I'm sure you all have been sitting in suspense just dying for the next blog update. Well, wait no longer...here it is folks! Maui was quite an adventure. It is a beautiful island and exactly what you think of when you picture "Hawaii". Long white sand beaches, endless tiki bars, winding roads with jungle scenery and being able to see 3 of the other islands in the distance. (because Maui really is, that small)
We had a fabulous vacation. Flying in to Maui was a little nerve-wracking as we were packed tight in a 9 passenger plane and felt some pretty gusty winds. But the view was spectacular and we made it there alive.
Upon arrival we headed over to grab our rental car. We had initially signed up for an extra small/compact car. Perhaps something similar to a geometro? But instead, we got upgraded cheap for a silverMustang Convertible. Talk about living it up on vacation! The car was fabulous and nothing beats the feeling of driving with the top down right along the coast of the ocean.
Friday we spent the day exploring beaches and hanging with our dear friends the Feeny's. Drinks and food are never out of reach with this crowd. We turned in early in anticipation for the big race. The HCRA Canoe State Championship!
The race site was crazy. There were thousands of people there from all over the state. After the canoe blessings and opening ceremonies the show began promptly at 9am. Kai 'Opua started off strong and won the first two races. Then it was our turn.....the Novice B's. We have been working since April for this. We set out to go to states and were determined to win. Nerves were high and legs were jittery as we paddled out to the starting line. We said it was just another race and to just give it all.....and boy did we give it our all.
We put so much energy in to that boat that boat couldn't even handle us. Mid-way through the course, our ama lifted up and we huli'ed (flipped). We gathered our senses and with 2 minutes left to finish the race we tried to flip the boat back over and bail all the water out. Unfortunately, the swells were coming in pushing more water in to our boat than we were dumping out and our boat was swamped. We had the escort boat help us on and take us back to shore....not finishing the race.
We were all pretty upset. We worked really hard for this and couldn't finish the race. However, I like to look at it as just another adventure. Every paddler huli's at some point. It's unfortunate that our time had to be during the state championship...but c'est la vie.
I keep replaying the huli in my head. I'm still not sure what exactly happened or what we could have done differently. But what I do remember is how beautiful the water was. How clear blue the ocean seemed and how I could see the reef crystal clear hundreds of feet below. I remember how nice the chase boat guys were and how helpful the uncles were that helped us flip our boat back. I remember how close I felt in that moment with my paddle girls and how we all shared a laugh on the chase boat. I remember feeling the aloha spirit as we got back to the beach...and being okay with it all. Because that's what paddling is...dedication, love, and aloha.
As soon as we got to the beach it was Tommy's turn to go out and paddle. The mix team was now feeling exceptionally nervous because of our performance but they paddled strong and crossed the finish line in 11th place. They were lei'd on the beach with high spirits.
After the race we celebrated in Lahaiana with friends. We had a few cocktails and had a delicious dinner of pasta and lobster. (Hey, we're on vacation!)
The rest of our vacation was spent exploring the island. We ate incredible food, saw breathtaking beaches and went on the most beautiful ride of my life. We drove along the Northern point of Maui which was windy and at some points terrifying...but gorgeous none the less. We drove along cliffs on one way roads. We saw jungles that reminded us of Hilo, forests that reminded us of Jurrasic Park, Mountains that reminded us of Thailand and rocks that reminded us of Utah. Crazy to think that it was all one island.
We were sad to say goodbye to Maui but confident that we will back again. Hopefully with friends and definitely in a convertible.
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