Troubled waters–San Diego Union Tribune

The San Diego Union Tribune published a very interesting article about SUP and the backlash to it in Southern Cal. Read the full article here: Troubled waters.

Here’s an excerpt:

The sport originated in the South Pacific and briefly flourished in Hawaii a half-century ago. In Southern California, stand-up paddle surfing was almost unknown until just a few years ago. There has been friction between traditional surfers and stand-up paddlers ever since.

Practitioners of the sport use extra-thick surfboards from 10 to 12 feet long, which they propel with a long-handled paddle that, from a distance, resembles a broom.

It’s the paddle that prompts some traditional surfers to derisively refer to their brethren as “sweepers” or “janitors.”

“I wish they’d get them out of here. They’re mostly kooks who don’t know how to surf,” said Richie Cravey, 20, who surfs regularly at Cardiff Reef in Encinitas, a spot that attracts legions of stand-up paddlers.

Well, it’s not necessarily true that they don’t know how to surf.

Surfboard shaper Ron House, 61, surfed the traditional way for more than 40 years before switching completely to stand-up paddle surfing.

“I’m not inclined to lay down and wallow on my stomach anymore,” said House, who lives in San Clemente. “The stand-up thing is way more comfortable.”

The most pervasive complaint about stand-up paddlers is that they can dominate the water. By standing rather than sitting to wait for waves, they can spot swells before traditional surfers and then use their superior paddle power to catch waves first.

“If there’s a sweeper who’s pretty good at a reef or point break, nobody gets waves except the sweeper,” said veteran long board surfer Joe Ditler, 57.

“For a surf break to function properly, people have to share. Sweepers don’t share.”

Stand-up paddle surfers say they try to practice the “aloha” spirit and often let waves go by that they could easily take.

But the temptation to grab the wave is almost irresistible when one has such an overwhelming advantage, said Scott Bass, a former professional surfer, author and filmmaker who helped popularize stand-up paddle surfing at Cardiff Reef.

“The animosity out there is pretty thick and it’s understandable,” said Bass, editor of Surfer magazine’s Web site. “And it’s because, no matter how hard we try to share, we’re almost always catching another wave.”

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Uli Board Bargains

If you’ve been considering an ULI, now might be the time to buy one. they’re having a sale that they call the “great Financial Crisis of 2008 Sale”. Pretty outstanding pricing. I’ve tried the ULI both in flatwater and in surf, and I was astonished at how good they are.  Not what I expected. Don’t get me wrong–I’m not Steamroller–I’mnot about to get rid of my boards and switch full time. But I do plan to buy one of these the travel with. Here’s a link:

Uli Boards – Financial Crisis Sale.

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Ancient History

I was mucking around in Ponohouse (my first blog: www.ponohouse.com) and found this first article about Stand Up Paddle Surfing. I was amazed to do the math on the article dates and realize I’ve only been doing Stand up Paddle surfing for two years–how could that be? But it’s true, I bought my first SUP board in the spring of 2005 and wrote this article in November 2006. Feels like I’ve been doing this most of my life.

Thought you might enjoy it.

Paddleboy Goes Big

A few years ago Laird Hamilton, the God of all things on the waves and water, got bored with waiting for Jaws to break so he could tow in to what looks to any human like five hundred feet of crashing, munging, absolute life and death wall o water. So he started standing up on a big longboard and paddling into waves with a canoe paddle. Big, big waves, of course, being Laird.

Apparently he wasn’t the first to do this, the beachboys on waikiki used to do it when they were in a hurry to deliver a mai tai to some puffy red tourist bobbing offshore. But Laird made it look like a lot of fun, so I figured I needed one of those…
…someday.

Someday came last year, when I was dropping off one of my abused windsurfing boards at the Ding King for repair. The Ding King (Mark Raaphorst) is a very talented guy who builds all kinds of cool stuff. His shop out near the Costco in Kahalui is a must visit spot–if I were shooting a dramatic movie about Maui this shop would be front and center. Wackiness abounds. I’ll get some pictures someday, you’ll dig it. anyway, Da King (EuroMan to his old friends) is making 12 foot hollow monster boards expressly for stand up paddling, so I whacked my deposit down and joined a huge backlog–he only has one mold and each board takes more than a week. Finally last spring my board was done, just in time for me to try it about two times before I returned to Portland.

This is the board EuroMan made for me–about 12 feet long, 26″ wide and about 5″ thick. Nice and light (about 26 pounds) because it’s hollow.

Now it’s November and I’m back, so today I took the board, the wife (Diane) and the dog (Sam) to Launiopoko park near Lahina and tried my hand at stand up paddling. I spent most of the day falling abruptly into the water, but I had some good moments and I caught a few waves for VERY long rides. Once this baby is slotted in you can just go and go.

There were a bunch (gaggle?) of extremely attractive french surfer girls all over the place. some kind of photo shoot for a magazine. Not the best audience for my painful flailing, but they were fun to watch. A few of them could really surf too, though the majority were slinking around in various bathing suits and tight wet suits carrying dinky boards that would need a lot more wave than anything I was seeing to carry more than a damp poodle.

