Annie Reickert wing foil interview- Episode #4

Welcome to the Blue Planet Wing Foil show, episode 4 with Annie Reickert, a talented young water woman from Maui.  Annie excels at surfing, big wave riding, foiling, and wing foiling.

Interview transcript:

Aloha, it's Robert, thank you so much for tuning into the fourth episode of the blue planet show, which I'm producing right here in my home office, in the garage. It's all about wind foiling. I interview athletes, designers, thought leaders in the sport of windfoiling all about wind foiling, but also about whatever else they're doing.

And just trying to get to know them a little bit better and, talk about life in general. I've been really enjoying meeting all these people and talking more in depth, it's a longer format. So if you don't have enough time to watch the whole thing on video, you can also listen to it on the podcast.

Of course, on Apple or Android devices, just look for the blue planet show, do a little search and should come up and you can listen to it while you're driving or doing other things. But watching our video is great. Cause we sh I share like some video and photos and so on. So it's easier to visualize.

I'm a very visual learner. So I like seeing what, but what we're talking about. And I really appreciate it, all the great feedback we've been getting. I know it's such a small group of people in the world that are into wing filing, but everyone's super enthusiastic. And I love getting comments like this one.

Yeah. Wow. When I saw the interview was 90 minutes long, I groaned at the end. I didn't want it to stop. You guys were fantastic. What a great conversation. It was so interesting to hear Alan's background and about the early days of wing foiling. Thank you so much for putting this together. It must listen for all the addicts.

Thanks so much. That's a great comment. Love it. Keeps me going for sure. And I got actually two great shows coming up. Today's show is with Annie Reichert, who is an amazing young athlete, 19 years old from Maui. And we talk about her doing crazy backflips, big wave wipe outs at jaws, growing up in Maui, wink, foiling tricks, foil gear, dealing with the pandemic and you know how to live a good life.

And those are the things I talk like talking about with people not just wing foiling, but life in general, and you know how to live your best life. And just getting to know them a little bit better on a personal level too. So the next show is going to be with Rob whittle. He's a co-founder and head designer at ozone.

So he w I asked him a lot of questions about the new wasp V2 wing. And then also we talk about some big news from Armstrong foils, where he's also a partner and helps with the design and technology. So really interesting stuff, if you're into the gear. And then also, he's just a super cool guy. And we just had a great conversation about, life and the pandemic and, just living a good life.

And without further ado here is Annie Riker from Maui, any record, welcome to the blue pad show. And how are you doing today? I'm good. I'm excited to be here. Thanks for having me on yesterday. We had some really heavy floodings here on Oahu and my friend's house on the North shore got flooded and I read it on Maui, had some pretty heavy rains too.

What happened there? Yeah, no, it was crazy. I had just gotten back the night before from a trip. I had just flown it and I woke up the next morning and it was just torrential downpours all over Maui and yeah, unfortunately haiku, like the North shore of Maui got hit super hard. And I had a couple of friends whose houses got swept away and just a lot of damage, which is, so unfortunately, especially for the haiku community.

Yeah, it was a very unexpected turn of events when I got home. But currently like the ocean is just completely chocolate colored. It's is about as Brown as it can possibly get. But yeah, I'm hoping everybody can recover as soon as possible and that the rains let up for a couple of days.

Yeah. So you just got back from a ski or snowboard trip on the mainland. You missed about two weeks of really good wins here. I know that's what everyone was saying. I think the waves were subpar, but the wind I heard was just like off the charts. Incredible. I'm sure for you guys on a wall, it was crazy too.

But it was nice. I haven't been off Maui in a while, so getting to go and enjoy the cold weather, which is such a kind of different turn of events from here was really fun. And it was nice to get back in the snow. Cause I haven't, I don't think I've snowboarded in two or three years. So it was super enjoyable.

And you went to Jackson hole, you said? Yeah. Yeah, it was incredible. I was with a bunch of friends that were like a much higher level than I was so getting to go and follow them around and progress at a much quicker rate was really exciting. It wasn't like incredible snow, but we had beautiful sunny conditions, which honestly I think was almost, it was worth it just because it was so nice out every day we were spending time on the mountain.

My second interview on the show was with Baltz Mueller. And he thought that you're going to be the first female to land a back on a wing and that I should interview you. So I thought that was a great idea. And so that thanks for coming on the show. And but talk a little bit about this like this.

You, I guess you're trying to back flips on it's dropped in messed around and messed around with wingback flips and just with prone back flips like this. And I think I got pretty close to the winging one, and then I ended up popping all of my wings and then winter rolled around. So I I took a break from that and focus more on the big wave slash surfing side of things.

And I'm excited to bring it back the summer. And then, yeah, I was out, this is the status video I was out with Jeffrey Spencer, I think he's like the back flip King of whinging and I, the opportunity to go out with him and we were just messing around toast surfing, and then we also brought out a foil, which was really fun and.

I got to try that, which is it's really cool. Cause that just gives you the opportunity and you can just put yourself in the perfect spot, especially when you have, we were using a ski in that picture. He told me out, and then I let go and did a back flip off the way. And so that was really fun. Cause I think it'll also help my writing when it comes to the winging tool, just cause I had so many opportunities to practice that over and over again.

Then I didn't land at that session because the jet ski started to run out of gas. So we had to head back to the Harbor, but I'm really hoping I get the chance to go out there and try that again. Soon when the wind lets up and the rain kind of subsides. Yeah. Awesome. Yeah. I have some friends who were doing it, like just pumping back out and then doing flips off the waves, going back out, pumping back out, which I find amazing.

I can't even imagine doing that, but yeah. Getting pulled in by the jet ski definitely helps. Yeah, definitely. Yeah. I've tried a little bit of the pumping back out in the back flips and I think it's, yeah. It's a lot harder than it looks, these guys that do it, they just make it look so effortless, but it's just so crucial to be at like the most critical part of the wave when you're ready to like, turn and spin and yeah.

Like lining up and making sure I've gotten pretty close a couple of times, pretty much just like right under it and just barely faceplant. But yeah, I think hopefully it'll all come together and I'll be able to figure that out eventually the summer is that's the goal. I think. Yeah. It looks like you're getting really close and then I guess you're good friends with Jeffrey Spencer.

He makes it look so effortless when he does those backflips, right? Yeah. No, it's amazing to be out in the water with all those guys, Jeffrey pie fan, his little brother. It's amazing. Just to be able to watch them because they make it look so effortless and I'm like, why can't I do that? You guys make it look so easy.

And yeah. So it's encouraging. Have they given you any pointers on how we have a little bit of a delay? So talking over each other a little bit. Sorry about that. But yeah. So what are some pointers they've given you to try a back flip with the wing. I think what the wing, I think, it's pretty interesting.

Jeffrey has a really different technique to PI versus like balls. There's all these different guys. They have really different styles in it, but some of the technique and advice Jeffrey's given me is just to bring your front hand or like your top hand in, and really set your line.

And I think it's like the ballerina spin theory, which is when you're turning, so you don't get dizzy, like you want to like, keep your head and then like at the last second, move it. So you keep your center of gravity aligned. And he said it was just kinda like a SIM like similar thing with the wing, just so you don't get like super disoriented and yeah, he gave me some other great tips.

