Shawna throws her hair over her shoulder with a flick of her wrist. Her arms: muscular from all the paddling. The stomach: toned from lots of aerials. The legs: slim and strong from lots of bottom turns. You may have met her in Hookipa, seen her riding waves at the Aloha Classic or spotted her in an advert for her sponsor - which you would never guess: This woman is already 49 and is hitting the waves with the best in the world. Shawna is incredibly fit. She surfs, stand-up paddles, wingfoils, foilsurfs, but her favourite thing to do is windsurf in big waves. When big wave surfer Robby Seeger calls her "Queen of Hookipa", Shawna laughs and her eyes sparkle - she likes the title. Shawna and Robby are friends: water people amongst themselves. The native Canadian from Vancouver has lived on Maui for 15 years, coaches financially strong water sports enthusiasts from all over the world and says she has had to fight hard for her lifestyle. She describes just how hard in her biography "Heroine Trip", for which she is currently looking for a publisher.
Did you surf in Hookipa today?
I am. It was so windy that everyone gave up. It was almost impossible to make a bottom turn, the sail was almost ripped out of my hands: Survival windsurfing!
Were you the only woman on the water?
In the end, I was the only person on the water.
You've lived on Maui for many years, are on the water every day and can't seem to get enough of windsurfing. What drives you?
Maybe I have a child's soul. Or maybe it's because I've always had to fight for everything. Even for this lifestyle. That's why I cherish every day that I can windsurf.
Have you had to fight for everything in life?
I grew up in poor circumstances, in an abusive home with a teenage mother. I ran away from home, travelled around the USA and later to Asia in search of a better life. It was only when I discovered windsurfing that I realised: now I've found what I was looking for.
There are days in Hookipa that scare you to the core, frighten you, even make you fear for your life."
You have written a book about your life. Why did you do it?
To come to terms with what we have experienced. But also to show that a lot is possible, even if the situation looks very bleak. My book is a lot about failure and about not despairing despite it.
You had a difficult start in life. How did you manage to turn things around so that you can now live on Maui and surf every day?
I learnt to windsurf, got better quickly, won my first contests and organised windsurfing camps with my boyfriend at the time. I landed on Maui 15 years ago, fell in love with the island and now coach here. You could say that windsurfing saved me. But of course you're right, Maui is no longer the hippie island it used to be in the pioneering days of windsurfing. Maui has become a rich island. And if you're not rich, you have to pedal pretty hard to live here. Me too.
You can usually be found in Hookipa. Why is that?
The view of the island from the water in Hookipa is wonderful. It could hardly be more beautiful. The sea here is crystal clear. And then the wave! It packs a punch. It literally spits you up into the air for an aerial. But the main reason why I surf here: the thrill!
You mean the infamous Hookipa Rocks and the battle for the wave with the best surfers in the world?
Yes, there are days in Hookipa that scare you to the core, frighten you, make you fear for your life. The wave runs so close to the shore that people watch you as if you were in an arena. Recently, former world champion Kevin Prichard said to me: 'Shawna, awesome cutback! That made me happy. But if you grumble, you'll get the same response.
You are seen here - so the ego does play an important role.
It's not as if I jumped into the water here and became the queen of Hookipa straight away. Not at all. I had to go through all the dork stages. At first I was a floating obstacle and everyone was like, 'Damn, Auntie's in my way!' It's like a video game out there. You have to earn points, only then are you allowed to go to the next level and into the sweet spot. Even more so with surfing than windsurfing. But when I surf a wave today, everyone knows it's Shawna's wave!
Being a so-called "kook", a dork, is not much fun.
None at all. I struggled here for years, I was scared, whether I was surfing or windsurfing. I often trembled all over when I rigged up and the waves thundered into the bay. But it also made me feel damn alive. Like rarely before in life. And when you master the situation, you experience the best feeling in the world. No drug in the world can match that.
Does the adrenalin boost still work?
Big waves are always exciting. Especially in Hookipa. The good thing: I can drop my kid off at school, drive to Hookipa in ten minutes, throw myself into the waves, get an Adreanlin high like I've flown to Mars and come back to being a normal mum picking my kid up from school. And if I break something in the waves, I'm right back on the beach with a lifeguard saying, 'Shawna, do you want a beer?' And I'm like, 'Yeah, I need that right now. (laughs)
Do competitions appeal to you?
I used to. For example, I took part in World Cups in Ireland and won a lot of competitions in England. I also competed in the Aloha Classic here. But I don't really like competitions because there are so many variables in contests that have nothing to do with who is the best. If the wind is light, the heavy riders hardly stand a chance. Like Brawzino on Cape Verde. I'm more impressed by the surfers who rip every day.
Who, for example?
Bernd Roediger has a beautiful style. Keith Taboul looks great: He windsurfs like he rides waves. Or Camille Juban. I like the lighter guys who look like dancers better than the powerhouses. But that's because I'm light myself and therefore tend to be inspired by the lightweights. I also find the different characters funny. I was swimming around outside because my mast had broken and Camille Juban surfed past. He shouted, 'Are you okay?' but kept surfing because he was filming himself. Later on the beach he said in his French accent: 'Sorry Shawna, normally I would have helped you, but I was filming myself'. That made us both laugh a lot.
You only mention men, not women.
