G'day Breezes
If you've ever read my story. A Maui Downwind Experience Take Two. I can put a name/face to the story. While I was hanging on Namotu Island I ran into Legendary Mike Spalding. Mike loves a swim at high tide in Fiji, the surf always has a morning sickness to it. So Mike would swim around Namotu Island 5 times - it takes around 15/20 minutes to swim around Namotu, after one lap I'm done already. Mike has swam from the Big Island of Hawaii to Maui in like 22 hours. Leaves in the dark and arrives in the dark. After being bitten by the cookiecutter shark in late 2009 it has taken Mike until early 2011 to get back in the water and finish that swim from Molokai to Oahu. It took Mike 15 hours 23 minutes. The worlds best SUPers do Molokai to Oahu in 5 to 5 ½ hours. Mike has swum from Oahu to Kauai in a six person team.(took something like 60 hours). Mike loves to surf always took off on the big bombs.
Downwinder - Mike Spalding
Cookiecutter Bite
Here is an abstract from my story, please read the part I highlighted.
The Maliko Bus is THE BEST shuttle service ever! You'd have to book well in advance or you'll miss out on a seat. At a $100 dollars for a book of 10 lifts it's great value for money. Or it would cost you around $15+ a lift. With every lift being as entertaining as the last you'd just look forward to that lift on the bus. I met Bill Boyum, what a legend. Bill discovered Gragagan in East Java in the early 70's many years before the great Gerry Lopez made a name for himself claming Gragagan. Also Bill is an excellent movie maker here on Maui, Bill helped me with the making of my low budget I mean no budget LOW PRESSURE PRODUCTION - Magic Paddle a Fijian Adventure Film. The flick is about this Stand Up Paddler that finds this little paddle in the sand, that gets struck by lightning & gets zapped off to the magical Namotu Island of Fiji to SUP perfect waves. Then he gets zapped off to the beautiful Island of Maui for a Maliko downwind run with many funny scenes along the way. For a sneak preview:-
I met another bloke - a 12ft prone paddler in his late sixties on the shuttle bus. I just can't remember his name but mate what a legend (weapon) of a swimmer. He's swam the English channel & has swum the Hawaiian island chain without a cage, then tells me on one swim between the islands he got attacked by a Cookiecutter shark then shows me the big round scare on his leg. It's always a fun, enjoyable, educational & a laugh on the shuttle bus + the eye candy on the shuttle bus being better than watching TV's Baywatch or a Miss Universe contest. With Kelly Moore the owner/driver of the bus being the full rig + being world windsurfing champion from the 80's with all these other sheilas in their 40's - just absolutely gorgeous. There'd be this Aussie bloke always on the shuttle bus - I think his name was iRONPHIL. He'd be just sitting there with his blood shot eyes drooling everywhere like a St Bernard on a hot day at the beauty of these sheilas. Yes, they breed the Maui girl's very athletic-beautiful- waterwoman on this island.
My good friend Mark Huxley goes & hires a Big V8 DODGE RAM Red Pick-Up Truck for $25.00 a day - talk about fitting in with the locals. The truck was a heap of s##t (styling). Check out the Aussie interview on Maliko Maui: -
Scot Trudon rated in the 10th best Downwind Paddlers in Hawaii and rips on a MR twin fin at Swimming Pools
John Gangini the bloke sitting to the left of Downwinder is the man behind the Maliko Race. Great surfer plus Surfs JAWS on any givin day.
