Taka Secrets?
I have no idea what I did to please the taka Gods enough for them to bless me with the power to pull that move. I’ve been doing them since I was 12 and was the first to consistently do them in down-the-line conditions, pioneering the carving taka. Somehow that move just works for me.
What is the atmosphere like on the water at Ho’okipa these days, is it still quiet aggressive or is it mellower than the old days?
Way more mellow than the old days! Back in the 80s it was all aggression and fights. It mattered how long you’d been on Maui by the month. My dad was part of the very first generation of windsurfers at Ho’okipa, way back in 1981, with Mike Waltze being the pioneer. I hear a lot of stories from him about Ho’okipa in the 80s being a gnarly place, tales of very well-known pros beating people up in the shorebreak because they were new to Ho’okipa and not respecting the rules. Ho’okipa is definitely more friendly than then. It might be hard to catch waves as a tourist, but you definitely won’t get beaten up.