TJ’s Top 3 Maui Takeaways
TJ says his recent Maui strike mission was a “work trip”.
We’re not so sure. Foiling for hours each day, testing the latest gear, riding with pros …
Hear him tell it. You decide.
Radical Downwind SUP Board Sizes
“I shared a Maliko run with Kane De Wilde riding a 6’6″, and Elliot Leboe riding a 9’6″. Both of them ripping. Both accomplished foilers. Yet there was a 3′ size difference between their boards. Why? It shows how conditions (and conditioning) have everything to do with what someone rides. Longer lengths assist in big ways for takeoffs for those who need it. The good news is for 2024, brands like KT will offer models that span a huge size range.”
Mid Length Wing Foil Boards
“Ka’a Point, near kite beach, has become a wing foiling mecca. On no wind days, it’s also crowded, and it’s largely the same crowd as when it’s windy. A lot of the riders use 5’5″-ish wing boards of approximately 50 liters. If it’s windy, they wing it. If it’s not windy, the board’s 5’5″ length makes prone paddling from the beach out to the waves offshore – a long paddle at Ka’a – much easier. One mid-length wing board — that’s all they need.”
Closer Look: Mid Range Wing Boards
No Wind, Go Long …
“On no wind days, I saw lots of people SUP paddling and prone paddling downwind foil boards onto small breaking (and non-breaking) waves at Kahului Harbor and Ka’a Point. It was staggering to see what’s ‘catchable’ when paddling a long, narrow, downwind board. The tiniest bump, a few paddle strokes, and up they’d go onto the foil. I saw riders enjoying waves for minutes at a time, and that seemingly covered miles of water.”
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