Today...

tatianahoward.com/blog - NEW BLOG ADDRESS!

2007-10-31T13:48:00.000-07:00

I have updated my blog to a new address! From now on you can visit my blog at

www.tatianahoward.com/blog

CLICK HERE TO VISIT MY NEW UPDATED BLOG

Coming Soon...

2007-10-25T17:19:00.000-07:00

:) I am so happy and excited about the Butterfly Effect. The website is in the works now at
Be the effect .com

Click here to check it out!
www.betheeffect.com

Exposure

2007-10-25T15:06:00.001-07:00

Click Here to see the Butterfly Effect online at Windsurf Mania!

Ho'okipa sweet Ho'okipa

2007-10-24T14:19:00.000-07:00

I made it back home just in time for the first winter swells. The windsurfing and surfing has been super fun!

Butterfly Effect BLOG!!

2007-10-20T13:32:00.001-07:00

I am so excited to have just launched a Blog just for the Butterfly Effect!!! :)
Check it out, click here!
Let me know what you think about it!

Mexico Trip #2

2007-10-19T11:46:00.000-07:00

Between the flight from Brazil and Maui, I stopped in California for a couple days. My dad works with construction and was working with a house that was being torn down. Instead of throwing away perfect windows and doors he saved it. After seeing photos from my Mexico trip in August he remembered me telling him that the people that helped and looked after me while my truck broke were remodeling their home and needed windows and doors. So, when I returned from Brazil we had just enough time to make the journey back to Mexico with a trailer full of windows, doors, desks, clothes, tools and a bunch more.

It was a long drive but worth every bit. They were happy to see me and couldn't believe I was back so soon!
Unloading!!

San Agustin - almost exactly half way point if you go to Punta Abreojos.
You see this sign on your right 1 hour south of El Rosario.
Just about 6 hours past the boarder
San Agustin town consists of Natvidads home/cafe, nothing else.

Natividad, myself and Adan

A map of San Agustin and more family of Nati

The road goes on and on and on

My dad and Adan check the roof and discuss what they need for next time

The mechanics who saved the day!

We brought down a bunch of new tools for them so they can keep working on broke down Toyotas!

My dad and I in San Agustin

Adan tells my dad about his grandfather and his grandfathers' father

After having great food and cafe with my new "auntie" and "uncle" of Mexico we headed back home. The drive is one of a kind with beautiful cactus everywhere. Unlike last time I drove this road by myself a little shaken up , this time I got to enjoy the ride home with my dad. We stopped along the way to check out the huge cactus.

Cactus Face

Dad and his new friend Mr. Poky

This happened a couple days before we arrived in San Agustin. I man was driving and hit a cow! Gnarly, huh?!?
The man was fine but the cow ...not so good

Exposure

2007-10-17T10:24:00.001-07:00

PHOTO OF THE DAY ON WINDSURF JOURNAL.COM

On my way home

2007-10-16T11:08:00.000-07:00

Ciao Brazil! Aloha Maui! I am so thankful for such an awesome time and hope to go back soon! My Farias sisters of Brazil made my trip unforgettable and a ton of non-stop action and fun! I had a great time with so many cool people and places!
Thanks always for the support from my sponsors, friends and family!

Windsurfing Photos from Florianopolis, Brazil

2007-10-15T11:59:00.000-07:00

windsurfing with the whales!!

Baia Formosa

2007-10-15T11:26:00.000-07:00

the Brazilian artist shows us his artwork...

and his SNAKE!!

the happiest people I have ever met!

The local fishermen take a break to come surf with us

Karla and the baby hang out on the beach

dream catcher

Feeding the monkeys

Waving good-bye till next time!

Natal

2007-10-15T11:19:00.001-07:00

Kiting in Natal

Eyal hands free

Juliana learns to kite

Another beach all to ourselves

lunch on the lagoon

2007-10-15T11:14:00.001-07:00

Mermaid rock

2007-10-15T11:09:00.001-07:00

This is a rock in the ocean that has a little pond inside. Its told by the local fisherman that a mermaid lives inside this rock. We went to try a find her! :0

the drive back gets to us

2007-10-15T11:03:00.000-07:00

We start thinking about the drive back away from Jericoacoara and start to go a little silly

Jericoacoara

2007-10-15T10:47:00.000-07:00

The roads are only sand

The windsurfing here is sooooo fun!

You drive on the beach and through sand dooms to get here

First time seeing a cashew nut off the tree. They make juice out of the top half and then the bottom is the nut

a city of boggies!

This town is so fun. I loved it! The water is warm and you can always count on wind. The wave peels along for so long. Its such a good wave to practice wave riding because its small and super playful so you can work on technique and get familiar with waves. I had a great time here and hope to come back soon!

Sand dunes in Jericoacoara

2007-10-15T10:01:00.001-07:00

a little detour

2007-10-15T09:18:00.000-07:00

On our way to Jericoacoara we got passed by truck full of windsurf equipment. As they passed by we caught a glance at who it was and it turned out to be friends from Fortaleza. They were on their way to pass the weekend at their own secret spot and invited us to join. So we took another little detour on the way to Jeri and followed down the super bumpy washboard road until we reached the beach. We had the place all to ourselves. It was windy and had small waves to play on and the next morning it was super flat perfect for freestyle.

