JC: How many times during a Ho’okipa session do you get the perfect set up to bust out the moves you want?
MB: Sometimes it takes days to score the perfect set up, sometimes it happens a couple times per session. Mostly it depends on wind and swell direction and the crowds. It is easier to find set ups for goiters and takas I would say. Getting the ideal set up for a big rail turn or a carving 360 takes more time, at least for me. The thing is, Ho’okipa as a location is great, the waves are good, consistent and super fun to sail, but most days they are choppy, and to find those clean spots is hard. To nail a rail to rail turn your board has to be on the water the whole time, the cleaner it is that becomes easier obviously. For takas and goiters you are spinning in the air, so all you need is to find a lip that can you push you up and that’s it.
JC: What boards are you riding right now?
MB: At Ho’okipa I ride an 86 litre Goya quad pretty much every day. I love quads, the speed, the projection, the drive. They really accelerate as you turn, without requiring too much wind on the sail, and that is what I love about them, the forward drive they have. Also the quads are great for finishing turns all the way around, without skipping out towards the end.