We have been so busy teaching kite lessons that I am late in posting this blog entry on our great IKO instructor certification we hosted and completed May 17th. David Dorn and his wife Susie flew over from Maui to run the course at both our Alameda and San Mateo facilities. IKO stands for the International Kiteboarding Organization and is the main international outfit that certifies instructors around the world. This will allow a lot of our team to travel internationally over the winter and share their passion for kiteboarding by teaching globally!
We had a great 5 days together learning lots of new teaching techniques that we have already implemented into our beginner program. Here is the crew on the first day in Alameda, ready to soak up some new teaching techniques for our beginner kiting school. Here are some of the pics Susie took over the 5 days. Thanks to Susie and David of Action Sports Maui for coming over to teach the course!
First day ride test in Alameda...wind was sweet! Bruce ripping it up on his bamboo surfboard. David braving the 70 degree Alameda water in a wetsuit (he used to Maui but braved our local site anyway!), on a 15m Naish Boxer, and a Litewave Wing. Go boy go! Back to work reviewing all of the different safety systems on the bars.... Lots of Naish kites on the beach in Alameda...David's favorite brand so he felt right at home. After riding for a while we were hungry. Susie helped out on the grill with some yummy sausages. Thanks Susie!! The next day it was back to work and reviewing self rescue teaching techniques. David gettin' down and dirty in the sand at Crown Beach Alameda... Andy, Matt, and Kirsten practicing self rescue teaching techniques in the water. The third day we moved over to Coyote Point in San Mateo to do some boat training. Water lesson training at Coyote Point at low tide on short lines. Then on to the boat for launching and landing training.... On day 4 we brought in some "dummy" students for practicing our teaching techniques. Jason had a blast learning from Kirsten! And the newbies got to go in the water in San Mateo and get free lessons :) We look forward to hosting an IKO course every Spring as we had a great time and learned some really cool stuff. Congratulations to all 10 of our Boardsports School instructors who got certified with IKO including from left to right - Kirsten Doerre, Andy Crafts, Michael Mirisciotta, Jonathan Busby, David Dorn (Action Sports Maui and IKO Instructor Trainer), Martin Stokl, Bruce Johnson, Martin Loeffler, Jane Cormier (me), Matt Johnson, Tim Watterman.
Susan and I got a chance to take out our brand new 2009 Starboard Gemini Sunday evening at the "Shack" in Alameda. We had been hopeful of potentially getting the board up on a plane together, but by the time we got our sails ready and the board down to the water, the wind had backed off. We were looking forward to a tandem ride just the same, and the weather was gorgeous. The sun was setting over San Francisco, and the water was warm and mellow. A small crowd had gathered just to observe the launching of this veritable ginormous boat.
The Shack is an ideal place to keep this tandem Starboard windsurf board. It is quite heavy, and quite large. If you live on the water then it works great. I am not sure how anyone would get it on top of a car, although Jonathan managed to transport it to Alameda on the top of our Jetta. It takes 2 people to move it around, and carrying it around is not a frivolous task. The board has 370 liters of volume, is 12 feet long (367 cm), and weighs about 50 lbs. The fin comes up to my mid section (a.k.a. rear end) and is over 2 1/2 feet long (70cm) , so we turned the board on its' side in order to bring it down to water's edge. We used mechanical universal joints so we didn't have to turn the board on it's side to put the sails on. They proved to be quite useful later when taking the sails off in the water. We executed our double launch procedure with relative ease. I managed not to chop Susan in half despite her precarious position in between the two sails. We had to schlepp the rig out a bit due to the low tide and absolutely ginormous fin. Once we got out far enough to clear the fin, we climbed onto the board and both started to uphaul. The board was EXTREMELY stable and even if we were hoola dancing on the deck, we would not have fallen in. I guess that is what you get when you have 370 liters of volume!!! We got into a rythym quickly and easily. I ended up giving Susan a stance and fast tack lesson, and it was an ideal platform for teaching. I could stand right next to her (sail right next to her I mean), watch her sailing technique, and give her feedback and watch her make small adjustments. This is incredible teaching tool and I can't wait to schedule some lessons on the Gemini. Susan and I chatted the whole time, and it was really nice experiencing windsurfing with a companion. We swapped positions while on the board (easy due to how stable it is) by setting our sails in the water and crawling alongside eachother to swicth between the front and back positions. Theoretically the more experienced rider goes in back, but we had fun trying it on the front and back. Tacking is a bit of a challenge as the front sailor needs to really duck when the back person flips their sail to the other side of the board. Susan pulled that off with ease and I don't have a single bruise from the experience (nor does she, thank God!). We wished we had brought along some wine and cheese so we could stop for a picnic while sailing. That will have to wait til next time.
