Downwinding is an obscure discipline but if you know what you’re doing, it’s the ultimate wilderness surfing experience. Most people paddle downwind, catching big wind “bumps” in the middle of the ocean, using a canoe, surfski, or SUP to essentially surf from one point of land to another with the prevailing winds. It’s a discipline well suited to the Hawaiian Islands (native Hawaiians used prevailing wind swell to travel here after all). Known “runs” have been shuttled for years throughout the Aloha State like the Maliko Run on Maui, or Hawaii Kai to Waikiki on Oahu’s south shore, and of course the grand daddy, the monster channel crossing that is Molokai2Oahu.
Using a paddle is an easy way to keep momentum downwind when one falls off a bump (and catch the next one). Nathan and John John Florence of course chose to do downwinding the hard way along with Koa Smith and Wyatt McHale – with foils. And they didn’t want jet skis to assist them. Simply take off on a wave up near Pipeline and run the 15 miles downwind (east to west) to Ka’ena Point State Park by pumping and connecting bumps, never coming off foil.”Some made it, some were left behind,” wrote JJF on YouTube. We’re not sure exactly who didn’t make it but you can do the math.