And I think definitely when I try it again, I'm going to need to go back to him for some more and he's going to need to come in, coach me and help me along. So you can yell at me if I'm doing it right or wrong or not. That's interesting. Yeah, I was wondering about that. Cause I've been, I haven't attempted it yet, but my friend Daniel is doing them and, or attempting them and he always seems to like, on the way up loses, as a boy comes up, she come out of the straps and the board goes flying and then everything comes on top of the board falls on top of him basically on the wing.

So it's scary, but I know like Zane Schweitzer, he throws his head back. Like he just really throws himself backwards. And then I think, yeah, Jeffrey Spencer, it looks more like he's keeping his head. And then at the once he's like halfway through the rotation, then he looks for the landing what's his head's different ways of doing it, but yeah.

I guess you just have to be committed to making that rotation. I think that's like the, honestly the biggest part. Yeah. It's all about the commitment because yeah, when I was first trying it, I'd get like halfway through and then get really freaked out and just bail and ended up back flopping.

And before it would come down on top of me. And so I think it's honestly like the safest way to do it is just to go as big as you can and just fully commit to that to that backflip, which is a really intimidating thing to try and figure out. And I'm still trying to master it myself. I know. It's so impressive that you try and hit anyways, but so you have tried it with the wing as well.

I have, yeah, I've tried it and I have some really funny pictures and videos that one day the world will need to see. But yeah, it was it's really fun cause it was right after Jeffrey. Got it. I think everybody saw that video of him doing a back flip and they were like blown away and I was two and I was like, Jeffrey, you need to teach me how to do this.

And it was really cool and I've yet to actually do it fully and right out of it. So I'm excited to pick that back up. Hopefully when the waves died down and the summer months come on us. Oh did you mention that you had some pictures on your phone that you can share? Here's one of me trying them.

I don't know if you guys can see that. Yeah, so I got upside down, but I didn't make it much further than that. And there was some videos. That's what happened to my friend too. And when I saw him do that a couple of times it was like, Oh my God, that I can see how I, I heard that the Spencer brothers destroyed all their wings when first, when they practiced them there.

So I guess, no, it's definitely, it's not gentle on the equipment or the people when you're trying it. I will give you yeah. I'm sure. And probably wearing a helmet is a good idea. Do you ever wear a helmet? In the, in those videos? I actually was usually when I'm just normally winging it always, I feel like it throws off my balance and I don't, but in that situation, I definitely watched Jeffrey attempted and come some near close foil collision.

So I wear a helmet just to be safe. And I definitely think it was, it felt good to have it on. It just made me felt like more confident and more, yeah. Ready to attempt it. Awesome. But yeah, I wanted to actually start with just telling, tell us more about your background and like how you grew up and things like that.

Yeah. Start from the beginning. I'm born and raised on Maui. I've always been like gravitated towards being a super outdoorsy kid. My parents always raised my bro. I have a little brother named miles. My parents always raised my brother and I had to be super involved in sports and all that stuff.

And I started surfing on the front of my parents' board when I was. Two or three, I believe. I used to wear like floaties on my arms and go out there and they'd hold me on the front as we were just catching like tiny whitewater. And yeah, I think I've had a super deep connection from the ocean from a young age.

My dad was always super active and he loved the ocean. And so I think it was like a natural progression for me. And yeah, I was also just like growing up on Maui. We do live in an Island, we're surrounded by ocean, so it is a natural progression to end up doing some sort of water sport or at least spending time in the water.

And for me growing up, I did all sorts of different sports, like soccer and volleyball and all of those. And And then when I got more into surfing and then I discovered standup paddling, that was where I decided I was like, wow, like maybe this is something I can do more than just for fun.

Maybe I can compete in this. Cause I always did, like surf contest as a little kid growing up and they were so fun, but it was more just what you did in Hawaii. It was just, if you're a part of the surfing community, you'd go down and spend all weekend competing. And it was just a fun thing for the kids and the families.

And then yeah, when I did discover sub surfing and that was right when Kai had gotten into it, it was like the pinnacle of everything at that point. That's when I really fell in love with it. And I realized that I wanted to do this more than just for, a fun pastime.

And I started competing in that and I traveled around for a while and in sub surfing and separating. And then I got involved in the down winning side of things and the channel crossings, which honestly is still one of my favorite things. It's amazing to be able to be in the middle of a channel and cross something as treacherous as one of the, the Hawaii channels, which has such kind of like a great history around it.

And did the most recent, was that 2018? Yeah, that was, I foiled it. Yeah, I've done it twice. I believe for 2017 and 18 probably. I guess before 18, 19 in 19, I think I was so excited to do it again. And I'm hoping that if everything is, willing and that we'll be able to do it again this summer, too.

So tell us about that. Were you able to fly on the foil most of the way across? Or was it a lot of up and down where you had to restart a lot? Or like how was that whole experience? Yeah, it was unbelievable. I think the first year I ever did it, I actually, or the first year I ever did it on the foil, I went there with the intention of paddling it on my 14 foot step forward.

I had just learned how to downwind, foil. I'd only been doing it for two months before that. And I'd only done like a couple Maui runs. I don't even think I'd done a Harbor run yet, which is like about 10 miles on Maui. So I didn't think I was prepared. I was, I was super intrigued at this new sport, but I didn't really think that I was going to attempt foil it.

And then. I got a call from Kai right before the race. And he's I think you need to foil it. And of course, I was incredibly tempted and I brought all my oil stuff and I decided the night before that I was going to foil it. And that was amazing that year. I believe I came off foil probably eight or nine times, which, how things have progressed, which just seems like a crazy number.

And then the second year I ended up just coming down. I fell once and then the rest of the time I was up in foiling. Wow. That's really, that's amazing. Yeah. Compared to Chi and Jeffrey and all those guys, I think they didn't even fall, but for me it was such a big improvement from the year before that it just was amazing.

And I think the most taxing part of downwind foiling is getting back up. It's like the. It's like the more you fall, the more tired you're going to get and the more taxed you are. So it was even easier for me than the previous year, just because I also spent a lot less time on the surface of the water and a lot more time gliding across the channel too, which was awesome.

And it was really fun, to, to like work on improving equipment over the year and dialing in the down winning equipment. Cause I think it was such a new sport the first year that  happened with foils and then the amount of progression that happened between that one year was really cool too.

So I'm excited and looking forward to doing it again, hopefully in the com coming years, hopefully this summer, but we'll see. Yeah. So what about the very end once you got close to Portlock point, like I guess then you hit the off shore winds and stuff like that. Like how far did you get before you dropped off the foil?

Yeah, it was, that was brutal. I think at that point I was so ready to be like done at that. I was just head down completely completely in my zone, just going for it. And I didn't make it that far in, I know Kai, I think like comp like halfway through the Bay, which just seems like the craziest thing.

But I I made it probably like 30 seconds inside the offshore wind, and then I didn't link up with any bumps or any wind and that I ended up just paddling on my stomach, the rest of the way, which definitely at that point, I'm like, I've made it this far. I can keep going, come on. But it just feels like such a crazy crazy feed at that point, too.

Oh, here's some video of jaws. I guess it would be a shame not to talk about, Oh, this is you getting ragdolled at jaws. Yeah. I do tend to face plan a lot. I've noticed this is a very funny video of me. Funny. It looks scary. Yeah. I think in the moment, it definitely, wasn't funny. But I think hindsight now that I watched the video, I'm like, wow, I'm glad I survived through that.

