Master Blaster from the Past

This guy and I learned to kite together over 20 years ago - and here we are still playing in the water together!

The equipment has changed (for the better), the crowd on the beach is different than when we first started, and we are both grayer, but that's about all that has changed!

Pretty epic session - but an odd thing happened - we both ended our sessions with equipment failures.  I lost the screws on my left foot strap and Nick split his foilboard in two.

Time to break out the sander!!!!

Made Some More Progress on the Foil

I broke out the bench sander and blew through the last of the bulk sanding.  On the fuselages I got the tail upcuts and the noses rounded out. 

Then I shifted over to getting the tail wings roughed in.

All of this work actually went very quickly.  I think I stuck a 30 grit belt on the sander the last time I used it.  And the horsepower in the motor - doesn't stop or bind for anything!  I really should have done this earlier.  I'll use the plugged random orbital sander this week to get the shapes all dialed in.  That'll get me in position to start laminating sometime in the next couple of weeks.

If Money Were No Object...

Super light weight, small wave riding awesomeness -

But money is an object and so are efforts to pay off a 19 panel PV system sitting on my roof.  Someday...

Spending the Day in Kailua and Heeia

So while the kids were learning racing and seamanship tactics, I got in some fishing on the Marine Base. First at the Fuel Pier - I didn't get any bites, but the water was really clear and I did take a few shots at a huge Aha (Crocodile Needlefish). Pulling away from the Marina, I saw this Hobie tucked away in the corner (nice boat). Then at the upper beach at Fort Hase. I didn't catch anything at this spot either. Afterwards I picked up La and we checked out the usual haunts in Kailua. Here is Starboard's SUP foil - pretty big foil compared to the kiting foils - different loads, different surface areas. And Kailua General Store moved over to the main drag through town. Their new digs are cool (but parking is harder than their old location). so we could get a bite to eat at Heeia Pier. Yummy lau lau plate and poke. The inside of the Heeia Pier Shop is really cool - they even had their modified Big Green Eggs out on display (I'm going to have to look into these chimneys). We saw some squid (larger than the last time we visited this spot), a scrawled filefish (smaller one) and a ton of other reef fish. After lunch, I took La back to the clinic and headed out get some errands done (like getting a new tip for the kite rod - that's another post).

Foils

After the race, Marlon and I went to checkout the Hawaiian Watersports Shop in Kailua. They've moved into the old Outrigger Connection shop right next to the Kailua General Store. They always have nice boards in the shop, but add to that these Slingshot Foils. With all the buzz on the internet from Kai Lenny downwind SUPing and shortboarding on boards with foils, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't interested. But the cost is pretty steep - cue the light bulb going off on top of my head - balsa core, carbon wrapped made at home by hand foil!!! Now I'm looking at how I'd have to adjust a finbox or add a secondary box to a board in order to use the foil. I've got all the material in the garage - but none of the time just yet. May have to wait a bit...