Lately I have been putting a BEACH CHAIR in the van- the wind has been playing games with us over here on Maui. If no wind, I want to be resting!!!! I have a 5 year old boy that runs me into the ground....

I always take my Tabou 3S 96 along for the ride. A big board can turn a lame day into a great day. For all of you out there saying a 96 liter board is not that big, I'm sorry to rub it in but for Maui, this is all I need! Yes, we are spoiled. This is not a board I would ride at Hookipa. It is a perfect machine to get me planing early, cruise through the chop and boost some big airs if the opportunity arises! I love it when that happens.....

One thing I never forget is my 5.0 Manic- this sail gets used almost everyday I'm in the water. Light wind, high wind.... it doesn't matter. I tune it for 28 knots down to 11 knots and make it work. This makes my life EASY! I get to the beach and just rig up. I don't go down look at the water, I can feel it. My 5.0 and me are like peas and carrots-

Duct Tape- Would you ever leave home without it? Like they say if you can't fix it with duct tape or a hammer, buy a new one! One Disclaimer: Don't think that duct tape will fix the ding on the nose of your board either- you are better off taking a hammer to it and forcing yourself to fix it correctly.

My GO PRO HERO 3 likes to come with me everyday. Charged and ready for some work and play- I use this as one of the greatest teaching tools out there. When you see what you are doing right and wrong, it is easy to get your attention! You think you might be bending those knees but look right here, those knees are straight! And why are you looking down at your feet all the time? Look where you want to go..... always! Sounds so simple right? And if anyone at GO PRO is reading this, I'm ready for that new HERO 4 Black Edition.....

How about you guys? Post  away in the comments section..... let's see what we can add to our list!

What a week! We had it all….. some light wind, some high wind, some big waves, some small waves, rain, rain and even a HURRICANE!!! The best part about these clinics are the people Shawna and I get to meet and the stoke that we all share for having fun and striving for perfection!

The theme of the week was to “focus on form” and engrain the correct form and techniques into the brain. Finding flow all happens before you hit the water. Take some breaths and do some mental stretches of what you are going to do, how you are going to do it. Practice perfection at all times and it will translate onto the water. Always remembering it is OK to fail, and it is GOOD to get frustrated because you know you are not doing something correctly- Like a quarterback in the Super Bowl throwing an interception on his first pass, in order for him to FLOW he has to let go of that and get back in the GAME!

For me it was definitely a GET BACK in the GAME opportunity- I have been out with a dislocated and broken shoulder for the last 2 months after a mtn bike crash- It was good for me to be able to quietly empathize for what most of our students are going through with soft hands and muscles not ready to take 4 and 5 hour days on the water! Like they say, its just like riding a bike…. in my case i probably shouldn’t think like that, HA HA!

A few screen-grabs to share from the GO PRO Hero 3 taken off my helmet cam. I love my office…….

Lip Smac for Carl

When is the best time to go to Baja Wave Camp? How big will the waves be? What about the wind? Do I need a wetsuit? All these questions don’t really have an exact answer- this is what makes the adventure and experience so great! Solo Sports says it best in their tag line, “You just don’t know till you go!”

Go Camimlla…..

Go Camimlla…..

My advice, go whenever you can! We have a great program at our Baja Wave Camps and no matter what, you are gonna have a great time. It has been 8 years since my right hand man Kevin McGillivray (aka Kmac or Ksmac) and I have been doing these camps. Ksmac is a California ripper who knows Punta San Carlos very well. Between the both of us we have a few decades of experience. San Carlos is known to be one of the best places in the world to learn to wave ride and we love teaching all the techniques required for you to catch your first wave or do your first aerial off the lip!

Ksmac showing how it is done!

We had 5 girls charging on and off the water!

David caught his first wave and was all smiles!

We just finished our 3rd and final Baja Wave Camp of the 2014 season and what a blast it was! The wind showed up everyday- 8 days of solid action packed learning and fun. What makes these camps so great are the guests. Something about windsurfing attracts AWESOME people and I say that with utmost sincerity. We become family. New found friends are cheering for each other. It is a team effort and effect. We turn windsurfers into wave sailors! All these great pics compliments of Mark at Lucky Beanz to give you a taste! Come join us when you can, dates for 2015 are already set below-

April 25- May 2/ July 25- Aug 1/ September 19-26

Team Norway

Team Texas JetMaster to the lip!

Team Texas JetMaster to the lip!

Big Airs off the Bomby!

All smiles all week long!

Kevin won the 2014 AWT Starboard Hatteras Wave Jam in the Outer Banks, North Carolina this week!

He will now compete in the last event of the 2014 American Windsurfing Tour – the Aloha Classic, which will take place on Maui between October 29 and November 11. This will be his chance to grab the overall 2014 AWT title.

Way to go Kevin!

Unkle Kevy called me up and asked if I wanted to go for a surf.. i thought hhmmmm.. well i am pretty bored at home, and it is so so hot, what could be more fun than a little dip in the ocean. I know uncle Kevy doesn’t like the beach much so i know we won’t be long… Sure I can go for a surf…

We get in the car and leave with in ten minutes.. wow that was pretty fast. this is not normal.. Wow.. uncle Kevi drives different than mom and dad…

we go down to the beach and it is pumping!!  Way too big for me.. I say Unkle do you think those sets will be ok for us out there??? Looks pretty big… Mom would never let dad and I go out in those waves… of course he says it will be fine. As we walk down to our launch spot, i can see in unkle Kevys eyes that it was getting pretty big.. he still remains calm and we hit the water!!! First set come rolling through, and I hear unkle utter under his breath, oh boy.. I feel him scraping for the channel as a massive set comes nearly closing out pavillians at hookipa.. glad i didn’t listen to him telling me we didn’t need my life jacket.. As I think I am just going to make it over the set, all the sudden we swing the board around and drop in on the biggest wave of the day.. I was going to be happy just to get over the set, and now we are riding what seems to be at least triple over head … Bumping and bucking down the wave, he rips me up to my feet.. .ohhhhh unkle.. not sure about this…

After a few sets on the head and some great waves, I manage to talk unkle into heading to the beach.. lets cruise unkle.. I know he likes cruising.. So we head down the beach, and man all these girls start talking to unkle… i think they were all wondering if I was unkle kid but he seemed to manage it pretty well. I love unkle kevys friends..

So unkle kevy and i were starving!~~ he managed to convince me to go to Mana and get a snack but on the way down, i said how bout pizza!!! Well that was easy to convince unkle.. he looks like he needs to loose a bit of weight but a nice little pizza won’t hurt… We walk in and unkle asks me if I want a beer.. Thanks for reminding me, YESSS a root Beer!!! Mom would never let me have one!! Pizza and a ROOT BEER.. This is great… just the perfect ingredients for a nice big fat stomach ache…

We plowed through the pizza, barely saving any for later, and combined with the carbonation from the Rootbeer… AWWWe this is going to be a killer ache…as I was powering down my last slice of pizza.. unkle Kevy reminded me to save room for ICECREAMMMMMM… unkle Kevy is so so smart.. no wonder he is so BIG and strong….

Well sure enough.. That ice cream was AMAZZZZING.. Pizza… Amaaaziiinggg… Root beer, maybe not so much… but the stomach ache afterwards… WHY UNKLE….. I guess mom was right… sometimes the pleasure is not worth the pain.. Anyhow, I had a pretty fun day with Unkle… he is not so bad after all.. I will take back a couple things i said about him…