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Some like it Bigger Print E-mail
Written by Eugene Buchanan   
Saturday, 01 July 2000 04:42
Whether inspired by "Some Like it Big" (March/April 2000) or not, Bavaria's Arnd Schaftlein is taking big water paddling to frightening heights. His goal: the first-ever kayak surf of Jaws, a monstrous break off Maui's North Shore that oftentimes gets up to 40 feet high—six and a half times as big as many modern playboats.

"I want to do it when the conditions are right and I have the right surf kayak," says an even-keeled Schaftlein, who is having a surfboard designer custom-shape a kayak capable of handling Jaws. "I also need to practice getting towed in behind a Waverunner."

Schaftlein is firmly committed to his gargantuan goal. If he can't find the right person to shape a kayak that will work, he'll do it himself. "Rush Randle (a top wind- and strap-surfer familiar with Jaws) is helping me get the right shape for the boat," says Schaftlein. "It'll be based on a sailboard he's used to windsurf Jaws." The aptly named Rush, a fellow swatch pro team member, will also likely be the person in charge of towing Schaftlein into the monolithic wave.

Locals, of course, think Schaftlein's just a tad loco. "He's 100 percent committed to doing it," says local surf photographer Clay Rogers. "No one else is crazy enough to even think about it."

—edb

Originally Published, Paddler July-August 2000
 

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