Exposure

2007-10-15T08:58:00.000-07:00

Read about the Butterfly Effect in Spanish at Argentina windsurf website www.windsurfingzone.com!

Getting to Jericoacoara

2007-10-02T12:06:00.000-07:00

Pacheco - on low tide
Cumbuco - fun lagoon for kiting
Paracuru
agua de côco

We took a couple days to drive to Jericoacoara. We stopped along the way to windsurf and kite at many different locations. Each spot was unique and fun to discover. The sunsets were amazing and the donkeys, pigs, and cattle were always fun to see too.

It is always windy along these shores and we sailed from sunrise to sunset.

Naish Center of Fortaleza

2007-10-02T12:00:00.000-07:00

The windsurf centers here in Brazil or awesome! You can rent equipment or store your own equipment in the center that is located right across the road from the beach. In this center there is a store, travel agency, restaurant, and yoga class. Its beautiufly built and they even put in some Naish tile artwork on the ground.

Exposure

2007-10-02T11:52:00.000-07:00

Click Here to see my travel guide to Punta Abreojos on Boardseeker.com .

Next stop ..Fortaleza!

2007-10-02T07:12:00.000-07:00

With everything and everybody full of sand from the contest at Casinha, we packed it all up just in time for our flight. We were all sad to leave the Kombi and all the good times in the south of Brazil, but the next stop was Fortaleza.lucky for us the flight was empty and had many sets to sleep on!
Fortaleza, the main city of Ceará

Casinha (Little House) Wave Contest

2007-10-02T06:49:00.000-07:00

This was my favorite break in Florianopolis. For the contest the winds were from the south making it starboard conditions and the waves had good size of 4-5 feet. The waves were so fun and you could ride them for so long. Kauli Seadis new windsurfing movie was named after this spot and this is where he learned how to wave ride.
It was also very special to windsurf here because there were whales very close to shore. I have never been so close to a whale before. I was in awe the whole time. It was so amazing. One time I was windsurfing and two whales popped up right in front of me and I could see thier whole face, mouth and everything! It was super cool and everyone out windsurfing knew how special it was to share the water with these huge mammals!
The results for the women:
Juliana Farias- 1st
Tatiana Howard- 2nd
Leysa Perotti- 3rd
There were many girls participating and were all ripping. It was a super fun event and everyone had a good time.

Exposure

2007-09-26T16:57:00.000-07:00

Click here to see the travel guide and story of Punta Abreojos on Windgirls.com

Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!

2007-09-22T16:45:00.000-07:00

We just want to say thanks to all these people, couldn't have done it with out them!
Windcenter- OpenWinds, Gokite, IKC and Konan Lang

Samy of Gokite - Kitegirls Floripa

Bali-Hai - www.balihai.com.br

Evoluttion - www.evoluttionboats.com.br

www.formaesporteclube.com.br

Propão- for the food!

Konan Lang and Pedro Lang - welcoming us in their home

Cristian and Neo

and many more!

Thanks

Butterfly Effect Brazil Accomplished!!

2007-09-22T15:19:00.000-07:00

High 5 for the Butterfly!

Juliana and I start the 1st international Butterfly Effect in Brazil

We had two trainers from the local gym FORMA ESPORTE CLUBE(http://www.formaesporteclube.com.br/) run us through a warm up before getting in the water
Adrien from Open Winds gets the jetski and water patrol ready Butterfly Effect Brazil 2007 T-shirts were handed out to all the girls participating in the event and also to all the guys who helped out.Caicanga Beach-The start of the Buttefly Effect Downwind
BuTtErFly EfFeCt!!
Kites and sails!

Today a bunch of watergirls from around the world meet up at Open Winds Store early in the morning to get ready for the day of the Butterfly Effect. Girls from Sweden, Argentina, Hawaii, and of course Brazil joined in. We had many activites planned including a warm up, lunch and snacks, the excursion with the rockin' out Kombi to the beach were we finally started the down wind. The start was at Ponta da Caicanga and the ending destination was Ribeirao da Ilha. The wind conditions were light and from the south.

Even with the light winds we had a great time with some windsurfing freestyle tricks and the kiters were flying by. On the way down there was a lot of wind life along the sides of us like flying fish and dolphins. The whole way down the guys were watching after us on the jetski.

Thanks to all the sponsors for helping make this event.

Windcenter- Naish Store

2007-09-22T14:36:00.001-07:00

We stopped by the Naish center of Florianoplois. Its located right on the water and has a school with the gear ready to go! Makes it just that much more easy to hit the water faster!

Sign up at Open Winds

2007-09-20T16:14:00.000-07:00

Now is the time to sign up for the Butterfly Effect. Open Winds and the Windcenter have everything ready for you. Just go in and ask for the Butterfly Effect.