I think yeah, when I did first originally fall, it was like, I didn't think I was going to get sucked over the falls. Everything was going great. And a guy ended up going in front of me and it just threw me off a little bit. And then I hit a bump and that's me. And then I popped back up, actually I got a breath in and I felt okay.

And I didn't think I was going to get sucked over the falls at all. And then I just I made eye contact with someone in the channel and then I ended up just I felt this like sucking feeling and, getting like stuck at like the top of a wave at jaws is just one of the most like terrifying feelings.

I think you can you can go through as a human and then. I slowly felt it sucking me over and I realized what was happening. And I got one big breath in and then held on for dear life. But it was pretty funny, just the turn of events. Cause I think the video itself is just, you see my little head slowly going into oblivion and yeah, he was getting a breath.

Oh gosh, that was my one last breath. And I think I realized, like I realized what was happening. Did you wear one of those vests with the air where you can pull the air chambers or whatever? Yeah. So pretty much everybody now at this point has has one of those on out there. It's something I think it's, you don't want it to be the only thing out there, keeping you safe and keeping you alive.

You really want to rely on training to do all that, but it is something that's so helpful to have just because it does give you that extra bit of protection out there. And I did end up pulling my vest on that one. It definitely helped me pop up a bit more. And then I came up smiling. I honestly came up laughing because of the entire situation, because I had survived something so crazy.

And then it also just because of everything that happened, I tomahawked down a wave, went over the falls and came up and I had a great tow partner who was ready to grab me. The second I popped up, which was great too. Who is your tow partner when you go on tour at John's? Yeah. So a lot of the time jaws it's someone named nano.

He's an amazing, he's actually a tattoo artist from Maui. He's amazing tattoo artist. And he's done a lot of water safety at jaws in the past, and I'm lucky enough to have him in my corner for when the waves get big. And then a lot of the time when it's smaller and we're not a job, they'll either go toe Jeffrey Spencer, or my good friend, rich Lenny.

We spend a lot of time on that Maui artery and get to enjoy that, which is so fun, just because you get to surf with pretty much just friends and catch endless waves and you don't have to paddle back out. And I think that's probably one of my favorite things to do when the winter months are upon us just cause it's so awesome to be out there and share a lineup with just a couple other people.

Yeah. Having the jet-ski just makes it feel a lot safer to always, cause it's, I, don't why the sound always comes on. Sorry, but yeah, I just having the jet ski to makes it feel a lot more safe and you always have someone that can pick you up again. But but yeah, I can only imagine, so on that wipe out that we were watching, did you pull the rip cord or did you just come back up without it?

I did end up pulling the rip cord or the cord yet just because I got so like initially like Tomahawk down the wave, I'm sure as you saw in that video and it's so many somersaults that I was already at that point so in shock and out of breath that I felt like I should just play it safe and pull to make sure that I popped up as quick as possible.

And then it's also a thing where, the quicker you pop up, even if you can handle the whole down the more energy you're going to have in the West tax, you're going to feel. So for me, it's almost like saving myself and giving myself energy for the remainder of the session too.

And I had enough cartridges in my vest that I was able to pull and pop back up. And although the wipe out was scary, it wasn't quite as bad as I initially thought. So it was it was all good in the end. And an interesting story came out of it too. Was that the worst wipe out you ever had or do you, have you had worst ones?

I don't know. I think visually that was definitely the worst wipe out I've ever had, but I think I've probably I in the jaws contest last year I fell on my first wave and I think that was probably a worst wipe out, but it all blends together after a while. I think that was definitely the most visually exciting and crazy to look at.

You did the paddle in contests at jaws. So tell us about that. I think, for me probably to date, that was one of the best days of my life. I've always dreamed of surfing jaws since I was a little girl. I've gone down to watch it with my dad. We've hiked down to the cliff. And I honestly like never, I didn't ever know if I really would have the opportunity to get out there and if I had the chance.

And so when that day came and I got the call and I was asked if I wanted to compete in that event it was a dream come true. And it was a magical experience. And I think it was typical Mallee fashion. It was incredibly windy and the conditions were crazy and hectic, but being out there and sharing a lineup with just a couple of other people at a wave, like that is so incredible.

And then the fact that I was, I got pounded, I survived and then I also was able to complete a ride and pull off in the channel was. One of the best feelings ever. So yeah, I'm so fortunate that I have that opportunity and I came in third, I believe in that event. And I'm really looking forward to hopefully getting to compete in that again and yeah.

And giving it all I got. Cause it was so amazing to be out there in that lineup. And I'm excited to return to that. Yeah. It seems like you're just getting started too. Cause like how old are you now? I'm 19. Yeah. You're still a kid, so hold on. Young lady I should say, but yeah.

It's awesome that you're at your age already. I think at that time you were probably 18, or 17 or 18 though. You're already charging waves like that to pop up paddling in nonetheless. So yeah. How do you compare, how would you compare like paddling into the wave versus getting towed into it?

Yeah, I think it's such a, it's a very different kind of thing because with the towing, you have so much more control initially, just cause your tone to the wave before it even breaks. And you have a lot more time to prepare, but I think with the paddling, it's also so different because you're alone out there.

Like you don't have a jet ski coming to, tell you under the wave, it's up to you to choose the waves that you're paddling on. It's up to you to get yourself in those positions. And so I think they're two really different things when it is super windy. It's really nice to have the option to tow on Maui.

And when you do have the rare opportunity to paddle out there it's a whole other thing. Cause I think it's just that much more rewarding when you can pile yourself alone into a wave like that and pull off into the channel. It's an incredible feeling, no matter how small the wave is just being out in that line up and being able to successfully complete a ride out there is it's really cool.

So I think, yeah, to answer your question, it's definitely really different, but both of them have their own really amazing kind of different aspects. So th the situation, it looks like a nightmare jaws bearing like reading right in the impact zone in the wave coming down right now. It's right on top of your head.

That was the wipe out I was talking about earlier. That was that one. Definitely it rattled me a little bit, but it was really fun to come out the other side and be okay. And I ended up getting more pounded. I think I fell on the first wave of the set and then. I have a friend out there who always tells me, never go on the first wave of the set.

Of course, I went on the first wave of the set, which is that way. And I ended up getting more pounded by the second wave than I was like, I initially got by the first wave. Yeah. It looks like the first one. You said the barrel. Yeah, exactly. But I learned my lesson the hard way and now I know. But yeah, that was definitely an experience.

You're brave. Yeah, let's talk a little bit about I guess this show is supposed to be about wing foiling, but you're doing, you're doing so many different sports that I just want to touch base a little bit about the other sports you do too, but so yeah. Tell us about downwind foiling.

Do you do it mostly, I guess you still doing mostly with the paddle or do you also do just prone foiling on a prom board? I love downwind foiling. It's super cool. I think I was so in the sup downwind being without a foil for the longest time and adding a foil to the mix, it's just like the dream scenario, because you're going that much faster and you have that much more ability and kind of to move around through the ocean and fully take advantage of the bumps.

