surfing and wave sailing

FatPaul,yes that is the same Buzzy Kerbox. Buzzy is a friend that lives here on Maui. I have surfed, wavesailed, and worked with Buzzy
Although he is retired from pro surfing after a great and successful career he is still a very active waterman. Buzzy is always out doing whatever is happening, be it, big wave toe in, stand up paddle, wave sailing, or just ripping it up.
My friend Geampaolo shot a great photo of Buzzy at Hookipa this week and posted it on his blogg last wed.It is the last image he posted that day.Check it out I think you will like it.
.http://mauisurfreport.blogspot.com

Always good surfing here at North Shore, haven't tried it yet but my neighbor is big into it...

This is at Chuns Reef North Shore of Oahu

Although I had a great report from my doc last week I am still sooo very much out of the surf/wave sail game for some time to come. At least I can now swim and train vigorously and with out restrictions!(scary!)
We have a massive N/W swell on hand for the next week here in Hawaii but once again I will be on the side lines rooting my bro's on and taking photos.
You wouldn't be checking this thread if you weren't a surfer or a surfer at heart so I assume your interested, so, Here's how Uncle Pat explains it:"The jet stream has set up a large equatorward loop in the central north Pacific. This is the Aleutian low, a feature seen in climatology based on the persistence of low pressure in a broad area straddling the dateline between 35-50°N latitude. The synoptic, or daily changing large scale pattern, of the coming days shows a family of extratropical cyclones forming off Japan then tracking east to reinforce the mother low pressure area just south of the Aleutians."

Check the website of the Eddie Aikau event at Waimea, 'cause it may easily be held. Tuesday and Thursday are my best guesses.

Since I can't surf I think I'll share another ocean memory.

The parking lot isn’t empty but there are a lot of vacant spaces.

Walking through the kiavi trees out to the beach I get my first view of the ocean.

I’m wide eyed and I have a lump in my throat as I stare into the winter swell. With my binoculars I watch one wave after another close out completely .

The waves are so big that I question my sanity for even thinking about paddling out!

I am preoccupied and I don’t realize that my friend Dave has arrived at the scean.
Dave looks at the conditions and says, “ Olaf, this is dangerous!"
I reply, " It could be Dave, but lets paddle out, we don't have to drop in on any of them!"
Having surfed this spot many times we are fully aware of how the hydraulics work over this section of reef.
The size and direction of this swell has changed the character of everything.
The main peak is much further out than normal and there is a breaking wave in the channel.
There are also occasional sneaker peaks popping up in odd places.

I manage to catch few smaller waves on the inside left and started to calm down a bit. In fact I was having fun.

On the horizon I see this "macker" rolling in and Dave and I both start paddling for our lives, were paddling up a dead vertical wall of water! Our timing was good and we both made it over that one.
That really got my adrenaline pumping!
Dave says, "Humm! Olaf, that one was big!"
I reply, "Yeah Dave it was, but take a look at this one!"
The next wave of the set comes out of nowhere.
It totally creams us!
All that I have time to do is take a deep breath, relax, and hang on to my board.
After tumbling in the torrent for a while I surface and I think, WOW! that one wasn’t so bad.
I look to make sure if my board is still in one piece. I find it’s still in tact.

Thanks to the long intervals between the larger sets the paddle back out side is casual.

Back in the line up, I notice each surfers face is sporting a serious expression and there is relatively no idle conversation. There isn’t a defined line up, the waves are erratic and the current is so strong that it’s hard to hold any kind of position.
It's every man for him self.
If some fool wants to role the dice and drop in on one of these waves, every one wishes him well and gets out of the way!

While I’m patiently sitting out side what appears to be a perfect peak comes my way.
I turn and paddle for it.
My timing is late and I am sucked over the falls.
I take a long freefall followed by a violent thrashing!
Next, I get to walk on the reef for a while, and my only thought is that, I need air!
Pulling hand over hand on my leash takes me to the surface. I’m careful not to pull too hard. Once in the past, I actually pulled my board right into my face. That proved to be way more dangerous than the wave.

I’m shaken from the violent pounding of the last wave but paddle back out. I sit the outside the breaking waves for a good long while.
After the last thrashing, I’m not eager to put my life back on the line right away.
.

