Tuesday, January 06, 2009

Back on home turf (or maybe that should be surf).

Ahh yes, it's good to be back in the land of scantily clad youth!

This past Sunday I sat and watched a good show at Hookipa.


Here's Kai who's now 15.....


......and Bernd who's 12. Supreme confidence and an ability to really feel passion are (to me) the obvious perks of being such a good young sailor. Not to mention having so many big brothers and sisters at the beach looking out for you and treating you as a pier and not as a munchkin. Oh I'm sure there are a few challenges, but overall in the personality development department I think these two can thank their sailing for some traits that will serve them well in the future.

As always the hill was dotted with clusters of eagle eyed armatures, all (like me) wanting to get their own personal best shot.


Look out below....


I always wonder on these really high jumps if they get 'elevator stomach' on the way down? There's so many great sailors but in my limited observation only a handful really go for the super high ramping jumps. Is it too rough on the equipment (or the body) if they stuff it up, too lame a manoeuvre in this day and age of triples or do some of them just not have the stomach for it?

As an aside I love watching Luke sail. He sits on the shoulder in first gear waiting for the water to pitch up perfectly then he blasts down into the face of the wave and you can see him turning on the power, quickly into 2nd, charging into 3rd.... naught to (not exactly) sixty in a very short space of time. Then from 3rd he meets the lip and pulls out some insane manoeuvre and cruises out smoothly to sail to the rocks and do it all over again. And that ladies and gentlemen is about as technical as I'll ever get about anything-ever!


Now here's something you don't see every day (and the award for the most stylish wet suit goes to........)


Nor this....


T'was great to leave and 'tis good to be home.

8 comments:

Lano said...

Sharon, your brain must be on hold, even I spotted two spelling mistakes, fix them before your mum notices. Amateur and peers - that'll do it.

And was that a green full body rash suit? Surley its not cold enough for a wetsuit?

Anonymous said...

Welcome back, Sharon!

It must be auesome flying baak home frum vacation noing that yo'ure home is Maui!

I don't know about Lano, but I really don't mind the spelling mistakes!

See you in about 6 weeks! WOOOHOOO!!!

Ely

Anonymous said...

I think this blog should be called "spot the spelling mistakes".
Well done boys - I noticed naught as well. Surely, Lano the green wetsuited one might have been to even hotter climes and found Maui a little on the cool side?
I have to say your spelling makes my eyes water but, I'll put up with them, to read and enjoy your blog:-)

Mater x

Have you decided to keep the camera after your brother's lessons?

Unknown said...

Welcome home Sharon. When I click on your photographs to see the high resolution version I am amazed at the detail. Tell me again what camera you ended up with? It makes my iphone pictures look pitiful. Oh well, you can't take a phone call on your camera. Welcome back to paradise.

Sharon said...

Lano; I'm pretty sure it's a wet suit, I think it's fantastic and I think you should get one! Hey thanks for marking my homework ahead of the teacher, you gave me the inspiration for my next post.

Ely; Magnificent and you're hired as my official editor.

Mater; The camera is a keeper and the lessons helped but still don't produce the desired results at Hookipa......yet. Practice, practice.

TG: I have a Canon SX10 and for the most part I love it. I have the resolution on the 2nd to lowest setting so I can e-mail pic's, so they could be even sharper.

Anonymous said...

Ya, boo, sucks - editor's pet.
Have to say you must have thrown this particular entry together in a hell of a rush of enthusiasm.
Your spelling errors took me back to your school days. What was it your English mistress put on your report "Enthusiastic, but must try harder"?

Mater x

Anonymous said...

Good to see you are back Shaz, though we've not caught up yet. Maybe the Capricorn party on Sat night? Crickey, I think I've spell checked my comment 20 times to avoid ambush :)

Anonymous said...

I'm feeling like the Spelling Ogre.
Wouldn't dare correct your entry Meesh BUT I might cringe when reading it - that goes with the territory of having been a secretary and a medical secretary at that. Doctors are notorious for their appalling handwriting and spelling but as a secretary if you misspellt a word then woe betide the poor patient about whom you were writing. Some drugs have a nasty habit of being spelt very similarly so one had to be super-careful. Sorry but it's just something that's stayed with me. I confess I've double-checked a few spellings in my OED on this entry!!!!!!!!! Would hate to be hoisted by my own petard. Actually I think that might be "hoist" but, hey, even I'm human :-)

Mater x