Lake Taihu, Thursday. Archduke Harry Moore reports:-
- The once-tranquil waters and shores of Lake Taihu were inundated by some 35 million Wuxi Expats today, eager to catch a glimpse of the Expatdom's monster-wave tamer, Andis Kaulins.
The tanned, muscular and super-fit Wuxi English Teacher didn't disappoint. With the Lake fetching waves as tall as the Alps, conditions were ideal for this, the first shoot-out between Kaulins, and the Hawaii-based Laird Hamilton.
- In a strange twist, Suzhou Expats have decided to 'adopt' Hamilton as their own, and their fans - around 1 million weak, swelled the vantage points to bursting point.
Inevitably, cat-calls and taunts between the rival fans led to scuffles, however the Wuxi Expatdom's DCI Harry Callahan cuffed the Suzhou offenders, kicked their asses,
and peace returned.
- Andis Kaulins elected to pusue the inshore breaks, in contrast to Hamilton, content to wait
astride his board some 20 kilometres offshore.
Leaping onto a towering wave which I estimated to be as tall as a seven-storey building, Andis flew into his first qualifying run.
- Huge rooster tails of water rose into the air with every
turn and cutback as Andis slashed and ripped, now tucking into the power
pocket, now skating out of the shoulder to dig in for a turn. His manoeuvres were quick, powerful and
seemingly executed at-will, as this tall Canadian animal with cat-like reflexes, and feet,
seemed to utterly dominate the waves.
Unlike Laird Hamilton whose strategy was to set up for a wave and wait to react to its movement, Andis seemed to throw himself into a manoeuvre before the wave had barely developed a shape. He then extracted an amazing amount of speed and energy from the face of the towering liquid mountains.
The massive crowd rose as one, open-mouthed and awestruck at this incandescent display delivered with Andis Kaulins' customary dash, coolness and dexterity.
- Now the question on every Expat's quivering lips is, can Laird pull the proverbial bunny-rabbit out of his bag?
Unlike Laird Hamilton whose strategy was to set up for a wave and wait to react to its movement, Andis seemed to throw himself into a manoeuvre before the wave had barely developed a shape. He then extracted an amazing amount of speed and energy from the face of the towering liquid mountains.
The massive crowd rose as one, open-mouthed and awestruck at this incandescent display delivered with Andis Kaulins' customary dash, coolness and dexterity.
- Now the question on every Expat's quivering lips is, can Laird pull the proverbial bunny-rabbit out of his bag?
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