Wow, we had it all. Blue skies, soft wind, waves (small, but fun) a great bunch of people, fifty boards, 35 testers (growing to 50 as the day wore on) and lots of aloha. On the downside, we got too much breakfast and not enough lunch. Our biggest tester, Casey Trout, got out of the water too late–all that was left was rice. Casey said “I know all these guys and I know better than to be late in the lunch line–they’re like piranhas”. The video gear didn’t work that well, and it would have been nice to see an occasional set bigger than waist high. But really–it was near perfect.
Everyone chipped in at oh-dark-thirty to put on fins and leashes
We had a few boards and paddles to play with
Ashley manages to look gorgeous even when she’s soaking wet and feeling lousy–great surfer too! Super photogenic–we must have fifty shots of her and she looks wonderful even when her headache was at it’s worst.
Launiopoko was an ideal location
An 18 foot distance racer makes a fine surfboard–if you’re Mark Raaphoorst
Too bad these guys couldn’t figure out which end of the board to use. They went at it like this all day. They actually pulled off a tandem helicopter, though Zane got lost somewhere in the process.
The best part was the people. What a fine bunch of folks, fun to talk to, fun to surf with, just fun to be around.
We have thousands of great photos, some interesting video, a ton of data on the boards and paddles to put into the inaugural issue of Ke Nalu. We’ll be posting some juicy bits on Ke Nalu (www.kenalu.com) as we approach the official launch date of February 25th. Keep an eye on e Ke Nalu, some of the posts will only be up for a few days and then only available in the archives.
congratulations!
The surf gods were obviously smiling and respectful of all the hard work you & diane spent in creating the first annual. Can’t wait to see the Ke Nalu presentation of the testing results ( although it seems the true results of the day are already visible- the spreading of Aloha)
Bill/Diane – What a great time we all had. Can’t wait to see more pictures. Thanks for putting this on and your hospitality.
Aloha Bill & Diane,
Thanks for taking us in like family! We had such a great time at the Showcase, made some great new friends, and had so much fun! The photos look great, we can’t wait to see the rest!!
Looks great Bill. I am looking forward to the results but would also like to join in the fun next year. Can I get on the list to be considered as a participant (beginner category) for next year?
Thanks.
Looks like the event was a blast! And congrats on the planned launch of Ke Nalu. I’m sure we’ll all cross paths in the near future. I’m looking forward to sharing some waves with the Pono crew. Much Aloha!
Bill and Diane,
Wow!!! This event is such a great thing for the sport. My hats off to all involved this year. I will make sure to be there next year with you guys to lend a hand and have some fun..
Bill and Diane,
I am certain all agree, thank you for organizing that amazing experience! What a blast to test so many different SUP’s in one session – keep up the good work and see you walking on water. Mahalo nui loa!