20: How many times have you sailed Jaws?
I’ve sailed it 5 times now total and it has been an adrenaline rush every time.
21: Do you get scared out there or do you find it a fun place to sail?
Both, I’m always scared. Especially before I catch my first wave, after that it’s easier to relax a bit more. At the same time as being scary Jaws is also so fun, because some of the waves there are perfect. I’ve caught a few amazing ones that allowed me two or three turns and were completely glassy. Those are unreal, but really hard to find. I’ve been there times when it was choppy, gusty and not that much fun, but everyplace is like that, there are good and bad days. A sick day at Jaws is unbelievable.
22: Have you had any nasty wipe-outs or scary moments out there?
I’ve only had one wipe-out there and it wasn’t too bad. The wave wasn’t huge on a Jaws scale plus I had a life vest on. So when I crashed it seemed like it was so deep, but also I came back up to the surface quickly. It was still a big wave and the first moment I realized I’d crashed I was petrified, but then it was over way quicker than I thought. I was lucky. I’ve had way worse wipe-outs at Ho’okipa on big west days with so much heavy current!
23: Do you ever get tired or bored of sailing Ho’okipa every day during the winter in Maui?
Some times I do, I always go jumping down the coast or to Waiehu when that happens. Ho’okipa can have times when it’s so crowded it becomes ridiculous. At those times of year I time my sessions for before or after everyone. Some days when everyone is there shooting I don’t even bother and just go sailing somewhere else. There are so many fun places to sail in Hawaii. You don’t have to be at Ho’okipa to have fun. Sometimes after two months of down-the-line it’s good fun to go sail dead onshore in Waiehu.
24: What moves have you been working on?
At the moment it’s Push-Forwards, no-handed Goiters, and I’m still trying that Double Air-Taka. I’m also working on improving my turns.