Is this the dawn of a new era in windsurfing? With the finest wave sailors on the planet from both the AWT and PWA tours united at the Aloha Classic in Maui, even Robby Naish couldn’t resist throwing his hat into the ring for what is being dubbed ‘The Clash of the Titans’. The windsurfing landscape has dramatically changed since the last Aloha Classic some seven years ago and it is the first time that many of the Maui locals enter the PWA competition prepped and hungry for the prize purse. With so many of the Hawaiian based riders now fully embedded into the American Windsurfing Tour of which this is the sixth and final event of the season, riders are more prepared than ever to create an upset. This combined event is the first time the PWA and AWT have come together and every one of the 132 registered riders is excited to challenge for a total of six titles through the contest window.
As the competitors registered and mingled with friends, old and new, a few shared their thoughts on the upcoming contest;
“It’s a positive thing to have everyone together ripping and enjoying this amazing sport. Let’s show how amazing windsurfing can be and bring in the Aloha Spirit!” Levi Siver (Red Bull, Quatro, Goya Sails, Da-Kine, MFC & Positive H20)
“They say Maui >> No Ka Oi … So I say Ho’okipa No Ka Oi ..have fun” Ferdinando Loffreda, (Maui Sails)
“This event is going to be all-time! I am excited to compete at such an iconic location and get inspired by all the pros pushing the limits and charging hard. Can’t wait for the action to begin!” Fiona Wylde, (Sailworks, Quatro, O’Neill, DaKine, Gorge Dental, Big Winds, Vector Fins Maui & NoLimitz)
“Let loose the dogs of WAR!” – Bernd Roediger (Goya, Quatro, MFC) , 2012 AWT Maui Makani Classic Winner
“Ho’okipa is and has always been the place where you see the most radical wavesailing in the world. It’s great to finally come back and have a worldcup event here again! I’m looking forward to see the best of the best of 4 generations hitting it hard in the next two weeks.” Klaas Voget, PWA (Fanatic, Simmer Sails)
“It is great for us at the PWA to be back in Maui and having this event in conjunction with the AWT. Last time we were here was in 2006 and we had a fantastic show which we hope we can repeat this year. The good news for all our fans worldwide is that we will have live streaming during the whole PWA event and windsurfers all over the World will be able to watch, live, some of the best windsurfers in the Planet in some of the most challenging conditions. Down the line surf, incredible aerial moves, etc all is possible at Ho’okipa. On behalf of the PWA Team I hope you will enjoy the event!!” Orlando Lavandera (PWA Brand Manager)
Latest Aloha Classic Weather Forecast & Analysis
We are very lucky to have Tom Hammerton (Hot Sails Maui, Black Project Fins) providing us with detailed daily weather analysis;
“Here we are on the eve of the Aloha Classic, and things are looking good for the first day. Expect conditions very similar to today. Depending on which model you believe, it will be either slightly windier (the direction I am leaning in) or slightly less windy. Surf should remain in the head high region a fraction smaller than today but careful wave selection might yield something bigger. Friday is still very much up in the air as small changes to the big weather pattern will make big changes to the wind. The degree to which the prevailing winds turn towards the SE over the next couple of days will be critical. The good news is that regular trade-winds look set to fill in on Monday and stick around for at least a few days. The surf is also expected to significantly improve, although not as big as earlier forecasts as the fetch did not really line up with Maui as hoped and the biggest surf will miss us.”
