The winter is here

Nordmarka vinteren 2010

Finally the winter is here, after almost two weeks with cold weather and no snow this x-mas looks like it's going to be one of the most snowy ever. It has been faling down so much snow that everything except the machines who makes the ski-tracks has stopped. Trains, busses and cars have all been almost impossible to use to day. Around my car it was about half a meter with fresh snow and there was no way I could get it out from the parking lot. So I had to start skiing just outside my own door. Instead of driving or taking the buss/subway to the forrest I ended up skiing for about 45 minuttes before I was out in the forrest. Once there it was a amazing trip with incredible conditions for crosscountryskiing and magic light to take pictures in. Hope the rest of the x-mas delivers the same conditions.

Cruising around in LA

On our way back from Maui we had 11 hours in LA, we rented a Ford Mustang Concertible ( at the cost of USD 181,-) and cruised around. First we went down to Seal Beach where we had breakfast at an Irish pub on Main street. Then we walked around, took some pictures and ended up at Harbour Surfboards wich is probably the worlds oldest surfshop and surfbrand, it was established in 1959 and was celebrating their 50th anniversary this year. After a couple of hours in Seal Beach we went down to Huntington Beach (aka. Surf city) to check out Jakes's Surfboards and Huntington Surf & Sport, they are probably two of the worlds biggest surfshops.

After this we cruised up Pacific Highway all the way from Huntington to Venice Beach with the cab down and the wind blowing in our hair. When we had checked out Venice Beach for a while we had to head back to LAX to get on our flight back to Europe. The flight went realy smooth for me, I guess I slept for about 8 hours of the flight, and after a short stop in Frankfurth we landed in Oslo shortly before 4 o'clock where the temperature was about 0 celsius, it seemed absolutly unreal that less than a day ago we where cruising around in LA and that it was less than two days ago that I was sailing at Hookipa.

Kanaha & Kuau today

After lunchTormod & Jørgen persuaded me to join them on Kanaha, the plan was to windsurf @ uppers. But after a short spinn up there I found out that the waves where crap and went back to the beach. Packed up my gear and headed up the coast to Kuau where there at least was sideshore waves. Managed to get about an hour out on the water and got a couple of rides. Not any big waves, but it was ok. To morrow is our last day here and it looks like we are going to get wind then as well, not any big swell but it could be a nice relaxed day at Kuau or Hookipa.

Tonight we have asked John from HiTech to join us for a nice dinner at http://www.mamasfishhouse.com/ wich is a very nice fishrestaurant located right on the beach next to Hookipa

Testing Quad @ Kuau

Today it was my turn to test Goyas prototype for quad board, the boards will be released on the market in 2011 and I can promisse you all a great adventure. After about two hours in the waves outside Kuau I can definitivley say that quad's are here to stay. I can hardly wait until I can get my own back in Norway.

Nice session @ Kuau, day two

Had another day at Kuau today. The wind was coming straight from the east wich meant that Kuau and Hookipa was the only places working. The wind was a litle bit lighter than yesterday so Jørgen & I went out with a 5,3m2, I was on my 95 liter while Jørgen was testing a prototype for a Goya Quad at 86 liter. He was stoked about the board, but it's a shame that we will have to wait until the release of the 2011 models before we can order one. No pictures today because our photographer Tormod also went out for a while, this was Tormod's first session at Kuau and he was a happy man when he was back on the beach. Tomorrow the forcast says a litle bit more wind, still from the east, so I guess we will be sailing at Kuau again, and tomorrow I'm gona test the quad, if Jørgen let's me.....................

Nice session @ Kuau

Jørgen & I had two hours out on the water outside Kuau, we sailed on our 5,0m2 and big waveboards. Had a lot off fun riding waves in side/off conditions, even if it was very gusty. Pictures off me are taken by Tormod

Hookipa on fire

Today was a great day to take out the camera and shoot some pictures. Hookipa was on fire and in very light wind 10-15 windsurfers where out ripping in the hugh waves. It was great fun to watch Keith and others doing what they like best, ripping up the waves of Hookipa. While the rest of us was sitting on the point taking pictures and wishing it was us who where out there.