It’s some time before I able to relax.
Eventually my thoughts turn to idle daydreaming. Thoughts like what I want to be when I grow up or that bonehead thing that I wish I hadn’t said last night replace the tension and terror of my last wipeout.

It’s a lot of work to hold my position where I think the wave will peak.

Some of the other surfers are sitting inside and left. They’re trying to surf in the safety zone created by the left shoulder section. This strategy often works but today the left channel is closing out.
A very steep board-breaking wave takes its place and is catching the unsuspecting surfers off guard.

Then low and behold the most perfect wave manifests right before my eyes. I really don’t have to try to catch it. It is just that perfect.
Two strokes are all that it takes and I’m on it! I’m dropping down the face of this magnificent wonder of nature. It is a perfectly pealing left hand wave with a steep shoulder that goes on forever! It feels like some three star intermediate groomed run at Vail.
With total commitment I set my rail and initiate the bottom turn. I then climb back to the lip and cut back to the peak. With the peak crumbling just inches behind my fin, I smack the lip and then repeat the aforementioned, seemingly interminable drop, rails digging and fins threatening to break loose but still holding their track I glide into the channel!

I hear “hoots” from the other surfers! I know that I have just dropped in on one of the best waves of the day.
I spend another hour getting clobbered without getting another wave.
It ‘s a long paddle in but I have had enough of this brand of fun for one day!

Thanks for that Olaf. Helps the inland folks get their fix for the day. I'll read that kind of story anytime.

I'm livin it!!!!

Olaf,thanks for sharing that moment. It must had been sizable if the channel was showing. So,how big was it????

I woke to the sound of rain. I looked over at the clock and then out the open curtains. The whole North Shore was socked in so I drifted back into a contented slumber.
I only allowed myself a brief nap and then rose and headed into the kitchen and started the morning rituals. I brewed fresh French Roast from Anthony’s, checked my e-mail, and then most importantly checked the surf reports.
The three different reports were conflicting and vague in their details since buoy # 1 was out of commission. It appeared that today anything could happen.
A brilliant rainbow manifested stretching from the West Maui Mountains down to Kanaha Beach Park. Clear blue replaced the gray and the view from my deck was of occasional white lines across the length of the entire outside reef.

I attempted to address domestic projects but I was distracted by the dramatic view from my deck. I was constantly picking up the binoculars to check out the surf.
I decided that it was time to go down and take a closer look at the ocean.
I didn’t know what the day might bring so I loaded my truck with surfboards and sailboard gear and headed for the beach.

From my house in the upcountry village of Heilimilie I drove down Baldwin Avenue through the pineapple and sugar cane fields, passing the old dilapidated sugar mill, picturesque parks, island estates and immaculately maintained churches towards Paia town.
I could see that the waves on the outside reef were giant. They were often completely closing out from Pawella Point to Pier One.

This was a classic winter swell. My Gut feeling was that there wasn’t going be any place on the north shore for a mortal to wind surf or surf. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if they were towing in at Peahi “Jaws” today.

In Paia I took a right on Hana Hi way and drove to Hookipa Beach Park.

The lifeguard tower was closed and the beach was sporting high surf warning flags.
The parking lot was empty except for a few hardcore surfers that were trying to visualize a weakness that would allow access through the massive white water barriers.
There were the usual tourists over at the pavilions overlook. They were probably hoping that some one would risk paddling out in to the giant waves. It would be good entertainment and a good story for when they returned to their lives on the mainland.

My gut feeling was that I should go straight to Kanaha.
With this swell direction, the island of Molokai shadows the waves and the chances of actually getting a session in, is better.

I continued my tour of the possible sailing spots from Hookipa to Kanaha.
I made a right turn off of the Hana Hiway just past Momma’s Fish House and wove my way through the tight little neighborhood behind it.

