Week 2 in Hawaii was just as fun as the first!! I stayed most of the week with the Huf family, and there's no end to the fun stuff they think of!! I went on a training run with Cody Huf near their home in Kapolei. It was soo beautiful! There were tons of turtles and it was cool to see the west side of the island. Definitely not as fun to paddle flat water after a week of downwinding and surfing!
But I definitely had no shortage of time surfing!! We went out to Waikiki several times to surf Queens, Canoes, and Pops. But my favorite was White Plains! We happened to go out on a day where 5-0's, an adjacent break from White Plains, was firing. Definitely double overhead sets coming through!! Brett Huf helped me get into position on the best waves of my life. I definitely chickened out on a couple because they were so big, but I pushed myself to overcome any fear I had and took off on some huge and amazing waves. It was unforgettable!
I also got to head up to the North Shore again, this time for some rock running! This time Sasha Ka'uhane joined us. I met Sasha at Battle of the Paddle last year. She's 11 years old, but she's an awesome surfer and so fun to spend time with! We drove over to Waimea Bay and got some awesome shots of me, Sasha, plus Cody and Brady Huf running underwater with the rocks! Later was Shave Ice, jumping off some rocks, and more fun on the North Shore. Definitely hope to have some footage coming soon!
The Hufs were awesome hosts. Cody was always up for a Hawaii Kai training run and morning Insanity videos--if I was awake!! They also asked Waikiki Beach Boy Alika Willis to take me out on the 6 man canoe!! I got to ride in the 6 man OC with a bunch of friends and surf some Wakiki waves at the Canoes beach break. It was so fun!! I've never canoe paddled before so it was an excellent change of pace and overall such a great experience.
I happened to be on Oahu for the China Uemera's surf comp on Saturday. Just for fun I decided to compete!! It was cool to surf Queens with only a couple other girls out!! I accidentally missed my heat on Sunday (whoops) so obviously I didn't advance!! Honestly, I wasn't really going to advance anyways. The Hawaii girls are sooo much better than me hahaha!! But I understand that it's different when you can surf every day. I just went out to have fun and it was really cool to be at a Waikiki comp!
The Sunday before I left one of the biggest races in SUP took place -- the Molokai2Oahu Paddleboard Championships!! A lot of my friends and paddling superstars were competing, and I was lucky enough to be there in time to watch them finish! I waited with the Huf family over near China Walls, where the last leg of the race takes place. We got a front row seat to watch all of the paddlers come in!! When the first finishers started coming, we drove over to the finish line to see them paddle into the beach. It was incredible. These are some amazing athletes and it's a huge deal just to finish the Molokai! So lucky I got to see the finish. Definitely hoping to race it next year!
I got to spend my last night with the lovely Rivera family!! They are incredibly sweet and such a joy to be around. I picked up some last minute souvenirs for my family and it was time to leave. Way too soon, I was not ready to go, even though I definitely missed home and my fam. I'm already trying to think of ways to get back!! I learned so much and met a ton of cool people, but I have to admit it was great to get back home!
Next adventure-- SUP'nKids!!
xoxo Bailey
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