Kaulapapa

Bjorn Dunkerbeck: The place is very wild and beautiful, with a very heavy history that made me think a great deal and will do for some time to come.

Scott Carvill: I’ve been to Kalaupapa quite a few times and the feeling of how special of a place it is never wears off. It felt ironic to me that this beautiful peaceful place at one time was a dumping ground for sick people who barely managed to survive on their own. The current residents, now healthy, have transformed the feeling of the town. It’s a paradise.

Vittorrio Marcelli: The majesty of the cliffs with a single perfect breaking wave in front. That combined with my awe for Father Damien and his work on Molokai left me in a state of total respect for this magical place. I felt a very heavy energy here that engenders total respect as well as appreciation for my own life and the health of those I love.

Robby Naish: Kaulapapa is an amazingly beautiful area. The cliffs surrounding the peninsula are awesome. It is a very “Jurassic Park” like place. The history therein is very humbling..... I have never been into the town there, as I don’t really want to intrude. They have chosen to live out their lives there in private, and I want to honour that wish.

The Wave

Tristan Boxford: Apart from the patch that I spent out of the water due to a broken ankle, I’ve seen a lot of great waves this winter, but I have to say that I haven’tseen a wave quite so perfect in a long time. As the water sucked back over the shallow reef and the wave threw out creating the most perfect and wide barrel, images of the wave in Tahiti came to mind. It is simply beautiful: a fast and barrelling right-hander that gave us exhilarating rides all day long. I definitely got my fill of waves that day and can still picture the look of the barrel behind me before turning on the smooth and fast moving face – it’s not often these days that you get to see much less ride this kind of perfection with nobody else on it!

Bjorn Dunkerbeck: The wave is hollow and fast, breaking over a very shallow reef and is as smooth as it gets on the face.

Scott Carvill: It’s a heavy dredging reef break that will make you think twice when it starts sucking off the reef. On a smaller wave on the inside I was bottom turning and looking at the lip, not where I was going. Out of the corner of my eye I saw dry reef and ran full speed straight over it. I got thrown over the front into the face of the wave my board wasn’t so lucky.

Vittorio Marcelli: How do you describe perfection in words…

Robby Naish: Good fun, with a gnarly inside zone if you don’t make the section!

The visit from the 12 foot tiger shark.

Tristan Boxford: I have seen a few sharks around the world, but never one as ferocious as a tiger and from that close, both in the water and from the back of the boat. It was an incredibly impressive sight – its jaws and teeth were really something else!!

Bjorn Dunkerbeck: I am sure it was not the only one!!

Scott Carvill: Seeing the tiger shark was a bonus for the whole trip. It’s not common to be able to swim with one in the water. It was really cool to get it right up to the back of the boat for everyone to see.

Vittorio Marcelli: The word "respect" keeps coming up in this story. First Father Damien and then the shark. Some things are bigger than any of us.

Robby Naish: Big fish.... you always know they’re out there, but it’s cool to see them up close.

What stuck in our minds the most about the trip

Tristan Boxford: This perfect wave surrounded by such an idyllic location with such a sobering past whilst spending time with my good friends, something that becomes rarer and harder to do as time goes by. Oh and beating Scott in scrabble!
Thanks to Red Bull for all their help in making this trip happen and let’s do it again soon!!

Bjorn Dunkerbeck: How close it is to Maui and how long it takes to get there and the time with my friends and the good sessions we had! It was good, if a little too short for my taste. However, I am sure that I will return soon as I want more!! Respect every nice spot like this and its people and take good care of the nature that surrounds it! If you see some trash around bring it back with you so that you can help keep it nice for people that come after you!
See you on the Search!

Scott Carvill: We did so much in three days that it’s the feeling of the whole trip I’ll remember with not a dull moment. I’ll savour the ability for us to do it with all our friends and sail an epic empty spot.

Vittorio Marcelli: First, I"m so lucky to be in a place like that. Second, I'm so lucky to be in a place like that with good friends.

Robby Naish: The ride over.... then the pitting waves !

Text and photos J.Houyvet / windsurfgallery.com
Interviews by Tristan Boxford