I survived my first wave heat at Ho'okipa

The pros ripping yesterday!

Robby Naish (and me behind the camera)
at the skippers meeting

Wow, I'm so thrilled I survived my first wave competition heat at Ho'okipa.

After watching the pros yesterday it was amateur, women and masters on Tuesday.  Robby Naish was nice enough to stop and pose for a photo with me after the skippers meeting and wished me well. So cool to be entered in an event with such an icon of our sport.

Robby was kind enough to stop for a photo

I had a fair bit of time during the day to watch the other windsurfers heading out and picking waves. Like yesterday, only one sailor wound up on the rocks but a few got towed out of the impact zone by the jet ski. The waves were a bit smaller than yesterday but three amateur windsurfers in the first four heats came in with scrapes, bruises and a twisted shoulder which was a bit worrying.

I had rigged my 5.3 and 5.7 on the beach and pro Matt Pritchard checked out my sail tuning. Thanks Matt for hooking me up with solid rental gear. Below is a picture of Matt getting air in front of the rocks in yesterday's competition.

My rig ready and Ho'okipa approved by Matt Pritchard

As I was waiting to be released into the waves, I introduced myself to two of the other competitors in my heat. One of those other masters has been sailing Ho'okipa for 30 years. They welcomed me on my first time there in the waves and gave me a few tips. Very nice.

I headed out and made it past the rocks and was happy to be planing upwind, searching for my first wave. I found one, turned onto it, completed one bottom turn on it but quickly got caught in the whitewater and fell. I remembered all the advice I'd been given on how to protect my gear in the waves and did my best to stay calm.

After being tumbled in the froth a few times, I waterstarted again and headed out again. In all I caught 3 waves in the 16 minute heat, managed a bottom turn on each one and even got a top turn. I didn't panic when I fell close to the rocks and just focused on positioning my gear and myself and moved on.

My grin was beaming from ear to ear as I returned safely to the beach. 

Sailing Ho'okipa at an American/World tour event was never even on my windsurfing bucket list as a maybe. What at thrill to have actually done it!

Stoked!  (Even if I had to wear a pink shirt)

My result was a predictable 4th out of 4, but I'll have some more heats in the next day or two. Aloha!

Matt Pritchard getting air yesterday in front of the rocks

Pretty happy to have finished my heat!

The heat schedule

A few fans....

Robby Naish's truck!

The next heats