Not all the stand up paddle surfers are fat and bald

Anyway, very fun day. My arms feel like they’re going to fall off, my belly hurts from scraping on the deck and my legs are shaky. Can’t wait to go do it again tomorrow.Here’s some shots. Diane did the photography. Sometimes she can be very cruel.

Photos:

Here’s the world famous paddle surfer looking pensive about the vastness of the ocean

First attempt: there’s a wave back there somewhere

Alas, it comes to naught. did this a lot

Still trying. Using a kneeling technique

Progress–sort of

PaddleBoy goes big

Nice one, Lumpy, but quit choking up on that paddle

The board trims nicely

I told you Diane could be cruel

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Prepping a Paddle

Few things in SUP cause more controversy than paddle prep. Some folks like their shaft bare, some like padded shafts, some like wax, some like mastic tape. I’ve played with about every combination and I’ve hit on the perfect preparation for me. I suspect you’ll like it too, even if you’re a bare shaft fan.

I say that because I’m a bare shaft guy. I don’t mind a little wax, but I don’t like the shaft to be too sticky, and I don’t like it being larger, or having a soft grip. Nothing saps my hand strength faster than a soft grip.

But I also don’t like my hands to slip, and the least bit of sunblock or oil on my hands or the shaft and my paddling is compromised. Yes, I clean my hands with sand and give the shaft a scrub, but you can transfer goop from other places easily. This approach solves the problem, giving positive traction without softening or thickening the grip. Once it’s done it lasts for many months–you never have to rewax.

Here’s the recipe:
The Grip: Locate your grip area and mark the shaft with pencil about ten inches above and below the grip point. If you’re not sure of your grip point, hold your paddle on your head, place on hand on the handle, the other on the shaft and bend your elbows at right angles so your forearms point straight up–the hand on the shaft will be in a nearly perfect grip position.

Start at the upper mark and wrap hockey tape around the shaft, starting with one full wrap and then overlapping the successive wraps for half the width of the tape. End with one full wrap.

Now wax the tape with warm water surf wax lightly over the full length and heavily in the grip area. You’ll be able to both see and feel the proper grip point. The wax embeds into the tape and doesn’t come off, even after months of use. The wax also cushions and strengthens the tape, making it last much longer. and finally the wax prevents the tape from being too sticky, as friction tapes sometimes get when the adhesive bleeds through the cloth.

The Blade: There are three good reasons for guarding the blade. First, people have been badly cut with unguarded blades. Second, the blade can chip up your board. And third, the blade can be damaged by hitting it’s edge on hard stuff.

Door edging or commercial blade guard works nicely, but it’s a bit thick for my taste. Mastic tape is good, but it’s fragile, especially if you stretch it thin. What I do is put on a layer of mastic, stretched very tight to make it thin, and then cover it with hockey tape. Finally I add a layer of wax to protect the tape and rub it with a cloth to smooth it. You’d be surprised at the difference in abrasion resistance between waxed and unwaxed fabric tape. The end result is a thin protective edging that won’t mark your board, lasts a very long time, and looks great.

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Jimmy Lewis Paddles–Very Different

Leave it to Jimmy to do it his own way. While everyone else is making very stiff carbon fibre shafts, Jimmy decided to add flex. Jimmy went through a lot of prototypes and a couple of different manufacturers to get a shaft with smooth flex along its length that is also extremely strong. The result is something you’ll have to try. Especially if you have beaten-up shoulders like mine or you’d like a little help catching waves.

The idea is this, to not only add some compliance to reduce the shock of paddling to your shoulders, back and arms, but also to extend the pull time when you’re pushing for a wave. The effect is most noticeable with a big blade, so Jimmy worked with Jimmy Terrell to use his molds for the Peahi and the Kanaha. I’ve tried both Quickblade versions in their carbon fiber standard form. I love the Kanaha Quickblade, the Peahi was too much for my shoulders.

In the Jimmy Lewis version I chose the Peahi so I could best appreciate the idea behind this paddle. To start with it’s a great looking paddle. The blade is clear fiberglass, tinted various colors. Mine is a bright, translucent orange. I cut the paddle to my standard surfing length–with the joint between the paddle and blade at eye level.

I took it out surfing on a pretty big day at Kanaha–overhead sets with the occasional bigger wave. On the paddle out to the reef i started having my doubts. The extreme flex of the shaft made the paddle seem weak, though I eventually realized that my board speed seemed to be the same as always. Once I reached the whitewater i found I was powering through just as I do with my other paddles. I realized that i wasn’t feeling the catch of the blade, just the steady pull, and that made it feel funny.

Shaft and blade in an un-flexed condition

Applying pressure creates a smooth curve, with the paddle still digging

The lineup was pretty crowded, so I moved to the far left to catch some waves backside, towards the channel. In the main lineup at Kanaha most folks prefer to go right. When I started paddling into the waves the paddle felt very odd. I’d plant the blade and give hard pull and the handle would flex a great deal. I made a few waves, and once in the wave the paddle and blade felt perfectly normal, but the launch felt very strange.

