Sports

I am fortunate to live on the beautiful Windward side of the island, but for the past few weeks not so fortunate because of the variable winds conditions resulting in stifling weather conditions.  I had been praying for the trades to come back and about to dump a glass of cold water on my head when it dawned on me, variable winds = good surf on the East-side!

Now when I mean “East-side” I  am referring to the East-side of the island of Oahu such as Kailua, Kaneohe, Ka’a'awa, Punalu’u, Hau’ula, Laie, and Kahuku.  I have been living on this side of the island in Kahalu’u for the past 7 years and I have been honored to surf some of these secret local breaks.  I exclude Sandy Beach and Makapu’u simply for the fact that there is currently a surf report done on these surf locations and they may be considered “East-side” breaks but there are no secrets here.  As for the rest of the areas for those who know where to go and when to go, these places can produce some of the best surf on the island with NO CROWDS!

To catch great surf on the East-side many factors must be just right.

#1. The right winds.

#2. Large swells generating from either the north or the south.

#3. The right tide.

#4. No hungry sharks around.

If one of these factors are just a little off the surf won’t be right and most times un-surfable.  I have driven out to a particular break many times and have not paddled out because the conditions were wrong.

There are also other factors to consider when thinking about surfing the East-side.   Firstly, most of the surf breaks cannot be seen by the untrained surfer eye.  The surf breaks are either so far out that most people don’t even notice surfers or to get to the break you have to go through parks or even people’s houses.  Next once you’ve found the break, there are no surf reports for any of the breaks from Kailua to Kahuku, so you must physically be standing in front of the break to know how it is.  Once you decide you should paddle out most of the East-side breaks have no formal parking area, so you must park your car at your own risk, which is usually on the side of the road or in a neighborhood.  Another thing to remember is that the locals who surf these spots don’t like foreigners (anyone else that didn’t grow up surfing there) so be prepared not to be welcomed and even hated on.

Lastly and most importantly, if you are lucky to spot a break with ideal conditions, find a parking, and decide to go out, understand that whatever wave size you think it is the actual height when you paddle out is usually twice that size and double the strength.  East-side breaks tend to be very deceiving and usually not in the new-comers favor.  East-side breaks tend to barrel on the reef and waves come with lots of speed and power behind it.  Trust me, over the years I have learned all these things out the hard way.

As I took the 20 minute paddle out to an undisclosed surf break this weekend I got into “serious surfer mode.”  After the stare down by the locals and without any smiling I took a spot off the peak out of the way.  Surfing with “east-siders” is one like no other.  There is a very different vibe with a focus on catching as many waves as possible and not getting killed on the reef.  These guys are about ripping it up, safety, and camaraderie, not about showing off, dropping in on someone, and bragging about it.  It was an amazing day with head high waves and some of the best glass-est surf I had seen in months and months.  Even I got a few choice waves and I even saw one smile come my way from a local.

I would like to warn tourists and new surfers of East-side breaks.  These spots aren’t for the light hearted and in my opinion because of all the sketchy variables the East-side can be a tougher place than North Shore.  I respect the locals in cherishing these untouched spots and will never publish the actual locations or names of the breaks that I have been to for fear of ruining their spots.  If you surf the East-side consider yourself lucky, always respect the locals and the beaches, and don’t forget to watch your back for sharks.

Last week my friend brought his brand new SUP Board/Windsurfer over to my side of the island from Hilo where he lives. Being a watersport nut, I thought it would be simple to pick up the sport. I mean how hard could it be with the wind doing all the work? This is usually when I get taught a lesson.

Windsurfing has been around a while but the bay near my home is loaded with Kite Surfers. There is a big difference. The Kite Surfers (also called Kite Boarders) use a relatively small board, similar to a wake board, usually with foot straps. The kites they use are elliptical in shape with an inflated edge that allows them to float if crashed into the water and also makes them easy to re-launch. Some of these folks do spectacular stunts as well as zipping across the bay or riding waves. Occasionally a novice Kite Boarder will be blown onto the beach with his or her kite tangled up in a tree. I haven’t been brave enough to attempt Kite Boarding yet.

