Windsurf Magazine OnlineMAUI KONA SESSION!

Sarah Jackson reports from a stunning light-wind Kona day on Maui; one that convinced her to ditch the windsurf gear and put her new camera setup to work instead. Judging by the shots she captured, it’s safe to say she made the right call.

Photos: Sarah Jackson / JackoPix

Click on any picture to enlarge and scroll through the gallery!

KONA SUPRISE

It’s been a weird Maui season for conditions so far – I feel like two years ago I had double if not triple the days in the water, but maybe that’s hindsight playing tricks on me. We’ve had lots of days of east winds in the last 6 weeks – blowing strong and gusty offshore, where even the top pros made it look tricky at times, but that was interchanged today with Kona winds – a wind that comes from the opposite direction leading to rare port tack conditions.

: Matteo Iachino

These days are few and far between in Maui, and often tricky and hard to forecast the best time when they do appear. Around 1:30pm the guys started to head out, and as one hit the water, the rest followed. First Matteo Iachino, then Morgan Noireaux, Robby Swift, Marcilio Browne and Tom Reuveny (Paris 2024 iQ Foil Gold Medalist) all trickled out – I say this because today was the definition of float (or sink) and ride. It was suuuuuper light and very much why I decided to crack out the camera rather than destroy all my gear!

: Robby Swift

: Light winds but butter smooth waves

: Morgan flying high

: Marcilio wrap

: Big air from Marcilio

: Marcilio Browne flying high

ON THE ROCKS

Wipeout of the day went to Marcilio Browne for a huge mid-aerial bail and was probably one of my favourite sequences of the day, but most gear destroyed had to go to Robby Naish.

: Wipe out of the day!

The man, the myth, the legend. Unfortunately, no amount of local knowledge or world titles stopped him from paying his taxes to the Ho’okipa rocks today.

: Robby Naish on the rocks

As he launched, the already dropping wind got even lighter and he was wobbling through the current as a huge set rolled through the channel. He held on to the gear through the first couple, but it was ultimately ripped from his hands and landed in the rocks where it eventually came to rest, with only the boom still in one piece – everything else destroyed!

: Even Robby Naish goes on the rocks!

It was awesome to witness the top guys ripping out there and navigating the tricky conditions and seeing Robby destroy everything was validation that sitting on the cliff was the best place for me to be today!

Beautiful Kona action from Maui!