After about an hour I started to get it. You plant the blade well forward, pull like hell and don’t yank the blade out of the water to stroke again, just let it do it’s thing. The board accelerates a little slower at first, but the push is longer, so the board seems to get more acceleration at the end of the stroke, when a normal paddle would be not pushing at all. If you need a second stroke it works the same way, near the end of the stoke it feels like you’re being launched by a rubber band.

I thought at first that the idea was to give you sort of a flick forward as the paddle unbends, but that’s not it. The paddle feels like it extends the amount of time that power is being applied.

It’s really easy to catch waves once you get the way the paddle works. It’s particularly good when you’re feeling rushed, the big launch you get from the end of a single stroke will get you to the happy place. And at the end of a very, very long session–no shoulder pain.

Like anything different, this paddle takes some getting used to. It’s a new idea about how stand up paddles should work, and a good one. I’m looking forward to trying the Kanaha version as well. But in this form, the Peahi is winner for me and my dodgy shoulders.

The JL Peahi reminds me of the Superfreak sails I like so well. Yes, the all Mylar sails hold a more precise shape and give greater initial power. The Superfreak sails gather speed like a heavy car with a big motor–smooth and steady. There’s something very reassuring about this kind of power modulation. Not only is it easy to manage, but it also provides an extra bit of oomph when you expect a lull. The big blade also makes it very easy to turn the board with quick sweeping strokes, because you don’t flex the shaft much when you’re making those turning strokes.

All in all I’d say that anyone looking for an extremely effective surfing paddle should give one of these a try.

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Paddle As Art

I’ve had these shots for quite a while, but I lost the notebook where I wrote down the owner/builder’s name. I met him at Thousand Peaks a month or so ago and was immediately struck by how beautiful his paddle was. the pictures don’t do it’s complexity or quality any justice. The back of the blade has a slick dihedral while the face has delicate double concave scoops. the fit of the various pieces is so precise it looks like the different woods grew together.

I remember that he’d been a boat builder in the Chesapeake Bay area, and that he builds models of famous Chesapeake Bay work boats. He’s a fine surfer and an amaxing woodworker, but I can’t remember or find his name, dammit. But I’ve sat on these pictures too long, and even though some are spoiled by water droplets I still like looking at them, as I’m sure you will. Enjoy.

Perhaps one of you alert readers will fill me in.

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Jim Terrell Paddling Video

Watching this paddling video immediately improved my performance. It’s well worth a few minutes whether you’re a beginner or advanced. Beginners can start off doing it right and advanced paddlers can add a few little tricks to their bag.

Who better than Jim Terrell to teach us to paddle–Olympic paddler, winner of many. many SUP contests, paddle designer and owner of QuickBlade.

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The Most Versatile Sport

So we’re in a recession. I might seem like a bad time to be spending $1500 on a SUP board and paddle. But unless you plan to huddle in your apartment, slowly turning to suet, you’re going to do some kind of sport or workout. Even running takes good shoes, and it’s just not that much fun. For less than the price of a yearly gym membership you can have a SUP board, and it’s simply amazing how versatile your new board can be.

For example, over the last two weeks I used my Bill Foote 10′11″ to:

1. Surf anytime there was surf, and sometimes when there really wasn’t. We had some very small days, when there were only a few people out, but I still paddled out to the reef and had a nice time.

2. Do downwinders, and upwind/downwind runs. On Christmas eve I did a 20 mile paddle with my friend Johnny. He’s the 25 year old son of one of my oldest friends. He’s a surfer, and he’s been paddling in the rivers in Portland. Big. strong kid–I stuck him on my Starboard 12′6″ which is an excellent cruiser and I expected him to zoom away from me, but I actually lead most of the time, the little (for me) 10′11″ worked just fine for distance.

3. Sail and have a blast. I have three windsurfers in Maui, a couple more in Portland, but I rarely use them anymore. I prefer to sail my SUP board. It’s fun because once you get into the waves you’re on a board that surfs well. and the sailing is relaxed and old school. After we did the 20 mile paddle I took Johnny over to Kanaha and started teaching him how to windsurf. In a relatively short time he was successfully uphauling and sailing. Today I’ll teach him how to waterstart, and he’ll be off.

4. Fish–both with a rod and reel, and with a spear. SUP boards are so portable and safe in the water. I’d much rather fish from one than from a kayak. You can get a great workout while you’re trolling, of just paddle out to the reefs and cast or jig. You can see far more than you can from any other craft since the standing angle is so good. With a pair of polarized glasses I can see clearly into reefs that are 20 feet down or more.

5. Dive–what a platform for freediving. I could certainly carry my SCUBA gear on my 12′6″ with the PVC cage i made for it. Haven’t done that yet, but I’ve taken along my freediving fins and mask/snorkel and used my SUP board for transportation to outer refs and as a diving platform.

6. Play with kids–you plunk them down on the nose with a lifejacket and take them for a ride. Kids love being on a SUP board, it’s like their own little boat. They can see everything and it’s exciting.

This is simply the most versatile, easy to use, economical and fun watercraft I’ve ever owned, and I’ve had just about every kind you can think of. I really can’t see owning a boat here in Maui now that I have a SUP. So in that sense my $1500 SUP has saved me $50,000, plus fuel, plus a bigger truck to haul the boat, plus maintenance. Maintenance on a SUP board is washing it off and fixing the rare ding.