Which brings us back to the SUP Windsurfer. As an experienced SUP Boarder I was confident that using one with a sail would be a breeze – pun intended. However, this was a serious miscalculation. The board is an actual Stand Up Paddleboard but the similarity to stand up paddling ends there. With the sail attached there is no use for a paddle. Keeping the sail upright and in the direction of the wind proved to be a considerable challenge. Using all of my strength and leveraging my body weight to pull the sail out of the water, the wind would catch the sail and I would lose my balance sending the sail back into the ocean and usually falling off the board myself.

After many attempts, all enjoyed (and photographed) by a beach full of families on spring break; I managed to keep the sail up. My friend Wes was following me around on my Paddleboard giving me helpful tips. Letting go with my outer hand and allowing the sail to swing free while holding the curved edge was a tip I wish I had learned about 20 falls prior, but at least now I was able to keep myself on the board. The light wind was enough to push the board and me easily. After an hour or so I was able to go back and forth across the bay. Although not able to steer very well I would hop off and let Wes turn the board when I found myself over a shallow reef.

With shaking legs and unable to lift my arms after an hour and a half of Windsurfing a SUP Board I had learned my lesson. Even though the wind propels the board; balance, strength, and intuition are key to succeed at Windsurfing. It is a perfect sport for us over forties – low impact, lots of core strength exercise, manageable learning curve and open ended on the dare devil scale. I plan on continuing in the bay when the wind is light and really getting the hang of it before attempting to jump into the swells or sailing from bay to bay.

I highly recommend trying this sport if you have the opportunity and remember to let the sail swing lose rather than dropping the whole thing. Also unless you are a serious athlete plan on a full day to recover afterward!

Copyright © Johanna Kim

Stand Up Paddling is becoming more popular by the day. Improved boards are constantly arriving here on the Big Island. I see 16 foot boards for racing, 9 foot boards for surfing, 10 foot boards for petite folks and 12 foot boards for the rest of us. This is one ocean sport that is easy to learn, strengthens core muscle groups and is a blast. What more could we want?

I discovered this sport while whale watching in Maui. The SUP (Stand Up Paddle) boarders were paddling around the dive boats as the whales breached within a dozen yards. I knew instantly that I would be paddle boarding with the whales on their next migration.

Synchronicity was in play when I got back to the Big Island. After canoe practice a couple days later, a friend’s husband walked by with a Stand Up Paddle board on his head. He gave me lessons that morning and I bought my board that very week.

I have been paddle boarding for just over a year. A little group has formed and we go out as often as possible. Being out on the ocean on a board instead of sitting in a boat is a unique feeling. You are much closer to the water, sometimes falling in and cooling off or sitting, dangling your feet while chatting with a friend.

Last spring there were tiger sharks patrolling our side of the Big Island. No one knows what brought them here and no one was injured but beaches were closed intermittently for a few weeks. One gorgeous day we were playing around in Waialea Bay and stopped to sit on our boards for a bit. Holding the boards close to each other with our feet, we drifted lazily. Just then a dark shadow approached us. A 12 foot Tiger shark cruised silently by within inches of our paddle boards and headed toward a group of snorkelers. Not wanting to cause the snorkelers to panic we paddled between them and the shark. He veered off toward open water. In hindsight that might not have been smart. Exciting though.

Sometimes we park a truck downwind at one bay and put in at another to paddle one way with the wind at our backs. The kayakers cannot keep up. I find this exhilarating. On occasion pods of dolphins allow us to paddle among them. They cruise around and under us, surfacing and blowing air, as they play with each other, completely unafraid. Other days we have paddled above Manta Rays and giant schools of Yellow Tangs. When the water is as clear as glass we jump in and snorkel with our boards leashed to our ankles.

