We’ve now completed our thirteenth week on Maui and while we continue to loop through our usual list of activities, each week has brought its own unique twist. This week Eric’s dad, Alan, has been staying with us and while that hasn’t slowed down the activity pace, it has certainly opened the door to discussion topics well beyond the usual windsurfing and movie trivia that typically rein king at our dinner table. Alan provides a parental perspective to our journey that is interesting as we prepare for our final month of this trip and our next chapters that will begin in September. With August approaching I think our biggest fear, other than the nasty job market we keep hearing rumors about, is to wonder whether Maui has spoiled us to the point where we will not be able to enjoy the sport we love with Cape Cod conditions. While the Cape can be an epic windsurfing spot, this thought stung us hard one day this week as we ripped on our 4.7 sails, a day that in the past we would have considered incredible, but on this day we actually found ourselves complaining about the lack of waves. I guess we really are spoiled to have a single negative thought here so with a month left we will try to enjoy what we have and not think about the realities that await.
Monday was a monumental day for us as we committed wholeheartedly and financially to the sport of kitesurfing. We had one more lesson with Craig to continue with our waterstarts and kite control and then bribed him to come with us to Neil Pryde Maui, the local shop where we do most of our windsurfing business, to help us pick up some new kiting gear. The bribe came in the form of a ‘clown cone’ which we brought to him at the shop, although fouled by not picking up cones for Darby and the rest of the sales staff there. Eric and I, both gear lovers in all our sports, have been known to put on a show when making these runs in the past, often taunting each other into purchasing the latest, greatest and of course most expensive stuff available. We’ve even been known to team up with the sales rep to help push the other over the top on a purchase which will usually catch the sales rep off guard. While we were quite giddy walking in with our usual lack of any poker face, this spree was a little different than normal since neither of us has a job. We actually decided to share one kite for the time being to save some money and since the first month or so will require one of us on the beach spotting while the other sails. And so our new Cabrinha 5.0 square meter kite and Cabrinha Prankster 172 board are the first items we’ve co-owned in our twenty plus year friendship. No contracts have been drawn up but this will surely be the source of some brawls as we battle over who gets to go first and panic as we watch each other slam the kite down on the water, sand or worse. In any case, with Craig’s help and Darby’s salesmanship we walked out of there proud owners of new kiting equipment including a new board that will work well both here and home and a used kite that will get us through our remaining weeks on Maui but will need to be replaced by something much larger for the conditions on Cape Cod. We continued the bribe, inviting Craig up for dinner to get some help assembling all the new pieces and so had to make a stop at the liquor store to pick up a six pack of Anchor Steam as requested by Craig in return for his expertise. After putting the pieces together we enjoyed some steaks, and Craig several beers, as we discussed everything from living on Maui, where Craig has been for twelve years, kiting, windsurfing and even dipped into some philosophy before calling it a day – a monumental day.
OOur first session of kiting alone had us a little nervous when we arrived at the beach. Figuring it would be best to get out early to beat any crowds we showed up at 11:00, the earliest you are allowed to sail or kite on Maui, where we found only a few others leaving us plenty of space for error. Surprisingly no fight was put up when I requested the first run out and so I suited up with wetsuit, harness, our brand new impact vest, or flak jacket as we call it, gloves, booties, helmet and sunglasses which amounted to all the safety gear I could find. I did shop around for a suit of armor which would be advised for both myself and anyone within a good mile of the weapon that was the 5.0 kite I was holding. I made two runs out and back to the beach successfully watching Eric’s hand signals as he guided me as if he was bringing a 767 into the gate at Logan. I was able to control the kite well but did get tossed around a bit while working on my waterstarts and must have supersized my order of salt water that I snacked on during the drags through the ocean. I can only imagine the big smiles right now from our prior guests now reading this who spent time struggling with windsurfing waterstarts while Eric and I were able to make it look easy after years of practice. That’s right - we are at kiting square one, working on the basics but learning is half the fun…right Gena, Laura, Tara, Tina, Mike and Mike?