It’s a far better workout than hanging out in a gym, and a lot more fun than any other activity I’ve tried. I think it’s the perfect recession/green era sport. Minimal fuel, great for your health, great for your attitude, and you can even catch some nice fish for the table.

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The New Old Lightning Bolt

Lightning Bolt is Maui’s original surf shop. It was started in 1972 by Gerry Lopez and Jack Shipley. Lightning bolt boards are seen everywhere in the surf movies of the 70’s with surfers like Gerry Lopez and Rory Russell ruling Pipeline on Lightning Bolt boards, and the revolutionary Australian surfers like Rabbit Bartholomew, Peter Townend, Shawn Tomson, Mark Richards, and Ian Cairns ripping up the North Shore and getting Lightning Bolt boards plastered on the cover of every surf magazine.

The new lightning bolt store in Paia–so new the sign is a banner

Calling a business the “oldest” or “the original” sometimes means a company that’s resting on it’s laurels, or whose time is past. That’s certainly NOT the case with Lightning Bolt. Some of the most aggressive short, long and SUP boards come from this historic shop. Lightning Bolt uses the latest computer controlled shaping technology to enable semi-custom boards tailored to your weight, skill, and surfing style. They also build beautiful boards. That old Lightning Bolt logo looks wonderful on a brightly colored board.

You can see a lightning bolt board in the surf from an airplane–they stand out

Lightning Bolt recently moved, from the original location–which was way off the beaten path in Kahalui–to the heart of Paia. the shop is still a little hard to spot because the permanent signage isn’t up yet. But this place is worth the effort to find.

the store is small, but it’s full of great merchandise

The famous Lightning Bolt logo looks great on a board, t shirt, hoodie, hat–whatever

Besides boards, paddles, leashes and other surf accessories lightning bolt has it’s own line of clothing featuring the famous lightning bolt logo. They also carry a full line of surf and beachwear.

All the usual surf/beachwear brands as well

Stickies, wax, surf watches–its a very complete surf shop, but with an emphasis on real equipment

The digital projector on the ceiling is for the friday night movies–Frank is serious about his movie nights.

On Friday nights they clear the floor and show surf movies on a big screen–free. You can grab a pizza at Flatbread and a six pack from the Wine Corner and enjoy a great evening.

Any serious surfer visiting Maui is going to pass through Paia. You should definitely make Lightning Bolt part of that pilgrimage.

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A Basic Friday Night In Paia

If you’re a surfer, Friday night in Paia is a challenge. Staying up late isn’t easy when you routinely get up at 5:00 AM to do the dawn patrol at your favorite break.

But the Friday night surf movie at Lightning Bolt surf shop doesn’t start until 8:00PM. There might be a party to go to first. Or if you’re staying at the Paia Inn (or invited, as many people were last Friday) there’s jazz music and a BYOB get together in the courtyard. Last Friday night there were also two really good street musician bands in full swing–three young and very talented kids doing some haunting original modern rock, and across the street, an incredibly good five piece combo with a very hot violin payer and excellent guitarist.

Typical Paia Party–the women are decked out, and the guys…not so much

The bar at Jacques was jammed with locals and there was some kind of celebration going on in the outdoor dining area. Diane and I opted for a quiet dinner at Moana Cafe. We both ordered Filet Mignon medallions and a good Cabernet. The entrees tool a little longer than we expected, so we were getting a little nervous as 7:30 approached, since we planned to stop at the Paia Inn before going to the movie at Lightning Bolt. When our filets came, we tasted them and I said “let’s not worry about being late, I want to enjoy this”. Superb.

Moana Cafe–always great food

By the time we finished and walked back to the Paia Inn it was nearly 8:00PM, but we could see that Frank was running a little late on the movie. So we dropped off some ginger/papaya chocolate bark Diane had made, and crossed the parking lot to the Inn. There were only a few people there, and we realized the drinks were BYOB, so I went to the Wine Corner (just a block away) and got a nice bottle of Rose. We had hardly settled in and had just started chatting with some folks, when I say the flicker of the movie at lightning bolt. The movie was “Busting Down The Door” which I had never seen, so I was anxious to see it all. We got to our seats just as the opening title rolled. Excellent film, I highly recommend it.

Lightning Bolt surf shop

After the movie we talked with some friends at Lightning Bolt, then headed back over to the Inn, where the party was in full swing. I shot a few pictures and was enjoying the crowd, but I could tell Diane was about finished. I was feeling a little put out at having to leave, but when we got to the car, Diane drove (since I had had quite a bit more wine than she) and I immediately conked out. I woke up when we pulled into the driveway. We both shambled to bed.

the Paia Inn Party starts to roll

Nice band, but with so many people talking they were a little hard to hear

the party filled the courtyard and spilled into the lobby

Nice hat. I need one of those, though my head is big and square–probably better not

The band was relaxed and comfortale with the crowd

Diane’s patented “hat up buckwheat, we’re outa here” look

I woke up at 5:00AM as usual, feeling a bit fragile. I looked out the window at the wind, driving rain and small swell, and decided to bake scones.

You need a good breakfast before making any foolish decisions about surfing.