I found a stealth parking spot close to the narrow public beach access path.
Each step I took down the narrow, palm canopied path, between the concrete wall and rusty chain link fence the air grew thicker with salty spray and the thunderous sound of crashing waves became more intense.
I descended the ancient concrete steps onto the rocky beach and discovered that there were not only giant waves but there was wind. Very light wind!
The conditions appeared sketchy!
More sailors showed up and a few were rigging at this point.
(I n the back of my mind I thought that I should keep heading down the beach and look for another place to sail.)
The peanut gallery had already assembled
“Rags”, was the only one out. He had made it through the impact zone and was getting some great waves.
Torri was rigging and he was wearing his sexy new aloha print bikini.
Peter, Kiwi Tim, Piano Mark, Debby Brown, Frank, and Dale had already had their first session and were buzzing with adrenaline.
Tom Krebs, Rodger, Jake the Snake, and Man Who Screams At Rocks were rigging their sails.
After procrastinating for a while, I went back to my truck and got my gear
I took my time rigging my 5.0m sail on the rocky beach. I tried to visualize the channels and time the sets. There were defiantly periods of less activity. Patience was going to be critical.
My adrenaline was pumping; I had an anxious lump in my throat as I carried my gear across the boulder field of a beach and stepped off of the slippery stones into the water. There was absolutely no wind on the inside. I had to swim with my gear through the rocks.
The current in this narrow channel was flowing like a river. It wanted to push me into the rocks on the other side.
I have made several trips through that bone yard over the years.
It is not a fun ride!
It’s very hard on the gear and dangerous!
I swam as hard as I could!

The wind was very light and it took a long time but I was finally able to get a water start. I then slogged out like a sitting duck in to the impact zone.

With so little power in my sail and no defined channel it was next to impossible to penetrate the first section of 10’ white water and I was denied access time after time.

My sail was down in the water. All I could do is try to keep my gear in launch position and drift with the ripping turbulent current and wait for a gust.
Dealing with the strong current and mixed up hidrolics generated by the mast high waves was no easy chore.

Realistically though, it was about normal for this spot that’s called “the toilet bowl”

Eventually, I found enough wind to get underway.

I‘m rolling the dice, hoping for a break in the 15+’ sets long enough to sneak outside.

Timing and luck are very important in wave sailing and this time mine turned out to be bad!
I was underpowered and out of the foot straps. I was determined to force or should I say will my way through this impact zone!
As I was slogging over my first wave, I thought that I had it. I knew that it was going to be close!

The wave broke right when I was at the peak and it pulled me back over the falls!
As I was freefalling backwards I shoved my rig away from me. I really didn’t want to be tangled up in my gear while this monster had its way with me.
I was pushed so deep that I was disorientated and confused as to which way the surface was!
If this wasn’t bad enough I had to absorb two more waves of equal size before the set subsided.
When I finally reached the surface I was swimming in an ocean of foam and desperate for a breath!

At the launch I thought that this was insane, now I was sure of it!

That set had just clobbered me! Each of the waves had held me under for a very long time and I really needed air!

I also needed to find my gear.

Judging from the force of that set I figured that it had at least broken my mast and who knows what else.

In the distance I could see my red sail occasionally getting pummeled in the white water. It appeared to be in one piece.

I have heard many stories from sailors in this exact spot that have completely lost their entire rig. I swam as hard as I could and finally caught up to it.
After a thorough examination of my equipment I concluded that all was in tact.

My adrenaline level had receded to merely maximum.
I managed to compose myself and realized that I was in a lull between sets. There was just enough wind to get a water start. I pumped my board on to a plane, hooked in, put my feet in the straps, and raced for the out side.

It was obvious that there was only one intelligent thing to do. I had to sail up wind and get my self into posisition to get back to the narrow channel at the launch spot.

If I couldn’t make the channel where I launched the alternatives were poor at best and I won’t go into them at the moment.

The wind on the outside was favorable and I made good progress and shortly put myself in position to shoot for the narrow channel

On my first attempt to go in I was presented with a beautiful, giant, perfectly formed mountain of a wave. I thought that if I don’t ride this wave, I would forever regret it.

I dropped in and pinched left up the wave. I allowed it to form enough to go down the line. I chose to go a bit early so that I could kick out the back and still make it over the next wave with out being caught in its impact zone. While going down the line it occurred to me just how foolish and dangerous it was to be riding a wave of this magnitude!
I dropped for a seemingly interminable amount of time and distance. My board felt stable and the wind in my sail was just perfect. Actually it was easy to negotiate.
All the stress and fear of the beating that I was dealt earlier was replaced with euphoria! I had a colossal sense of well being!
The wave held up for longer than I can describe but finally I kicked out the back and casually sailed over the next wave of the set.

I told my self “OK, you got one, So Go In Now!”

I had every intention of heading for the beach, but when I did another of those beautiful giants manifested.
There was nothing that I could do after experiencing the last one but take this one as well.