So for the most part, being on Maui and doing a Mikko run, I'm so used to having a paddle in my hands that we will use a paddle most of the time, just because when you do paddle out of Mullica Goltz, which is where 99% of the time we launched our downwinders from there aren't really waves to catch with a prone board and you can dock start and pump off from Flatwater, but it does make it a lot harder.

And so usually I'll use a paddle just because I'm used to having one. It doesn't add that much more. Equipment for me. And I know occasionally if you can, the waves are big enough. You can catch little waves and do shorter downwinders, but I think you could also go out a lot farther when you have a paddle too, just cause in the event that you do fall I can just pump myself up pretty much anywhere I need to be.

Which also it adds a level of security too. I think there's part of it. When you don't use a paddle, it's it's exciting and it adds a level of uncertainty. If you do fall, you just don't have the option to, but when you do have a paddle, you have more freedom to take risks and work on doing turns and going faster versus playing it safe.

Yeah. Awesome. There's a pretty big group of guys here on Oahu now doing just downwinders on their prone boards, but they, they stay closer to the surf. So if they do fall in, they can paddle back and and just get started in with some white, light washer or, an on an insight breaking wave versus trying to start on the Oh, in the open ocean, which is super hard.

I'm sure. We've seen, I've seen videos of Dave Kalama just like paddling on a long prone board with those paddles on his hands and just like powering himself into the waves. But that looks incredibly hard. Really? Yeah, no, that's actually, that is like completely, it's amazing too. I actually saw his son.

Austin Kalama, who's an incredible foiler wing foil or big wave surfer, et cetera. And I saw that Dave was using those hand planes to down one foil and Austin was actually using them at jaws, which was really cool and a wild theory. Cause you can just get into the wave so much earlier. So I'm really curious to see what the two of them are going to do with those hand plans.

Cause they're, I don't think they've been used a whole lot in the ocean sports world, but it'll be cool to see where they go and yeah, the fact that Dave can get up without a paddle, like it's certainly is really exciting. And I'm curious to try it one day. Just to see, because I think at that point sky's the limit, so it'd be cool to mess around with that.

Me doing a down winder with some friends it's been really fun to see the progression of foiling. And, I think at first it was just, windswept people and got a little bit of everybody, but now there's so many different people coming from so many different sports and I used to never be able to do downwinders with certain friends.

And now I have people, I have some good friends who are professional kiters and they've gotten into wing foiling, and now we can all go on downwinders together and. It's really fun and opens up so many new possibilities for everybody in the water sports world. So I think it's really exciting that this is caught on as much as it's caught on and I hopefully continues to progress as much as it's progressing at this point.

Yeah. Super impressive. What you're doing any actually, yeah, maybe tell us a little bit about your technique. When for jumping can you give some pointers on jumping? Like how you do the takeoff and like just walk us through a jump on the Wingfield board? Yeah. I think equipment is super crucial in these moments because if you're on a huge clunky board, it's going to be a lot harder to get yourself up and going.

Or at least out of the water with the board, I think up and going, it will be easier. So I think making sure that you're on a smaller prone board is super super nice and having a wing that you're fully powered up on. I. Pretty much all the time, unless I am trying back flips or something, or I it's crazy one deal, use it for a meter.

I don't ever go smaller most of the time. And so for me, I think like the biggest technique thing is really knowing how to use that foil and the edge back rail of your board to your advantage. As you can see, usually I keep my upper body going just straight, like sideways, and then I'll bring my lower body and my legs and I'll throw them up when the very last second you can see it, how I drive my board into the wind and drive my board like up above.

And that's what really gets the foil to launch out of the water and really gets that like final pop. And then it also lets you stretch your body up too, which kind of gets you prepared for the landing. Cause sometimes if you get all hunched up in a ball, it's a lot harder to land versus if you're spread out and you let the wind bring everything back together and back in place at the right moment.

It really seals the deal. So that's how I do it at least. And also helps you cause sometimes if you do jump, just going straight down when you end up getting a lot of momentum downwind, that it makes it a lot harder to to land successfully. Versus if you do use those those swells and bumps to your advantage, it can help you get that initial release from the water.

I don't know if that makes sense, but that's how I do it at least. Yeah, no, I totally agree. That's what I always tell people too, is like probably the most important thing is to really turn up wind before you take off. Because that, that having that upwind momentum lets you hang in the wing a lot more than cause if you go jump straight with, sideways to the wind, you lose the pressure in the wing and you don't get that upwards lift.

So super important to really be carved into the wind before the, before you take off. Yeah, most definitely. I think that's probably one of the most crucial aspects of it. And then I've also found that once I am in the air this was something that I learned with lots of hard landings, but once you are up in the air, you really want to like sheet in with the wing so that you hold and you don't just free fall out of the air, but you pull in with your, I think your right hand if you're going in, but just your lower hand, you pull in with the wing, just so it does capture more wins.

So you don't end up just completely dropping out of the sky, but it's more of just a gentle float down to the water. Yeah. You used your wing almost like a parachute when you're coming down. So he coming down softly or gently fall as much as possible, right? Yeah. No, those are good planners.

Let's talk a little bit about equipment for for winging yeah. Have you, do you have the new wasp V2 wing? So can you tell us about that versus the original wasp Wayne? I just recently actually started using the V2 and all of these videos, I believe they're all, I haven't posted anything with the V2 because it's yet to come out.

But yeah, I'm really excited about the progression and the direction that ozones taking it in. It's super exciting. I think from everything that I've tried, it's by far the favorite wing that I've I've written so far and it's really cool. Just, the V1 and the V2, both of them it's they're really good and all sorts of different types of conditions.

Cause I feel like certain wings I've tried, they really thrive in light when conditions are they're really good enough or and like absolutely new wind. But with this it's really cool. Cause I feel like it's it's really Good and both types of wins. So whether it's, barely lending enough and you use a five meter or you go on your three meter because it's nuking 35, 40 knots the entire range can handle completely different line and range of wind, which is super cool.

And I think the adjustments that they've made from the V1 to V2, or just those final touches needed to really seal the deal and make it in my opinion, one of the best wings out there. And I think it's definitely the one that I would choose to ride whether or not I was sponsored by them or not.

And yeah, I'm really excited for kind of everybody to get, to try it and to hear everybody's thoughts. They added some really cool new additions that are super exciting and some new windows. So it's easier to see some different handle placements and yeah, and overall just the shape. It just makes it a lot more agile and responsive and you're just in control that much more.

So I think if you have the opportunity to get your hands on one, it would be really fun to try. Yeah. We were getting a bunch soon where they're supposed to be shipping, I think in a week or two, where it's supposed to get them in our shops are eager to try it. But like visually, is there a difference in the width of the wing or the size of the leading edge or what's changed and how has the handling different than the V one?

Yeah they actually had, they added a window, which is great. Cause I think you're always riding blind without it. So now you're gonna be able to see through and make sure. Yeah. So actually regarding the window, would you say having a window is an advantage? Is that something that you appreciate having, or do you feel like it's not really necessary?

I guess that's one of those debates that our people are having, yeah. Cause I think like with an added window, you do sacrifice certain materials that have to be used, et cetera, et cetera. But I think. For the overall kind of the sacrifice you'd have to make. I think it is totally worth having, just because, there's a lot less, less likely chance you're going to run over one of your friends that way.