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A Brazilian Ways To Subscribe

First, the dumb joke that goes with the headline. George W.’s international news briefer walked into his office and said “Five Brazilian men were killed in a riot in Sao Paulo.” George says “My God!! that’s horrible. Hey, how many zeros in a Brazilian”?

Whether you are a subscriber or not, a member or not, you can read Ke Nalu anytime in your browser. that’s fine, enjoy yourself, but there are some ways that might be more convenient for you.

You can also click here or click on the RSS icon above (it looks like this: ) and find several ways to subscribe via RSS. If you’re not familiar with RSS, all it does is deliver posts, for free, right into an RSS reader, which can even be active bookmarks in your web browser.

You can also subscribe by email. To do that, enter your email address in the little box at the bottom of the page, just under the Wavewatch widgets. I never rent, sell, or in any way disclose your address.

If you’re a twitterite you can follow me and get a tweet every time I update the blog. The address to follow: @BillBabcock

Please feel free to send suggestions, comments, questions and gushing praise. Of course there’s a Brazilian ways to do that. You can email me at editor@kenalu dot com, or click on the email icon at the top of the page, which looks like this.

You can also comment on any post in the comment box, you can become a member and create threads or reply to conversations in the Forum section, and if you roll over the REPORT tab at the top of the page you’ll find numerous forms to use for sending us photos, reviewing a board or paddle, or just completeing a survey about your preferences.

Thanks so much for reading Ke Nalu, and I hope you find it useful, now and in the future

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Santa SUPs

the guys from the UK are certifiably nuts. I was going to do something tasteful, like a nice Santa hat and Sam the Gay Dog wearing reindeer horns on the board, with perhaps music by Alvin and the Chipmunks, but these guys beat me to it.

Paia Inn: Remarkable and Perfect

We’ve just found the best place to stay on Maui (other than Ponohouse). It’s perfect for any active person or couple that plans to spend their time on the North shore–surfing, windsurfing, SUP Surfing, whatever. It’s perfect partly because of location, but it also balances luxury, tasteful accommodation, and amenities (like private beach access directly to the surf break in Paia Bay!!) in a quiet way that blends elegantly with funky Paia. It’s also reasonably priced.

I suspect that when people understand what a gem this is, it will be very hard to get one of these five rooms. If you’re planning a trip to Maui this year (it’s a great year to do so–more about that later), you should check this out and make your reservations early.

Before we bought Ponohouse Diane and I used to come each April and stay for three weeks–usually at the Four Seasons or some other Wailea hotel. It was expensive and inconvenient to the North Shore, where I spent most of my time. While the Paia Inn existed then (it was started in 1962) it pretty grubby. If it had been as it is now I would have nailed down one of these rooms perpetually.

It’s a vast understatement to say that we were surprised–we expected something ordinary. Let’s start with the location and the outside. Except for the sign you’d never know Paia Inn exists. The rooms are above a storefront–currently a gallery–and you enter the Inn from the back, pulling in beside a gas station.


As you step through the gate you find the first surprise–a shady, cool, comfortable courtyard. Very inviting, very comfortable. My immediate thought was “what a nice place this would be to kick back with a beer”. Paia has wonderful restaurants, but nothing this peaceful and inviting.

Walking through the heavy door we come another surprise–a spacious, and very tastefully appointed lobby with interesting and colorful art on every wall.

In a big hotel the lobby is just for show. But in a small inn like this, it’s part of your living space. And this is a very comfortable place to hang out. The Inn provides complimentary coffee and pastry in the mornings, from my favorite coffee joint in the entire world–Anthony’s–which is right across the street. The lobby would be a fine place to enjoy that, though the courtyard would probably always be my first choice.

Up a short flight of stairs is another nicely decorated and comfortable common area with a computer and printer/fax. The Inn has free wireless high speed internet access and flat screen TV in each room.

The rooms are small and simple, but pretty and comfortable. They are exactly what I like in a hotel–roomy enough to move around in, comfortable beds, nice shower/bath and nothing more.

The location is at the heart of Paia, backed up to Paia Bay. In my heart Paia is right up there with Paris and Portland–beyond just a special place. Across the parking lot is Lightning Bolt Surf shop. It’s Maui’s original surf shop, originally owned by Gerry Lopez, started back in 1972. Across the street is Anthony’s. Besides having the best coffee on the planet, Anthony’s clientele includes every great surfer and windsurfer you’ve ever heard of. You’re as likely to run into Dave Kalama or Laird Hamilton and his family as you are to run into me. A little further up is the Fish Market restaurant–best fish plates in the world–at least I’ve never had better, and then there’s Jacques, Milagro, Moana Cafe and all the other great Paia restaurants. Great clothing and beachwear shops, the remarkable Ship Gallery, venerable Chuck’s restaurant and bar. In short, it’s a great little town, and Paia Inn is right in the middle of it.

On Friday nights you can walk over to the Wine Corner and pick up a nice bottle or a six pack of Microbrews, perhaps grab a Pizza from Flatbread, and then walk into Lightning bolt where Frank shows free surf movies at 8:00 PM. Hit Milagros or Jaques for a nightcap and stroll back to your room. You won’t have walked a half of a mile.