Adrien Karadek- kitesurf champion of Ibiraquera Wave Contest is one of the "Butterfly Angels". The Butterfly Angels are the men of the Butterfly Effect that will be assisting through out the event to make sure everything goes smoothly.
Brazilian Flag

Kombi ( Portuguese for Volkswagon Van)!!!!

2007-09-19T21:20:00.001-07:00

Like our rashguards and wetsuits? ...Check out Neo's company at http://www.planetavif.com.br/
Neo, Juliana and I
Sometimes I was so nervous when we were driving, I just had to cover my eyes Come on everybody!

Olililililil!! We are so excited about this KOMBI!!

After meeting Neo at her company VIF, where she makes unique lyrcas and harnesses, she took us to pick up the "kombi" as they call it here. When she told us that we were going to be able to use this to do erands and stuff for the Butterfly Effect, we had no idea this is what was planned for us! It is so rad!! The Kombi has pumping music, black lights and tons of room to pile people in.

It wasn't so pleasant though in the beginning. We had mixed emotions while the egnition had a little trouble starting, the head lights were out, no power steering, and then we couldn't find the key for the gas. BUT..during this time of getting everything just right the most amazing thing happend! A beautiful purple butterfly flew right in front of us a landed on the windsheild wiper. It stayed for maybe 3 seconds and flew off never to be seen again. We both saw the same thing a stayed frozen a bit until we looked at each other and started screaming with excitement. We knew the butterfly was a good sign for the Butterfly Effect we were planning. After a while getting every thing squared away we where off..like a turtle! We just cruised the whole way home while the little mopeds speed by us. Even though it took us some time to get home we were still stoked and couldn't wait to show the rest of our friends our new ride. Every corner, gear switched, or hill climbed we patted the kombi on the back and congradulated it for its' hard work.

Moçambique

2007-09-19T21:01:00.000-07:00

We have been non-stop action with Bruno as the leader. He is full of energy and never stops! We start early in the morning and keep going till midnight. Its always " come on! come on ! Let's go ! lets go! " Today we went surfing and caught some nice glassy wave just to ourselves.

More Ibiraquera!

2007-09-19T16:40:00.000-07:00

Bol do Engenho Lanches
sugar cane juice made from the cow turning the machine- very sweet drink!
after the quick windsurf session
BRrrrr!

We heard the conditions were epic in Ibiraquera so we thought we should go back down from Floripa to get some good waves. We got our photographer Renato Tinoco(http://www.photomaniac.com.br/) and headed down for the day. It was windy and wavey when we were rigging up our sails and then we got in the water and the clouds got thick and the wind shut off! Competely! I caught one wave during that time but it turned out to be a disaster! I guess the uni and mast base didn't connect all the way. I was riding the wave and then all of a sudden the board was going one way and the sail was in my hands. I had to swim all the way back dragging the sail. The board, thankfully, washed to shore. After a long swim I finally made it make to shore with my sail still in one piece. Crazy Crazy. So, at least I got my exercise in even though there wasn't any windsurfing invovled!

Butterfly Effect Meeting- UPDATE

2007-09-19T16:26:00.000-07:00

We all meet up to talk more and organize the event around some pizza last night.
The following is the current information for the event:

It is ideal for every participate to fill out a entry form in either of the two windsurf schools located around the Lagoon of Conceicao. Open winds or Windcenter

The meeting time for the Butterfly Effect is Saturday morning to meet at 8:00 at
OPEN WINDS store. There will be a bus for transportation to the event site.
Any questions email me at tatianahoward@gmail.com
See you all there!

Check out the view!

2007-09-17T16:40:00.001-07:00

Florianopolis

back in the ranger that I was told had no brakes!

The Floripa local boys, Konan and Bruno, gave us a tour on the top of the mountain for the view of the ocean and lagoon. We piled into the ranger and held on tight for the bumpy mud road.

the traveling life of a windsurfer

2007-09-17T16:07:00.000-07:00

at least the bags are easy to find

Windsurfers know how to travel light! :)

Imbituba

2007-09-16T12:24:00.000-07:00

We went on a surf mission to Imbituba. It is a surf break where the professional surf circuit stops in Brazil for a contest. We were only 15 minutes away and thought we had to go check it out. After catching the bus we walked down the beach and found the surf spot. It was really glassy and had super nice waves. On the way back we got on the bus to Ibiraquera but it turns out there are two Ibiraqueras. We are staying in Ibiraquera BARRA not Ibiraquera IBIRAQUERA!! After a much longer bus ride than we had in the beginning we decided we should ask. Sure enough we were on the wrong bus. After stopping the bus in the middle of its route, the people on the bus all chipped in and gave us advice, taxi numbers and locations on where to go to get back to our little "pousada" for the night.

2007-09-15T16:55:00.000-07:00

yesterday morning
This morning

Different but still beautiful!
Every morning the sunrise is amazing. Sometimes its hard to wake up early to see it but when you do its a treat!

