Thursday, July 16, 2009

oahu day 35 - it's an all about me post

Peculiar: the worst surf session and the best sailing session in the same day!

Let's get rid of the first. I went to Suicides again and the conditions were pretty similar to the day before. So, what made the difference? The crowd, of course.
Not so much the number of people, but the attitude. Everyone was paddling for every wave. No one with a remote idea of what waiting for your turn means. Guys that just paddled back out after a ride sat deep and went for the next wave... that sucks.
I caught 3 waves and then I left disgusted.

Windsurfing: OMG, did I have fun or what?
Classic Da Spot conditions with waves from waist high to head high with occasional overhead bombs. Check these beauties (that'll be the wave and me).


Maui friend Fiona was in Oahu on jury duty and we hooked up in the afternoon. She did pretty good at sailing Da Spot and taking photos with my camera both for the first time.
Here I am again.


And again. And I could go on and post all the 27 (!) waves I caught but I won't... also because I don't have a photo for each of them.


And there she is, testing the ground on my borrowed gear.


She liked both board and sail. "The board turns like if it is smaller and the sail is quite comfortable"...
Comfortable? It's a bloody Cadillac!
Here's what my friend Steve had to say in a recent email he sent me, after I suggested him to test a Freak at the shop (he ended up buying two of them).
I just wanted to say hi and tell you I am really enjoying sailing my new Superfreaks. What range! Amazing. I can rig the 4.7 in really crazy wind and still manage to have a decent session...and the 5.3 is sweet! I am so stoked, Dude, thanks for the tip!!!

Back to Fiona, this is a self portrait of the reef tattoos she got on her leg and foot.
Blimey sistah, that's a serious gap between big toe and rest of da toes... been wearing slippahs long time, uh?


I took a bunch of photos of the other sailors while she was out, but I got no time today, so come back tomorrow for the Fabrice Beaux show.

day waves: 30
windsurfing: 423
surfing: 320
total: 743
average per day (31 days in the water): 23.9

PS. Ray and friends found some waves.

PPS. Double elimination completed at Pozo. 15 years old Philip Koster won the wave event! Fernandez second, Campello third, Kauli only 11th.

5 comments:

Dave said...

G, Looks like you are getting real comfortable on port tack. da spot looks like soooo much fun!!
Waves were really good in lahaina yesterday and this morning. Inconsistent but some REALLY nice sets rolling with very few people out! I surfed w/ 5 people yesterday afternoon and we were all just taking turns.( I'm rubbing it in a little to make up for all the good sailing reports).Heard Maalaea was packed though.
Why would you give that nice girl a complex about her toes? It must have been the angle of the photo!
Aloha, Dave

Anonymous said...

hi giampaolo,

glad that there are still sailors at the spot (around the corner from dhead ;)

definitely being jealous and stuck on maui for now - but life could be worse.

enjoy da spot and don't worry too much about suicides - i've seen days there like that as well where everybody got amped and had no more respect for fellow surfers...

if you see gil (from israel), please give him some pointers, he's quite intimidated by the shallowness of the spot and the surfers at dhead.

aloha from home,

pascal

cammar said...

Ah, two of my favorite people!

Yo Dave,
I definitely got better port tack, thanks for noticing. Still not quite the same as the other side, but at least it doesn't feel weird anymore. I'm tuning into the board too and for light wind it's a keeper.
Da Spot has some similarities with your backyard spot (at least when it's blowing offshore)... you would like it.
Glad to hear you scored some fun waves!
That nice girl is tough enough not to get a complex about my stupid observation... I was just trying to tease her a bit. You're too nice!!

Yo Pascal,
it was the first time that there was a weird vibe since I'm here, so I'm not worried at all.
Plus, as a demonstration that there's always something good in everything, having been forced to have a short surf session allowed me to save energies for that magic sailing session in the afternoon...
Man, you would have loved it. Wait until you see next post's pics!
Didn't meet Gil yet. What sails does he sail on?

Aloha to both.

Anonymous said...

hi giampaolo,

i know i would have loved it, really missing the spot - the spot was the reason why i stayed 10 years on oahu and didn't leave... dhead wouldn't have kept me there.

anyhow, gil is on a goya sail and board.

have fun over there!

aloha,

pascal

Unknown said...

G-paolo, many mahalos for both taxing me around and letting me use your gear at Da Spot! I won't be at jury duty next Thursday, b/c I will be in Hilo. Hopefully the time after that we do more sailing.. or surfing..wahoo! PS, my feet are cute.
F