai for this old man. In the '90s, I was doing a fair bit of interisland on my Yamaha Waverunner (Maui-Lanai-Molokai), and I'd run over to camp out with the Boyz and photograph the first few miles of their race.

The poor girls just trying to get out to the starting line for their 2012 race:


1950s shot of Rabbit @ Makaha

[tevake]

Yikes, tuff go out for the girls!
Rabbit in his prime. What a lifetime of surfing.

Check out Holopuni canoes.

https://www.thegardenisland.com/2002/03/07/news/beck-sailing-along-aboard-holopuni/

Some cool videos of a race in Tahiti with them.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7vqoN05rWbI

The J Bay final, best waves of the contest, best surfing of the week too, wow!

Cheers Richard

[Geary]

Mahalo again, Richard .. That second link is dynamite .. a very nice looking sailing canoe. I'm going to ask a young Kailua friend (canoe fanatic) to go in on one with me.

Nick must have moved from Kauai to Truckee right after I moved from Truckee to Bend a few years ago ..

Coincidentally, the surf buddy I mentioned was winning most of the inter-island sailing canoe races during the '90s, teamed up with Cappie Sheelie. We did a couple Maui-Molokai-Lanai camping trips with his sailing canoe during those years, and the first 1-day Maui-around Kahoolawe-Maui paddle/sail that we know of.

.. pretty sure Mike was born with gills : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Spalding Funny thing, we couldn't get him to come out for canoe paddling when we were teenagers ..

[Noah930]

My own little keiki, trying out the sport for the first time.

[Bill Douglas]

Originally Posted by Geary

A week ago, my wife and I borrowed this 2-man canoe to paddle my Mom's ashes out to sea, joining my Dad off Diamond Head .. and when my time comes, the kids know where to take me .. back to the sea.

Sorry for the loss of your Mom.

And not a bad place at all to end up for eternity.

Yes I also love hearing things ocean and surfing.

[Geary]

Thanks, Bill .. Many fond memories of surfing NZ. 18 years ago I left an Ole longboard (just like these) at my friend's home overlooking Karekare beach ..



(Left an ex-wife there too .. my only unpleasant memory of NZ ;^ )
.

[Bill Douglas]

Speaking in our quaint local dialect ; Chit!

Ha, went out to Karekare as GF's cousin lives n the hills there. Great place and a bit more forgiving paddle out than Piha.

[tevake]

Originally Posted by Noah930

My own little keiki, trying out the sport for the first time.

Special picture there Noah! Nice momento at least, A classic treasure if she goes on to a life of enjoying surfing.

Cheers Richard

[Geary]

Perfect form for a first-time surfer :^ )