I'm writing from my favorite spot enjoying the warmth of french roast because the kihei house is humming with sounds; vacuum, garbage disposal and washing machine all before 09h and these sounds of normal living disturb my lounge lizard. ken hooked up the cable downstairs so I didn't skip a minute of the bachelorette last nite. I'm 4 seasons for 4 and hoping for 5 - who's it going to be? now that she's down to 3 shouldn't be too hard to choose so I'll make my prediction public - it'll be between ed and reed. and the winner is...ED! next week's episode is on maui too bad us10 didn't get the chance to give them a windsurf lesson. the last few seasons have shown the bachelor(ette) standing at the end of a long walkway forcing the 'would be engagee' to walk oh so far for the drama of it and there's been white caps in the background. wonder if it would be hard for me to concentrate on my engagement as the wind whipped my hair around whispering sail size in my ear! I might forego a session for a yellow diamond but then again...

does windsurfing really take the front seat? well, there is only one seat available in the safari so when the blondes and I get together we take the non-windsurfer's car. it's passenger limiting to have 4 boards; 3.3, 3.7 (x2), 4.0, 4.2, 4.5, 4.7, 5.0, 5.3, 6.9; 3 booms; 370 (x2), 400 (x2), 430, 460; 4 harnesses; 4 wetsuits; 4 ext; 2 bases; 5 pairs of shoes; zillions of hair ties; 9 bikinis; smattering of mags, and a case of cashew lara bars. how lucky am I? the only thing I'm missing is a piece of eye candy in the seat next to me...hint, hint! do I use all of my gear? of course besides you can always ask me to try something, I'll be happy to rig it up and send you out but I warn you, you might have such a great time you'll find yourself upgrading.

now that f192's hottie blonde is in town she has lit a fire under my lounge lizard which is a welcome change. she leaves the sailing to her man and understands when I fit a session in between coffee talk, tiffany's, pedicures and milagro margaritas. the wind has graced maui all week but the waves are said to be in pennsylvania as 5.0 romeo took time out of his schedule to paddle out to catch a few. this week's been about 'quad' talk with starboard's video finding it's way to my inbox, us0 testing tris and quads as well as one designer telling me it makes more sense to have 4 than 2. heck, I can barely handle 1 much less consider 4! would the pretty pink 4.2 poison feel at home atop a quad? I've unrolled her twice this week and you know how much joy she brings me and yesterday was pink day hope you enjoy the photos.

us10 has given me the opportunity to exchange a few '09 sails for 0'10s and you know how new gear makes me giddy even more than the planing gybe I pulled off when no one was looking or the handful of tacks I surprised my 69 pocket with yesterday! I unrolled the 4.7 black/pink (even sexier than all pink?) hd manic on thursday and it made quite a stir with the ozzie asking a zillion questions, another commenting on the graphics, thor making excuses to get a closer look, and simmer riders offering a mild heckling. hd is not my preference and the debate continues as to if all xply is stronger than monofilm, does it hold up better with the uv, is it tougher while getting washed, etc. etc. all to which I say "personally all xply is a no go for me as I like the clearest view possible." but for testing I rig what ever ends up finding it's way into the van.

after figuring out the specs and rigging it to my liking I stuck it on the 69 to give me an idea of it's range rather than putting it on my custom 78 pocket (one of the best boards you'll ever ride and is still for sale). I rigged it on a test mast so I'm not 100% sure if it was the mast, the sail or the combination but it was smoooooth, light, powerful, stable and went into the bottom turn without effort making me feel like I knew what I was doing! it's rotation was without pull but held power and almost makes me want to take back my statement 'there isn't a sail that can make you gybe'. I would have been out until dark but I a beauty appt., thai food, and the new johnny depp movie with the blondes had me wearing my watch.