Cause you can see what direction you're heading in. So personally I think it's a great addition and it's not the entire way as clear plastic. So it really doesn't affect the the writing ability at all. It just does add something and it makes you that much more comfortable and I got pretty accustomed to not having it.

So the fact that it is there now, and I don't have to lift up my wing to see where everybody is and if I'm going to run someone over is it's really nice and convenient too. And then I think, yeah, some of the new aspects, they have changed the shape a little bit, but I think technically like in the technical and tech specs of it all, like they've added to that you pump up the center Strat and the leading edge separately, which is really cool because I think I had multiple occasions where I would pop a wing or break it and you're swimming home with a completely deflated wing.

Versus if you do end up popping one part of it, that way it's going, one part of it will stay deflated, which is great. And it makes it a lot easier for you to make it in with your wing and hopefully fix it too. So yeah, I'm excited to see everybody get out there and try it out and see everybody's different theories and ideas on it.

But I think they've they're continuing to progress swinging as a whole, which is exciting. Yeah. I like having two separate valves too, because yeah. Before you always have to push the air out of the center strut, and then it takes forever to get down and then pushed the wind back on the beach.

Yeah. Not that easy. That's cool. What foils do you use and tell us about the foils and the, and then the boards, but foils first. Yeah, I I have the opportunity I ride for MFC and for the hydro whole company. And the relationship between the two, the hydrofoil company is it's an R and D company, so they don't really mass manufacture anything and then MFC manufacturers it for the hydro company.

And I pretty much used the Hydro's foils for 90% of the writing that I'm doing. And I think for me, like it's really amazing to get to ride on all of them just cause they are, they're an incredibly versatile set of foils, whether you want to go toe foiling which in that back foot video, that's what I was riding.

I have an a thousand wing that I use. That's probably the foil I use the most out of all of these. That's what I use for winging. That's what I use for toe foiling. And then when it gets into the more surf boiling side of things, I will use a little bit bigger foil, which is usually between the 10 75 Hydrus foil or the Or the 1250 hydrofoil.

And then when I do that, downwinders, if I'm not using something that's been custom built by the hydrophone company and that's, a high aspect foil, if I'm just going out to mess around, I'll use the 1400 Hydro's foil because that's also, it's also great for them when being in it. It adds that little bit extra lift with the bigger size, but it's still totally numerable when you are down winning and, navigating through the bumps.

So wing wise, yeah, it's really nice to have a foil set up like that where you can just switch out the front wings and the sizes. And it's still very similar riding, but it really does handle such a wide variety of foils. And I'm excited to see what these companies get up to next and how they continue to progress foiling.

And then as for the mask, which I think that varies for me quite a bit, I usually go back and forth between an 80 centimeter and a 70 centimeter mast. Unless I'm telling in bigger waves, and then I'll go up to something longer, like a 90 or maybe a hundred, but that doesn't happen most of the time when I'm winging.

So like in this video, for example, I use an 80 just because it does give me that extra level of kind of support and you're able to gain so much more speed without having to watch for popping out of the water. And it just, it adds that level of insurance almost that you do have more time to react if it feels like your fall is going to pop out of the water.

And then when I'm jumping too, I feel like it does help me gain speed and get me more momentum when I am about to jump to. And then when I'm down foiling, I use an 80 again. It does make it a little bit harder to pop out of the water just because your foils under the water a little farther, but. In the long run, it really gives you the ability to jump jumps a little bit easier and not have to risk popping out of the water.

And then when I'm just surf boiling for fun and, small waist, high waves, I will use the 70 mass just because I think risking hitting the reef a hundred times in one session is it's not worth it. So I'll use the 70 and that just, it really gives you the ability to turn and card. Like you're on a short board almost like this.

So I think that's also a really good reason to use the 70 when you're in smaller waves. Yeah, no, that's a good good summary. I noticed that like, when I used for winging for a while, I used a one meter mass for winging. Which, it is nice going over chop and stuff like that, but you do give up it just feels more tippy a little bit.

And then also for jumping, it's just your, it's just a longer way out of the water, and it's just I like 80 or 90 seems to be the sweet spot for winging for me too. But, and then obviously for surfing or anytime you're in a shallower area, then it's nice to have something a little bit shorter.

Yeah. Saves your foil and for the reefs and the turtles underneath you. Yeah. What about the what about the tailwind? Have you played around with the tailwind wings in different shins and stuff like that? Can you maybe tell us what you, your, you learned from playing around with the tailings. Yeah, definitely.

I've I've messed around with pretty much a little bit of everything. I think my favorite tailing I use right now is the two 25 MSC wing. It's a great it's works for everything. I use it for down winning for winging, for surf foiling. And then also if I do want to go a little bit more aggressive or I'm going in bigger waves, I'll use the 200, which is a little smaller and it just adds such, an like addition of turning and maneuverability and the foil, which is really fun too.

And then I think for me, what I've recently been experimenting the most with, which is super exciting is the lengths of the fuselage. So usually like when I first started winging and getting into all this and I'd use a 63 centimeter fuselage and then I slowly got shorter and I went to a 58, which was really fun and it just adds, it does make the foil a little bit more tippy, but it also adds like a level of responsiveness that I wasn't getting what the 63.

And then it also just like when you are in the surf or you are trying to jump and turn up when at the last second, it really just lets the foil respond to you that much more. And then I recently tried a 53, which is, I think is short as I've gone so far and I haven't tried anything different, but I think right now, like that's my favorite setup to ride.

I have my 80 mass with my a thousand front wing, my 53 fuselage and then my two 25 back wing. I found that for me works the best, just because it does let you card, even though you are on a longer mass, which sometimes will inhibit your your turning radius and your ability to turn, it really doesn't honestly affect you that much, just because I do have a set up underneath the the mass that just lets you turn it feels like you're like surfing on a short board or something it's really incredible, super loose.

Have you noticed that, like you, it's easier to turn when you have a, more of an angle on your tailing, like a with a more, like more lift angle on the shim. Have you played around with the shins at all? I have. Yeah. So I use the red shim, the red or the blockchain most of the time, I think in the MFC Like lime, the white shim is neutral.

The black shim is plus one and the red shim is plus two. So the Red's like the highest amount of lift you can get. And I don't feel a lot of additional turning ability when I sh switch out the shims. I definitely feel different. It doesn't go as fast when I use the red versus the black or the white.

But I think also the foil does tend to be a little bit more jumpy when I use the white and it'll dive a lot faster or it'll do things that aren't quite as expected that I don't want it to do. And so I feel like I have it more in control and I do use the red sham, which is why I predominantly use that.

But I haven't felt a lot of effects with the turning, but it's more on the speed and kind of just the control and the lift with it. I've tried the MSC only a few times, but I've noticed like I was using the white CIM and I felt like when I was going into the turn, it almost felt like I wanted to drop, like you had to add to lean back in the turn.

So it would stay up, which was weird to me because most forests tend to lift when you go into the turn. So yeah. Did like almost the opposite of what I was expecting. So yeah, I can see that probably the more the red or black shin would probably be the one I would use too. Okay. And then what about boards?

