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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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.

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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Liam’s Alaskan Adventure

Liam Wilmot of C4 Waterman submitted this interesting story of an Alaskan SUP adventure using a ULI inflatable SUP board.

–ALASKA June 6th. Field Report.

Being a surfer in a surf-orientated family that lives on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, a trip to Alaska in the middle of summer may seem a strange choice of destination. However, with the onset of stand up paddling and its potential to make any day on any body of water a blast, a trip to the land of 10,000 glaciers with a sun that never set promised to be a real adventure.

Flying up Shelikof Straight and Cook Inlet into our arrival point of Anchorage, it was stirring to see mountains and snow after such a lengthy tropical hiatus. When you see glaciers like this one below, so huge they’re easily visible from 10,000 feet, it’s mind-boggling to think that thousands of years of flow-freeze are now rapidly dissipating – inches every year, sometimes even feet.

With seemingly endless potential for flat water adventures it was hard not to pump up the ULI (ultra light inflatable) and paddle out at every turn.

My first attempt failed. Overcome by the scenery I opted to save time by dissing the wetsuit and confidently headed out in my shorts and vest! My toes nearly froze off. One word of advice on the ULI, be sure to inflate to the recommended level. Anything less and it won’t be anywhere near as rigid as you need it to be. It’s rigid or frigid in Alaska!

On second attempt I would go all out. The wetsuit was lent to me by Garrett McNamarra, who tested and proved it last year towing into calving glacier waves in SE Alaska. You really need a good wetsuit. This one was a 7mm Hotline full suit with a built in hood, plus booties and gloves. Toasty!! Thanks GMac. (Like all wetsuits, they make you look fat

I rode the converging waters of glacial melt from Exit Glacier and the flow of Resurrection River for about 7 miles.
It took me a little over an hour.

Freezing water, snow and glaciers were a totally new experience for me. My friend Charlie McArthur, C4’s team rider up on the Colorado River, probably would have laughed at me. The white water (mini) rapids hardly compare to the walls of white water he scales with ease. Any how, I figured I would wear the bright yellow rash vest for visibility. I had a WalMart issue 2-way radio in a zip lock stuffed down the front of my suit should I need contact my wife in the trailing RV. If I got into trouble and had to bail, a walk through bear country might be less scary if I could hear our kids arguing in the RV! I had a leash. I have read horror stories about surfers getting trapped, overcome by the force of the current and not being able to reach their leash to remove it, but I didn’t want to go with out it, despite that ‘free’ feeling. So… I fastened it to my elbow so it wouldn’t drag in the water and I could always reach the release tab should I need it.
Charlie might laugh but I hope water safety expert Brian Keaulana would be proud!

The waters snaked back and forth from the road every mile or so, splitting and merging at will throughout the gravel banks and wash-through of tons of fallen birch and spruce trees. All this gravel comes from the melting glaciers which grind away at the mountains over eons. Following the branching water’s strongest lead was a fun game in order not to become stranded in a weak off-shoot.

There are thousands more short trips like this in Alaska, It was nothing extreme, but to me that is part of the broad appeal of stand up paddling. Anyone can do it, and you can do it anywhere. Charlie, who is a top level white water kayaking champion says “it makes class I and II fun again”. For me, to get out into the wilderness and float along with the current through pristine wilderness is in a class all of its own.

Despite the sport’s broad appeal, I don’t recommend using your inflatable SUP as a snow toy.
My 2-year-old Maika loved it while I felt like pitching a new series to National Geographic: “I wish I wasn’t alive”. Turns out that the PVC coating switches gears from slip to grip when on frigid snow and ice. This is not a snow toy.

More perfect scenery. It was so still I would paddle out in my rubber boots and throw a lure straight from the board. I managed to catch a dozen or so rainbow trout. At Johnsons Lake, near Kasilof, I was cleaning my catch and a local guy comes over shaking his head to say “Now I gotta take a look at this! What do you call this?!”. All these guys with boats and I was in and out before they had even primed their engines. Not to mention the fact that the fish never heard me coming.

Open roads, endless possibilities and empty line ups………….

Seward, on a beautiful calm morning paddle. The surrounding mountains of Resurrection Peninsula reach higher than 5,000 feet, though the morning low-level cloud obscures the towering landscape.

Cook Inlet and Turnagain Arm have some spectacular paddling areas. With a tidal difference of 24ft the mud flats are literally quicksand, annually claiming the lives of those who don’t get pulled out fast enough and either suffocate or drown on the incoming tide. No joke.

Turnagain Arm is also home to the elusive bore tide, which I had every intention of riding but, like the salmon, it was the one that got away on me. You need to know the precise spot on the narrowing of the 40-mile probe of Cook Inlet where the incoming tide doubles up on itself and transforms into a muddy, churning wave. It happens in an instant. We ended up racing alongside it in the RV without enough time to get into the water before it dissipated after several hundred yards of rolling.

Below is an aerial shot of the Cook Inlet tidal flats on the outgoing tide. You can see how far it stretches inland. This Inlet was named after Captain Cook, who initially thought it may have an outlet but learned he’d have to turn his fleet around again to get out, hence the name given to its inland end: Turnagain Arm.

The board I took to Alaska was a C4 Waterman Ultra Light Inflatable ULI. It was fantastic for this type of thing. It handled the knocks and bumps of the shallow parts of the rivers, was a perfect mid-lake landing pad for the trout, and rolled up nicely into the side compartment of the RV – not to mention the fact that it fits in a duffel bag and can be checked in as a regular piece of baggage, rather than a bulky surfboard.

Check out our web store for more details. www.c4waterman.com

Thanks for reading,

Aloha,
Liam Wilmott.