I fully intended to go in. But perfect wave after perfect wave presented it’s self and I just had to take them.

Eventually a door of opportunity opened that put me in just the right position to head for the channel. The wave behind me broke, and I was able to stay just far enough ahead of it and use its power to push me through narrow gap all the way through the channel and right up to the beach.

The launch area was charged with the energy of the sailors that had challenged these conditions and through some twist of fate made it back.
Everyone had a dramatic story to tell.
There was broken equipment everywhere on the beach.

Tom, after having a great session, had been caught in side with out any wind and had taken the swim around the point to the back of the bay. He and Tad had gone for a ride down to the Blue Tile House and picked up Frank who had broken down out side. He had to break his gear down and paddle in.
I noticed Justin walking across the rocks with his gear and a broken mast
Mike had twisted his foot in the straps and was limping severely but still joking.
Dale had just destroyed his Sailworks 5.3m sail and came in on the rocks.

With every one accounted for and the day winding down we enjoyed some ice-cold Corona’s and talked story for a while more. We then loaded our gear and headed back home having had another great day at the beach!

stealth parking spot

Check this out.....

banditobooks.com/ezine/abso…

The video is on Weisbecker's site....look around there's plenty of cool stuff.

josh

Josh, Thanks for the link! The Santa Cruise gang RIPS!!

I grew up on the East Coast, just north of Boston (born in '60). I went to dinghy racing camp during my summers in my very early teens. Started climbing when I was 15/16 or so, which in turn took me from the shore side rocks to North Conway N.H. From there I went back and forth to the Valley for two seasons before moving to Santa Cruz. There I worked as a boat builder and surfed during the week and climbed in the Valley on week ends and Holidays.
From Santa Cruz I returned to New England for a couple seasons and took a Job at Hood Sail Makers in the 'wind surf' dept. That lead to a job offer on Maui working for Jeff Henderson at Hot Sails.

My first day sailing on Maui was a very unique coast run.
Jeff had the conditions eye'd and it was a perfect day for it. extremely easterly winds.
So he, Paul Mindich and myself put in out at Peahi Bay. We swam our rigs about a quarter mile out to the wind line and sailed the mileage down to Ho'okipa.
People where stunned to see sailors coming down from the Light house towards Ho'okipa ;)
It was an incredible intro to Maui sailing. When we hit the wind line and got up to speed a small group of spinners where paralleling our course about 50 yrds to windward. Down the coast we sailed Jaws in jacking but not breaking conditions (Major fun with no risk ;). Between Jaws and Ho'okipa the conditions were stellar. We had a good size North ground swell, Monster huge easterly wind swell and a steady 25 kt easterly trades.
What an intro to Maui sailing.