What do you use for boards? Yeah. So I'm lucky enough to get to work with Katie surfing. He shapes most of Kai's boards. She shapes the Spencer's boards, Jeffery Tiffin. And it's really cool because I think all of us have given him different parts of advice and he's shaped these incredible foil boards, whether you are down winning or you're winging, or you're surf foiling, he's really mastered the shape and he's made some amazing boards to work with.

So he's pretty much what I'm using right now. Not just in the foiling, but in the surfing. And he's my sole board sponsor at this point, which is really exciting. And yeah, I think for the foiling side of things, he's really gotten it all dialed I have for winging and prone foiling. I use the same board.

It's a four, three. I think it's 25 liters, I believe 24, 25 liters. So it's pretty small. It definitely sinks on me. It acts is it's about the same size is one of my short boards. So it's the same same amount of, leader's just squished into a lot smaller board. And that's, it's amazing. He's added, like if you flip the board over, I wish I had it and we had it with me right now, so I can show you guys but yeah, if you do end up turning the board over and you get to look at the divots and all of these technical things, he's added where, where he has like a step up where the foil plate is, and it really lets you pop your foil out of the water that much easier, which I think is something that certain boards struggled to do.

Cause it does feel like the board's almost been suctioned onto the water. And with this, it doesn't feel like that at all. It really feels like it wants to pop out and release and give you all the control that the foil wants to give you as well. And and yeah, so the amount of progression that I've seen over like the past year with him and these boards and getting to work with Chi and everybody into making them a foil board that performs as well as it performs is been really cool.

And I'm excited to see kind of work continues to grow and go to. No, it's awesome. To just have one board that you can use for pretty much. Yeah. Prone, foiling and wing foiling. Very much the one board quiver that you can just put in the back of your car or whatever. It's that's the one thing I like about wing folding houses, how simple it is and how small that equipment is.

You don't need to have a huge, standard Palo, Reece board or whatever, like that, everything fits inside the car and stuff like that. It's pretty nice. But what about foot straps? Do you use the same foot straps for winging and prone, flailing or use different straps? Yeah, I have four or five pairs of the same foot strap.

I use it for whinging, for profiling, for tow in surfing, in big waves. So pretty much I feel like just for me, it makes it really easy to be able to rely on just one foot strap and note, no matter what sport I'm doing, it's always going to be the same. And it's always going to respond to me the same. I don't know the name of it, but they're just like the declined foot straps.

They're black and white. They're super sturdy. Oh, was it really fat ones? Yeah. This yeah. What are they called again? I forget, but yeah, they don't make them anymore. Unfortunately we can't like, I love those too. I forgot what they're called now, but those are great straps and super. Yeah, I believe, I think they still might have a couple of pairs haiku, cannery.

So if you're over here at all, you can go grab her. Exactly. But for me, those are my favorite bootstraps, just cause I had a couple times I tried different ones in the past. And I felt like when I was prone foiling and I lay on them, like I'd pop up to get up on the wave and put my foot feet and the foot straps and they like wouldn't pop back up.

They weren't springing enough. So like the footstep would just be pressed to the board and I'd be trying to fit my foot in there and it wouldn't work. And then I ended up, either spending the entire way, figuring that out or falling off. So for me, I think they are pretty stiff and they can be uncomfortable to lay on, but it's worth the sacrifice if Still having footsteps that are that reliable and that easy to use.

So that's pretty much what I use. Every time I do end up going with fresh straps and occasionally I'll go prone, foiling without foot straps, just to mess around and just see how many waves I can pump in a row. But yeah, most of the time that's on every foil board I have other than the downloading.

Oh, I was going to ask you, like, when you were growing up, do you have an early, like your earliest childhood memory of the ocean where you're like, Oh, this is so much fun or I love this, or, like something that you remember about like one of your first memories that, where you fell in love with being in the ocean.

Yeah. I think there's quite a few from like different ages. But my family had this thing when I was younger where we'd spend Sundays at the beach. So we call them surf Sundays. And there's a wave on the West side of Maui called poo Amaanah. And that's where I grew up surfing. That's like where I learned to surf.

That's where I caught my first wave by myself. And I think it was, I have one vivid memory. It was a day middle of summer, I think, I believe, I don't know. I was, I think I was probably like three or four at the time. And my parents would do the push and catch strategy, which is like I'd paddle myself out to the lineup.

My dad would be standing in the waves. He pushed me onto a wave. I'd stand up by myself, catch the wave. And then my mom would make sure I didn't go into the shore break and Tableau to the beach and she'd send me back out to my dad. And there was one day that I remember doing it and. We had ended up, we got a bunch of my other younger friends at the time to come over.

And it was just one of the, like for me, like one of my earliest memories of loving the water and feeling that joy of not only enjoying it myself, but spending it with other people that I love and and care for. So I think that for me, like being able to catch waves by myself, or at least being on my own board and being out there with my parents and other friends and family, I think that was for me, like what I remember most vividly and remember falling in love with it from that moment.

That sounds awesome. So your parents support your water, sports ambitions and stuff. Is that, is this what you want to do as a career or what are your goals and plans for you? As you grow up. Yeah. I wouldn't be able to do this if it weren't for their support. And my mom, my dad, my brother, all of them, they're so supportive with everything.

If I ever need help, they drop anything to come and help me, which for me has been, a game changer. I wouldn't be doing any of this. If it weren't for them giving me the opportunities that they've given me. And I'm so grateful for that. And yeah, I think at this point it's really hard just with COVID and everything and the way that the world is right now it's hard to make a plan.

And, but for me, if I could have my dream scenario, I want to be doing this as a career for the rest of my life. This is what I love spending time in the ocean. I want to eventually help the ocean and And give back because it's given me so much and it's fulfilled me so much so far in my life.

And yeah, I think if I could choose one thing and if I could choose how I do want to pursue the next 10 years, I want to continue to make myself the best water women that I can be. I'd love to be the best water woman out there. I'd love to be performing at the top level and all of these sports that I'm doing right now.

And then I continue to learn other sports too. I really want to get into kiting and windsurfing hopefully, too. So I think, yeah, if I could have an ideal scenario would be getting to pursue this for a lifetime and getting to enjoy the water for as long as possible. And yeah, I think, I'm trying to set that up so that's what I have the opportunity to do.

And I'd also love if eventually that doesn't work out one day. I'd also love to go back to school, probably. I guess we'll see, I'm trying to get my options open, but I do have a goal in mind and I hope that I can achieve it one day. Okay. Talk a little bit about other than water sports.

Do you do any other like cross training or do you have any other hobbies and other interests in life? Yeah, I I have a couple I've gotten a mountain biking last summer, actually a lot. So I really love mountain biking. We have some really fun trails on Maui. The macula forest is amazing.

So getting to do that, and I think that's great cross training cause you're biking uphill and then you turn around and go downhill. And that definitely adds a really good cardio workout into my daily active, like activity routine. And then cross training wise, I spent a lot of time running, whether it's on flat ground or on the beach or through sand or whatever.

And then I also spend a lot of time in the gym. There's a really cool gym on Maui and I get to work with some of the best athletes there, and it's really fun. We all get get a great workout in together and not just surfers, every type of athlete or water athlete on Maui that Molly has to offer usually goes to that gym.

So I spend a lot of time in there and it's really inspiring and cool to get to, spend time with all of these people that I idolize and look up to. And then like off of all things active, I really love to draw. I think that's one of my biggest, like at-home passions. If I'm just here and I don't have any work to do, and it's been a long day and it's just a nice way for me to decompress.

