Beautiful Afternoon!!

Well the nastiest morning on Maui ended up being the prettiest afternoon yet! By noon the rain had all but stopped, by 2 the sun was fully out (as were the peaks of the West Maui Mountains!!), and by 4 the wind had started to fill in (again).

West Maui Mountains from the Ho'okipa bluff

Russ, making it look FUN!!

Kudos to Russ for being the guinea pig and getting out there! We watched him bob around for half an hour, barely moving at all and only catching one wave. Then, all of a sudden, he chucked a big ol' forward loop and sailed off to the horizon... at which point GP and I simultaneously said "Guess it's time to rig up!" 5.3 Manic HD on the 3S 86 provided plenty of juice, especially on the outside. That board is a bit corky in the rails for true, powered, down the line sailing (at my weight), but it did just fine out there...



And now, it's my last day here :( But that's alright, because it's been an amazing trip, and I'm truly looking forward to getting back to my life in Hatteras! Anne, Banana, all of the Scalias, Stuart, all of the Kramers, Bill, Keith, Martine, Pam, Lane, MNOP, Mark, George, Dale, David, Zach, Chad and the rest of the pre-season crew- I'll see y'all soon!!!

And a sincere "Thanks!!" to everyone who has helped make my trip to Maui both possible and unforgettable! Mom, Dad, the Pritchards, Rebecca, Casey, Olaf, Jazz and everyone else I've met (it's a long list)- "Aloha!!!" Thanks for the unbelievable hospitality, the stoke, and for sharing some waves!! I hope to see you all again sometime soon!