HO’OKIPA
Devout wave sailors mostly stick to Ho’okipa as their ‘go to’ spot. From dawn through to around noon the surfers generally have control. If there are more than ten in the water, then it’s a no go for windsurfers and on top of that, if there are more than five windsurfers, kitesurfers are also forbidden. Consequently quite often a few kites might sneak out at the beginning of the day but once the windsurfers hit the water then they are out of luck. The lifeguards at the yellow tower police the water and will sound a buzzer if anyone is infringing the rules. Come late afternoon when the wind dies then the break is handed back over to the surfers for the last few hours. So with waves in high demand at Ho’okipa it is not surprising that there are very few sets from dawn right through until dark that go unridden. Somehow through all that chaos pretty much everyone that hits the water can score a slice of the pie. Obviously the more aggressive you are or the better you are the bigger your slice will be but there are usually a few scraps to please everybody and you will always hear a few ‘wows’ on the beach at the end of the day.
Back in the late eighties and through the nineties, there was much more of an anti-Euro vibe at Ho’okipa. The Maui locals used to mock the likes of Dunkerbeck, Bringdal and other blonde haired racers that were competing at the huge spring and autumn wave events each season. In those days all the racers had to do the wave events in order to compete for the overall title. Needless to say, Dunkerbeck soon quietened down his critics when he won the Aloha Classic and beat all the Hawaiian locals, en-route. Fast forward to the present and the atmosphere both on and off the water has much more of an Aloha feel about it. Of course when it’s busy the odd temper can fray on the water but all in all, Ho’okipa is pretty relaxed both on and off the water. Ho’okipa’s legacy makes it a special place for windsurfing. Many reckon this is the one break any wave sailor must master to ultimately prove their worth! Titles have been won and lost here, reputations fought for and new moves invented.
When the swell is pumping, so come the tourists, many watching from the top car park as you drive into Ho’okipa. On the hill to the left and down on the rocks the photographers hungrily gather, waiting like a pack of sharks hoping to hunt down the elusive ‘shot’. Big wave days in Maui are truly spectacular and are normally full of drama as the brave take on nature’s power in a close knit battle between agony and ecstasy. Those that are unfortunate enough to be washed over the rocks have to pray not only does their kit survive but also their bodies as the surging whitewater slams them against the boulders.
Meanwhile for those that earn their stripes by shredding the big waves and nailing the big moves its payday for their sponsors as the likes of Jimmie Hepp snaps all the action for social media. Late in the afternoon, the sets rolling in down at Lanes always look incredible as the glistening wave faces plume with spray. Ho’okipa is probably the most photographed windsurfing spot on the planet and during the spring it can literally become a circus with all of the windsurfing shoots in town.