Looking back on this day I can’t help but feel like a bit of moron having earlier made the call to ‘’take off, it looks crap.” Photographer John Carter and Starboard boss Svein Rasmussen had the text I sent in one hand, held up next to the screen of the camera a shot taken of me riding a double mast high wave in the other. Well, it just goes to show you can’t always be right! Story: Scott McKercher Pics: John Carter
(This feature originally appeared in the July 2012 issue of Windsurf Magazine. Print and digital subscriptions for readers worldwide are available HERE.)
Sailing Jaws has never been an overwhelming goal I have felt I had to accomplish, but if given the opportunity, was always something I would like to say I have done. And there I was, sitting in a boat, having never sailed Peahi before, saying that we should be taking off.
In all my years of coming to Maui, a chance to sail Jaws has never lined up – either not having a massive swell, no boat or a boat organised but then not enough waves. Then out of the blue during Starboard’s photo shoot, a mediocre Jaws-size day comes through on the radar. It started to unfold at dusk in the car park of Ho’okipa. Starboard boss Svein Rasmussen and SUP marketing manager Margareta were trying to figure out the best possibilities for the next day.
With Ho’okipa on the rise and looking like being closed out, the only options looked like Peahi or Outer Sprecks and the wheels of motion went into gear to try and organise which windsurf and SUP riders were going to get on Campbell Farrell’s boat at 5am.
To me, it all seemed overwhelming to try and arrange the boat, food, contacting of people and I rallied against the decision. But Svein and Margareta didn’t see obstacles and kept on working through all the logistics until late into the night.