Maui Monthly no. 15. June 2006

Maui Monthly Our Experience Your Reward

no. 15. June 2006

Action packed month for Kevin.

The month of June was action packed for me. It started off great with a lovely trip to Portugal. It was pretty much the first real traveling for me this season so I was pretty excited to get up in the air and fly around the world from Maui to Lisbon. I arrived in Lisbon on a beautiful sunny day that started a week long holiday.

For the entire week there was no wind, just as predicted, and then finally the last day the wind kicked in and the waves jacked up. We were all happy because we had been sitting around all week long, and to get on the water felt really good.

Next up was Costa Brava where it was really light winds.

The first day we got there, the day after Portugal finished, we started racing again. We did one round of Super X racing and I won that one!! Man I was so happy!! Imagine being in Maui training day after day, not really knowing how you are going to do, and finally getting to the events and wining.. I couldn’t believe it… Anyhow I managed to win the event by about two inches over my brother which was pretty cool.. Two for two event wins. I was really happy.

Maui, Hawaiian Islands

I went out and was sailing around and felt pretty good on the water. I started out using the Global 6.2, which is an incredible sail that really feels great. It is always impressive to have a wave sail that big feel so good.

Then as the competition started, I went to the 5.7 Legend, and then finally went down the 5.0 Legend. I went heat by heat, knowing there wasn’t going to be a double elimination, and that it was a man-on-man knockout. I had some good heats. I even got to take out my brother, which is never an easy task, and made it all the way to the final against Josh Angulo. In the end I somehow managed to win the event. I was so Happy!!

It’s been a long time since I won an event, and to have the Maui Sails flag flying high felt pretty good. I was stoked.

The next week I went to Gran Canaria for some wave training, but it wasn’t that good. After that I went to Lanzarote to do another Super X event. I started this one off great with a first race win as well. I couldn’t believe it again.. I was really happy. Super X is not really my best discipline, but I train really hard for it so every time I win a race I am really stoked.

Anyhow, this one came down to the last race between me and Antoine Albeau. If I won the last round then I would have won the world title. If not he would have won. I was pushing so hard (cause I wanted it so bad) and I jumped the gun and made a premature start. It was all over. All the time in training and testing boiled down to 2nd overall for the year in PWA Super X. Not too bad, but when it is that close. you definitely feel the burn to get out there and win the thing.

Now we have had a break for a couple days, getting ready for Gran Canaria to start!! Stay tuned for an action packed month of July.

Aloha, Kevin

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Maui Monthly | Our Experience Your Reward no. 15. June 2006

Hi wind for Sarah.

This month was constantly windy, at the least 20 knots and the last week it turned way up.

From 28th June till 3rd of July, the 20th annual of Aruba Hi winds took place. And believe me this was REALLY hi winds. We had a lot of competitors from Bonaire, also from Argentina, Venezuela and Holland. We had 5 days of racing and I sailed on the 5.5 TR-2 in the Juniors category . The first day was just right, I was just a little bit overpowered but I went really fast that way. I had good starts every time and I’d be ahead of the fleet, but mostly it didn’t take long before I got passed by 3 guys at the first buoy. After the 1st day I was in 3rd overall.

The next day the wind picked up so much! I thought I could handle the 5.5….I was wrong. I was so overpowered that I didn’t even use my harness. After lunch I went with the 4.7 …only less wind so the guys were faster… The people said that it was blowing 30-35 knots others said gusts up to 40 knots.

Maui, Hawaiian Islands

The next day was also long distance and freestyle. By now I was dead tired, I almost refused to go racing, but I still went and I got 4th in two finals.

This time I was warmed up for my freestyle. I sailed in the category Prince of the huts because there weren’t any girls. I had two great heats.

I landed spocks on both sides and a punjeta shove it grubby. I beat 2 guys and was now in the finals. I don’t know what happened but it didn’t go as well in the final I finished 2nd!!!!! I was really happy.