The sunset proved to be an ideal setting for our first Gemini ride. I can't wait to get back on! Come rent it anytime for the ultimate social windsurfing experience, or schedule a lesson and have your instructor right next to you while you learn to plane and go really fast! By the way, the speed record on the Gemini is 29 knots (33 mph)! And if you think 2 people can have 2x as much fun, check out this Mistral clip from Europe where 9 people get on a tandem board and pull a waterskiier behind them!
Here is what Starboard has to say about the Gemini on their website:
A wide-style tandem board changes everything about the windsurfing experience.
For advanced windsurfers: the Gemini reveals more performance and brings more fun than you can imagine. Guaranteed to make you laugh and enjoy the most unique ride of your life, the Gemini also unlocks amazing speed and power that will see you overtake the solo windsurfers on the water. For the most social windsurfers out there, the Gemini is the ultimate date.
For beginners: feel the rush of planing and experience the basics of high-performance windsurfing from the first minute onboard. Simply get in the front with a smaller sail, and partner yourself with an experienced sailor in the back.
For schools and centers: the Gemini is a wide, stable shape that offers a platform for both the coach and the learner to sail together. The beginner can also learn solo sailing with the coach sitting on the board. As a tool, it's a must and a fantastic way to start windsurfing.
Summary: The World's only widestyle tandem board For advanced windsurfers and for social windsurfers For schools, centers and beginners The current Gemini World Speed Record: 29.2 knots
Windsurfing just got to be twice as much fun! Come out to our Alameda facility and rent the 2009 Starboard Gemini. This is a wide style tandem board that allows you to have twice the fun! Now you can have those conversations with someone else while sailing (as opposed to talking to yourself all day!). Rebecca and I tried sailing tandem while down in Mexico, and had a blast. Jibing is a trip without luggage! This is great form of entertainment for beginners, advanced sailors, and families with kids. I plan to sail it with Rebecca and my dog Zoe! I get the back seat Rebecca!!! (we recommend you put the shorter more durable sailor in front). Here is the review from Windsurfing Magazine>
Test date: 9/18 Location: Merritt Island, Florida Wind: 4-9 mph, 8-14 mph Water conditions: Mild wind chop Tester(s): Josh Sampiero, with Eddy Patricelli and Sean Sullivan Level: Advanced, expert, advanced Weights: 220 lbs., 180 lbs., 140 lbs. Yes, it really is that big - the Starboard Gemini tandem board.
Starboard Gemini Volume: 350 liters Length: 372 cm Width: 101 cm Fin: 70 cm Sail size: 2.0-10.0 m star-board.com
First take • It's big. Real big. It dwarfs any other windsurfing board I've ever seen – and takes up as much floor space as a small sailboat. There's no question it's going to be stable – but can something that big actually be fun to sail?
• It's a good thing the board is designed for two people – because it almost takes two people just to carry the thing.
• Long Formula-type fin, with a relatively normal-size centerboard. The Gemini has three mast tracks – two for tandem and one in the middle for solo sailors. Full EVA deck is soft and easy on the feet or knees – good for beginners.
First sesh – light winds I climbed on for my first tandem experience with veteran tandem windsurfer Eddy Patricelli. The first rule of tandem sailing is that the heavier guy always goes in back, so I got in the pilot's position and Eddy took shotgun. The 70 cm fin made getting away from shore a little tricky, but once we were going, it was easy sailing.
• The board floated our combined 400 pounds of weight with ease – I'm betting it could take more if needed. If there was ever a board made for an NFL offensive lineman, this is it.