I lived in Paia area for about 4 yrs before moving to the Big Island. I lived in the islands for about 18 and a half years. I have sailed all over Maui. All the North shore from Peahi to Waiehu, upper west side (secrets et al), Lahaina harbor mouth (on Kona winds), all of the Ma'alaea/Wailea coast and I even sailed La peruse one day. I have sailed on Kaui North shore briefly as well. ON the Big Isle I have sailed the Coast Gaurd station, Anaeho'omalu bay and some remote place in the middle of no where, down in Ka'u near Na'alehu.
The most challenging/rewarding, and spooking day I had sailing was on the Big Isle, sailing that remote bay. It was a primo day, blowin stink, I was flying a 34' sail on my 8' 4" round pin. Lucky for the two people I was with the could not get off the beach let alone out of the bay into the wind/surf zone, for they would have surely wound up in Tahiti. I was sailing this beat to shiite gear, duck tape all over my sail, a repaired boom, jungle rigged skeg... It was way dangerous... But what'a hey I was there, the day was perfect so I 'chanced'm'. I got a whole day of 25 kt side shore, with head high, wind swell lefts on an open, empty lava rock point, all to myself for the whole day. I put in three sessions that day.

~~~~~~~~~~

So Yep... ?
I've sailed Ho'okipa on a mast high day and done the Reg' route on Half Dome and the Nose on the Captain.
Am I in the club ?

Trundlebum, thanks for posting your very impressive resume! I am only one vote but I am nominating you for club president 2009!
All in favor?
I loved the story about your downwind coast run adventure from Peahi to Hookipa. That is some very remote coast line.
Where did you launch at Peahi? Did you carry your gear down the cliff like my buddy Mike Waltze did that when he first sailed Jaws.
I am very close to being back on the water after a five month rehab from a stupid skateboard accident. I’m getting stronger every day! The season is only half way through and there are some awesome days ahead! YIPPI!!!

Wow Olaf:

Thanks for the vote, I am rock/surf bum type guy. Does this position hold any responsibilities that can't be delegated to subordinates? If so I may not be able to accept the position.

I have hours of sail/surf stories. I really need to start writing and getting these documented. As to the coast run from Peahi bay... Yes we carried our stuff down the trail, across the stream and then rigged on the cobblestone beach. That day the was a large shore pound as there was a good wind swell and a descent North running that day. So getting off the beach was engaging. The swim to the wind line was pretty far.
A day or so later Henderson tells Mindich and I that just a few weeks before there was a shark feeding frenzy over a small whale that was dead and had washed into the bay.

That was shortly after Waltze et al sailed the same stretch. Waltz did it as a recon of Jaws. We just wanted to sail, but Henderson did have a jaws recon in mind as well. That is why he picked the conditions/day that he did. We had enough of a North running that we got to sail jaws at about 6-10', big enough for some fun slopes but no where's near breaking.

Re: Mike Waltze
What a guy ! He won't know/remember me but send my regards.
I moved to Paia around 84' At that time it was common to have lunch at 'picnik's' and be sitting next to Waltze, Naish, Kalama, Masonville, Lopez etc...
So I have met all those guys but never had any real interaction with them as I was never at their competition level and the builders I worked for did not have any of those guys as team riders.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Do they still hold the Kanaha, Sunday, Gentleman's, team, slalom racing ?
That was such good fun!

Is the Pauwela cannery still a big shop space for many windsurf related builders ?
I see Jeffrey has moved HotSails down to town. Years ago Hotsails, DaKine and a number of other builders were located there. I lived right across the street from Maui Doors, the house just uphill from the little, local variety store there on West Kuiaha.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Olaf How long have you lived on Maui ?
My question really is just a lead to "How much of Maui have you explored so far?"
Have you been hiking in the crater, or done the illegal, bike, downhill from the summit, through science city, through Poli Poli state park and on down into Kula. (used to love that, summit to Haiku with less than 4 miles of peddling)
Have you discovered the bamboo forest swim spots just a little ways out past twin falls?
Etc Etc...

So Olaf you are a climber as well 'eh ?
There is a little wall on the backside (Kaupo side) that is really quite descent.
I discovered it and have been there top roping a few times. Once I took an old Valley Rat I bumped into in Kahalui. His name is Rob Lescher. Rob is a great guy and last I knew was teaching boarding for one of those biz's by the 'airport triangle'.
Any way if you climb as well I can give you directions and descriptions to a few places out Kaupo side that have descent rock and challenging climbing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ok if I am going to be the Presi for 09' then here is my first legislation:
All members must endeavor to learn the basics of the Hawaiian language in an effort to effect proper pronunciation and a deeper understanding and respect for the culture.
It is suggested that all constituents acquire their own copy of the Puku'i /Elbert dictionary and the 'Place names of Hawai'i' book also buy the venerated kupuna Mary Kawena Puku'i.

