A few more pici's have surfaced...not the sexiest look on the planet, but one has to protect one's delicate English complextion! BTW that's Meesh about to launch her kite near the water.
Thanks to Alex's hubby Dan for taking this shot from the jet ski.The experience is a little like aging in reverse, it’s the 48year old who’s psyched to go in the first place and packs all the gear, water and snacks. Yet the mental dissension has already started before I depart and I often have a back up plan (the gym or a bike ride). I call it 'exercise triage' so that in the face of feeling like a complete loser, my little kid still gets to play and doesn't totally miss out on all the fun should those bastards 'the excuses' win the upper hand.
Let’s just say that it’s happened more than once - that by the time I get to the beach I’ve now become an insecure, timid and apprehensive eight year old that won’t even think about rigging up without a hand to hold or a word of encouragement. So given all that, it’s pretty humorous what I ended up doing yesterday!
It must have been a slow day for The Gods to set up the amusing the comedy of errors that ensued. First I’d not gone to bed until midnight the night before but was so happy to see a sunny day I was up early and raring to splash about a bit. A miscommunication between GP and me had my truck perfectly parked at Kanaha for the events that were about to unfold. It was there that it became apparent that he had no intention of accompanying me on my first down winder (cue waning enthusiasm from Paley). In a fraught move to find a baby sitter for me we called Meesh who informed us about 50 woman were about to do a group down winder from Hookipa to Kanaha. GP must have been silently praying his arse off to pull that one off!
Here we are leaving Spreks after a short break for water, snacks and helicopter shoot. I've pinched these photo's from Tatiana's blog without her permission and hope she doesn't mind. To pay her back energetically let me say this, she and her pals created a fabulous safe and fun environment for all kinds of Maui women to come and spread their butterfly wings. They clearly had done their homework and were both well sponsored and well organized. I'm sure this is just one more step toward her manifesting others bigger and more adventurous water dreams to come true. Nice one sistah!
So bottom line, not only did I not have time to regress I got a rash guard, a lei, a helicopter photo shoot, pizza and many happy faces to accompany me on the watery road to confidence. As a bonus The Gods threw in Kauli to skeg at (who while devilishly handsome, also looks if he's wearing a party hat at a jaunty angle-which he's not!) If all this were not reason enough to buck up my doubts that the water is a fun place to be, I don’t know what would.
Anyway, I’d like to thank my sponsors, GP for encouraging me to do it and his loaning me his paddle, Ulli for lending me his perfect board and Meesh for her shock and delight at spotting me in the front of the pack (instead of bringing up the rear) as she gracefully kited around all the human buoys exuding joy and happiness as she so naturally does.
‘Twas big fun and I will do it again.
