Just like on the Mainland, October is a transition month in the Islands. Unlike the Mainland we don’t have foliage changing colors. Instead, we have a period of muggy weather because the trades go away. Usually the result of a storm to the north of the Islands that will eventually reach the Pacific Northwest. Which means the North Shore is the place to be if you’re a good surfer.
I do mean good. North Shore surf is not for the beginner.
This how it looks out my back door when it’s dead calm.
Driving around Makapu’u Point on Oahu you might notice Paragliders and or Hanggliders flying above the beach. The Landing Zone at Kaupo Beach will have a gaggle of just landed PG or HG pilots swapping stories about how great the flying was.
This time of year another group of flyers will be taking to the air from the same place. This group doesn’t need flying harness, variometer, or parachute. They use what God gave em. Feathers. They are racing pigeons getting in their preseason workouts. In August their owners will send them over to Molokai or Maui or the Big Island and have them released to fly back to Oahu. The fastest ones will be high on the pecking order.
I didn’t realize how popular pigeon racing was until I talked to the breeders while they released their pigeons. For instance, South Africa is the home of the richest One-Loft Race in the world, the Sun City Million Dollar Pigeon Race. The Sun City Million Dollar Pigeon Race pits 4,300 birds from 25 countries against each other for a share of $1.3m in prize money. The runners-up win cars and smaller monetary prizes, while the overall winner can expect to pocket $200,000. Sun City’s "one-loft" race, sees birds from across the world air-freighted to South Africa as squabs, months before the race, and trained to orientate to a single loft. On race day, after being released 550 km (330 Miles) out on the South African veldt, the birds all race back to the same destination.
The next time you see a flock of pigeons beating wing from Makapuu you’re watching athletes in training.
Last year I got pictures of the Maunalua Bay fireworks from ground level. The only drawback for me is the land on either side of the bay is mostly dark with no landmarks to give the fireworks scale and dimension. This year I walked up on top of Koko Head so I could look down on the display. In this picture the flash reflecting off the water showing the boats anchored nearby along with the street lights snaking behind the display provides a sense of height, depth and width.
I see it’s been a very rainy and cold spring so far on the Mainland this year. Especially the East Coast. It isn’t very often the grounds crew at the U.S. Open figure so prominently in water removal! Just in case you’re getting tired of that weather here’s what it looks like in Waikiki this summer.
A combination of lingering winter weather here in Hawaii and the requirements of my job. Conspired to keep me from posting new pictures in almost month. Here’s a pic from Saturday when the paragliders were out in force. Alex didn’t want to take the time to launch from their usual location. Instead he spread his wing in the parking lot, brought it up and started walking. Don’t try this at home!