friday was windy but instead of a quick session before work I found myself looking at f192's spouse knowingly the way only women do as we admired each other's stilettos! I've always been more of a gear girl (extra carbon please) than a girly girl so I enjoy finding balance between the two. adding an extra 4" is actually a sport which I practiced later that night as I skillfully crossed the street but stumbled with k42 being a proper british gent steadying me as the blondes rolled their eyes at my lack of stiletto skill! I think it might be as hard as gybing so when your woman pulls a pair out of the closet instead of wondering why all the fuss maybe you'll have more appreciation for her athletic abilities!

not much pro gossip as the pwa boys are on tour so the sightings are minimal. ka1111 headed to tahiti to chase waves, f192 is still fast and loving his jp boards, sui11 is letting everyone know why he holds more titles than anyone, den13 is still on injured reserve, arg3 was driving us3's rig around for the long weekend training as much as he could before heading out, ned0 and us10 are expecting their first born babies early august, us34 left maui feeling strong and not favoring his foot and us3 took a mini-break in the mts to rejuvenate. the 1st wives of windsurfing are used to this time of year when they don't see their men for a couple of months and have plenty of girl's nites planned.

I eventually made it to the beach today for a late session to discover everyone whining! most had unsolicited advice, trying to talk me out of rigging or telling me what to rig, many lasting 2 or 3 reaches before dragging back to the beach and most wondering why they even tried to windsurf. after shrugging off the nay sayers I rigged 3.7 with just enough pocket to handle the lulls but not too much to whip me around in the gusts. it was gorgeous out with the wind swell offering fun albeit bumpy action so I don't know what all the whining was about. yeah the wind lit me up on occasion but all that was needed was more weight in the harness, more bend into the gybe (tks kc9) and more focus in the wee waves while working on keeping speed into the bottom turn so I can get back up to the lip. it was a couple of hours before I missed a gybe so figured it was time to cut my losses and save some for tomorrow!

for those of you having it so rough today maybe you can blame it on the full moon. do you stop and gaze at it? do you feel the pull it has on you like the tides? do you watch the clouds pass over it encouraging your imagination? or do you let it go by like any other day? I enjoy the moon in all it's phases though when it's full it reminds me of what has been and what will be...

to honor the passing of michael jackson we hit the dance floor at jacques on friday nite as the dj mixed one after another. everyone had an mj story, misc. facts, their favorite songs, concert experiences and we all thought about our own mortality. how long do we each have on this planet? what am I going to do with my time? am I doing it? if not, why not?

wind with waves in june? unheard of! maybe that makes up for the 6 wks of no wind in may. I missed the first few days due to my simmer schedule and health stuff but the boys were happy to report they were sailing 4.2/4.7. josh stone reminded his fans that he might be retired but double forwards are no biggy and he still has all the moves. saturday's maui race series didn't lack wind and the wind swell made for some good action. the tourists admit to being exhausted but go out each day just in case the wind stops.

my week started with us10 putting me on sailing duty with a friend from san fran with payment being dinner at mama's but I asked for a dinner rain check since the bachelorette is on monday nites and she's down to 8 guys. us10 laughed but agreed. though he's not sailing, he's walking without canes or crutches barely looking like he broke BOTH of his legs. amazing! I arrived at kanaha to discover that I needed to rig for our friend which wasn't a problem but we had a gear debacle with one boom head bent and the other requiring new outhaul. the hpl's are great booms but to get the rope in/out of the outhaul is a pain in the arse requiring too many tools and too much time but I wasn't about to skimp on safety. once I got him on the water I turned to the sweet little 3.3 pink manic and rigged her up for the 3rd time. while I was pulling my downhaul one of the boys commented that he had never seen my toe nails unpainted in the 2yrs he's known me! laughing, I explained I was torn between sexy red and hot pink unable to make a decision for 3 days so I had to walk away from it! btw - pink won!

