Thursday, November 13, 2008   19 Comments

I've just finished one of my longest stints all year back here at home.  But while my three weeks home have been great, it's also been critical training time in getting ready for my big end of year adventure in Hawaii.



When somebody says Hawaii, I automatically think of the word "big!"
Everything is big in Hawaii.....from the massive ute-type trucks they drive (they just regard them like we see normal cars!) to the huge meals they put in front of you every time you eat (a one-person meal there would feed a family of five elsewhere!).

But most of all "big" in Hawaii
means massive waves.

You can end up dealing with swells the size of small buildings!
So that means preparing yourself for the mecca of performance surfing.
So I had three weeks to get back into a routine and train hard ahead of my trip.
The weather or surf in Taranaki really didn't help my motivation.  Coming back from Brazil where I'd been surfing in bikinis in bright sunshine, the freezing and wet conditions definitely tested my resolve!

But I pushed through it as I knew I had to train hard for Hawaii.
There's a lot for me to train for.

Both the WQS (World Qualifying Series) and the WCT (World Championship "Dream" Tour) circuits come to a head in Hawaii over the next month.
Both hold the last events within their series in both men's and women's and there are a heap of surfers from all round the globe on the hunt for vital ratings points that will determine where they finish this year and which circuit they will be on in 2009.

I'm no different.

I'm currently ranked 5th on the WQS.  My goal in the last contest of the year is to  hold onto that position, if not gain on it.  If you finish in the top 6 on the WQS rankings, it means you qualify for the ‘Dream Tour (the WCT).

I'm currently ranked 5th on the WQS.  My goal in the last contest of the year is to  hold onto that position, if not gain on it.

It's almost within my grasp and I really want to nail it in Hawaii.

I went to the Islands for the first time last year so I have an idea of what I'm in for.
I love riding big waves. The thrill that you get after conquering one is amazing. The only problem is if you fall off you get held under the water for a lot longer.
So I decided to do a bit of under water work at my local aquatic centre.

As you can see in the photo I took dumb-bell weights with me to help weigh me down on the bottom of the pool.  I then hold my breath for as long as I can and run as fast as I can.



This helps me hold my breath for longer while getting my heart rate up instead of just floating in the water. It prepares you better for a heavy wipeout.  I'm planning to avoid those obviously but it's better to be safe than sorry.

At least I can say I am prepared if it do get it held down under a particularly big one.

I also did lots of other cross training like running, biking, boxing and stretching. I feel that it's helped and I'm ready to go!

Hawaii is so different to anywhere else in the world. The biggest thing that most surfers find different is that you have to use much longer surfboards. I usually surf a 5'7 (5ft7ins) at most places around the world but I am taking boards up to seven feet long to Hawaii just because the waves are that much bigger there.
You need that length to get into the actual wave.

Hawaii is so different to anywhere else in the world. The biggest thing that most surfers find different is that you have to use much longer surfboards.

The downside of a bigger board is that it's harder to turn. You could have a surfer win all the competitions all year long because they are naturally the best - but when it comes to Hawaii it's common to have a very random winner, or a local, because it's so different here.

It requires a completely different kind of surfing to be successful.  And it certainly sorts the girls from the women as well as the boys from the men!

I'm lucky enough to have a big range of choice for boards as my shaper at Mt Woodgee Wayne McKewen shaped me a whole heap of them. As you can see in the photo, I will not be short of a board in Hawaii.

I can now say that I am prepared in every area for Hawaii and will be flying over there confidently.

I'm aiming to put New Zealand on the map and qualify for the Dream Tour for 2009. Just do it!
 
Paige Hareb - heading OFFSHORE

Cederman

Dan Procter

Daryn McBride

Kerrazy

NZ Surfing Magazine

Off the lip

Paige Hareb - Chasing the Dream

Photo CPL

S2 Forecaster

The Ricardo Report