FULL HOUSE
12am: By midday pretty much all of the 170 parking spots at Ho’okipa are filled with even more late comers trying to squeeze in. Ho’okipa is packed both on and off the water. The waves are solid mast high which does keep the numbers down slightly but there are still fifty or so sailors battling for waves, with the Pryde guys still shooting in the thick of it all.
1pm: Just to add to the drama, Ricardo Campello decided to fly his drone over the water at Ho’okipa. The four blade quad copters are becoming a common sight at windsurfing and surfing beaches round the world and offer a relatively cheap, heli perspective of the action. Ricardo almost seems as fearless with his drone as he is out on the water windsurfing.
2pm: It is my turn for a ride in the helicopter for the Fanatic/ North Shoot and it looks as if I have lucked into some of the biggest sets of the day. The thrill of being up above the waves just a few feet away from sailors smacking huge aerials is pretty awesome. We are up above Ho’okipa right over the rocks and it’s pumping and regardless of any fear the riders will be forced to hit any section that confronts them when the helicopter is overhead.