Maliko Do-Over

What a difference a day makes. Today’s Maliko run was much like yesterday’s, the wind was a little lighter, and the swells were head high instead of overhead. And I was on a different board, Bill Foote’s purpose-built Maliko board.

I’ve gotta tell you, pretty it ain’t. Bill calls this particular board “Gumby” because the color and the vague shape is kind of Gumby-like. It doesn’t look like a race board at all, I bet it’s pretty slow in flat water. Bill even said “don’t try to run any other race with this thing, it’s just for Malko”. But on the Malko Gulch run, it’s a magic carpet. I don’t really understand how a surfboard shaper/designer like Bill Foote can look at a unique performance challenge like Maliko and say “the board has to look like this” especially when it doesn’t look like anyone else’s idea of what it takes to have fun in that maelstrom. but it works like gangbusters.

Here’s Gumby:

the wind was not as brutal as yesterday, but close. When we left the gulch around 12:30 it was gusting above 30 with 20kts average. The larger swells were head high, and seemed smoother than yesterdays. There was quite a bit of cross chop, but the Foote board didn’t seem affected by it, or maybe I’m just starting to get my Maliko Legs.

Randy, Randy, Chan, Tracy, Jack and Jeremy took off pretty quickly while I was still trying to get the board settled down. It was like surfing in a washing machine, but I immediately started getting some runs on the swells, and once the board was moving it felt very stable. I paddled for about half an hour without falling, saw Chan and Tracy way on the inside near Ho’okipa more or less parallel to me. I thought “I’m moving along pretty well” and immediately fell. That fall was followed by roughly eighteen more in rapid succession, and shortly Chan, Tracy and the rest of the crew disappeared over the horizon.

Alone, on an angry sea. I can’t see a tremendous number of people wanting to do this. The conditions are a little intimidating, and when you look towards the shore you see nothing but huge waves pounding on reefs. Not a lot of good places to bail out. But when you get your board settled out, calm your body some and relax, then catch a swell that gives you a fifty yard ride it’s pretty exciting.

After my spate of falls I calmed down and got a rythym again. Caught a lot of nice runs, settle down and continued paddling. Then I noticed that I had drifted inwards quite a ways catching runners and was headed straight for the big breaking wave west of Paia. I think it’s called Spartans, but I’m not sure. What I do know is that it looked really big and was breaking with an explosive thump and then rolling and rolling and rolling. I turned the board out to sea and started paddling hard as the wind and current pushed me towards the reef. At one point I though I might be better off heading towards the beach and passing on the inside of the reef, but then a doubled up wave crested about a hundred yards in front of me and turned the entire area I was considering into boiling nuclear waste. I stroked for the horizon, passed the reef at least fifty yards out, still pumping like a madman, turned back downwind and fell in celebration.

A good part of the run then passed without drama, all the way down to about Kanaha/Camp One, where I once again found myself too far in. The outer breaks at upper Kanaha can be very big, and very unpredictable. I’ve driven all over them on a windsurfer, but it’s very different when you can’t run away from a wave that suddenly pops double overhead. I took the chicken route and again detoured towards the horizon. I passed Kanaha without falling once, got down to the end of kite beach without incident, then caught a very big runner that seemed to go on forever. after that ride I caught it’s brother, and then it’s little cousin. And once again found myself pretty far in. I looked at the Harbor breakwall and realized that I was going to have to slog out hard to make the corner. I didn’t want to try paddling along the breakwall with wind piling directly onto it and swells smashing directly onto it. So I picked a point north of Waiehu and paddled hard for it. When I reached the harbor mouth I was 50 yards past it, I’m glad I wised up when I did. 50 yards in the other direction might have resulted in a long afternoon slog upwind to try to clear the breakwall.

I turned into the smooth water in the lee of the breakwall with a feeling of deep relief, but also a new confidence. I can do this. I might be slow, but I’ll get faster. I might fall a lot, but I’ll get better.

I can do this.

Do Your Own Run
Now that I’ve done Maliko twice, I’m an expert and can tell you all about it. Actually, like everything in Ke Nalu, the useful informatiion comes from talking to experts. Here’s a few things to consider:

1. Go with people who have done this a lot. But realize you won’t be seeing them often. It’s pretty much impossible to hold someone’s hand for a run. Your guide would have to sit and wait for you every ten minutes. No fun for them.

2. Stay outside. My nightmare is getting caught inside on one of the many outer reef breaks. They can pop up suddenly and when they do the waves are not friendly. Have someone show you the route. Watch ahead very closely for breaking waves. If you see something that looks nasty in front of you, head for the horizon.

3. Saftey gear. A stout leash in good condition, an inflatable PFD, a cell phone in a waterproof case. All good ideas. Some people do Maliko in a pair of boardshorts with no leash. I think they are whacked. If your board gets away in 30 knot wind the chances of seeing it again are very slim. Half a mile is a long way to swim in heavy swells. Even if you can do it, you probably don’t want to.

4. If you plan to go in the harbor, have someone guide you for that last mile. It’s tricky.

This is not a run for newbies, or the timid. Doesn’t mean you need to be a big strong guy. Chan and Tracy together might equal my body mass, and they are VERY good at Maliko. They got to the harbor at least thirty minutes before I did, probably more.

I’ll be doing this a lot more. It’s a unique thing and it’s extremely rewarding. If you are considering a board expressly to do Maliko or a high wind, high swell run like it you should talk to Bill Foote. His board really is magic. I’m buying Gumby from him.