We're talking about style, right? And Keith, Camille or Bernd surf so much better than I do. The women, on the other hand, are too close to me to really impress me with their style. The women who wow me are the surfers, because their movements on the wave are beautiful.
Is windsurfing a men's sport?
Not per se, but 80 per cent of them are men. When I learnt to windsurf in the 1990s, it was 100 per cent men. I was living in Ireland at the time and all the female surfer friends were sitting in the cars. They waited - for hours. My boyfriend also went windsurfing. I grabbed my mountain bike and explored the hinterland. When I came back three hours later, I still had to wait another three hours. I sat in the car, looking at the water, the rain pattering on the windows. At some point, the guys from the water arrived. Wow, I thought, windsurfing must be great if these guys spend so much time doing it, even in the rain and cold. So I went over to the dudes and said: 'Let me try it too!
When you master the situation, you experience the best feeling in the world - no artificial drug can match that!"
And?
Windsurfing is wild, free, it brightens the mood and creates inner peace. Covid, the Ukraine war, getting older, relationship gossip - all the crap stays on land, the chatter of people falls silent. It feels like I'm taking Vitamin Happy. Our blue planet is so wonderful, I realise that when I'm windsurfing.
But it's a difficult sport.
A woman recently approached me on the beach. She said: 'That's amazing what you're doing in the waves - it's awesome! And she wanted to know if it was difficult. I said: 'Oh yes, it's hard. Hard to learn, hard to do. And you need a fit, strong body to be able to do the sport properly.
There are many ex-pros who have stopped windsurfing altogether, especially in Hawaii.
That's right. And they moan: 'I didn't earn enough, that's why I quit! But I ask myself: was the motivation money, ego or love of wind and waves? Why is Robby Naish still windsurfing? I'll tell you: windsurfing is part of his soul!
Would you advise your daughter to learn windsurfing?
Yes, I would. Because in my eyes, windsurfing is a basic skill like sailing. Windsurfing gives you a feel for the wind and sea, for speed and waves. I could hardly imagine life without windsurfing.
You say that despite all your bruises, scars, compressed vertebrae and knocked out tooth corners?
That only applies to me, because I really want to know and surf big waves. You don't have to do that to experience the beauty of windsurfing. I would advise my daughter to try out all water sports. Why limit yourself?
Then you've probably already tried foil windsurfing yourself?
Yes, but I don't like it. It's not dynamic enough for me and you can only go back and forth like on flat water. With foil windsurfing, you don't want much pressure on the foot of the mast, so it's the opposite of windsurfing. I like the other forms of foil surfing better. In my opinion, wingsurfing is the better version of foil windsurfing. And a surf foil can turn lousy waves into a great day's surfing. But of course that only applies to a wave paradise like Maui.
So always a wave for you?
Yes, I love waves. With the wing, I can ride a wave with just the foil and pull the wing easily behind it. That fascinates me, especially when there are only small waves that would bore me in windsurfing.
You teach windsurfing on Maui. What makes you a good coach?
I remember exactly what I found difficult, so I can empathise with the student very well. I have a good eye for where things get stuck and can teach my students the core skills they need to have fun quickly.
What do most people do wrong?
You turn too timidly on the shaft instead of utilising the full movement. They don't slide backwards with their hand on the boom. Many just wiggle their bum because they're already thrilled to be on the wave. But the bigger thrill is turning the wave. To surf a wave properly, you need good timing, i.e. a powerful effort at the right time. Especially on the cutback. That's the only way to really fly out of the top turn. For us, it's a completely different move whether you're just scraping along the lip of the wave or really jumping out of it.
Many surfers do not want to constantly optimise themselves.
That's okay too. But windsurfing in the waves is only really fun if you have the necessary skills. Hence my appeal: learn the skills and enjoy the fun to the full. It's worth it!
What advice would you give our readers if they want to windsurf in Hookipa?
Composure. You have to learn to control your anxiety. Your brain will quickly drive you crazy. Hesitation is your enemy in Hookipa. Riding ability plays a subordinate role. What you do need to be able to do, however, is a quick water start in light winds. Because there's hardly any wind in the bay. If you don't get back on the board in a flash, the waves will sweep you off your feet. Many good windsurfers who are used to strong and constant winds underestimate this.
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Voices on Shawna
Windsurfing legend Robby Naish:
"Shawna is always in Hookipa. She loves windsurfing and isn't afraid. Even in big waves. Shawna is always in a good mood and full of energy."
Kevin Pritchard, four-time world champion:
"Shawna is a 'bad ass' on the water. She always attacks, even in extreme conditions, and chases the best wave. Shawna is wild - in the water and on land. Definitely an exciting, funny woman!"
Levi Siver, windsurfing pro:
"Shawna loves windsurfing more than anything. She always wants to be on the water and get better. It's great that she's so passionate about the sport and is in it for the right reasons."
Ferdinando Loffreda, sports coach:
"I train professional athletes and surf in Hookipa all the time. Shawna immediately caught my eye because no other woman surfs here more than she does. Her drive and energy are impressive. The higher the waves, the better she gets. Her motto on the water is: 'Pedal to the metal!
Klaas Voget, windsurfing pro:
"Shawna lives and breathes windsurfing. When she's not training in Kanaha, you'll see her in Hookipa, where she's an integral part of the scene. Shawna exudes a lot of positive energy and also gives herself the bigger days with over mast high waves."
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