Slow day at Maui

To day we had a realy slow day just cruising around without getting out on the water. In the afternoon we had a barbeque at Pavillions on Hookipa to celebrate Terjes 40th birthday. Tomorrow it looks like the northswell is coming back and if the trades holds up it looks like an interesting day on the north shore.

Jørgen off the lipp @ Hookipa

Despite all good advise from Tormod & my self Jørgen decided to test out Hookipa to day as well. The wind was light and we was very sure that Jørgen would have to swim in, if he didn't end up on the rocks. He proved us wrong and had a great session even if he had to work a lot with his rigg to keep the board planing and avoiding the wipeouts the would have sent him on the rocks. Instead he managed to pull of a great off the lipp. After a short tripp to Ocean4Hawaii we ended up at Sprecks where we had a great afternoon session with our 5,0m2.

Goya Norge ripping @ Hookipa

Today Jørgen & I had a great seassion at Hookipa together with Terje who had his first session at Hookipa on a windsurfer. Jørgen & I used our 5,0m2's and our biggest waveboards and managed to ripp up some waves whitout ending on the rocks. After about 90 minutes at Hookipa we packed our gear together and went down to Kanaha where we once again rigged our 5,0m2 but this time we went out on smaler boards, I was on my 85 liter custom Goya and Jørgen tested out the 78 liters Goya Custom singelfin 2008-mod. We had a great session there together with Tormod, our photographer from Hookipa, many thanks to him for beeing so patient and taking a lot of pictures of us while we where out. When Jørgen called it the day, I also tested the 78 liter singelfin and it was a great board with a lot of speed, realy looking forward to getting this as my new hardwind waveboard.

Some advise from a pro

Another day with 5,3m2 @ Kanaha, but first we stopped on Ho'okipa and got a few advise from Levi Siver about how to rigg the new Goya Eclipse 2010-mod. Tanks a lot to Levi for his tips. We considered going out there as well but even Levi thought it was a litle bit gusty and since Jørgen's biggest sail was a 5,0m2 we decided to go for Kanaha instead. Kanaha was great with steady 5,3m2 for most of the day with some waves coming in, the biggest ones maybe 1-1,5 meter high. After all we had a great day. I even got the chance to test the Goya Twinser @ 89 liter. It was an interesting experience, in the waves it felt like standing on a surfboard riding in the pocket at all time (if you liked) But in light wind I had troubles staying uppwind, once powered up it felt very loose and I'm looking forward to testing it more. Jørgen also tested the Eclipse 5,0m2 and he was very pleased with it, the only downside was that it was to small so to morrow he has borrowed a 5,3m2 from HiTech.

Trades are back

Today we finally got to rigg our windsurfing equipment again, it's been almost two weeks since Jørgen and I landed on Maui and at last we got the opportunity to test some of Goyas 2010 models. Jørgen was on a Goya Twinfin 89 liter ecowood and a 5,0m2 Eclipse. He was very pleased with the board but the sail was to smal, I was on my 5,3m2 and 95 liters custom Goya witch was just enough to have some fun, Today we sailed at Kanaha but tomorrow we are going to check out Kuau in hope of some bigger waves.

Turtles & surf on Maui

To day we started up with a photoshoot just outside our house where the turtles where playing in the sea. After that we took a 2,5 hours surf session in Paia bay, the waves where better yesterday so after a lunch at Cafe Aimes, Jørgen & I headed up to Hookipa to check out the surfing there. It was mindblowing, with some realy big bombers coming in. But that didn't seem to matter to all the surfers out there.