This winter I did get my chance to paddle board near the whales.  Just outside of Anaeho’omalu Bay several pods of whales have been breaching and surfacing regularly.   One morning we paddled out to the top of the bay and watched in awe as whale after whale broke the surface of the water, spun around and came down with a mighty splash.  Another morning a mother and baby humpback surfaced only feet from our canoe.  I cannot even begin to describe what that felt like.  I have been out there watching them often since that first day and the thrill never fades.

Surfing on SUP boards is gaining popularity. While I have barely mastered surfing swells, I love to watch experienced surfers using their paddles to help maneuver as they surf on the waves. This is a great sport for people of all ages but for those of us over thirty – it is perfect. The learning curve is short, risk of injury is low, gear is minimal, benefits to health are optimal and best of all it is unbelievably fun.

I have two tips for those starting out. First, let yourself fall a lot in the beginning and second, use the longest board you can find to learn on. You can rent boards all over the islands and You Tube has loads of instructional videos. Plus there are lots of folks willing to teach you the basics and will tell you where to begin. Why not give it a try? You have nothing to lose.

Copyright © Johanna Kim

Recently,  on a short visit to Kauai’s North Shore I got the opportunity to surf Hanalei Bay.  I was not expecting to surf on that quick visit and did not bring any surfboards, but was surprisingly pleased to fine some fun waves and a surfboard rental place all in walking distance at Hanalei Bay.  It was a sunny weekday and the waves were 2-4 feet Hawaiian scale and looking fun.  On that same day that I was there Laird Hamilton was rumored to have been surfing Hanalei Bay and I even spotted his wife Gabrielle Reece and one of their children on the beach.

My rental car was not equipped with surf racks if I wanted to rent a board in the town of Hanalei Bay, so the rental shop or ”grass hut” Hawaiian Surfing Adventures that is located steps from Black Pot Beach was very convenient for me.  This place offered surfing lessons, board rentals, and water adventures at reasonable prices.  To rent a board it was $10 an hour, $5 additional or $20 a day.  The boards they have for rent were soft-top foam boards, hard-top longboard tankers, and epoxy boards.  They even had stand-up paddle boards for rent and lessons.

So, I rented a 6 foot 10 inch epoxy board and followed the locals out to a surf break called “the bowl” and had a great 1 hour surf session.  There were a few other surf breaks in sight and some out on the point that were coming in about 1-2 feet bigger than where I surfed at.  The breaks were pretty crowded with a mixture of locals, tourists, and some professionals, but everyone was friendly and got their waves.  Overall, I thought the surf at “the bowl” was A quality, an intermediate wave and I was wishing that I had brought my short board with me on this trip.  The ocean water was surprisingly chilly because of the closeness to the crisp river water.  This was my first time to surf the North Shore of Kauai and will definitely be back with my boards and long sleeve wet suit to try again.

For the past several weeks I have been reluctantly preparing for a race. My friend wanted someone to buddy up with in case the others in her group ran too fast. Paddling and biking I do regularly, but the last time I went running I fell head over heels into the bushes, resulting in a disgusting staph infection. However, I thought it was time to jump back on the horse, so to speak, and agreed to join her.

My first clue that this might not be an ordinary race was the pigtails requirement. In hindsight I should have asked more questions.
Arriving right on time we pulled in behind a line of cars parked on the side of the road. We noticed that most of the people were wearing funny hats. Court jester hats, Cat in the Hat hats, hats with ears and a host of others. Was it possible that the race requirements had been changed? It turned out that down the road from the starting place was a “funny hat” wedding reception. Inevitably the pigtail group and the funny hat group kept getting mixed up.

And the race wasn’t actually a race after all, it was a run, or walk or even a crawl if one so desired. The men wore pigtails too, albeit more creatively as we saw one with a pink homemade curly cue pinned to the back of his shorts. I think my second clue (perhaps I am not too quick) was that some of the runners were leaning on their cars drinking beer. I did notice that most people were wearing quality running shoes – except for the girl in slippers, who actually finished before we did.