Getting to the beach

2007-09-15T16:43:00.000-07:00

We sail through the lagoonwalk up and around the sand dooms
and then to the waves
then back to where we started from

More Information on the BUtterfly Effect. Floripa, Brazil

2007-09-15T10:38:00.000-07:00

Here is the plan for meeting in Floripa. It depends on the wind direction on where we will start and is listed below the options for each wind direction. Everyone is invited to join!
Any questions let me know!
See you there!

08:00hs: Preparação
- Checagem das Inscrições;
- Início montagem dos equipamentos;
09:00hs - Reunião definição de percurso: Butterfly´s Angels

10:00hs – CERIMÔNIA DAS ÁGUAS

11:00HS - Alongamento.

12:00hs – INÍCIO
- Vento SW-S-SE:
Saída 1: Campeche/Joaquina
Saída 2: Caiacanga/Ribeirão da Ilha
- Vento NW-N-NE:
Saída 1: Campeche/Armação
Saída 2: Ponta das Canas/Jurerê
………………………………………………..
English:

08:00hs:
- Entry Form;
- Organize equipment- windsurf, kitesurf, Stand Up Paddle board, canoe;

09:00hs – Skippers Meeting to define the way: Butterfly´s Angels

10:00hs – Open Ceremony with special Honors for “Traditional Waters.”

11:00HS – Stretching and Warm Up.

12:00hs – POSSIBLE START depends on the wind direction.

- Winds SW-S-SE:
Option 1: Campeche/Joaquina
Option 2: Caiacanga/Ribeirão da Ilha

- Winds NW-N-NE:
Option 1: Campeche/Armação
Option 2: Ponta das Canas/Jurerê

Final for the mens PWA Contest

2007-09-13T19:35:00.000-07:00

Brazilian winner..Kauli Seadi!

the boys light fire works and the police don't mind

Its to bad the PWA didn't have a division for women in this Ibiraquera contest. It was only for men. The final was fun to see and Kauli Seadi had a lot of his brazilian fan club standing on the shores watching. Every wave or jump he did the boys on the beach shot off fireworks...for every wave! It was really fun and full of spirit.
I am beginging to see why Kauli loves this beach and why he made it his home break. I am getting used to port tac wave riding and enjoying the playful waves here. It is a lot more playful than Ho'okipa where you have to worry about rocks, crowds and the coral bottom. Here its all sand, no crowds and tons of room to sail wide and free!

Solar Eclipse

2007-09-11T19:34:00.000-07:00

Morning Session
warming up
Tartaruga Crew feeds all the windsurfers
Some Questions for Argentina Television- Wave Rosario

We woke up early for a morning windsurf session but I missed seeing the solar eclipse. I guess it looked really awesome with a chunk of sun missing. It was really windy from sunrise to sunset. During the day the PWA had the contest for the guys and they were all ripping. Its always fun to watch the event. Tomorrow they will finish the contest. In the evening we hit the water again for another sail. It was so beautiful out and I felt the real feeling of Brazil when I was sailing the waves with just a couple other people around while the sun set in front of me.

Butterfly Effect in Brazil!

2007-09-11T07:03:00.000-07:00

All you water girls get ready for Butterfly Effect #2!! We will be having another all women downwinder in Floripa, Brazil the 22nd/23rd of September. There are many women signed up already so if you want to join send me an email and I will send you all you need to know to join us. Its free, fun and full of surprises, gifts and photos! Hope to see you there!

Exposure

2007-09-11T06:58:00.000-07:00

Click Here to see my interview for the Italian website Surferworld.it

Exposure

2007-09-11T06:52:00.000-07:00

New pics and results on Windsurf Mania from the Ibiraquera Wave Contest!

Exposure

2007-09-11T06:48:00.000-07:00

Click Here to see more pics and info on Windsurf Mania from Cabo Frio

Mormaii

2007-09-10T17:14:00.000-07:00

Ivana and Juliana
the bus driver was going fast..I was a little nervous
rising with the sun
Mormaii

Bus Stop

Mormaii is a surf company based here in Brazil. They have everything from wetsuits to kites and boards. This morning we caught a bus, took a taxi, hitch hiked and walked to end up at the Mormaii factory in Garopaba. It was an awesome experience to see how they make all the wetsuits. We were given a tour around the whole factory and met some really cool people.

Ibiraquera Wave Contest

2007-09-09T13:40:00.000-07:00

Go Girls!
starting the heat
Kite Surf Girls: Karmen (2nd), Myself (3rd) , Carol (1st)
Awards
WIndsurf Girls: Juliana (2nd), Ivana (1st), Myself (3rd)
This windsurf contest has been happening here in Brazil for over 14 years. It now has competition for both windsurf and kitesurf. We had two really good days with wind and waves completing a double elimination. I did my first kite surfing competition here and placed 3rd. I placed 3rd in Winsurf too.

Ibiraquera

2007-09-05T17:28:00.000-07:00

I am here in Ibiraquera and having a great time. The waves are big and the winds are strong. Yesterday the contested started and we finished the single elimination. I came in 2nd for now and tommorrow we will do the double. Today I did my first kite surfing contest. I got 3rd. I was super nervous to compete in kite but it turned out to be super fun.