3.3 wind swell waves are not so smooth but they are waves nonetheless! my body still isn't back to full strength but I pushed it hard for a couple of hrs, jumping, riding every wave I could find and doing my best to keep up and hang on in the gusting up to 40 winds. after exploding hard more than once I knew it was time for one last reach and gave my sailing partner the "I can't take it anymore" signal. I keep meaning to put a smaller fin in the 69 pocket but have left that job to the swiss eye candy aka gear caddy and am hoping he gets here before the summer winds turn to winter waves.

us34 and ned0 were packing up after testing gear when ned0 admitted he was having trouble jibing on the outside so I didn't feel so badly! I asked how the boom load thingy worked and he reported that it gave them vital info on how much load the booms actually take. they will use this info to make better booms. t1 stayed on his slalom gear saying he got some unexpected air here and there. from what ka7 told me coming down hard on a slalom board will snap it quicker than a wave board due to their shape so racers are careful chop hopping and rarely jump. k57 said she abandon her 4.2 race sail for wave gear as there was too much wind.

tuesday was windy but my body was very unhappy with my monday session though my soul and spirit were elated so I had coffee talk with karen then made a gear delivery. I ended up rigging a 0'10 4.2 manic for the guy since it didn't have specs and he wasn't comfortable guessing. we discussed downhaul, outhaul, uphaul, inhaul, so by the time we were done I wasn't even tempted to rig up and run across the grass at sugar cove for a quick session. I love to talk gear but there comes a point when enough is enough for me so I headed back to haiku where I'm hanging with the hounds for a couple of weeks. besides the wind forecast shows no slowing down.

my favorite combo (as you might know) is the pretty pink 4.2 poison and the 69 pocket. it's just perfect! yes, I will get some shots for those of you who have requested lessons in fashion. with my toes pink it was a win win situation as I refused to do anything for anyone but myself on wednesday. uppers was still going off so I joined darrell, tammo (whom I met on a baja bus in 2005) and the hotsails boys for some action. sailing with the boys pushes me hard and is total entertainment. I love to watch them loop, pushloop, backloop, hit the lip and of course I can't help but heckle them while they are down in the pit which isn't very often. elan pulled a big forward upwind of me and appreciated my enthusiasm though we had a moment where he panicked as I went into a bottom turn and he turned into me but managed to get out of my way. ooops...no harm no foul!

I woke to my phone telling me that the swiss eye candy's return has been delayed so I took my disappointment to the beach where I found it blowing 3.7 or 4.2. not sure what to rig I took a minute to see how k42's new hd waterproof video camera was working. he's one of the crazies who races strictly for speed so asking him what to rig wouldn't have given me any satisfaction so I rigged my favorite combo. the hotsails boys were filming at uppers so I buzzed them with a howdee then stayed far away since I'm camera shy. the waves were a bit more sporadic, jacking up unexpectedly or flattening when I thought I'd caught one but they were still super fun. I was stacked (no not that kind it means 'wound up' in brit talk) on the poison which required me to stay focused. by the time I was back on the beach my disappointment had become the 'ahhhhhhhhhh' of windsurfing which led to my acceptance of life as it is.

windsurfing is the best therapy isn't it? it has seen me thru some rough times, it has taken me places I never thought I'd go, it has introduced me to people who have impacted my life, it has taught me much about timing and most of all it has helped me to enjoy the wave of life that is mine!

ahhhh...finally, back on the water! you know how it feels after being away from what you love the initial nervousness followed by peaceful familiarity. as uncomfortable as it can be letting go of something that brings me joy it often gives me a clearer perspective on what it is I like so much about it. truth be told, it's the commitment (yes the 'c' word) it takes that leads to the freedom that I love! most don't use those two words in the same sentence but when I'm committed I feel freer. confused? okay, hooked in utilizing my much improved stance 'commits' me to the rig allowing me to be at one with elements in turn giving me the freedom I love. admittedly, my commitment issues arise as I unhook and initiate the gybe but maybe that's something to work out with my therapist.

what did I do with all that time off the water? you know how my lounge lizard loves to stretch out and enjoy life but I managed to get it off the sofa to spend over due time with a friend from vail, bought makeup including red lipstick (shocking I know but hot!), ken arrived from japan so got him settled in, yard work, recycle, selling gear, coffee talk with the girls and am packed to spend a couple of weeks with the hounds in haiku.

