ANTICIPATION
JC: How is the buzz leading up to the Aloha Classic?
LS: There are so many good guys on Maui for the Aloha Classic. We have all the local sailors, then a handful of PWA guys who sail here so much they are pretty much locals too.
The Aloha is a converging of the AWT and the PWA so it should be interesting. It’s just radical. Windsurfing is just so fun to watch. Everybody’s so much more tuned into what they ride now, they’re getting better boards from their shapers and most guys are looking a lot better on the wave.
I would not say that there are tonnes of good guys who could win a contest in Maui, but there’s a solid group of sailors that could be on the podium. Much more than any time in the past.
It almost takes the pressure off, because you kind of have to throw caution to the wind and just go out and sail. It’s kind of cool. Back in the day, the group of guys that could lock it down was a lot tighter.
This way, the whole event Turns into a show. It’ll be more of an exhibition of watching amazing head to heads and incredible windsurfing.
In the AWT final I was looking around and watching the guys do so many surf-oriented and influenced moves. I was seeing windsurfing right in front of me, how I visualized it some years back when I imagined it like a video game effect.
Wave sailing looks better now where it’s progressed more. It’s more fun to look at because the style is so much better. It makes you just want to get out there and windsurf.
From what I gather, the Aloha has pulled people from all Maui just to come down and make a point just to watch us sail. I think they’ll find it really exciting to watch.
To watch four guys on the water at Ho’okipa will be amazing. It’ll be great for the sport. A lot of people that live on Maui don’t even know the level of windsurfing until they come down to Ho’okipa.
So the Aloha will be good for the community as well as the sport overall. There are so many interesting battles lining up. There are so many good guys. I just have to go and have fun this time.