• Sailing – In light winds it's stable, but not a particularly fast light-air cruiser. Just sailing along is no difficult feat, but synchronized pumping definitely requires some practice. We tried kicking the centerboard up to get planing but no luck – there just wasn't enough wind.
• Headed upwind, then downwind, with no problem. The board turns slowly, as expected, but steering is fairly intuitive – it works just like any other board you've ever sailed. Tacking and jibing is a dance that requires communication and timing. The sailor in front leads, and the sailor in back follows. It's a little tricky at first, but once you've got the timing down, it's a breeze. Remember to duck!
Second sesh – more wind, less weight When the wind came up later in the afternoon, I grabbed WindSurfing's featherweight board tester Sean Sullivan to introduce him to the thrills of tandem sailing. With some bigger sails and our reduced combined weight, would we get the big board on a plane? You bet!
• Getting onto a plane is fairly simple. Bear off, kick up the centerboard and away you go. Though the Gemini has Formula board width, its length means it slowly climbs onto a plane, rather than popping up quickly like a shortboard.
• As far as I know, there's no tonnage rule in windsurfing – but this board might inspire one. Once you're up and planing, steering is certainly possible, but it didn't happen fast. Fortunately, other sailors tended to give the Gemini a pretty wide berth.
• After a few runs, Sean and I are in perfect harmony. We bear off onto a plane, then move into the straps at the same time. Transitions are initiated with a simple "1, 2, 3" countdown. Since I'm using a 10-meter sail in the back, we stick mostly to tacks, though jibes – slow, not planing - were possible, too. We'd definitely want some more time sailing the board, preferably with smaller sails, before going for a full-speed jibe. Although I didn't have a GPS, we were able to attain some pretty impressive speeds, almost keeping up with other sailors on normal windsurfing gear.
Boujmaa Guillol (front) and Eric Girard enjoy having room for two on the Starboard Gemini.
Conclusions This is serious fun! The best part of sailing a tandem isn't the actual windsurfing – it's having company while you're doing it. Windsurfing can be such a lonely sport when you're out on the water, you forget how much fun it is to enjoy the company of others. Plus, there's a thrill to working in concert with another windsurfer – and getting the massive board powered up on a plane is a blast. Starboard is marketing the Gemini as bringing a wide-board, early planing shape to tandem windsurfing boards – and I think it's succeeded. With enough sail power and moderately skilled riders, the Gemini will get going in a relatively light breeze – it had Sean and me planing in 10-14 knots.
The biggest drawback to the Gemini is that its sheer size isn't very practical – it's not going to fit in most vans, and probably isn't very easy to get on the roof racks, so it's not something you just bring along for a day at the beach. Its long fin might be limiting for some locations, but it is offered with a shallow-water fin (we did not have a chance to test the board with it). But as a board for windsurfing schools, or as something to keep at the family lake house, it's pretty tough to beat – a tandem board will provide hours of endless fun no matter the wind conditions.
The coolest aspect of the Gemini? How quickly it will create new windsurfers. A tandem board allows complete newbies to experience the thrill of sailing without the common frustrations of learning. They can watch and imitate you while getting instant feedback from the board – minus the shouting.
Dan Schwarz (new North rep as of this Spring) and the North pro team rider John Van Malsen paid us a visit on their West Coast North Kiteboarding Tour this past weekend.
We got very lucky with the wind Saturday in Alameda. Around 4pm, the winds kicked up to 25+ and we got a lot of people out on the new 2009 line of North kites and boards. Dan said it was his most successful demo over the two week tour - with lots of riders hungry to try all of the North goodies. With such a nice setup in Alameda - good wind, sunshine, and a great crowd, we were pleased to have another successful demo event.
The highlight of the demo was of course the 2009 North Rebel. The kites were great last year, but have some significant improvements in 09. We're not sure what else they can do to this kite as it seems to be near perfect. Here is a description of its' riding characteristics> "The 2009 Rebel is bashing down the barriers of free-riding and surfing! The clean, simple 5 line design delivers smooth, reactive steering, extreme resistance to back-stalling when over-sheeted and the most direct bar feedback yet. Our unique quad strut configuration produces a light weight kite with quick turning and a snappy feel which makes the bigger sizes feel more crispy and lively than ever! The quad strut also helps create a very clean center profile that delivers constant, predictable power for free-ride comfort. The Rebel is heavily reinforced with Dacron to take some severe thrashings in the surf and come out in one piece. The combination of decreased weight and a rounder arch helps prevent the Rebel from falling quickly when the lines go slack while surfing making it easier to recover from steering errors. One pump inflation for added simplicity."
