Hawaii Take 2

So many things happen here and time goes so fast that sometimes its difficult to keep up and catch up with everything thats going on, which in a strange way, it's not much.

The waves have been a mixture of super small, flat, windy, glassy and super big.
For a couple of days at Sunset, we had waves with sets around 3 meters easy. It was so big and heavy. Guys were going out with massive boards, anything from 7' to 10' and crazy guys like Kala whow went out on his paddle board. Must say that his session didn't end up too good as he pulled into a barrel and snapped his Epoxy wooden SUP......... It happens to all the best I guess :)

Pipe Masters opening day was pretty amazing but also pretty strange, the waves were huge all over the NS in places like Pups, Off the Wall, Rock Piles....and Pipe...well I would say it was half the size....so strange..... It was hard for the surfers to know where to go for their heats and they even made Gums part of the competition area :) Most of the waves were at Back Door. It was fun to watch but so far that was the only day we have had with waves good enough for the contest.

Otherwise here, we have been surfing all around catching the best waves depending on swell, wind etc. just because there are a couple of well known spots, it doesn't mean you can not travel around and find waves just as good or better and sometimes ( but doesn't happen often ) with no crowd.

As for boards, Luis has already snapped 2 boards but luckily everybody is safe and there are no injuries.

Looks like we will have no big swell as far as we can see, until December 17th so it's a good job Luis has new small boards coming :)

Hopefully the contest will be back on again soon and so will the waves :)
Will keep you posted

HAWAII 10 dayz with luis eyre

Check out week 1 video of Luis Eyre. More to come soon of Keshia and Klaus.

It has been pretty much flat for the last couple of days and looks like the swell will not arrive until December 01st.....perfect timing as that is Luis' birthday :)

What we do in Hawaii when there is no waves?? shopping in Town , Ala Moana Mall....:)

Then Tennis and swimming at Turtle Bay.

Tomorrow will be another flat day but as shopping is done, we will be going swimming at Waimea, paddling around and some snorkeling and swimming with Turtles.......it's fun to do for a couple of days but...please God bring on the waves....

Also on December 01st, we have the opening ceremony of the Eddie contest at Waimea. It's always a fun day with all the invitees there, amazing to check out their boards and then have a big BBQ thanks to the Aikau Ohana :)

Luis interview in surf total

Follow the link below to check out Luis' interview about Hawaii.


http://www.surftotal.com/pt/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=2913:entrevista-luis-eyre-em-directo-do-hawaii&Itemid=14

Also Pit Pilot have just published a full page shot of Luis taken in Foz do Lizandro, Portugal

Hawaii

Traveling is always the worst part of a trip and this one was far short of drama......
The trip started at Lisbon airport, Tito was joining us on the adventure and thats what it turned out to be, his "esta" hadn't come through in time and British Airways would not check him in all the way to Hawaii without the visa confirmation so, as far as we knew, Tito was going to London for 5 weeks...with 4 boards and a case full of summer clothes :)
Once on the plane, the captain tells us that we are not leaving for a couple of hours, due to fog at London Heathrow so...that meant goodbye LAX flight! Yeahhhhhhh
Two hours late into our arrival flight and after talking to the agents at BA, they tell us that the best option is to go to Hawaii.....via Tokyo...and arrive 2 days later...are you kidding me ??? so after much arguing and persuading, we are sent to LAX on an afternoon flight, given a hotel for the night and a flight to Hawaii the following morning.
Tito's visa is now confirmed and in a way we have to give thanks for the delay as that way we were all together and Tito didn't have to look like the guys from Cool Runnings when leaving London airport :)
Full of cases, board bags and food vouchers, we check-in at LAX hotel, after a massive meal and a good shower, its time to go to bed and be fresh for the morning flight.
All good there, until Tito's bag with his clothes went missing....hmmmm maybe someone does not want him to go to Hawaii.......
o enough of the traveling, the arrival at HNL airport, made it all worth it, just that tropical hot smell when the doors open spells ALOHA all the way :)

Because of the night at LAX, the jet lag seems to be a lot more bearable and we are waking up at a decent time, 6am ready to face the crowds and paddle out in the dark.

The waves have been pretty small for the whole week but we have managed to surf most spots already, from Chuns to Rockies but looks like it will be like this for the next 5 days anyway, it gives us time to settle, get used to the waves, weather, heat etc and be totally ready for the real Hawaii waves that we are all looking forward to. We also watched the final day of the Haleiwa contest.


It's great to be back in Hawaii and see all our friends.

More news and photos to come next week.

Happy Thanks Giving to everyone :)

Luis and Tito catching up with the real world

Keshia

Luis

Klaus

Keshia

Luis and Klaus

Keshia

Master Chefs Klaus and Tito

Luis

Luis

Luis

3 TOP 3's

Last weekend was the final event of the Portuguese Nationals.
The call was at Sao Pedro but, due to the small swell, they had to change location to Guincho.
All 3 Eyre's were competing for a top stop in the final as that would guarantee them a top 3 spot in the National ranking.
As it was the last event, only the top 16 qualified so they all started in the 1/4 finals.
The conditions were great for most of the day and all 3 advanced to the semis without any hiccups but the wind started to pick up and the forecast for Sunday was for a full storm and big increase in the swell. Contest  director decided to put in the 1/2's of the girls, in case they could not finish it on Sunday, the Under 12's were also scheduled to go in but, due to the lack of light , they had to stop at the girls.
So a happy ending for Saturday with Keshia already in the finals and Luis and Klaus in the semis.