I love to sit down and doodle and draw and yeah, it's been something I love. It's something fun to travel with too, just cause, if I'm not reading a book, I can sit down and just sketch something out or, draw something. All right. You're an artist. So that's awesome. Can you can you tell us about a typical day in your life?

Like a typical day in the life of Annie? What's it like, what do you do? Yeah, I think right now with winter still being in place, it definitely varies depending on the time of year, but I think if I were to say like right now, a typical day in my life is I'd wake up. I waking up pretty early.

I usually wake up around six every morning, which is before the sun comes up and I'll leave my house. Maybe we'll get some, eat some breakfast, really fast, leave my house. And usually I'll go and check the waves for surfing. And if it looks fun for surfing, I'll go and get a quick session. And usually with some other friends.

And then if it doesn't look ideal for surfing, I'll go for a run just because I feel like, I have the opportunity to do all these things and running really helps me even out all of the different things that I do. And sometimes I feel like. Foiling a make me lopsided because I am just in one stance most of the time and running helps me straighten everything out, which is nice.

So if the waves, aren't amazing, which with Maui there's definitely quite a few days where it's blown out already or too small. I'll go for a run. And then after that, usually I'll come home and if there's anything I need to get done on the computer, or, running errands, et cetera, et cetera, I'll do that.

And then usually I try and find time for a couple other sessions through the day. I'll go and check it for downwind or for winging maybe another surf session in the evening. And then a lot of afternoons I spend in the gym too. So I think it's all very dependent on the conditions, but a typical day for me is usually three or four sessions on the water.

And then also, enjoying time running or in the gym too, if I'm given the opportunity. That's impressive. Now you got a lot of youthful energy, you know what, one of the really cool things about weighing that I've noticed is that it seems to be really popular with young kids. Like I'm surprised like how, yeah.

How I think a lot with stand up paddling, a lot of times when kids are into it's kinda cause their parents that kind of got them into it or bought them the gear and are growing with them and stuff like that, where. As for wing filing, like I recently had a kid come into the shop and I don't know, he's like maybe 13 or 14 years old.

And he had saved up all his money. He came with his dad, but the dad was like I have nothing to do with this is, his purchase. He saved up his money and he wants to get away, cause his buddies are doing it and he's been surf foiling. Now he wants to get into wing foiling. And I don't know, it just, it seems it's, it is an expensive sport.

So it's, it's hard for young kids to get into it, I think. But there seems to be an attraction to it, like almost like skateboarding or something like that where it's a cool sport versus some of the other like wind surfing and stand-up paddling. I think we're never really that considered cool among young kids.

So w why do you think that is. I dunno. I think it's part of the foiling thing, like foiling a couple of years ago really came back into fourth and I think, all sorts of people love to do it, whether it is, a grom just starting to surf. I think they're super interested in it versus someone who's been surfing windsurfing or kiting for, 40 plus years.

I think it really has an attraction for every person who loves being on the water. And I think it's just an extension of that with winging kiting and windsurfing are the two main wind sports and they've been around for a long time. And I think with this new rise of whinging is like a smaller baby Windsport that's coming up.

I think it's. Caught the excitement of a lot of probably younger kids, just because it is so new and fresh. And I think, the people who are excelling in the sport, like Kyle Lenny's and they make it look so high-performance and so exciting. And it's something that's so new and it's progressing so fast.

I think that's probably a big reason why, so many kids are getting into it just because it really is and that's why I started doing it just cause it looks so fun and so exciting and something so new that you, can't not want to try it. And I think I think, and I hope it'll continue to progress and that kids will continue to get into it.

Cause I think they're the future. And if we want the sport to continue to grow, we're going to need all sorts of different generations to be excited about it. And yeah, that story that you mentioned about the kid coming in and saving up for a ring is really cool. Cause you think, that's like something you get from the surfing side of things and the fact that it's continuing to whinging and foiling and all of that is really cool too.

Yeah, and I haven't seen a lot of young women getting into it or girls. What about Molly? Do you see are you like, do you have any are you like a role model to other girls that you see out there or what do you see on that side for the females? Yeah, I hope to be a role model.

That would be amazing. But there's a couple of girls here who, yeah, they're improving really fast and they're charging. That's super cool to see. I have a good, if one of my closest friends whose name is Olivia Jenkin, she's a professional kite surfer and she's incredible. And she's gotten amazing at it and it's really fun to have someone female at my level and get to go with her and.

And there's a couple other younger girls, there's one girl named Rio on Maui. Who's absolutely killing it. And it's really cool to see her so into it. And so excited about foiling all the different sizes of wings and also just getting into winging itself. And then yeah, it has been cool. And I've had the opportunity to take a couple of girls foiling, not only winging, but foiling and also winging.

And yeah, it's cool to see the fire get lit inside them. And I hope that they continue to want to get out there. And I haven't had the opportunity to wing in many other places other than Hawaii and Maui, but I really hope that when I do have the opportunity to go and travel and get out there that I'll see the same thing, which is other females getting out there and enjoying the sport.

Cause I think, it's for everybody and if we can all get out there and enjoy the ocean or whatever, body of water we're on, that's that's really special. Yeah. Awesome. So who do you go out with the most? I know it's always more fun to go on the water with friends, so who is your like group?

What's your posse of wing feathers? Yeah. I think probably my most the people I go with the most is Olivia, my friend that I mentioned Jeffrey and fin I go with, I love hanging out with them. They're like my brothers. Cause we went to school together when we were younger. So I've known them forever.

One of my closest friends Ridge, I go out with him all the time. I see Kyle out there constantly. I'm sure, Katie Maui came to wild. I go up there and see him out there all the time. So honestly Malley is such a tight community and especially in the water sports community, that pretty much anybody, who winged foils on Maui we'll share sessions constantly.

So I think those people are probably some of the people I see the most consistently, but I'm constantly running into people and having, fun sessions with with all sorts of different water, sports community people on Maui. So for future interviews for this show, who do you, who should I talk to next week?

Who do you recommend talking to? Oh, I don't know. I love to see Jeffrey get on here. Cause I think it'd be really fun to hear the original back flip King. Talk about all of his different style techniques. And honestly, I think anybody, I think it'd be really cool to hear another girl talk to whether it is Olivia or someone else outside of Maui.

Yeah, I don't think you can go wrong, but I think talking to Jeffrey would be really cool. Yeah. Maybe I'll ask you to connect me with him. Yeah. That'd be great to talk to Jeffrey and then yeah. Other women too, for sure. I think that's one of the things that, that Baltz Miller mentioned that we sh it shouldn't just be guys, we don't want it to be just like a guy sport.

We want it to be inclusive. So that, I think that's why I'm happy to have you on the show too. W a lot of people have been struggling, during the pandemic being stuck inside and, maybe feeling anxiety and whatever. Has it a pandemic have had any silver linings for you?

Like something that has there been things that are better than before to you? Or like how has it affected you? Yeah, I think it's an incredibly hard time for everybody. Just, the world itself is hurting and that's always really hard to see, but for me my dad usually travels a lot for work, or he did at least before all of this.