Not mandatory but all club sailors should learn 'Oli Aloha' (it's good for the soul)

Onaona I ta Hala me ta Lehua
He Hale Lehua no ia na ta noe

O Ta'u no ia 'e ano'i nei
'E li'a nei ho'i o tahiti mai

A hiti mai no Otou
A Hiti Pu no mai te Aloha

Aloha 'E, Aloha 'E
'E Ano ai Kakou

:) :) :) :) :) :)

'E Olaf, mahalo atu wau 'ia 'oe no ta Kind words !

I am trying to save money to get out to Hawai'i this spring, but the scope of my plans keeps getting bigger so I may not save enough till summer. There is a guy over on 'SuperTopo' forum named Nohea, he lives on O'ahu and will be holo holo most of the summer so I may try to hook up with him.
I was not going to stop on Maui (it might break my heart that I ever left)...
However Maybe I should, I could look up an old flame, do some sailing, meet you and soak up a little of the Mother Maui energy !

trundlebum wrote: So Olaf you are a climber as well 'eh ?

Big grin.

Hey Olaf....I understand reasons why you may not want to use your real name online....but every once in awhile you might mention it...just so experienced guys like trundlebum realise who you are?

With regards to both of you......

josh

Bigger grin:

This is becoming a really fun thread ;)

Ok so J.Thompson got me curious. I let a friend read this thread last night and I realized that I had really read all of the thread myself. I had just skimmed and got stoked to talk about wave sailing and climbing at the same time.

I reread some of Olaf's posts, good writting. Funny though, I was under the assumption that Olaf was a younger gent, perhaps in his early 30's max. Yet... his writting is not that of a typical young person. To many great idioms and use of old 'phrase of speach'.

So out of curiosity I checked Olaf's profile...
Not a young man at all. If'n I weren't 48 I'd call Olaf a Geezer ;)

As to Olaf's climbing I did see an impressive list of hard, old school routes.
I learned that Olaf is from the front range and lived there for years and his last name is Mitchell
Mitchell does not ring a bell for me. However one of the first submissions I saw by Olaf was a picture of the Yellow Wall on Longs. There were pic's of it as well by some guys I know but I think that was completely independant submissions.

I started climbing around 75/76. I did not see Eldo for the first time until late fall of 78 and only climbed there a few times. I did spend a couple summers in Colorado outside of Fort Collins. I taught climbing at a Scout camp there and would party on my day off in F.Collins or sometimes go down to Boulder. So perhaps Olaf and I have some mutual friends.
I understand 'Clean Dan' has passed away so I won't start there with the names.

So Olaf ? ? ?
Who are you M8 ? :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ok after reading more completely some of Olaf's waxing I realized we have the begginnings of a nice complilation of sailboard war stories here...
So let's keep it going:
(copied from a Supertopo post):

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A similar to above, flying fish (or as Hawaiians call them Malolo) story:

I moved to Maui in the early 80's to take a job as a windsurf sail maker.
Of course I was out on the water sailing within days. I was a transplant from New England and the sailing on Maui was heaven relative to the full suits, booties, mitts and hoods of 'back east'.

Ok so I am out there my on one of my firstdays sailing, I was pretty far off shore taking a long hitch trying to get upwind. I was considering throwing a gibe and was looking for a good wind swell to bang one off when...
All of a sudden I hear this weird flutter/buzz type noise and as soon as I noticed flying fish were around me (I had never seen them before)...
This large one flew right into the middle of the lee side of my sail window. It hit the window with quite an impact and actually momentarily glued itself to my window before it slowly sliding down, all the while it's eyes staring at me through the vinal window. It slide off the sail with a plop onto the deck of board and with a flick of it's tail was off.

It scared the sh#t out of me, or I should say startled me, the thing seemed pretty benign.
On the port tack, hitch back towards the beach I sailed almost over a good sized tiger shark that was cruising a piece of outside reef, all of a sudden those little flying fish were merely 'cute' :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Me and "Scruffy the super mutt" on the beach @ Kanaha during Sunday slalom race series.

I will dredge up so more pic's if I can.
As well I will write out some other good sailing stories.

I got a kick out Olaf talking about whales breaching in front of you while sailing. It really is a fairly common thing especially up around Ho'okipa.

Trundlebum,I'll try to address a few of the questions that you asked in a prior post. The “rock/surf bum type guy” club was your idea and you’re my nomination for president So there!
I hope that other rock/surfbum types will continue to post openly and regularly as well.
Let's see, Mike Waltze and I have spent allot of time together over the years. We have done some great projects together. I lived in the cottage behind his house in Kuau for a year while Mike, Ritchie Myers and Mark Angulo and I remodeled his house. I helped Mike stage four Red Bull, “King of the Air” professional kite board events. We filmed the Jaws portion of “The Billabong Odyssey” and a bunch of surf stuff and of course the constant party, party, and party.