So the Hi winds was great and a party every night. One night there was a reunion of all the people who helped Hi winds kick off and they showed us videos of the past 20 years.

Including Bjorn Dunkerbeck how he raced around Aruba.

I saw Svein Rasmussen also did that, they made a little museum with old pictures and stuff. Hi winds was really big! They also had a list of results with such names as Bjorn Dunkerbeck, Phil McGain, Svein Ramussen, Pascal Maka, Erik Thieme and Nevin Sayre.

So guys, up to the Canary Islands now, see ya!

Sarah -Quita

Great month for Taty.

I had a great month, My first event was in Costa brava where I finished 7th, the wind was light and when everybody else was on 8.2 and 7.5 I was on my 6.4 Switch. I had some great runs and I am happy with my results, the best moment in this event was when I came first in one heat and beating Antoine.

The second event was in Lanzarote Costa Tequise where I finished 8th, The wind was a bit better then in Costa Brava but I still had to use the switch 6.4 because to compete against the other big guys you need to go big, so I stick with my quiver of Costa Brava and pretty much had better runs then in Costa Brava. I had one overearly and some mistakes so I finished 8th.

My best moment in this event was when I came in first in one of the heats and behind me was Kevin, Matt, Nik Baker and

some other guys. I was happy for the whole day.

While I am writing this report I am in Gran Canaria where the wind is not good and the waves... well no waves at the moment just chop. We are due to start the World Cup event in the next few days.

Aloha, Taty

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Maui Monthly | Our Experience Your Reward no. 15. June 2006

Maui, Hawaiian Islands

Barry feels like MauiSails is alive and well.

Time flies when you are having fun.

The month of June has been a whirlwind of local activity.

The racing at Kanaha has been as good as you can watch anywhere, Kevin and Taty have been flying the flag pretty high, and we have been doing our best to keep up with sail development for racing so we are ready for the TR-3.

Some of the most interesting things are happening with the young people we are working with, and the possibilities are exciting. Skylar Haywood, the son of Fred Haywood, is really getting his chops together for all kinds of sailing. He can freestyle some, is sailing very fast with slalom gear, and is going to do the NavMan Speed Challenge. Baker Grant, and his little brother, Monty, are also getting better and better all the time. Ashley Baxter had been practicing her turns and is now able to win at slalom and is busy every afternoon at the beach. The energy and enthusiasm they all have is so great to see, and there are a number of other teens who make the youth fleets the most fun to watch.

I am finally feeling like MauiSails is alive and well. We can now deliver carbon booms, and we know they are the finest you can get anywhere. The entire collection of 2007 sails is on the water to various distribution points, and best of all, we have an agent in France, Mickael Frangier, of Alternative Watersports. He is exactly the kind of guy we were looking for and will bring the gear right to the people for demos and experience.

We are getting ready for a picnic day tomorrow and some traditional fireworks. It’s summer, and it’s windy, and the days are long. We all have lots to celebrate and be thankful for, and hopefully Americans will take some time to contemplate that and work to make some positive changes in our global perception.

Aloha, Barry.

June shortest ever was for Phil.

Wow June has already passed so quickly we are late with our Maui Monthly release, apologies for that!.

Where does time go when your having fun?

The 2007 wave sails have come together nicely and are now ready for production, which is a relief, but at the same time it

just means we move onto the next product line and the work doesn’t stop.

June has been windy of course and the sailing has been awesome on Maui. Mostly slalom sailing and doing all the Maui Race series races. Every two weeks everyone gets together for the races in Kanaha and we have a BBQ afterwards, which always feels good. I’ve been doing well in the races, winning my division each week and having some competitive races against Micah in the Pro division.

Kevin and the crew are over in Canaries at the moment and he’s been ripping in the World Cup events so far, which makes us all happy over here holding down the camp.

So just a quickly as June has come and gone, I better get back to it and make sure I remember July.

Aloha, Phil. www.mauisails.com | 0