Live, Love, Laugh,...DREAM!: are the Wind Gods listening to me?

Mar 24, 2013

are the Wind Gods listening to me?

I've been hanging out on the island of wind.... blessed with some of the best downwind runs in the world. I however managed to fly here on the week with the best swell and no wind... hmmm.. not a good combination for downwinding... I came here to figure out how to downwind, a skill that will be key to my success on the Molokai crossing. The wind and swell have been teasing me and playing hard to get. I have been able to learn to catch waves and yesterday I moved up in the world.... being on a wave board and in the bigger surf (albeit still skirting the BIG surf... remember: baby steps...) Yesterday afternoon however the wind started to pick up... unlucky for me it was in slightly the wrong direction. It was N instead of N E... so a downwind was not possible... However Jeremy and I did manage to get out and paddle against the wind and do mini downwinds back to shore... we did laps... Here, I realized I really needed the Wind Gods to start blowing in the right direction because I was ready to put it all together... there is a ton to think about, watch, and know on downwind runs... The way the water is moving, the way your board is moving, how to move on your board to catch, ride and catch the waves. I think I know what the main things are but NOW I need to feel it and actually experience it. I am definitely a kinesthetic learner... in other words I need to do it and feel it to learn it and remember it.

So, this morning as I sit on Randy's amazing porch, and watch those smoke stacks, I am hoping that they tilt in the proper direction..... but FIRST I will go and help clean out Maliko Gulch... They had been hit by a storm and flood and the community is getting together to help clean it up.