We’ve saved the best for last.

Walk out of the courtyard and there’s a small area with a solar-heated shower to rinse off in, and a private path to the beach. You walk down a narrow lane decorated with carved masks. A couple of quick turns and there you are–at the far end of Paia beach, right in front of consistent reef break. The waves were puny when I visisted, but this is a nice spot to surf and good place to put in or take out your SUP board. I could easily see a short downwinder from Maliko Gultch to Paia Bay, taking out right at your hotel. Handy.

Rates currently range from about $150 to $250 per night. See their website at http://www.paiainn.com/ for more up-to-date information.

Naish Big Brother/Big Sister Event: Updated

My editing program crashed while I was preparing this article, so the first version lacked a lot of the pictures. This is now the full article. The full photo gallery is at: http://gallery.me.com/billbab#100285…

…What a day. A beach full of kids, Stand Up board everywhere, new toys, old friends, new friends, and a sprinkle of celebrity. So what if the waves were wimpy, it was all fun.

The Naish crew was at Launiopoko before sunrise, getting the area ready

Looking down the beach reminded me of our board showcase last year–except nearly all the boards were yellow

Bill Foote, Diane and Sam. Diane shot most of the photos.

One thing was clear–there’s no lack of heart on Maui. The turnout of adults willing to give their time to help some kids was amazing–there were more instructors than kids. Quite a few of the people I met were preparing to make the commitment to be a big brother or sister. For many people that’s a lifetime thing. Most of the big brothers and big sisters I know are close to the kids they helped even after their “littles” have families of their own. I can certainly see the attraction. These were all great kids, and they were extremely open and interested in interacting with an adult willing to give them time, direction and attention.

Kids and instructors getting the skinny on the day

Nice kids, they were all happy to be there.

I was also very impressed with the organizers from Big Brother/Big Sisters. They were very focused on safety and controlling the environment. It was a little chaotic, but they established boundaries for the kids and charged all of the instructors with keeping the kids in bounds and safe.

Frank from Lightning Bolt Surf Shop and I looking at the glass-bottomed SUPS Naish is testing

Dave Kalama, Noah Yap and another ripping young SUP surfer (I didn’t get his name)


Diane’s a Dave Kalama fan. I’m surprised ALL the photos don’t have Dave in them

The Yellow sea

Clapping Game…

… Dissolves into giggles

She’s ready

Now THAT’S how you hold a paddle

Frank Forbes, Byron Yap and his wife, and some lumpy guy that jumps into pictures like Forrest Gump

Robby Naish was right in the middle of everything, taking kids out tandem on his board and being extremely patient with their fears. He and Dave Kalama took the weakest swimmers and shuffled them out to the waves. They spent a lot of time with two nervous little girls who transitioned magically from clinging to the boards, afraid to put their faces in the water to taking over a board together, trying to paddle into a wave with Dave and Robby watching them nonchalantly and intently at the same time. We should all have such qualified lifeguards. It wasn’t just all paddling and boards. I watched Robby spend a great deal of time teaching one of the girls to duck underwater.

Robbie and Dave giving some safety instructions

the kids broke up into groups. I think this was the “pretty good swimmers”

This was the good swimmers. When a kid on Maui tells you they’re a good swimmer, it means they’re a fish.


This was definitely the “not so good swimmers”. The little girl on the far right will eventually undoubtably be the President of the United States.  A pint-sized Force of Nature.  The two tallest girls gained enough confidence under Robbie and Dave’s tutelage to take over a board on their own.


A little shore-side instruction in holding a paddle and off we go

One little guy who got very scared on my board (I swear it wasn’t my fault) spent hours digging on the beach and playing in the water with Noah Yap. Noah is a talented SUP surfer, probably 13 or 14. His kindness and willingness to hang out while others were out playing in the surf to entertain a little guy who was a little too intimidated to climb back on a board is a credit to Byron and his Mom. Cool kid, and his brother is a crackup. I told him he was famous on the StandUpZone, but he needed to keep his shorts up when people are taking pictures of him. He thought that was pretty funny.

Sam always likes to be an active participant

Bill Foote, Kai Lenny, Frank Forbes, the Schwiegers–lots of folks turned out to make it a great day for the kids.

Laird Hamilton showed up with his daughter Reese, a very composed and
delightful eight year old. She was talking with Diane when the
organizers started passing out goodie bags and said “Do you think all
the kids will get those? Even ME?”

Sad to see Laird letting himself go like that. And I always carry 12 foot boards by pinching the rail.

Everyone puts on a little spread for the holidays. His looks to be mostly in his shoulders.

Tandem madness

This is a great sequence. First, determination.

Preparation

Committment

Celebration

Future SUP God. He might be pretty good when he’s grown up–like perhaps when he’s 10

Don’t be scared, the surf’s only chest high

She was alternating laughing and screaming

The group was so wide it takes two shots to include everyone

Nice lunch. Ham, Kahlua Turkey (tastes just like Kahlua pork), veggies, stuffing, and Ahi Poke. I had an embarassing amount of the Poke.