At 2:45pm, right on time, two runners were dispersed to lay the trail using flour markings. That is when we were called into the virgin circle. This was our first Hash House Harrier Run. We were given instructions on to read the flour markings along the trail. The advance runners, referred to as hares would not only mark the true trail but would mark false trails to throw off the hounds who would set out after the hares at 3:00pm. We were the hounds.

The serious runners started out first and then we ran with the tail of the pack. The trail went up through rain forest above Kona, and it was beautiful with the sun streaming through the trees and the cool moist air keeping us from overheating. However, the trail was extremely rocky and in some places vines grew across it. The gradual incline seemed to go on forever until we came upon our first beer stop. What kind of crazy people drink alcohol during a run? We chose water and passed other runners for the next few minutes. After a while the incline was so steep and the path so narrow that it was all we could do to keep a brisk walking pace. Luckily, more experienced Hashers were in front of us calling out, “On, on,” which meant we were on the right trail.

Stopping at the third beverage break we were hot, sweaty and wondering how far the trail really was. This time we were offered Jell-O shots and we gladly accepted. After that we perked up and made pretty good time to our next beer. Needless to say, it was quite entertaining. By the time we got back to the start a party was going on and people cheered as if we had all accomplished a great feat. There were honors bestowed and we virgins graduated to hashers as the beer flowed.

So maybe all that training hadn’t been necessary, but I ended up meeting fun people, going for a hike, learned I like Jell-O shots, and was referred to as a virgin all day. I am definitely going to this again.

Hash House Harrier runs are held in 183 countries, so find one near you and check it out.

copyright © 2009 by Johanna Kim (Life After Forty)

I have been paddling on a Hawaiian Outrigger Canoe team for about a year. This has become more than a hobby for me — it is a passion. And with almost 50 Canoe clubs in Hawaii, it is a passion shared by thousands of other paddlers.

Outrigger canoeing began as an ancient form of transportation. In 1521 Magellen’s ships encountered Outriggers in the Mariana Islands. Here in Hawaii the canoes were used for fun as well as travel. Betting on canoe races was a form of entertainment until 1820 when it was banned due to the influence of the Islands’ missionaries. However, by 1876 the sport was back and it has been going strong ever since.

I fell in love with paddling the first time I tried it. I was trying to find something active to help me get in shape. A neighbor mentioned a boating club down at Anaeho’omalu Bay near where I live. I thought she meant a kayaking group. I wandered down there one evening and found a number of people putting canoes in the water. They let me go out with them. I had no idea I had stumbled upon a racing club.

The Waikoloa Canoe Club is my second home now. Practices are held 5 times a week and recreational paddling is open to non-racers 3 times a week. The racing season starts in March and continues through September. Last year I was considered “Novice B” as a first year paddler. Now I am “Novice A” level. Next year I will be a “Freshman” and so forth. There is even a level for “over 60 year olds.”  Some of the most valued paddlers are in this group.

I attended practice religiously all last spring and I was clueless as to what was coming. Morning practice starts at 6:00am sharp so that people can get to work on time. Our assistant coach last year had a sharp tongue and a quick wit, both of which I tried desperately to avoid. This proved impossible because I was the steersman for our level. It is hard to not be noticed when you have no idea how to keep the boat from going in circles. Once when he was especially frustrated he yelled, “Johanna what is the shortest distance between two points?!” Ultimately I was able to steer only slightly less zig-zaggy than the other women in my level and so our team was set and ready to race. Sort of.

The first race I steered was in a mixed crew consisting of beginners and experienced paddlers. The race wasn’t until late afternoon, which gave me all day to become increasingly terrified. I would like to tell you that it went flawlessly. Except I can’t. The only way it could have gone worse is if I had flipped the boat. Not only did I zigzag like I was spelling my name, I lost the flag I was aiming for and had to ask another paddler where it was. We placed dead last by a ridiculous margin.