The Brazilian Party Bus

2007-09-02T18:41:00.001-07:00

I am sad the contest ended but had an awesome time while I was here. Every one was super nice and made me feel welcome. Now we are off to another beautiful destination ,Florianopolis.

Award Ceremony

2007-09-02T18:05:00.000-07:00

4TH PLACE FOR WAVE AND SLALOM

Cabo Frio Slalom Wave Contest

2007-08-31T18:34:00.001-07:00

It was a long day at the beach like every time there is a contest. The wind was on-shore port tac and the waves were 2-3 feet in size. It was good practice for me on the other tac and I placed 4th for the womens wave division. My friends Ivana was 1st and Juliana 3rd. We all had a good time and can't wait till tomorrow becuase we heard the wind might switch to star-board tac which we all perfer for wave riding. :) ..like home ( Ho'okipa!)
We will see if the forecast is right!

Cabo Frio

2007-08-30T17:47:00.001-07:00

Brazil!!!
Getting ready to hit the water

checking it twice
Myself and Ivana

The Cabo Frio event started today with Slalom. The winds were really light for me and had a hard time holding a plan on my 5.4 sail and 75 liter board. Everyone had a hard time with the light winds but the contest was completed. Tomorrow starts the wave division and it is predicted to be more windy. Cabo Frio was given the name becasue of the consistantly freezing water but surprisingly today it was warm. After getting in the warm water I didn't understand why I was told it was going to be so cold. Later I was told the water is cold only when the land is warm and visa-versa when the land is cold the water is warm. Wierd, right! Its true though because it was an overcast, chilly day out side of the water.

Besides that, the winds are port tac and the waves are beach breaks. It is a beautiful place with a ton of happy people.

Traveling to BRAZIL!!

2007-08-30T17:28:00.000-07:00

A four hour flight from LAX to Maimi. A 8 hour wait in Maimi. 8 more hours in the plane. more waiting at the airport .. more hours in a bus..and we made it!! All the way to Cabo Frio, Brazil! I am so excited to be here. I am learning more and more portuguese every second. I met up with some of my friends Juliana, Eyal, and Ivana. We were all exhausted and were more than ready to get a good night sleep.

Gma's

2007-08-25T11:52:00.000-07:00

Over the hill and through the woods to Grandmas house we go!

Patagonia

2007-08-23T17:15:00.000-07:00

I joined up with Patagonia. You can check out their website by CLICK HERE or on the link to the right.
They are a great company and environmentally aware, which I find super cool! Go web surf it! :)

Exposure

2007-08-23T17:07:00.000-07:00

Check out my profile on Womens Sport Report.com and a bunch of other girl athletes.

(CLICK HERE)

Exposure

2007-08-22T12:32:00.001-07:00

The new Dakine AD

Catalina Island

2007-08-19T21:10:00.000-07:00

Another all day adventure on the boat. My brother and friends boated out to Catalina Island. Is was so pretty there and we found a beach all to ourselves except for a friendly seal. We found a ton of pretty rocks and shells too. On the way back it was so bumpy we were all hanging on tight trying to read the swells ahead so we could stay balanced. I felt like I had 4 other people on my windsurf equipment planning fast through choppy waters. Crazy!

Tenia Mucho Mucho Suerte ( I had a lot of good luck)

2007-08-17T22:10:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm back in California, but amazed that I made it back OK. I can't believe the nearly disastrous adventure that happened to me. I am so thankful to the wonderful local people who took me in while I was in trouble.

It all started when we headed back on the long drive home with half our crew. Two wanted to stay for a few more days and the boys had to head home. The waves had died down a lot, so I thought I should probably head back and organize my trip to Brazil. BAD IDEA!!

We had walkie-talkies between the two cars that worked for up to two miles. This was our only communication. I was in one truck alone and the two boys were in the other. We started off fine and would meet up at every gas station or checkpoint. That's fine until you get to a straightaway with nothing in sight for hours. The boys were ahead of me with the faster car, and went so far in front of me that the walkie-talkies were useless. I was driving along fine until the clutch started to sound and act funny. I kept going until finally the truck was going nuts and wouldn't go when I pressed the gas. I was stuck! On my own! In the middle of nowhere-land! IN BAJA!!

I freaked out and jumped out of the car, trying to wave anyone down who could help me. One semi trucked passed and the driver threw up his hand helplessly as he passed. The next person who came by was a nice old local man who pushed my truck with his for a bit and left me off near a little cafe and house. He tried to calm me down and said that the guys would come back for me when I don't show up at the next gas station, two hours away.

Meanwhile, it turns out that the boys (Chris Macres and Jim) never stopped. They kept going with their beers and joint, not caring or noticing that they had left a little blonde surfer chick in the middle of the desert of Mexico. They were wasted, spent all their money on alcohol and couldn't afford to stop at the town where we had planned to rest for the night and take off the following day. I don't know what they were thinking and couldn't believe they would go on their way without checking in with me.