When I landed the kite after my second run I was wearing a big smile and so Eric grabbed the abundance of safety gear from my back and took his turn with the kite. His first trip out was a success and we landed the kite and walked back up the beach to launch again. As we walked we failed to look into the horizon to notice an ominous storm squall heading our way and just as Eric launched the kite for his second run a huge gust ripped the kite back towards the beach. When the kite is out over the water you are relatively safe as a gust would drag you towards the kite so the goal of the launch is to get the kite up and in control and then get it and you out to the water quickly. With the swirling gusts from the squall the kite kicked back over the beach and towards the trees when Eric’s instincts took over and he released the kite, letting its brake system which is attached to an arm leash, take over and bring the kite to the ground slowly. Many new kiters try to hang on to the kite bar and get dragged like a fallen water skier over the beach and worse into any land obstacles. The brake system is there to protect the kiter but once the kite lands its up to you and your buddy to dive on the kite to prevent it from floating into the trees. As I was on launch for this run I was waist deep in the ocean when I let the kite go and so as I tried to sprint for the kite I felt like I was running in molasses the way you often run in a dream when being chased. I did make it out of the water and to the kite before any damage occurred but after that we packed up the kite while the squall passed and waited a day to try again. We’ve actually been out three times now and by Saturday were taking mile and a half long runs downwind and each nailing waterstarts in both directions. Our goal is to each be able to kite out and back easily to the point of launch by the time we leave Maui and so far are well on our way. We celebrated our kiting success having a final ‘clown cone’ with our neighbor Trent before sending him off to the airport as he departed for Dallas to begin his new job. Eric and I had tears welling in our eyes, not so much from saying good-bye to Trent, although we will miss him, but more from the thought of heading home and having to deal with the reality of a job.
Thursday morning we did get the bikes out and even tried a new route heading up towards the town of Makawao, the first of several towns you hit as you ascend towards the summit of Haleakala. As we peddled to a slow grind up the never ending hill we saw some other cyclists who asked if we were training for the ‘cycle to the sun’ a bike race that starts in Paia, at sea level, and winds for 36 miles to the summit of the volcano, ascending 10,000 feet. We made it about one fifth of this race course and celebrated our climb in a local bakery with some pumpkin chocolate chip muffins and coffee questioning the possibility of such a ride and then laughing about what seemed ridiculous to us after doing just the first piece. Well, our biking is not at stage one like our kiting but it is certainly not at 10,000 feet or getting us there in any hurry.
Thursday afternoon, noting that Alan had done mostly spectating of our activities, we decided on an activity that the three of us could do together, a hike into the bamboo forest. The first part of the hike is a reasonably mellow walk down to the river but does allow you to capture the essence of the bamboo so we thought a scenic drive on part of the Hana highway and a short hike would be a nice way for Alan to see some of Maui’s beauty. Little did we realize that it had rained quite a bit up in the hills and so when we started on the path we were ankle deep in mud making Alan’s New Balance running shoes unrecognizable in minutes. It also made the hike rather tricky as the normally easy footpath had to be navigated by holding onto bamboo trees with each step and at times even climbing on all fours. We did make it down to the river where we sat to rest and enjoy the view when the skies opened up making our stay rather wet and our journey back to the car even more treacherous than the hike in. Alan, a corporate lawyer for 35 years, was not used to being covered in mud but I’m pretty sure he cracked a smile when we were safely back in the car. We celebrated this journey with a trip to Tony Roma's for BBQ and I’m certain, based on his enthusiasm, that this feast was clearly one highlight in Alan’s week despite getting his hands dirty for the second time that day.
I need to conclude the 13th issue of the J.E.W. by letting our readers know that next week we will be publishing late Monday night rather than Sunday so issue 14 will arrive for many of you on Tuesday morning. If this impacts your week dramatically, I suggest taking next Monday off so that the late publishing of the J.E.W. will not be too disruptive to the mental flow of your work week. We do apologize for this but my parents arrive today and we are planning some island hopping next weekend to the Big Island and then to Oahu to visit the Pearl Harbor exhibit so while the issue will come a day late, it should include some interesting new tales from other islands of Hawaii.
Best Comments from last week:
Helen, Morristown, NJ (Eric’s grandmother, Scrabble player extraordinaire and grammar guru)
“Eric, I love the J.E.W. and read it weekly but please inform Jon that the object of a preposition is ALWAYS in the accusative objective case – his continual grammatical errors grate on my nerves” -- All Eric and me will say to that is “Nullus est liber tam malus ut non aliqua parte prosit”
Jon and Eric proudly displaying their new toy. Just the beginning...
Eric cruising on a mile downwinder past kite beach.
Our new kite. A two line kite, notice the bridals.
Eric and Alan enjoying the bamboo forest just before it starts pouring. Alan forces his best attempt at a smile.
Alan ruins new sneakers on aforementioned hike.
Thanks for the care package...N$.
Jonny and our neighbor Mike drag race to beach. Looks like Jonny has the edge...
Moe and Murial fresh of the plane. Welcome to Maui!