Yet here I am about to start my second season. The first half of the racing season consists of series of short fast races referred to as Regattas. Regatta racing uses Koa wood Outrigger canoes. These are hard, sleek, fast and beautiful. They are also extremely expensive and sacred. As a new steersman I have nightmares of humiliating myself by ramming into another boat during a race, just as one team did to our men’s crew last season. This fear is one reason I am able to get up at dawn to practice.

Another reason is that paddling into the sunrise is one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had. Here in Hawaii it is still dark at 6:00am when we slide our boats quietly into the water. The moon lights up the bay and the stars are just beginning to fade in the sky. The energy of the paddlers is still sleepy and soft. This time of year we see mother and baby whales surface near our boats and we glide by. Even the few early morning surfers are silent as they sit waiting for the waves. Often the scent of woodsmoke drifts across the water as the sun’s rays penetrate into the blue depths. It is magical. And I realize that I am blessed to be a part of it all.

You do not need to be young and fit to enjoy Outrigger Canoe paddling. You don’t have to race if you don’t want to. Most clubs have a recreational paddler membership. They will teach beginners in a way that is safe and fun. Go to this site: http://www.y2kanu.com/links.htm and contact a club near you for more information. You will discover a whole new world.

copyright © 2009 by Johanna Kim

This year the Women’s Pipeline Pro will be have their holding period from March 31st to April 14 on the infamous Banzai Pipeline on Oahu’s North Shore.  They will hold 3 days of competition from 8 am to 4 pm in women’s longboarding ASP (Association of Surfing Professionals), shortboarding ASP, and bodyboarding IBA (International Bodyboarders Association) allowing 180 female competitors coming from all over the world.  This year will mark 20 years for the Women’s Pipeline Pro which began on 1988.  The Pipeline Pro was orginally started by women bodyboarders, who were the first ever to charge this male dominated surf break.  This year’s purse is the highest in 20 years at $50,000.

This year, pro surfers have teams up with Girl Scouts of Hawaii to help celebrate Women’s leadership.  Pipeline Pro’s 2009 contest theme is courage, confidence, and character, which are common threads between female surfers and scouts.  The women’s surfing community is hoping to inspire young girls to become leaders and live a healty active lifestyle and excel in sports.  This year’s contest will be  dedicated to Women leaders who help make surfing what it is today.  One of those leaders is Patsy Mink a Hawaii congresswoman from the 1970s who worked hard for equal rights for women.  Because of the legislation that was passed by Mink, the Patsy T. Mink Equal Oppurtunity in Education Act of 1972,  women were able to get federal funding to play sports in school.  

The Hawaii women’s surf community is excited and fully charged for this years Pipeline Pro.  As a female surfer I feel women’s surfing has come a long way.  Women are only now being more respected and recognized in the water for their strengths and accomplishments.  Young girls growing up can look forward to becoming anything they want to be including fierce waterwomen.  My good friend, professional bodyboarder Ayako Ancheta is sitting this contest out this year, but only because she is 8 months pregnant.  She has competed in the world tour from 2000 to 2005 and she is an excellent example of a strong water sportswoman.  Not only does she work as a real estate agent, she is also already a proud mother of a three year old son, and she still finds time to surf the north shore with me, pregnant and all.  Women like Ayako give young girls much to look up to.

Ayako & Taryn after surfing V-land, photo by Larry Haynes

The winter season has been “epic” for the North Shore of Oahu.  The Vans Triple Crown of Surfing completed all three jewels with great competition. Swells have been piling up keeping all the surfing enthusiasts from around the world making the pilgrimage to breaks like Pipeline and Sunset.

