Coming to a computer screen infront of you starting this Tuesday (AEST). The program this time includes definately one, hopefully two Maliko Downwind runs followed next weekend by a race from Maui to Molokai. Plus whatever else SUP I can find over there. Hope you enjoy Part 2 as much as January's Aussiewahine's Hawaii Updates... Mahalo

That's great Sue.. Don't forget your camera.

DJ

Bring it on Sue! You know we love it!

What board did you end up with for the downwinders?

NewcastleSUP said...
What board did you end up with for the downwinders?

Hey Simon...I ended up securing a race board just yesterday. Three actually !! All F16's. Two are already on Maui and one was shipped from Kauai. So now we just have to choose which one to use for the race after trying them out on a few Maliko runs. Leaving for the airport in 3 hours.

I'm actually looking forward to even the plane flight. Being able to relax, actually watch a movie or two, and eat my meal in peace without 2 little boys jumping all over me !! A week away for mummy with no kids !!!

I'll post something tomorrow when I get in. I have a waterproof video now since the last trip. Not a GoPro just a waterproof digital handheld vid so I'll see what I can get with that also. Bye for now...

Sue I'm really looking foreward to your new thread. rodriguez

Not much to report yet and sorry no photo's..spent most of yesterday tracking down a board and trying to organise a downwind. The winds aren't right for Maliko which needs an east wind, so we headed to the other side of the island and manage to get an approx 6 km paddle in with the wind right behind. I had a fight with a reef break on the way in and the reef won. All I could think about and was worried about was the board. It popped up right next to me and was fine but my right leg and foot weren't.

The winds are surposed to go back to Trade today which will blow all the "Vog" away which is volcanic fog/smog. So we may get a Mailko run in tomorrow. Another thing on the plan to do is to get up at 2am, drive 40 mins to the base of a 10,000 feet mountain where they take you up in a truck to the summit. There where it's zero degree's you watch the most amazing sunrise. They then take you back to 6,500 feet where you then ride mountain bikes the whole way back down to the bottom pedalling only about 500 metres of it. So we just have to select the night that we want to get up at 2am to go and do it.

I think we're heading to a surf spot today so I'll try get some pics of that. Bye for now.

DavidJohn said...

Good luck with the wind Sue.

I've done the Mt Haleakala sunrise thing and also the Mt bike ride down.. but I ride my own bike down.. Doing it in those groups is a bit of a joke (imo).

The sunrise is spectacular.. You can see right across to the big island and you can often even see snow on the top.

Make sure you're rugged up because it's freezing up there at sunrise.

Pics.. don't forget pics..

Also.. You should do the Mt Haleakala crater walk.. I never did it but now wish that I had.. It looks like the surface of the moon.. and there are these weird flowers that only grow there that look amazing.

DJ

I slept at the top of Haleakala in the late 80's early 90s with 3 other mates in a hire car-we all got altitude sickness and had to run the car periodically to get the heater going to keep us warm-funny now-sickening then....great sunrise as DJ says.

Hey there...yes AA we plan to do the mountain bike ride tomorrow am. We are doing it with a bike shop not a tour group so the bike shop drop you up there and you come down at your own pace with no guide. Should be unreal..just gotta get pyched to wake up at 2am ??

I'm trying to upload some pics but aren't having any luck at the moment. Yesterday we checked out Honolua Bay from the top of a 200 foot cliff. The bay is a right handed point break on top of reef with three take off zones. Planning on going there now after breakfast so Danny & my girl friend Dani can surf while I paddle around in the beautiful bay on a Starboard 14'8".

Did a 1.5 hr downwind yesterday afternoon on an F16 and a Vortice 14'. Unfortunately we were dropped off at not an ideal start point so the downind was more a sidewind but still fun. Managing to try out lots of different boards from alot of very generous locals. Will try get some pics up later.

AA said...

The ride from the top on a MTB is BUZZ as well!

Are they still running the runs from the top to the bottom on bikes?

AA

They don't go from the top anymore. They start outside the park...some new reg.

I have some great pics (silhouettes against the sunrise) of my daughters at the top of Haleakula. Great way to start a day. Make sure you stop in Anthony's for coffee when you get down.

