JASON POLAKOW
Windsurfing Kona lanes is so special to me because you only get a handful of days throughout the year, and when it’s on it’s usually epic. I also love sailing this spot because it’s never crowded and most days you’re just sailing with a few close mates. I keep my gear the same for these Lanes days. I don’t really get to practice much on port tack but I am a goofy foot surfer so that helps me out for sure. I also sail Cloudbreak most years and that wave is just like Lanes so that training also helps me out.
This particular day was exceptional due to the wave / wind direction. I had so many fun waves in the morning I lost count of how many I had. One of the funniest things I like to do when the close-out sets come through is to drop-in as fast as I can and hit the lip as late as possible and try to fly as high as I can. I get a real buzz from that and it’s a kinda standard must do for me when I’m in the water and those big sets are coming through.
The morning session was epic but the afternoon session for me was a disaster. I broke a mast trying to get out through the channel in the afternoon session and once that happens you’re in trouble. When the surf is big the current drags you from the channel into the Ho’okipa right-handers. There is no choice but to get one of these barrelling waves on the head. If you don’t, the current will just take you out to sea. The trick is to get your gear as far across as possible because otherwise you will end up in the channel again and the same thing happens over and over until you get lucky and end up on the rocks at Ho’okipa. It took me an hour of swimming to finally get to the rocks where I got absolutely pounded and destroyed the rest of my gear. I was so tired by the time I got back to the car I said to myself I was done for the day. That was until Levi Siver showed up and convinced me to rig up and try again. It was so epic out there, Robby had 10 foot Lanes all to himself! I just had to give it one more shot. I jumped into the water and waited for a set to come through before committing to the channel. I was almost out the back when another close out set came through. I could not believe it, two back-to-back sets. I jumped off my gear and tried to hang onto my boom. The mast broke again and I knew I was in for another big swim to get to the rocks. The 2 hours I spent in the water I did not catch one wave. I was thinking of all the good waves Robby and Levi were getting which really pissed me off. By the time I got back to the car I was so exhausted I just sat back and watched the boys get their few last waves before the sun went down. It was a tough day for me but I loved every minute of it, ha ha!