I got a chance to ride the 10m Rebel last week in Alameda...and was very impressed by the "snappy feel" and stability of the canopy through turns. The 10m had quite a bit of power, and I was able to crank upwind on a light day. The massive depower also makes it a very forgiving kite that will please beginners...just sheet out when that gust comes and the kite lets go of the power. I have been watching Yuri play on his Rebel in Alameda for some time...now I can see why looping the kite is so easy on a Rebel. Lots of response, quick turning, and a steady smooth ride. We have the 09 Rebels available for demo (and new ones in stock if you know you already want one) at Alameda and San Mateo. Come by anytime to try one out if you are in the market for a great new kite!
Dan invited me out with his crazy buddies Saturday night as well. Even though Dan is now 30 something...I am guessing his very cute and lively friends were in their 20s. I was hoping I could keep up with them and I did my best for a few rounds at Mas Sake on Lombard. I had my first experience with Sake Bombs...where you fill a glass with beer, place 2 chopsticks on top of the glass, rest your sake on the chopsticks, bang on the table to drop the sake into the beer, and shoot it back pronto! Drinking with the boys reminded me of my days back on the east coast with my financial buddies at Merrill Lynch...taking me to crazy clubs in Manhattan and trying new fangled concoctions. Oh to be young again! I had to head home early Saturday night so I could wake up Sunday morning and teach the stand up paddle clinic in San Mateo at 9am. That is what saved me in the end...
After teaching a great SUP clinic in San Mateo with sunshine and perfect flat water conditions, I made my way to Crissy for some more North demos and / or sailing. We got a few more people to try out the Rebels...but it was a bit holey and gusty, so I opted to take a maiden voyage on my new windsurf board and sail...the Tabou 76 3S and bright orange Hot Super Freak. I had a total blast and got to sail with Abigail, Rigapasta, Mary, and the regular Crissy crew. I miss hanging out there and will make time this year to get in some great sessions there.
We have some more great demo weekends coming ahead over the next month. Stay tuned on our website for dates/times/locations.
The weather was GORGEOUS on Saturday for this season's annual SWAP MEET at Crissy Field in San Francisco. The swap meet was packed! Many people commented that it was the busiest swap they had seen in years. Lots of people were buying and selling their used gear. I had fun socializing with everyone and checking out the gear. Abigail (one of our Crissy team riders) helped me to promote our school and shop by passing out brochures and showing off our new '09 Naish SUP boards. They got a lot of ooos and aaahs with their irresistibly beautiful wood veneer construction. I also brought our newly arrived Powerex Sean Ordonez 100% Carbon SUP paddles. Here is what Lightning Bolt Maui said about the SO Powerex carbon paddle on a recent forum post:
"In my eyes, the Powerex paddle is the best built paddle out there. I have been testing them for about 10 months now. I find the paddle to be my favorite paddle to date. I have left all my other paddles for this paddle. The paddle is very light yet very strong. Cort the manufacturer stated on a video if you break this paddle he will buy it back unless there are tire tracks across it. Thats a great warranty. I have been testing the hell out of this paddle, surfing big waves and doing down winders and letting beginners beat it up also. The paddle is stiff but flexes enough for my liking. The blade is bigger then most blades but it is not so big that you feel it right away... fast and powerful. Enters the water and exits well and plenty of torque."
Watch The Video of Cort Larned's overview of the new Powerex 100% Carbon Paddle and how strong it is. We have them in stock and they retail for $349.