This week, marked the largest surf arriving to the Hawaiian islands with wave face heights predicted to reach 35 feet. All this buzz is creating anticipation that the Quicksilver Eddie Aikau Big Wave Event at Waimea Bay will go off. The event, which has a holding period of 3 months, has only occurred 7 times in the past 23 years with the most recent being just over 3 years ago in December of 2005. I was able to make that one, and believe me, you want to take off of work and make it up there.

The Eddie is an invitation only event to honor legendary big wave surfer Eddie Aikau who passed away more than 30 years ago trying to save shipmates from a terrible storm. The best big wave riders in the world travel to the North Shore of Oahu to compete in a paddle only surfing event that happens when conditions are right. Paddle only means no watercraft tow-in, and conditions being right are 30 foot plus wave face heights.

So will the Eddie go in 2009?

Well this week has brought massive surf to the Hawaiian islands with wave heights expected to reach 30 feet. However, the week has also brought poor conditions, with wind gusts reaching 60 miles per hour, rain causing the bay to turn brown and surf that just looks choppy.

Looks like the Eddie Aikau Invitational won’t go this week from the most recent article at the Quicksilver site, here, but we’ll be tracking the progress and let you know as soon as we know.

Sunday at "Brown" Lanikea's Surfbreak

After Thursday’s massive rain storm and rain showers all weekend, Sunday was the first real sunny day.  I was happy to venture out of my house and maybe do some surfing.  The winds were perfect and the conditions would be right for me, so I thought.

I went around the eastside past Kualoa and began to see the sea of brown.  The sea of brown continued all the way up the coastline getting browner as I went up north.  Velzyland and Sunset looked a disappointing brown and there were about a handful of surfing on the clean 2-4 foot Hawaiian scale size surf.  I thought I should check all the breaks just in case and continued up to Haleiwa, but to my dismay it got even browner as I passed Waimea Bay.

Hawaii State Officials have warned residents to stay out of streams and coastal waters that have turned brown and murky by storm waters since  Thursday’s downpour.  These waters and flooded areas may contain chemical pollutants or harmful micro-organisms from overflowing cesspools, septic tanks, as well as animal feces.  The Department of Health even issued a Brown Water Advisory for all of Hawaii until conditions clear.

After remembering all this information and staring at the dark brown water all morning I decided against risking my health.  There are many things I will sacrifice for surf such as work, family functions, or even a boyfriend, but after careful deliberation I decided that getting leptospirosis (a bacterial infection) was not the sacrifice I was willing to take today.

To the few surfers I did see in the water I wish you good luck.  I envy you for getting clean, uncrowded North Shore to yourselves, but I don’t envy you for all the bacteria that you may have ingested into your body.

Hawaii made it to another bowl a year after Colt Brennan lead the team to it’s first ever BCS birth with an undefeated regular season.  Although it’s not quite a BCS, Hawaii has something to cheer about with this years bowl selection.

Good for the football program of UH and also good for Hawaii tourism in general is the selection of Notre Dame to play the University of Hawaii in this years Hawaii Bowl on December 24th, 2008 at Aloha Stadium.   The Warriors, 7-6, will take on a struggling 6-6 Notre Dame.

Notre Dame, who’s strength of schedule is usually a high point, played some weaker teams this year and still had a subpar season.  Charlie Weis was on the verge of being fired before a late contract renewal and the Notre Dame hopefull didn’t think they’d be seeing a bowl game this year.

Hawaii on the other hand played above what the critics thought after loosing several key starters such as Colt Brennan to the draft and also their head coach, June Jones.  The surprise leaving of June Jones, coming after an undefeated season, left new comer Greg McMackin with some big shoes to fill.

The game also comes as a big boost to Hawaii tourism which has been suffering lately with the economic turmoil that has most of America and the world cutting down on vacations to paradise. Tickets for the game have been selling fast and with the game coming in the middle of the week, on Christmas Eve, the hope is that most people will make an extended trip of it. The Notre Dame faithful is usually represented well at any bowl game so there can be hope that Charlie Weis will be able to convince them to make the trip to Honolulu with him.