The race series is still very popular although I don’t participate(I'm just a wave sailor) but many of my friends compete and I drop by if I have time on Sundays in the summer to root them on.
The cannery is still a hub for the sail and surfbosard builders. The companys that take care of me Goya International / Quarto/ Oceans4/ MFC, are in that building along with Bill Foot,DaKine,and just about every other shaper/designer that you can imagine. My girlfriend (Karen Lang) was the primary sail designer for Goya Sails for four years. We now just do kite and sail repair at our house/loft in Haliimaile.
Jeff’s sail loft is now in Kahului in the same building as Kanaha Kai. It’s a great physility and Hot Sails Maui is doing great and more popular than ever. I think that the introduction of Jeff’s design, "The Super Freak” (a very colorful mostly Dacron wave sail) has had a great impact on their sales.
I must admit that I have only limited experience with the crater and have never biked the Poli Poli trail.
I’ve hiked and swam in the bamboo forest many times.
I worked with Rob Lescher when we were qualifying the local troop of Boy Scouts for there rappel and belay merit badges. We used the cliff at Kaupo. I've been back there since and plan another sesh when my leg is fully healed.
Since you have expressed an interest (and i am flattered) I suggest that you go to my profile here on MP I think the images that I have posted will save some time. Also some of my forum posts give a fair window to my climbing history and philosophy.
Yes, trundlebum ,we have more adventures to share so that reminds me of a story........

Damn Olaf, this is turning into real fun for me any way...

Names I have not forgotten like Mark Goo, pioneer of the forward (Reminds me of a story)
Names I had forgotten like 'Bill foot' (super guy).

What about a couple shaper friends I have lost contact with ?:
Adam Stanford and the infamous 'Johnny V' (John Voxland)

For a season or so I lived in the front house of that string of white houses on a dirt drive just Paia side of the apartment building in front of Mama's ( I rented a room from 'KenMark'). While living there I often would rig in the drive way and walk down to Kuau cove to launch, sail to Kanaha, back up to Ho'okipa and then back in at Mama's and walk it home from there.

So you know Lescher and have been to that crag in Kaupo a few times, that is so cool. that is one of the most magical little spots on the planet.
Some where I wrote a story about going out with Lescher and having to make an extra days stay at my buddies house in Kaupo due to alcohol abuse during a friendly croquette game.

There is as well, a small cave like cliff before Kaupo' on the ocean side of the road at a landing. it is a beautiful spot with thick kiawe trees and the ocean right there. I never climbed there but it looked like a huge sport climb potential.

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K' den, a wind surf story I just thought of.
Have you heard this one, if not ask Mike about it.

It was in the early years of the Ho'okipa classic this happened.
As I recall it was Mike Waltze that it happened to.

Mike sailed in a heat, the waves were big but not monster (as I recall).
Waltze broke a mast base and lost his rig. After paddling in he got another and continued to compete.
It was not one, but two years later (as I recall)...
It was a beautiful day, perfect, good wind, nice size but manageable waves and the Ho'okipa classic was on.
Waltze, after shredding his way through a heat, upon returning to the beach, right in that little deep spot before you hit the actual sand... WHOMP! he went down like a total newbie on their first day. People laughed as it was so bizarre. Like WTF was that? He could not have hit the reef, no whale would fit in there undetected etc.. so WTF ?

Waltze surfaced and dragged his board up to and onto the beach. It turns out he had hit some under water flotsam...
in the form of his rig that had been ripped off his board in the same comp two seasons prior.

Do I have that straight ?

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Funny but you would have to a foot in both realms to get this comment:
I always felt that Waltze was like the Kaulk of wave sailing.

trundlebum wrote,
"Funny but you would have to a foot in both realms to get this comment:
I always felt that Waltze was like the Kaulk of wave sailing"
I will respond to this soon,K?
Rob Funk rented rooms at that place also?

Yep That's right, Rob Funk. Another name from the cast of N.Shore characters that I had forgotten about.
Yes at the time Rob was there as well as for a little while John Voxland and I had a good friend (It's been years) Named Rick who was our next door neighbor.
Rick (Damn I forget his last name) is a surf photog. Last I saw him, we bumped into each other on the beach at Kanaha. At the time he told me his biz was booming due to the emergence of digital tech and getting rid of the hassles of celluloid image production.

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Olaf:
I got up this morning and over coffee had a thought...
the Sailboard world needs (if it does not exist yet) a book like Roper's '50 Classic climbs'.
That would be cool, a quality picture book of the 50 classic sailboard beaches.
You could have Waddel Creek, the Dalles in the Gorge, Kanaha, Ho'okipa and Secrets on Maui, Shipwrecks on Lanai, and Tunnels on Kaua'i etc etc ... :)