So there I was, sitting in front of a tiny cafe with a broken truck, full of adrenaline, tears, and frustration. It was near San Agustin, a tiny little place in the middle of nowhere. Finally, some ranch worker boys came over to check on the problem, which we figured was the clutch. I am so thankful I learned some Spanish, because they didn't know any English at all! I asked them if there was a mechanic nearby. No. How about a telephone? No. No nothing for at least 2 hours in either direction! The mechanic was far away and would be very difficult to get to or even to find. By this time I had tears streaming down my face. I didn't care anymore what they thought--I just let it out.

While I sat there and cried, the local boys started getting into the engine. More and more of them emerged from who knows where since there is nothing around except this little house and gathered around to see if they could do something. One guy, Rosario, had a truck similar to mine (an '81 4x4 Toyota) and knew a little about the engine. He worked on it for hours and finally removed the broken clutch. The pad on it was totally gone. I needed a new one and he said he might be able to find me one. I gave him some money and off he went. I wasn't confident that he would ever come back, but to my surprise, he showed up with a clutch a couple of hours later and was ready to keep working. By this time it was pitch dark, but Rosario kept at it for many more hours to complete the job. His buddies returned after work and found something in the engine to work on.

Meanwhile, the lady in the cafe came out, put her arm around me, and invited me in. She told me that everything was OK but it was very lucky that I broke down where I did. She said that it is very dangerous out there in the desert, but I would be safe with her and her husband. She made me Mexican frijoles and gave me a bucket of water to rinse off with. She and her husband slept outside, and she reassured me that it would be safe to sleep in my truck next to them. They had a fence around the property, so I felt better and better the more I spoke with her (speaking in Spanish the whole time, believe it or not!).

After 8 hours, the guys ( Pepe, Jose, Eddy and the main mechanic, Rosario) finished the truck. "Ya esta! Esta listo!" (That's it, it's ready to go!) said Rosario, as he closed the hood. We went for a little test drive and it was like nothing had ever happened. The truck was like new--I couldn't believe it! It was fixed and I would be on my way tomorrow.

The lady of the house kept telling me how lucky I was that these guys had fixed it. If they hadn't, I would have had to stay there for a couple of days until her husband went to town to get gas, water and milk. Then I would have gone with him to try and get in touch with my dad. She told me that mechanics are very hard to find, parts for trucks are hard to come by, and if I had left my truck alone it would have been dismantled by thieves. I paid Rosario and the guys as much money as I could, but saved enough to buy some gas on the way home since I was almost on E.

Buenos Noches! After all this craziness, I was ready for bed and fell fast asleep in the back of the truck, tucked in between my boards and sails. At the break of dawn the rooster crowed his head off and woke us all up early. We had our morning cafe and she cooked up some delicious eggs, beans and tortillas for breakfast. After a million thanks and promises to stay in touch with my new guardian angels, I headed off for the rest of the trip back home. I still had to pass TJ and the border, which I was a little nervous about doing alone. My gas was also getting closer and closer to E, but I thought this would be a simple problem to fix compared to the clutch incident.

I finally got to a town with phone connection, where I could finally call my dad and tell him everything. I was on the phone with friends and family for the next few hours until I made it back to San Diego. Every time there was a checkpoint or gas station, the people there would ask me why I was alone in Mexico. They all couldn't believe my situation and wished me luck.

Now that I am safe, I look back on this as an awesome experience. I met some of the most amazing people ever and can't wait to gather up a ton of construction material, clothes and food to take down there.

If you ever go to Mexico, make sure you stop by San Agustin, the next little cafe stop south of El Rosario. Buy some frijoles and cafe, and say hi to Nati, Rosario and the rest of my guardian angels.

Punta Abreojos ( Point of Open Eyes)

2007-08-17T21:56:00.000-07:00

Dogs are always good to have around. Especially Baby, she is huge!

My first time 4X4 on the beaches.
Camp Rene
Relaxing after a surf session

Shoveling shells to make a driveway

Fueling up for the next adventure.

Surfin Baja

2007-08-17T21:35:00.000-07:00

The point of Abreojos had great surf every morning, and for the second session of the day there was always a place to go. We anchored the kayak out by the break with rope and a rock so the boys could catch our dinner, fresh fish!

Razors was fun. The wave breaks super close to the reef so you got to be super careful.
There was all kinds of breaks all around. We even scored some good beach breaks.

Secretos was full of foam the first day we checked it. We went back a couple days later and the foam was gone and had some fun waves coming through. I didn't get a chance to windsurf this place but when the wind filled in it was perfect side shore winds for windsurfing.
The wind there is almost similar clockwork like on Maui. It was always glassy in the morning and the winds picked up later in the day. Since I went to Baja with surfers I was a little nervous windsurfing around the unknown area all by myself. The more I went out, the more comfortable I got so by the end I was so stoked that I wanted to explore other spots.