Sunday morning was a very early start and the ocean surprised us with a smaller swell and not as much wind as expected.
The organization decided to put the smallest of competitors in first and that caught some sleepy parents and kids off guard as some were not there for the start of their heats...!

Once again, both boys made their heats and now all 3 were in the big finals.

Klaus, after a terrible start to the season, to the point were we started to wonder if he was ready for contests or not, made huge progress. After the 1st event, he was ranked 13th and now he had the chance, with a good result, to get 2nd spot in Portugal for his age group....and he did it :) Great job Klaus, a great improvement and fantastic result.

Keshia, almost like Klaus, had a shocker of a start to the season and, just like a good wine, got better as the season went on.
I think they are both pretty new to contest surfing as this was their first serious year competing so, they took a bit to adjust.
Considering all results, good and bad, Keshia had an excellent finish to the year, she claimed second place in the contest and 3rd overall in the Girls Under 18's...which means she has 4 more years left :)

Luis, as always was a slight different story when it came to results.
He only managed to enter 3 out of 5 events due to other contest commitments in Europe, winning 2 and coming 2nd in the other . The other kid that was in the title race, had done 4 events with 2 first places and 2 second places so, if Luis won or came 2nd in this last event, they would be tied in the title.
The conditions were not the best as the wind had started to make the waves very difficult to surf.
Luis had a great start with a 7.10 first wave and a 6.5 in his second, that placed him comfortably in the lead and, as the conditions deteriorated, made it hard to beat. But, as always, the scores were not on Luis' side and they gave a crazy high score for a white water take off and two powerless turns.
Luis was convinced that it was not enough and, funny enough, so was the other surfer but, the judges had other ideas in mind and they gave him more than he needed.

The results then meant that Luis took 2nd place.

We don't normally like to talk about dodgy judging, scores etc but, when it's so obvious that even the winner admits that he did not deserve it, then there is something to be said.

Luis is lucky to have a strong personality and he knows how to handle it and as Klaus said to him: In your heart and mine, we know you won :) I think that's a true champion and.. true brotherly love :)

So the end of the season leaves us with all 3 Eyre's in the Top 3 for Portugal at National level.
Super proud of their achievements and I am sure that with all the up's and down's, it will only make them better and stronger surfers / competitors.

Congratulations to all 3.

Next stop will be on Monday 15th, where, after a grueling 24 hours flights......the 3 Eyre's will invade Hawaii :)

Oh the joys of 3 Pro Surfers :)

Luis in the WQS Ericeira and Confital

The last couple of weeks have built a new chapter in Luis' life and career.
The first one came from the WQS in Ericeira, a 6 star event that took place right outside his house.
Luis did not want to start his QS season until next year when he would follow the European tour but, having the opportunity to enter an event at the beach he surfs most days when he is at home, made all sense and, when he was honored a Wild Card from the ASP, then there was no question about it. He was in and he was doing it.

Due to his wild card, he was seeded to Round 96. It was a busy event that saw surfers from the World Tour entering, like Tiago "saca " Pires and Jeremy Flores. Josh Kerr, from Australia, who had just won and event, was also there.

It was not the best result for Luis but it was good to get an idea of what the Big Boys Tour is all about and what he needs to improve on if he wants to get results for 2011.

Two weeks later, it was the 5 Star WQS event in El Confital, a super shallow and heavy right hander, normally dominated by body boarders, in Las Palmas Gran Canaria.

Luis was unsure about this wave but having a full day training there before the contest, and getting one of the heaviest sets on the head, settled down the nerves and he knew what to expect.

The first day rose with a pretty decent size swell and allowing for some excellent scores and deep barrels.
Luis was in 3rd place, needing a small score, when a set came and it opened up into a mutant barrel Luis went for it, only to get the rail clipped and falling just before the exit :)

Although it meant he did not advance to the next round, it gave him a perfect sight into whats to come next year and plenty more confidence to take on the big heavy waves.

Luis now has a decent seeding for next year, meaning that hopefully he will not have to start in the first rounds of most events.

As they say, the first time is always the hardest so, it can only get better from now on :)

See below some photos that were on the ASP sites for both events.

Keshia 2nd in the Grom Search European Final

Tuesday was the Grom Search European final at Supertubos in Peniche.
Keshia had come 2nd in both events held in Portugal and, for that she got invited to compete in the European final,
The first call was at 8am and the contest was in full swing by 9:00.

They started with the boys where we could see how high the standard was. The turn out was way bigger than we initially thought and that made Keshia a little bit nervous.

First heat she was in with one english, one french and one spanish girl so, a great mix of nationalities :)
The waves were pretty small at the start but the swell started to pick up and the tide to come in.
In her semi final, Keshia got the highest score of the day with a 6.17 on a set wave and bringing it all the way to the sand.

