We got on it early yesterday, fearing that the wind was going to get lighter and lighter throughout the day. As it turned out, that plan paid off. The 5.3 in the early session was just barely enough, to get up to Uppers and power back upwind after each ride. In contrast to the gnarly, bumpy conditions we got on Thursday, the swell yesterday was smooth and sweet and Uppers was setting up pretty well. Lots of clean head- to logo-high sets and only a handful of people at Uppers. Anytime I can get a wave where I can get three or four or more hits without having to dodge other sailors or kiters I’m stoked ,and the early session at Uppers was definitely one of those.

Some time after 12:30 the wind started getting noticeably lighter and it was getting harder and harder to get back upwind after a ride so I came in for a lunch break. I hadn’t really even bothered to check out Lowers earlier, but back on shore I could see that it looked like it was setting up really well too, with lots of long head-high + sets, albeit a bit more crowded than Uppers.

Maybe it was the bumpy conditions the day before or just so much knee flexion from wave riding, but my knees were killing me after that session and the wind was definitely getting lighter by the minute and turning more on shore, so I decided to de-rig and go check out Hookipa. A few arriving Kanaha regulars watched me de-rig incredulously, commenting on how the waves were supposed to get bigger in the afternoon. I just smiled to myself, pretty confident that I’d gotten the best combination of wind and wave conditions of the day. You gotta love that stoked feeling when you’ve scored a great uncrowded wave session.

After scoring a great wave session I love to go up to Hookipa and shoot photos and video. I was a little worried that the wind would be too light there and that the surfers would be dominating, but it turned out to be slightly windier than Kanaha (as it often is when the wind at Kanaha turns onshore), and lots of people out. As we we’re pulling into the park and driving down the hill, a big, clean mast-high + set was rolling in. Looked sweet!

Turns out that was the biggest set for the next hour or two that I sat on the bluff and rocks. I was a bit surprised that more big names weren’t out. Levi Siver and Keith Teboul were dominating on their green 2010 Goyas and Quatro quad fins. As I was leaving, Jason Polakow was hitting the water and I was able to get a shot or two of him.

More photos up at www.MauiWindsurfing.net. Video coming soon.