Off we go

2007-08-17T20:06:00.001-07:00

Started early and drove ALL day! Its was the longest driver ever( around 13 hours!!, 500 miles), but pretty too. I had my Portuguese language CD's going to learn some Portuguese phrases before my next trip to Brazil, lollipops, co pilot to keep my from falling asleep, and blasting sing along songs to keep me busy. We got our camp set up under the palapa and we were all ready for some surf in Punta Abreojos!

Hola Mexico!

2007-08-09T21:33:00.000-07:00

Ready or not off we go tomorrow morning in search of some waves! 3 AM sharp! Its my first time to do a Baja trip. I am really excited and will post some pics when I get back!
ADIOS!

Gone Fishing

2007-08-09T21:28:00.000-07:00

We are new to the fishing business but sometimes we were lucky to catch small ones..
and other times the big ones got away with half of the bait!

I saw some guys towing in too!;)

Pacific Coast HWY surf trip

2007-08-05T20:41:00.000-07:00

Moana and I packed up our surfboards and Pedro tacos into the surf van and headed down the coast in search of some waves. We checked out a ton of different spots along the way but the better spots were Lowers and Bekons in Leucadia.

Salt Creek

2007-08-01T17:25:00.000-07:00

Jump for joy! We were so stoked to hop on the morning trolley for a ride down to Salt Creek!

Thaila

2007-07-31T22:10:00.001-07:00

Small but fun surf

Everyone loves FOAM!!

2007-07-27T19:35:00.000-07:00

This weekend a bunch of us FOAM girls were passing out the best surfer girl magazine. We were at the US OPEN of Surfing in Huntington. Its was loved by a bunch of girls from the stylish teen Vogue girls to the action packed surf girls. Its a great mag that is a must to check out! Click here to see more FOAM

Fashion District

2007-07-27T02:52:00.000-07:00

On our way to downtown LA for a Matiko sample sale. I have never seen anything quite like this before. Hundreds of girls in a 11 story building scrambling around buying up all the designer fashion deals before its gone! Craziness, especially when your dealing with womens footwear...the size, color, style. Glad that's done!~

Matiko Sample Sale

2007-07-26T07:49:00.001-07:00

Matiko had a great sale with so many cute shoes. If you want to know about the next sale let me know and I can put you on the email list for all the Matiko Events!

Surfs UP!

2007-07-24T18:41:00.001-07:00

We had such fun surf down at churches. Sometimes we had to be patient, but once the sets rolled in it was great! I am so glad the flat spell in California has finished!!

A whaler of fun

2007-07-21T20:18:00.000-07:00

My brothers thought it would be a great idea to pull his girlfriend and I around on the yellow burger thing. It was great fun until they started to go in a circle!!.. skimming us across the water with a mouth full of water and almost losing our bikinis while trying to catch our breath from laughing so hard!

food for the soul

2007-07-19T15:28:00.000-07:00

May you walk into each new day with the courage and
strength of your heart.

May you know your worth and never sell yourself short.

May you have the intelligence, humility, and
opportunity to serve humanity.

May you learn to talk to God.

May you breathe through each day, blessing your life
with awareness.

May you understand gratitude.

May you see the beauty in you, the God in you.

May you know that all is as it is, and it is perfect.

With all love to you, blessings to you.

Defore Dance

2007-07-18T21:20:00.000-07:00

I love to dance!..so my friend told me about a great dance studio here in OC. I love it so much and there are a ton of different classes to take all day long. Its great training for strength, balance, coordination, technique, plus dancing always feels good for the body.

Laguna girls

2007-07-15T20:07:00.000-07:00

Trying to tandem surf the waves in Laguna...key word trying! Thanks to the kids let us use their fun pink and purple soft tops!

Crazy girls Crazy times

2007-07-15T19:58:00.000-07:00

Its been awhile since we have all been back together since we all split for college, work and travel. Its always fun though no matter how long we spent apart!

working at Matiko

2007-07-12T18:08:00.000-07:00

Spent the day counting and organizing inventory for Matiko shoes. It was a long day but at least I was working with my brother making the most fun out of it as we could! Its also so distracting to be around so many cute shoes.. all I want to do is keep trying them all on! Check out their website at www.matikoshoes.com

Naish News

2007-07-10T21:05:00.001-07:00

Click here for more pics and info from the Freestyle Frenzy at the Gorge on Naish News!

Welcome to LAX

2007-07-09T21:14:00.000-07:00

a great welcoming to California..a flat tire. Bummer..plus the place we pulled over at HAD to have the stinkiest garbage ever right next to us. So GRosS!

Some last minute fun in Oregon

2007-07-08T21:25:00.000-07:00

get yummy ice cream at this fun stop on Oak St.!!

beautiful hiking

tractor driving

fresh spring water

Crazy adventures up, around and through cliffs, loose gravel, ropes and bridges to find hot springs right next to the freezing river waters. There were some radical rapid riders going down some gnarly falls taking a breather and warming up a little in the hot springs.