After a 1 hour break for lunch, the finals started.
A pretty good mix in the girls, two portuguese, one spanish and one french.
In the boys final there were 1 portuguese, one french, one spanish and one english.

Ana Morau from France was dominating the heat putting Keshia and Carina in combo.
With 10 minutes to go, Keshia found two great waves and she was first, and it stayed that way until 2 minutes to the end when, Carina, needing a 5.97, score a 6.04 and went into first.......
So close for Keshia....she was 2 minutes away from Australia as that is the prize for the winner of the event.

Carina deserved to win the event, its her second year winning and Keshia still has another 2 years.

It was good to see the level of the girls as it's not often you can have some many European girls in one spot, at the same time.

Thanks to Rip Curl and everyone involved in the event. See you next year...in OZ :)

http://www.surftotal.com/pt/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=2542:vasco-e-carina-vencem-gromsearch-europeu&Itemid=2

Two opposite ends of Europe....well, almost :)

Last weekend, was a busy one for all 3 Eyre's.
Luis was in Scotland doing the UK Pro Junior and Open event, whilst Keshia and Klaus were in Sines, South of Portugal, where the Portuguese Nationals took place.

Luis met some extreme conditions in Scotland. After leaving Portugal with warm water and amazing weather, he found himself in the middle of nowhere with freezing water and ever colder weather but hey, at least there were waves so, not all was bad, oh and don't forget great English Breakfast :)

Both categories went very well for Luis. He finished 3rd in the semis of the Open event and got 2nd place in the Pro Juniors.
After the contest, he was off to an 11 hour drive to Manchester to spend the night with his grandparents and even managed to meet up with some old school friends. A great way to end the trip :)

Keshia and Klaus also did everyone proud.
Sao Torpes is not normally known for its big waves, only for the very warm water due to a Power Station just behind the beach, but the swell predicted waves up to 2 meters and for two days, for sure we had great swell.

Keshia has a good couple of heats on Saturday and Sunday, leaving just the semis and finals for Monday.
Klaus did great in the round of 32. 1/4 finals was nail biting with Klaus getting the score he needed with just 30 seconds to go. A well deserved heat for Klaus as he surfed his best and kept calm until the very end...not the same can be said for the coaches, team managers and parents that were there to support him :)

Monday was the big day for both. Klaus was in first at 8am. He started off with a very strong score of 6.25 and then got another high 6, dominated the head and come out smiling with a place in the final.
Keshia had a very shaky heat and didn't catch any waves for the first 10 minutes but she found her balance and again, claimed a spot in the final.

Klaus was the first final of the day. Again, straight off from the horn going, Klaus got his first wave, a long left all the wave to the sand. The other competitors just didn't seem to be in the same game as Klaus as he was the only one catching all the good waves. He left everyone speechless, surfing so cool and composed, so much so that when the heat was over and he won, everyone ran to the beach to get him...and he didn't know he had won :) The coolest kid in the world.

Keshia also started her heat strong with a good long left. At the end of the 25 minutes it had been pretty much just between Keshia and another girl with Keshia not managing to get another good solid wave to take first place but still claiming a well deserved second place.

All in all, at both ends of Europe, the Eyre's took the victories and claimed the prices.
Well done again to all 3 of them!

Luis warming up after a surf

Winning another heat

Pro Junior Finalists

Under 12's Finalists

Klaus doing his victory speech

Under 18's Girls finalists

Portuguese National Winners

Ribeira D'Ilhas Surf Comp

Under 12's final

Last weekend was the 2nd stage of the Ericeira Surf Tour, this time held at Ribeira D'Ilhas.
As the swell predicted, Saturday was blessed with sun, no wind and great waves :)
Both under 18's and OPEN categories went in and completed most rounds just leaving the finals for Sunday.
Luis entered both and after a long day of surfing...and paddling, it was time to go home and rest.

Sunday the swell had dropped and there was a lot to do. Klaus was in the first heat of the day and Luis was in the last.

As there are not many girls doing the contest, Keshia decided to also enter the Under 14's boys..... which made some of the boys wonder if they should go in or not as, none of them would want to admit that they got beat by a girl. Anyway, many of them had to as Keshia got to the finals.

So, a great weekend with some excellent results and prices ( even if some were too big for the kids...)

Luis claimed 1st in the OPEN and 2nd in the Under 18's
Keshia 2nd in the girls OPEN and 3rd in the Boys Under 14's
Klaus with a 2nd place in the Boys Under 12's.

Thanks so much to all the members of the club, the organization and spectators. They all do a great job.
Next round will be in October.

Till then, here are some cool shots :)

You take one leg and I will take the other :)

Boys Under 14's final

Boys Under 18's finalists

Girls Open final ( where were the other girls.....?) 

OPEN Final

One more video , one more magazine article

At last the video of the 3rd stage of the Portuguese National event, that took place in Aveiro in May, has arrived. As they say, its better late than never and also it brings back good memories.
Luis took 1st place in the Under 18's.

http://vimeo.com/14724557

Also Pit Pilot this month has just printed out a double page shot of Luis, taken in Constantine Beach, during a trip to do one of the British Pro Junior events.