With hot sunny weather and no wind all weekend, I also got a chance to join Kathryn Martin and her husband Jeff on a surf adventure south of the bay. Our kite instructor Mike joined me on the road trip, and we all headed to Half Moon Bay. The surf break south of Half Moon Bay Harbor is one of the coldest spots on the coast, as the tides are strong and upwell some mightly chilly h20. I am spoiled with some of the warmest water in the bay at Alameda and San Mateo (right now about 63 degrees), but I figured my 4/3 Xcel wetsuit would do the trick. We entered into the 48 degree water unknowingly (and without booties), and our eye balls almost popped out upon the sensation of ice cold water enveloping our vulnerable bare feet. Kathryn (apparently some type of alien in terms of cold water tolerance) was only wearing a 1 mil shortie, and doing just fine! She is my new cold water heroine...her bravery was quite impressive. Paddling around helped warm me up. Before I new it, I caught a great big (for me as a novice at surfing) 3 foot wave! I shot down the face and was excited to feel the smooth glide of the board under my feet. Closer to shore, I managed to fall into the white water for a cold water full body plunge. By some miracle, the freezing cold water was not as bad as I thought it would be through my warm wetsuit. With the adrenaline rushing through my veins, cold water was no bother to me now, and with wet hair, now I could actually see where I was going. After about an hour of paddling into the waves, we decided it was "beer thirty". We drove to the nearby Half Moon Bay Brewing Company to take in the warm glow of the sun and some much needed salty Cazadores margaritas. This is an ideal place to stop for apres surf. They have great food, great drinks, and dogs are allowed on the patio (Zoe was psyched!).
Mike and I decided that the next time we go, we'll have to hit a warmer spot (any spot is warmer than this one)... perhaps Pacifica, Bolinas, or Maui! Until then, I will savor my big 3 foot wave.
Boardsports School & Shop has been nominated by the SF Chronicle for the "Best of Bay List" for 2009. Click on the banner below to place your vote - voting starts April 7th!
Rebecca and I are lucky enough to be able to travel to Maui and call it a "business trip". This year's trip was designed for some typical fun in the sun, including trying out a bunch of new stuff from all of our wonderful "dealers". We are addicted to the wind for all the right reasons!
We arrived into Kahului airport in Maui on February 5th. From SFO, it's a non-stop flight where you arrive around lunch time...just enough time to make it to the best windsurfing and kiting spot, a short 10 minute drive from the airport. We looked a little funny at the beach in our long blue jean pants, pale skin, and admiring glances. After casing out the wind at the beach (it looked nice), we decided to tour the local shops and visit with our dealers and friends.
There are 2 great places, both very close to the beach, where you can rent all the windsurfing gear you need. The first is the Naish Maui Pro Center where "Coach" and his crew will take great care of you. They have all the latest and greatest Naish windsurf, kiteboard, and SUP gear for rent and for sale.
The other great place is Kanaha Kai Maui where you can rent all the best Hot Sail Maui sails, as well as Starboard, Tabou, and Realwind boards. If you are going to kite, bring your gear with you, and/or take lessons with Action Sports Maui in order to use their kite gear.
We were in Maui for 10 days total, and there are 1000 reasons why this is on of our top favorite vacation spots. First off (I won't list all 1000 reasons here, I promise!), Maui is easy to get to from SF (one non-stop flight on United). Secondly, it's AMERICA (sung to the tune of Team America World Police please), so we pick up our rental car with ease, have all of the modern conveniences at our finger tips, and find everyone super welcoming and friendly every where we go.
The food is fantastic (sushi and fresh fish to die for, as well as some killer pulled pork), and there are 1 billion things to do on this gorgeous tropical paradise island. If we don't get wind, no problem. There is great surfing, stand up paddling, snorkeling, boogie boarding, hiking, road biking, mountain biking, sunset watching, mai tai drinking, and did I mention the best ever windsurfing and kiteboarding? Of course you can also sit on a beach and read a book if that floats your boat (never works for me some how).
We taught our friend's daughter Sasha and her friend Alicia how to windsurf while we were in Maui. Another day at the office while on vacation!
They both picked it up with ease! When the wind died we taught them how to Stand Up Paddle!