Two surfsessions @ Paia Beachpark

Today Jørgen & I got two nice surfsessions in Paia Beachpark, during the first one we was joined by Tormod in the waves and Terje who borrowed my camera and took some nice pictures. Between all the pictures he took of the surfbabes, he also managed to take some of Jørgen, Tormod & my self out in the surf trying to get some rides. Many tanks to Terje, it's nice to have some pictures of your self in the waves. As for the pictures of the babes, I guess you all have to ask mister Tuft about them, (they where realy nice)

Surfing @ Kanaha beach park

To day I had two of the longest rides on a wave in my life, Jørgen & I was out paddeling at Kanaha and I was outside the reef waiting for at nice sett of waves when a nice 2 meter (pluss) came and I was paddeling for my life to catch a ride. To my great joy I was able to get up on the board and had a loooooong ride al the way to the inside of the reef, riding the wave more or less from the channel down to the lifeguardtower. It felt like the ride would never end, but when I fell off the board I had a loooooong way to paddel before I was out side the reef again and in the right spot to catch a new wave. I managed to get another ride just lik the first one and started to paddel out for another ride. But when I finally made it to the outside I was totaly exhaused and unable to paddel hard enough to get a third wave. So instead I had to work my ass off to get back to the beach, witch took forever.

Earlier to day we took a trip to Honolua bay, witch is one of the best surfspots in the world, here we just took some pictures before heading back to Kanaha. The waves at Honolua was not to big for us but we did not go out to test them, maybe another day. It looks like we will get enough opportunitys to go surfing the next days since the tradewinds will be absent until sunday.

PS

All the picures are from Honolua bay

Desperate for wind

Have been at Maui for a week now and so far we have only been surfing. The wind is more or less absent, exept for some light breeze on last sunday (was out on my 5,3m2 without planning). To day we had some hope for some light to moderate tradewinds but they turned out to be on the very light, specially on the north shore where the waves are. We was now so desperate that we went to Kihei on the southside of Maui and had an hour or so on the water with 5,3m2 in gusty conditions.

Tomorrow and monday the forecast says 10-15 mhp, we are just crossing our fingers hoping that it will materialize in some sailable conditions, specially sinze there should be some decent waves as well.

Surfing @ Thousand peaks

To day we went surfing at the coaststrip south of Lahaina called Thousand peaks,was the name come from the fact that there are "hundreds" of different breaks down the coast. We ended up at a beach that we have surfed many times and has bouth a left & a right wave and is perfect for longboarding. Jørgen & I was the first of us to arrive and despite the fact that Jørgen already had been out surfing at Hookipa at 5.15 in the morning for several hours he joined me for an hour or so before I was exhaused. I had two great long rides before I was worn out and was stoked when i reached the beach. Meanwhile Tormod & Terje had arrived and Tormod borrowed my board and was again joined by the everlasting Jørgen for the next hour .
I think Jørgen clocked 6 hours or so on the water to day, where does he get the endurance to stay out that long?

Surfsup on Maui

At the moment we are fiveNorwegians here on Maui, Jørgen, Tormod, Martin, Terje & my self, and we are all missing the wind. Jorgen & I was out surfing at Hookipa for a short while yesterday, most of the day was spent organizing demogear from Ocean4Hawaii. Just after lunch a very keen Martin persuaded me to join him at Sprecks for some windsurfing we just forgot that a major part in windsurfing was missing, the wind. Despite our good intentions we ended up swimmiing back to the beach, meaning I was swimming while Martin to the amusement off everybody on the beach was rescued by a woman on a SUP.

Today was another day without wind, but the swell was bigger, we joined Jace who took us to Kuau where Martin went out to test a SUP in headhigh waves. (he survived)

Tormod and I went to Paia Beachpark and had a great time longboarding there.

Looks like we will be without wind for at least two more days, but the swelll is up and we are all enjoying the surfing.

Our home on Maui

Finaly back on Maui again, the flight from Oslo went smooth and we arrived on time at Kahului Int.airportm and my gear also arrived, in one pice. Tormod was there and escorted us to safely to our home for the next three weeks. Spyglass house realy lived up to it's expectations, it's a great place located right on the beach close to Paia. To day (sunday) we woke up to a rainy day but it very soon cleared up and the sun was shining again. Tormod and I was out at Kanaha for almost 2 hours with our 5,3m2 and big boards, we managed to catch some very smal waves in light tradewinds while Jørgen was at the airport picking up Terje T. who was very delayed due to some problems with getting in to the US.