Gorge Freestyle Frenzy

2007-07-06T19:43:00.000-07:00

Wow! Today was even windier than yesterday. It was howling and there is a lot of talent here! It was really awesome. Temira was going off for the womens division and Kai Lenny, Jake Miller and Wyatt were all awesome to watch! I went for some freestyle and gave it my best shot. I placed 4th and won a sail.. its not Naish so I will have to sell it ( Kaos 3.7) if anyone wants to buy it let me know!

Da Kine Tour

2007-07-06T19:36:00.000-07:00

Bill M showed me where the magic happens for Dakine in Hood River.

Sailed the Hatchery with strong winds. I was on a 3.7 over powered. The locals tell me this is how the "real" gorge is. Glad I got to see it like that because it has been pretty light before now.

MT. HOOD

2007-07-05T10:44:00.001-07:00

Went up to check out the last of the snow on Mt. Hood

and filled up our water bottles with fresh spring water.

Lost Lake and the White Salmon River

2007-07-03T19:58:00.000-07:00

After the stand up we went to White Salmon River for some super fun river rafting for more than 3 hours!! crazy fun~!!!

Sailing the Hatchery

2007-07-03T19:48:00.000-07:00

Kai, Michi and I sailing in front of Mt. Hood

Lighters wind in the afternoon great for some kiting

Started off with good winds and sailed from the Hatchery down to the Event Site. It was really pretty with Mt. Hood in the background. In the afternoon the winds back off a bit so I decided to get some kiting in. It was great practice but a little sketchy because there were a lot of beginners out there getting kites tangled and stuff... I just tried to stay out of the way!

WindFest day 2

2007-07-02T14:50:00.000-07:00

Today the wind filled in a little more to get my first session in on Hood River. BRR! Its pretty cold water here! The windfest was really fun to be at. There were demos, clinics, lessons, and a whole much of really stoked people sailing around for hours till dark which is like at 10 pm!! Later we went up to the Big Winds Store were Robby had a endless line of fans getting his poster and autograph. He is such the windsurfing hero!

Hood River

2007-06-30T17:27:00.000-07:00

I made it to Oregon today and it is sooo beautiful here. There is no wind today but tomorrow there should be. I went to the Event Site today where there was a bunch of different windsurfing activities going on.

Getting the girls into it

2007-06-27T11:26:00.000-07:00

Juliana Farias brought bunch of girls from her school down to the beach to learn the basics of windsurfing. She had the big starter board and the light evening winds to help her teach the girls in an fun and easy way.

on the loose

2007-06-25T22:18:00.001-07:00

I saw some horses roaming around that must have escaped from the barn yard!

Sunday paper

2007-06-25T22:07:00.000-07:00

Windsurf Divas made it on the cover

For Sale

2007-06-25T19:18:00.000-07:00

$350 OBO

wind wind wind

2007-06-23T21:27:00.000-07:00

Super windy/ gusty day at Ho'okipa with some hip to chest high waves. Not to bad for summer

the Best egg sandwiches ever!

2007-06-22T16:34:00.000-07:00

My brother says the key ingredients to add are: Veganaise, sprouts, avocado and a little ketchup

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BROTHER MATT!

2007-06-19T20:01:00.000-07:00

Love ya!

Windsurfing Divas

2007-06-19T19:30:00.000-07:00

Today the Windsurfing Divas gathered up at Kanaha for an interview and photos. We will be in the Sunday paper here on Maui, so be sure to look for us! If your a girl and interested in joining the club your more than welcome. Windsurfing Divas are always looking for new members to join the fun!

FOAM- Fashion Ocean Art Music

2007-06-18T22:15:00.000-07:00

I just got my FOAM mag in the mail, but not just the mag. I got a ton a fun little gifts like a pair of shorts, a keychain, and some cool stickers. This mag is full of fun surf stuff for girls. Check it out
I went for a fun sail today at Ho'okipa and caught the last of the super east swell that came in for a few days. I hope we get another one soon!

Winter pics

2007-06-17T20:44:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pics from this winter on Maui taken by jdphotofairy.com and Eric Aeder .

Da Kine Classic

2007-06-17T19:21:00.000-07:00

The Da Kine Classic Slalom races.

Written on my arm are the eight different heat numbers for the races in the morning and afternoon.

We had strong winds and I was on my 3.7 sail.

There were lots of people enjoying the day at the beach.

I placed first for the women divsion a improvement from last week, but for the waveboard division I finished 4th.
Click Here to see more on the Maui News Website

Maui Film Festival

2007-06-14T21:53:00.000-07:00

Last night in Wailea the Maui Film Festival played some great movies on a huge outdoor screen. There were a ton of people who showed up with blankets and beach chairs to watch The Windsurfing Movie, Surfs Up and a really cool movie starring Laird and Dave Kalama crossing the Hawaiian Island channels by bike and stand up paddling.

Mermaids everywhere

2007-06-12T20:07:00.000-07:00

Wings Hawaii drew such a beautiful mermaid on my surfboard. I love it! If you want your own mermaid design on your surfboard CLICK HERE to contact them.

Exposure

2007-06-12T10:11:00.000-07:00

Click here to see Phil Mcgain and I on the Mauisails website