The first few days of our trip proved to be ideal for Stand Up Paddling in the waves. The wind was light and the waves were perfect for us (1-3 feet). We had done plenty of SUPing back home, but had yet to hit the waves, so this was our chance to try it in beautiful warm water with sea turtles poking their heads up to monitor our progress. There are many spots to SUP in Maui, but we chose Kihei, as it's a great beginner surf spot. SUPing is everywhere in Maui, and all the surf spots we went to seemed to be about 50% regular surfers and 50% stand up surfers. The groups co-exist quite nicely, often separating in to two adjacent areas. We felt welcome as new comers and didn't feel worried that we would take someone out with our boards. If you do head out into waves for the first time, don't forget to brush up on surf etiquette so you don't make any new furious friends. The crew at the Naish Maui Pro Center in Kahului set us up to try the full line of Naish Stand Up Paddle boards. We got to try the 11'6, the 11'4, the 10'6, and the new smaller 9'6. The 11'6 is a great big boat that will catch any wave with ease, but does not maneuver that well unless you are a big guy. It is a great board for first time SUPers in the waves, or bigger guys over 200 lbs who want to catch any and every small wave to be found. This board does have the best glide in flat water, as we have found in all of our paddling in the calm waters in Alameda and San Mateo back home.
The 11'4 (my favorite board at home) was much more maneuverable on the waves. It still had tons of stability, but was much easier to turn. The 10'6 (Rebecca's favorite at home) was a dream in the waves and ideal for smaller riders or bigger riders on bigger waves up to 6'. Rebecca's favorite test board while we were in Maui was the Naish 9'6. This board is 30 inches wide so it still had stability (for experienced SUPers anyway) but handles really well on waves and is a ton of fun. I preferred th 10'6 and 11'4 as I am bigger than Rebecca, and found the 9'6 to be a little too challenging for where I am at on the waves. We had a blast riding the waves, and especially loved viewing the sea turtles and fishies from the vantage point of the SUPs.
As the week progressed, the wind forecast got better and better. After improving on the waves with the SUP boards, we were ready to get back into harnesses and head out into the wind. When the wind came back, it came back strong. It blew from the east (side shore and gusty), so we made due with the conditions and were happy to have any wind at all for this time of year. The more consistent wind season in Maui is similar to ours, going from March to October.
With our duty and responsibility to our business holding strong and true, we hooked up with our dealers to try out a bunch of new 2009 windsurf boards and sails. By some small miracle, our Hertz rental car pulled off the task with ease. We were able to fit 4 boards, 4 masts, 3 booms, and 4 sails all inside of the car! If you are looking for a great windsurf gear car that can make it into the snow, we highly recommend the Nissan Murano! We met up first with Rebecca, who hooked us up with Tabou boards in Matt Pritchard's absence. He was off teaching a clinic down in Baja, and was so kind to set us with her for our visit to Maui. She met up with us at Kanaha and set us up to test 3 09 Tabou boards: the Pocket 69 and 80 (wave style boards), and the new 76 3S (wave, bump and jump, and freestyle blend).
We had a blast on all 3 Tabou test boards. The Pocket is super turny and really fun to ride in wave conditions. Both the 69 and 80 boards planed up quickly, and were fun to jibe as they turned on a dime. I would recommend the Pockets for anyone hitting the coast back home. Their rocker line and rails are a dream for jibing and wave riding. The 76 3s (new smaller size for 09 in orange in photo above, and in addition to the 86, 97, and 107) was truly amazing. This board planed up with ease, cut through chop like a knife, and was very lively, fast, and fun to ride. The board felt super stable as it has decent width (hence will work great for freestyle too), but the stability did not compromise the ride through bumpy chop as the rails cut right through it. Overall this was my favorite ride of the 3, and definitely an awesome board for the conditions in the SF Bay Area where we get lots of chop.
Next on the test list was one of our best selling board lines for 08, the Quatro boards. We took the time to go visit the board production room up in Haiku. Jake Miller at Quatro gave us a full tour, and we met on of the board makers and learned first hand what goes into making a board from start to finish. Quatro makes a ton of custom boards (on Maui) as well as production boards off island.
For the price, the Quatro production boards are truly amazing and feel as close as you can get to a custom board. If you spend the extra money for a custom board, you can adjust the rocker line, rails, or footstrap placement to perfectly match your riding style, size, and local riding conditions.