monday I was anxious as I stepped onto the 69 with the sun shining, the water warmer, the 4.5 mission matching my bikini and the water crystal clear showing the reef. the sounds of whining from the beach about how flat it is were quickly out of range as I headed to uppers to play on the outside swell and practicing chop hops. t1 ripped by a few times and the local boys were training around the buoys. the brain and heart were ready for a couple of hours of elation but the body would have nothing to do with it so 1/2 hour is all I lasted. not good for my reputation that's for sure! I did take some heckling and heard my ego making a few excuses.

overall the week was windy but 'fluky'. it blew in a variety of directions, stopped then started or was gusty then consistent. most I talked with were frustrated and said 'wish it would make up it's mind.' I've been told that before! but yesterday was solid 3.7 as kc9 and I enjoyed sprecks to ourselves. I left karen after coffee talk as her shoulder still isn't back in sailing condition, she looked a touch forlorn but accepting of her injury. sailing with a pro always ups my game and kc9 is generous with her knowledge so yesterday she fine tuned my gybe initiation. I've heard it a gazillion times and guess I'm just lazy and don't bend my knees enough or keep my front arm straight. yes, these are the keys to keeping speed which gives balance and keeps me dry. we ripped around for an hour, my body felt stronger and she gave me the thumbs up on my initiation! ahh, windsurfing...

a customer came into simmer looking for a "sail that will help him gybe". I laughed aloud (couldn't help myself) and told him if someone designed such a thing they'd take over the industry! my solution? investing in lessons and a good board. I've been asked a lot of things being a beach liaison but never has anyone asked me to fill such an order. I suggested he practice on his 120liter board vs his 90 until he has the moves down. everyone wants to rip a gybe with most not understanding that muscle memory and learning correctly the first time has more value than trying to look cool. we decided the icons would be his best choice since he's burly, likes speed and power but I wouldn't guarantee a gybe.

pascal from quatro dropped off a board so we chatted about windsurfing economics and sounds like the twinser craze is alive and well. most of their custom orders are twinfins though one of the frenchies is having keith teboul make a quad. might as well put your twinser up for sale while it has value because the quads might take over the market next. I love my 67 twinser and shed a tear when it ended up at the doctor's (btw it's still there). yes, having a 63, 67 and a 69 is a bit excessive but they are so completely different. next winter it might be a 75 twinser since the 67 was too small with the 78 pocket being my go to board in the waves. I am planning to test the 0 '10 boards this next month so I can decide what I want ride. oes showed me their new graphics as they move from the flames (kinda like those) and on to other concepts. the thing about graphics is there is no way to please everyone so either the designer has to go for it, continually keep it the same like jp or keep it simple like t1.

my past came calling. now, I've gone back before but it has never worked out so going back doesn't hold much attraction to me since I figure if it wasn't working the first time why would it work the second time? I see him at the beach regularly so it caught me by surprise when he said "what's it going to take to get you back?" "uh, well I'm very happy where I am but thanks" I stammered hoping to show gratitude and respect. I explained that I believe his product is excellent and the opportunity took my windsurfing to a new level but the way I got dropped was a bit of a turn off and I know it wasn't his fault. the pros hop from one sponsor to the next and I doubt they shed a tear, they just watch their bank accounts grow. would a salary entice me? would the promise never to be treated that way again win me over? probably not since money doesn't usually influence me and once I've been burned it leaves a scar. was I flattered? claro que si (but of course) so thanks for the offer.

it will officially be summer on the 21st and the southside waves have been knee to shoulder high so maybe I'll learn to surf. have waves gotten under my skin? can I get out of bed that early? will my shoulders hold up? which wax does what? like my paparazzi shot of dave kalama's toyota, I definitely don't fear more gear and with my my gear caddy returning maybe he'll lug my longboard around. wonder what that'll cost me...

enjoy summer time and remember a little commitment might just lead to a little more freedom!