Hokulea’s crew jumps into chilly Alaskan waters to go ... (what else?) surfing
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - While sailing from port to port is grueling, Hokulea’s crew members do have some down time. So they recently took part in one of Hawaii’s favorite sports ― in Alaska.
Nearly 3,000 miles from Hawaii’s warm shores, at a spot called Sandy’s in Yakutat, Alaska, the crew jumped into the water just after after 10 p.m. to catch the shoulder-to head-high sets.
Hokulea crew member Jonah Apo went body boarding with a wet suit for first time.
“I think the biggest thing is the cold. We’ll see how that goes. Wish me luck,” said Apo, before heading out.
SPECIAL SECTION: Hokulea’s Pacific Voyage
On the beach, there’s a bear paw print and a bald eagle flew low overhead.
Young brothers Jackson and Jace Wolfe, of Yakutat, love surfing, too. They’re Tlingit, Haida and Hawaiian.
They’ve got advice for Hokulea’s crew members before they take to the waves.
“There are sea lions. We saw one earlier, hust be careful,” said Jace Wolfe, 9.
“They can growl at you and then go back down.”
Also in this series:
- Far from home, Hokulea takes ‘heritage sail’ to honor a precious gift from years ago
- Hokulea’s arrival allows Alaska Natives to practice protocol not seen in more than a century
- An icy sail for Hokulea as voyaging canoe makes history with Hubbard Glacier visit
The water temperature is in the mid-40s, cold enough to sting your face.
Despite the conditions, Apo charges and scores.
“It wasn’t as cold as I thought. The wet suit really helps keep you warm,” said Apo.
“The waves here are pretty good. No one out out, so it’s hard to complain,” he added.
The next day, the crew tries out surfing at a place called Boilers.
Hokulea crew members learned the toughest challenge may not be the cold, but the constricting wet suit itself. With low tide, it’s a trek just to get to the water and then the currents pushed the group about a half mile down.
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