Recently returned from the Cabrinha dealer conference on Maui, here's a few pics and words about that amazing place.
There is a local rule that kiters/wimndsurfers are not allowed on the water until 11.00am, by this time every day we were there the wind was at least 20-25 knots. We launched at 11 and usually lasted until somewhere between 1pm and 2pm until we were literally blown off the water. By this time winds had reached 30-40 knots, and the smallest kites we had were 7M!!

Sneak peek of whats coming for Cab in 2011

Looking back towards the Conference house which has about halfway between Kanaha and Sprecks, basically in the middle of the beach in the top of the photo

The reef which was about 50-75cm below the surface, taken when Rhys popped the camera underwater in a jibe.

Looking back towards the SW end of the island and the waves, the wind out here was cross to cross off, the break is about 500M+ offshore!

Couple of kites on the reef taken from about halfway back to the beach

The windsurfing beach, looking west towards Kanaha and kite beach

From L to R Pete Cabrinha, Hudson Godfrey Smith and Neil Pryde

Daniel van der Sluys going big on a SB or Nomad, wind is 30+ knots

Yeah that windsurfing beach again, with some junk on it :-)

Zoomed in shot looking towards Kanaha and Kite Beach

Our amazingly tiny kite launching beach, its one line length long, at high tide its 2-3M wide, its backed by trees, but no kites ended up in trees, no kites were harmed and no one was injured, wind was cross to cross off at the location very gusty sketchy launching and landing conditions.

Zoomed in shot taken from the beach of a one kiter on the reef.

West side car shot of the mountains, the wind and clouds screaming over these harsh looking mountains were amazing

A pweetty rainbow

Rainbow smoking water, wind is approx 45-50knots

Super windy on the last day, no-one game to go out here!!

Nice looking waves but the wind is honking, no chance to catch them.

Pre dawn view of the crater on Mt Haleakula, wind chill -1 billion degrees

Sunrise, then we rode down the mountain with Mark and Nic from ESS

Rhys Portyer riding a 2011 something....

And another shot of Rhys, taken with a hand held Olympus i8000, because we donated our Go-Pro to Huie

Nice, we used to walk down that track just towards the ho'kipa side of your little beach most days to go windsurfing.

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Kitepower Australia said...

From L to R Pete Cabrinha, Hudson Godfrey Smith and Neil Pryde

Everyone looking at Pete Cabrinha's feet.

I saw them once, I too was fascinated. Just stumps on the ends of his legs fom all the coral cuts and infections.

No wait, that was Dave Kalahma, not Pete Cabrinha.

Have his feet gone the same way ? It is not all paradise in Hawaii you know, some times your feet hurt.

That board does look pretty fun I have to say, I've always been a fan of a nice round tail.

but Ipad? please...
designer;
"Hey lets make a really big Ipod"
other guy;
"what, why?
designer;
"Because if we make it all the same tools that buy all the other useless items we make will want to buy this to."
other guy;
"why?"
designer;
"because Apple is trendy now, we could make a product called Icrap and people would buy it"
other guy;
"so let me get this right, it's way bigger than an Ipod and can't actually fit in your pocket... and the screen is a 1000 times easier to break than an Ipod... and it serves no special purpose besides being "trendy"... "
designer;
"yeah, sounds pretty f$ckin sweet ay "


If there was ever a thing made more useless and stupid than the Ipad I would like to see it. A picture of a Gojoe comes to mind...

Just for the record I am a firm believer in Apple and its computers, I have had Apple computers since day one (yeah, when it was uncool to have an apple macintosh).

p.s.
On the subject of Ipad I was in the Apple store the other day and was looking at the Ipad with my girlfriend. There were heaps of other people in there while we were looking at it. After about a minute of her mucking about with it I said "what is the point of this thing? Only an idiot would buy this POS". To my ammusment I looked up and practically the whole half a store had gone quiet and was looking straight at me hahaha. All i said was "what?... well it is". and left haha.

Nice photos, and the Ipad is just so sexy to the touch.