Robbie, Laird, Dave and a very Hawaiian Santa passed out goodie bags and signed autographs

And it was a great day. I ran out of kids willing to paddle with me pretty quickly. I think a lot of people did. It was a little tough knowing who wanted to get more lessons or a ride on a board and who was just hanging on the beach. Maybe next time the kids need special t shirts or something to identify them. A couple of little girls conned me into schlepping a glass bottomed SUP to the Laniupoko pond so they could use it as a boat. Bossy little buggers, but it was fun to watch them scamper over the thing.

It all wound down about 1:30. We tossed our boards on the truck and headed out.

Well done everyone.

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Bill Foote Used Boards

Bill is cleaning house on some of his personal boards. Any Maui surfer knows about the high quality and excellent design of Bill’s boards. He’s a very active and exceptional SUP surfer and Longboarder, though I don’t recall seeing him on a longboard in the last two years. Like many of us he’s switched over pretty completely.

All of these are bargain priced to clear them out. If you’re considering a trip to Maui and you plan to rent a board, this might be a better alternative. For two weeks of rental you’d pretty much have one of these free and clear. Then either take it home or arrange for a place to keep it here for your next adventure.

Here’s Bill’s used board inventory:
Custom 10′6” x 29” x 4.5” clear swallow tail with pad and sidebites. $800

Production 11′ x 28” x 4” whit e, single fin (included), no pad. $600

2 custom EPS epoxy longboards . Both10′6” x 24.5” $600 each

Foote 11X29 Production Board

My Gecko board is a custom Bill Foote. Of course I had to wait a while to get it, and it was a lot more expensive than these. Bill’s 11′ x 28″ production board is very popular as a beginner/intermediate crossover board for people under 200#–good performance and excellent stability. You can read the review in our board showcase here: http://www.kenalu.com/forums/showcase-index/bill-foote-11-28/

I bet that 10′6″ really rips.

You can contact Bill at:
Phone/Fax: 808.575.5426
Cell: 808.298.5423
Email:footemaui@aol.com
or visit his website at: http://footemaui.com

Bob’s Best Videos and Ke NaluTube

When my brother Bob first started putting together collections of YouTube videos for Ke Nalu the choices were pretty skimpy, but somehow he still managed to find some really great stuff. These days there’s a lot of SUP on YouTube and the challenge is separating the gold from the dross. This month Bob really outdid himself. I’ve watched every one of these 12 videos a couple of times. The first one is some outrageous tubes at Puerto Escondido. From there the globe just keeps spinning: Gran Canaria, J-Bay, Indo, Ireland, Narabeen and on. Enjoy these.

I’m also working on Ke NaluTube, which will be our own high resolution HD version of YouTube, just for SUP surfing. I have it working pretty well. If you have a video you’re really proud of and you’d like to see it on the web at better resolution, let me know about it. We’ll be glad to put it up.

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Moana Cafe

Update: this review first appeared in Ponohouse in November 2006. Diane and I had breakfast at Moana last week, and it was great as always. We have also had dinner there several times and found it to be excellent.

From Ponohouse:

I hear that Moana is a great place to have dinner. They have music there a lot, and it usually looks like an interesting group. But I’ve never been there for dinner, and hardly ever for lunch. For me Moana is breakfast. And what a breakfast.

The Funmobile in it’s accustomed place.

First of all there’s the eggs benedict. It’s a rare restaurant that makes their own hollandaise–usually it’s a mix. Not only does Moana make theirs from scratch, but it’s perfection. Light, slightly lemony, with the delicate flavors that the bogus mixes so totally lack. Perfect poached eggs–not disappointingly hard, or disgustingly runny. Perfect. Spicy blackened Mahi, or other choices that I’m sure are excellent. I wouldn’t know–I can’t pass up the mahi. Wonderful home fries–crisp on the outside, flaky on the inside. great coffee, excellent service. What more could you ask for.

The deadly pastry case–super croissants

Well, actually there is more. Their waffles are excellent, clearly made from scratch, you just can’t get that crispness any other way that I’ve ever found. Diane gets the waffles frequently. And Moana is a bakery–their croissants are excellent. We bought four to go and had them for dinner tonight stuffed with sauteed shrimp in a green curry aoli. My turn to cook. I’m not bad if I do say so myself. Also did a fresh spring greens salad with sun dried tomato dressing topped with some big prawns cooked scampi-style with garlic, olive oil and white wine.

This is a local hangout. Did I mention the waitresses are all gorgeous?

Where was I, oh yeah, Moana. They also have a really great lamb wrap thats great for lunch. I’ll just have to try the place for dinner sometime soon, but for me Moana means breakfast.

Grab a window seat if you can, but don’t take mine. Hey, that guy’s sitting in my seat!

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Haile Maile General Store 20th Year Celebration

If you’ve been to Maui I certainly hope you’ve been to Haile Maile. It’s kind of the middle of noplace–a lovely spot overlooking the North Shore, equidistant from Baldwin Ave and the Haleakala Highway, just below Makawao. Haile Maile General Store is a destination restaurant in the purest sense. You have to be going there to get there. It’s worth the trip. I’ve never had a bad meal there, or a drink I didn’t thoroughly enjoy. There was a brief period when they were fiddling around with pork shanks that i wasn’t completely thrilled with dinner, but the worst it ever was, was darned good instead of really great.