Kiteaction...the Paia Inn is a pretty cool spot to stay from the sounds of it. Haven't stayed there myself but I trust Bill's judgement.
http://www.kenalu.com/2008/12/17/paia-inn-remarkable-and-perfect/

One word..."Wow" ! If you're into downwinds of endurance paddling then I highly recommend you do this race. It was so much fun ! First you gotta paddle all your stuff/bags/dry bags/esky etc out to your support boat. Luckily the shore dump wasn't there yesterday. There were about 5-6 SUP teams entered with only one other ladies team so we all decided to leave at 8am, with the womens outriggers leaving 1.5 hrs after us and the men 2 hrs after.

The winds were NE which meant backside from the right for the first approx 10km while you paddled into the channel but it was still great with some good runs. Swell coming from the back right quarter also. Then you get over toward Molokai and start running down. Then it is just perfect. Straight behind you. A good friend from Maui mentioned to me last week that this is where you just start laughing as you paddle because it's that much fun. And I thought of him and was laughing.

I had a Garmin on the board and looked at it every now and then. Unfortunately I can't get it going this morning to check out the details. At about the 4 hr mark we hit tide because I think we were in too close to Molokai so had to grind for about 30 mins then we lost the wind for awhile so had to paddle back out a little to find it again. I was extremely lucky and honoured to have one of my oldest and most special friends on the escort boat who has steered 20 Molokai crossings in 6 man outrigger and won 10 of them. So it was great to have a very tactical paddler onboard to confirm our moves and course so as to "cover" the opposition who were behind by about 1/4 mile most of the race. They were further out in the channel in rougher water but had more wind and less tide. I was also stoked to have my other best mate onboard yelling out continual one liners at appropriate moments to keep us laughing...like "shark" when I fell off once. She was great !

With about 1.5 hrs to go all the outriggers started to come by and that was really exciting. Those guys were flying !! I saw my huband go by about 400 metres outside on our line and that was cool. He ended up winning the 40-49 yr solo age group coming about 6th (he thinks) overall. The last 45 mins was pretty flat with no wind and at that point I think the years of canoe paddling my partner and I have done came into use. I usually don't feel like an outrigger paddler on SUP but at this moment I did. It was all momentum, rythem and strength at this point with no assistance from nature. Saw the biggest turtle ever about there and he wasn't moving so I had to go around him. It was cool.

My partner and I won the womens SUP in a time of 5hrs 09 min with the other girls team coming in at 5hrs 28 mins. I don't know the results of the mens race. Two of the mens teams passed us (They started about 1/2 hr after us I think)

Then we tied the board back onto and escort boat heading back to Maui, went to the Awards at the local canoe club (a shed on the grass on the water). A huge meal is served and many free beers. Then you get on the 4pm ferry and drive 1.5 hrs back to Maui drinking many more beers and hearing all the race storys, catch up with old friends, watch the whales and drinking more beers.

It was the most fun race I think I have ever done in 18 years of paddling outriggers including 5 Molokai crossing (not talking myself up...just want to share just how good it was). I will definately be back next year with hopefully some of you...

I have so many pics and video. My friend from California who was on the boat suggested I start a "blog" ?? and load it all on there so I'll check it all out when I get home. Leaving tomorrow am. Bye for now !

Wow sounds great Sue ..."Go The Sheards" you guys must have a garage full trophies. Well done to you and the Danos.

Count me in for next year I know Dale Chapman is keen and I reckon Bretty , Rosco & Simo could all be starters as well.

I can't wait to see the pics.

Rob

Thanks guys...the win at the end was just a bonus. To me it was all about the adventure, the challenge, the learning and sharing the experience with my girlfriend. At no point did I think ahead of the result or the outcome. I just stayed in the "Now" and let the rest sort itself out. I learnt that this week and that this is important also in helping you not fall off as much in SUP. Stay focused with every stroke and every wave...and it becomes so much more fun

Very cool SueWell done

Well done Sue, Danny. Have to agree with the stay out in the channel when you hit Molokai assessment, i did the same thing in 2006 and came in to close, hit the shallow water and lost the wind as you can see on my Garmin GPS tracks from the race.



This race and the Maliko/Keanae - Kahalui Run (usually the week before) are the best downwind for value runs you can do, support boats are optional so low $$$ too.

Cheers Rambo

Hey Sue well done ,all that hard work paided off !!!!!

I'm in NZ at the moment ,and been following your progress can't wait for the photos!

There must be a lot of organising from your part and your lucky you have so many contacts in Hawaii ,one day maybe I'll get to challenge it ....I work for Qantas so thats the easy part!

What's your next big challenge ?????.... or is it to soon to ask!

Boylos

aussiewahine said...

Good to see your choice of paddle!