And he hasn't been just because of everything he's been working from home. So I think Getting my entire family home in one place for this long. It was the majority of last year was really special because usually we're always running around in different places, in different parts of the world.

And having us all together and home for this long was really special. So I think for me, like outside of the water sports side of things, that was something that I I found and we were able to, make something good out of a bad situation. And that was something I'm really fortunate in the time we've had together.

And then, I think being at home for this long that's something that's come out of COVID for me. Cause I had trips planned and events that I was going to do and they all ended up getting postponed or canceled. So I think just being able to enjoy this time I've had on Maui, which is, it's my favorite place to be is also been something I'm really fortunate for.

Okay. Yeah. Thanks. So do you have any thing that you do to keep yourself in a positive state of mind or any tips for people that are struggling with, be feeling lonely or just being in a bad state of mind? Do you have any thing that things that you do or that you can recommend or, yeah, I I think it's something that everybody struggles with at some points, especially with everything going on.

And for me, it's hard to say because I'm hoping that everybody watching this gets to, enjoy the water at some point. But I think for me, like whenever I'm in a bad mood or I'm having a hard time doing, dealing with something, or I'm just frustrated if I go and get in the water no matter what sport it is, even if it's just for a swim, but if I go and get in the water and I'm in my it's my happy place.

If I'm. In there. I automatically, my spirits are lifted and I feel better. So I think, for anybody who is struggling, if they do have the opportunity to enjoy the ocean, I'd say, go and take advantage of that. Or, if it's just immersing yourself in nature for me me being out in nature, whether it is the ocean or it's, taking a walk outside or being in a forest or something beautiful.

I think that for me is that's my favorite place and that always like fulfills me and makes me feel at home and at peace again. So I think that's, that would be my word of advice for anybody who is struggling with, just get out there and be outside. I think that's a good good advice for sure.

Yeah. Awesome. So is there, who are your sponsors or who do you want to thank for on the show like that who's helping you out and helping you as an athlete at site? I'd like to thank yet. Anybody who's helped me get to the place. I am not just sponsors, but in equipment terms and and like that, the hydrophobic company and MFC, I wouldn't be able to, do any of this stuff that I do without their amazing foils and Katie.

I'm really grateful for all the support that I've gotten from them so far. And then through ozone getting to ride, their wings has been really cool too, and getting to work with the Maui crew. And then also all of the people outside of Maui through their company has been really special.

And then, yeah, for me, like that's, those are my biggest sponsors right now, and I'm really grateful that I've had the opportunity to work with all of them. And I hope that I can continue to work with other brands in the future, but I think, I wouldn't be where I am if it weren't for those brands.

So I'm really grateful for that. Awesome. So in, in terms of like moves and maneuvers, are you working on anything new? Other in the beginning we talked about doing a backflip, but are there any other moves that you're working on right now or are things you're trying to figure out or learning?

Yeah, I think the back flip for me is my main thing right now. I want to learn it, not just in the foiling. I really want to learn a back flip surfing too. That's a pretty hefty goal of mine, but I when your toast surfing, you're, you have a trap, so it makes it a lot easier, but I really want to learn how to do a back flip toast surfing.

And then of course, backflip winging and a back foot prone, foiling. So I think back flips all around and then the winging side of things. It's amazing to see what balls and and. Tiguan and Jeffrey and all those guys are getting up to, I feel like every time I opened my phone and look on social media, there's like another crazy thing that they've accomplished.

So definitely I'd love to try some of those crazy twists and corals that they're doing. And incorporating, they're bringing the wind surfing side of things into it, which is pretty wild. I don't even know what to call those things that they do, but I'd really love to try a couple of them in the coming months.

Yeah. Have you tried to do like the spin, like where you turn the board into the wind, like the three 60, but it's more like a twist and then a flip, have you tried that? Yeah, I've actually, I made two or three of them and this was a while ago before winter time. Cause I feel like with the winging now I'm more spending time on the waves and spending time just jumping and not doing anything like super technical, but I did figure out a couple of those Pre winter time.

And that was super fun. And I'm excited to kind of mess around with those again and see if I can remember how to do them. Yeah. Yeah. It's so I've been trying them too. And the first day I tried it, like my third attempt, they actually pulled it off and I don't even know how, but, and then during that same session, I pulled it off another one and I was like, Oh, I can do this pretty easy.

But then that was like maybe several months ago. And I haven't been able to pull off another one since then. I dunno, no, the wing, I like, I have it too much over my head or spins too far or something like that. It's I have a hard time pulling them off, but yeah, just have to keep practicing, yeah. But that's what makes wing, folding so much fun. I think that it seems every time you go out there you progress a little bit or you learn something new about it. Yeah, totally. It never gets old being out there. Yeah. All right. So any, anything else, any other things you want to talk about or any last words for people?

Yeah, I think that's pretty much it. Thank you so much for having me on. Thanks for everybody. Who's listening to me, Blab on for the long. I'm really grateful that you've had me on here and yeah, it was really fun talking with you. I hope that we can meet one day soon. Yeah. Thanks Danny. Yeah. I If you come to all, let me know and we'll go win winning together and thanks for coming on the show and yeah, I I'm, I was surprised like, it seems like we've been blabbing on forever, but I'm sure there's going to be a lot of people that are going to watch the whole thing and want to listen to everything.

Surprisingly it seems like it's like such a tiny Part of the population that's actually interested in this stuff, but it's very, everyone's very passionate about it. I think so. Yeah. We're a tight family. Yeah. Super cool. Thank you so much. Enjoy the rest of your day. I guess there's no wind today.

What are your plans for today? I think I really love to surf. I'm going to go see if it's a really bad idea to get in the chocolate water on Mallory right now, but I'm really wanting to get in the ocean. But we'll see if not, I'll probably go for a run or do something else, but yeah, just right now, I need to go get the gills wet and get in the water.

Yeah. I guess not too close to any creeks or any run off places, right? Because yeah, it is like over here to this hot chocolate city. You don't want to go. Yeah. A lot of stuff floating in the water right now. Yeah. All right. Have a great day. Thanks so much. Talk to you soon. Thank you.

Okay. Thanks so much, Andy, for being on the show. Thanks for listening and watching. Remember, you can also listen to the show as a podcast on Android or Apple devices. You can just open the app and search for the blue planet show, and then you can listen to it while you're driving or doing other chores and so on.

So that's a good way to listen to it. If you don't have time to sit down and watch the whole thing on video, but of course video is the best way. Cause we're going to try to share always images and pictures and video. I'm a very visual person, visual learner. So for me, it helps to have that visual along with the verbal.

Yeah. So thanks again for watching the show. Hope to see you next week with a great interview with Rob widow, from ozone and Armstrong. Really good stuff in there. So hope you stay tuned next Saturday. And remember if you subscribe to our channel and click the little icon, the bell icon, you'll get a notification when a new video comes up.

And if you watch it during the first week there's no ads. So after one week we monetize it. So then YouTube starts playing those annoying ads. But if you listen to it for the first week, it's ad free. So that's a little bonus for our subscribers. If you enjoyed the show, please don't forget to give a thumbs up, helps us on YouTube and and yeah.

Leave your comments down below. Constructive criticism always welcome as well. So thanks again, everyone for watching. I really appreciate it. Stay still get on the water and I'll talk to you soon. Aloha. .