We couldn't keep the boards in stock last year, as people would buy them the minute they tried them! We got to ride 2 Quatro boards while in Maui, the Freestyle Wave 75 and the Wave 72. The FSW 75 was very lively to ride, cut through chop with ease, and popped up off the swell like popcorn! This is a fantastic bump and jump board, well suited for both chop and swell (great for Crissy Field or the coast). It planed up super fast, jibed easily, and felt super light under my feet. The 09 board is slightly more compact, which may add stability in freestyle moves on the waves. It is also faster than the 08, making it fun to blast around and pop off jumps. The Wave 72 is an ideal pure wave board, but also kept up wind with ease. It would be great for the coast or for rippin' days at Crissy on an ebb tide. The 72 was more turny than the FSW, but also super fast! We can see why Quatro boards have been so popular in our shop, and the 09s will be even more popular!
This board is best described as a Porsche and Cadillac rolled into one. It was smooth like a Cadillac, but fast and sporty like a Porsche. The board planed up like a rocket, but cut through chop and was extremely smooth to ride. The rails felt tight and stable, so the board goes up wind with ease but takes a little more skill to jibe. Overall the Global Wave 70 is an ideal board for the bay area as it will go fast, get you up wind, and cut through the chop.
For sails we tested the new 09 Hot Sails and Naish Sails. Our favorite sails were the Hot Sails Superfreak, the new Hot Sails DD (replaces the Hot Diva), the Naish Session, and the Naish All Terrain. They are all great for different riding conditions. The Hot Superfreak is ideal for strong, gusty conditions as the smooth quiet feel absorbs the wind.
The Hot Diva is great for lighter riders looking for the lightest sail on the market wtih both low end and top end range. The Naish Sessions were full of power and very maneuverable, great bump and jump sails with early planing power.
The Naish All Terrain is a great all around sail that can be used for bump and jump, freestyle, or wave riding. It offers plenty of power and ease of handling.
Testing all of this gear was a total blast. We came home and ordered all of the above mentioned gear for our shop. We will have all of these boards and sails in our demo fleet so come try them for yourselves!
Our last night on Maui was Valentine's Day, so we rewarded ourselves with a Mai Tai at Mama's Fish House on the north shore.
We bumped into Whit Poor who is working at Mama's! Windsurfers are everywhere on Maui...we also bumped into our instructor Jack in Paia. He never left Maui after going there for a month long vacation a few years ago.
After taking in the sunset at Mama's, we headed back to Kahului to try out a highly recommended local's favorite restaurant, "Da Kitchen" (the best pork on Maui according to the lady at the Xcel Wetsuit shop in Lahaina). We sat down for dinner and realized they didn't serve booze (how could we not drink on Valentine's Day?). I ran out to get a bottle of wine while Rebecca chatted with our table neighbors. I was back in a flash with a nice California Cabernet, just in time for our pulled pork dinner to arrive. We ordered th Kalua Pork dinner which is slow cooked pork "shredded from da bone". It was so much yummy pork that we had to take some home and eat it the next day. Our Da Kitchen dinner was a great way to end our trip, and allowed us to revel in the sunshine and wind fests that we were able to gobble up during our 10 day visit. Aloha Maui, we'll be back next year!
Here are some of the pics Susie took over the 5 days. Thanks to Susie and David of Action Sports Maui for coming over to teach the course!
David braving the 70 degree Alameda water in a wetsuit (he used to Maui but braved our local site anyway!), on a 15m Naish Boxer, and a Litewave Wing. Go boy go!
Back to work reviewing all of the different safety systems on the bars....
Lots of Naish kites on the beach in Alameda...David's favorite brand so he felt right at home.
Andy, Matt, and Kirsten practicing self rescue teaching techniques in the water.
The third day we moved over to Coyote Point in San Mateo to do some boat training.
Water lesson training at Coyote Point at low tide on short lines.
Then on to the boat for launching and landing training....
On day 4 we brought in some "dummy" students for practicing our teaching techniques. Jason had a blast learning from Kirsten!
We look forward to hosting an IKO course every Spring as we had a great time and learned some really cool stuff.
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