I recently attended the 20th year anniversary party, a charity event for the Hui No’eau Visual Arts Center and the Maui food Bank. Diane was supposed to go, but she took ill at the last minute, so I went by myself.

Spectacular food, fine music, superb wines to taste, and a martini luge. The Martini Luge was my downfall.

I got there a few minutes early, talked with some friends who work there, and finally it was six PM and time to see what Bev Gannon had tossed together. Bev was there of course, working the room as always, looking worried and driven. When you run a restaurant as well as she does I suspect that’s pretty much how that perfection happens.

In the rear dining room was a wine tasting area and a giant rotating glass disk with an ice sculpture in the middle and hundreds of elegant shot glasses on the frosty surface. The shots were individual tastes of lobster, or crab salad, or tiny oysters with a dab of spicy/smoky sauce. I spent quite a bit of time there.

Behind the restaurant were two beautifully decorated, huge tents. The first had a giant projection screen, a huge fruit and salad area, a large bar, and along one wall were carving stations serving amazing pork at one end, fork-tender beef at the other, and wonderful vegetable and condiments between. In the middle were both stand up and sit down tables to enable the crowd to enjoy the food and chat. The second tent had what I’d describe as an Italian section with truffled lobster ravioli, a long macaroni-like pasta with pulled beef, some canolini-like stuffed thingies that I really enjoyed, and other delights. Against the far wall was a huge sushi station with four of five sushi chefs busily constructing a wide variety of delicious sushi. Sushi has always been a Haile Maile strong suit, and this was some of the best I’ve had. Against the back wall was a stage and dance floor with a great band playing. At the opposite end were the martini luges. A devilish construction that should be forever banned. Two lovely bartenderesses were fiendishly constructing martinis and pouring them into the luges about as fast as they could. Both the sushi and the luges had a steady stream of customers–with me prominent among them.

I hung out in the sushi-italian-luge area for quite a while, listening to the band and talking with folks. then i wandered back into the front of the restaurant, pausing for a few more oyster and lobster shots on the way, and discovered that I’d walked right past one of the major attractions. there was a lot more food in various stations, though by now i was not particularly hungry, but they were also cooking several varieties of tiny “hamburgers” including some with foie gras mixed in. These were simply unbelievably good, and each tray that appeared on the counter emptied in seconds.

I had a few.

I worked my way to the bar to get some water and perhaps another martini (yeah, I really needed another). While I was hanging out there a guy said “Hey, are you Bill Babcock from Portland?” Turned out to be an old acquaintance and former customer of my company from Portland. What a coincidence (I wonder if I can write this evening off as a business meeting?). We talked old times for awhile, then I wandered back for more sushi.

I arrived in the stage/dance floor tent just as Kenny Rankin was setting up to play. He sat down with an acoustic guitar and started playing and singing. The group in the tent was too deep into their conversations to pay much attention, but I was mesmerized. What a musician! I walked to the front of the stage and plunked myself down on the dance floor to listen. Never have been all that shy. I thought others might join, but nobody did. He finished one spectacular piece on the guitar, switched to a key board, did two more songs and then quit. I suspect he was a bit peeved that no one was paying much attention. I don’t blame him, but I sure wish he’d played more. I was having a great time.

After that a DJ started playing dance music. Good, danceable stuff at first, and then as it got late he switched to things that only the double-jointed could enjoy. A clear signal that it was time to go home.

So I did.

If you search for Haile Maile general store on Google, the first or second result you’ll get is a review I did on my old Ponohouse site several years ago. I’ll save you the search. Here’s the Ponohouse review:

Haile Maile General Store

Haile Maile is superchef Beverly Gannon’s wonderful place, and unlike most celebrated chefs you’ll find her there often, shepherding the place to make it run wonderfully. It’s not inexpensive, and it’s not easy to get reservations despite it’s challenging location–totally off the beaten path part way up Haleakala. But it’s great.

First is the decor. Whoever does their flower arrangements is a genius and an artist. When a lumpy 250 pound guy who dresses in board shorts and grubby T shirts takes note of the flowers you know there’s something special going on. Nice art everywhere too. I really like their bar and they always have great bartenders. Last week we decided to eat at the bar instead of the table we had reserved because we were so enjoying our conversation with the bartender, a nice guy named Tim Garcia. The couple sitting next to us who were on their way to the airport immediately after to return to Florida made the same decision. We had a grand time and great meal. Turns out Tim is a very talented sculptor–we’ve seen and enjoyed his work. You can see some at http://www.mauisculpture.com .

Haile Maile has fabulous Mango Magheritas. I’ve never been able to duplicate the flavor, though I have the precise recipe. I always tend to have the fish curry, though I also love the duck tacos, I guess they do them as quesadillas now. Duck confit in a taco. Yikes.

I’ve also had the ribs–they were spectacular–and we go sometimes for lunch and I enjoy their soups. The lamb is great too, in fact I haven’t had a meal at Haile Maile that I could describe as anythying but excellent. The wait staff makes fine recommendations, they have a good wine list and wonderful desserts.

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