Tony sent me these screenshots.  I guess Paul Gordinho posted it.  These were the good old days at Backdoor.  I have probably logged in over a thousand sessions with hundreds of barrels.  I surfed there so much that it started to feel comfortable.  But a couple near death experiences out there made me feel uncomfortable again.  That’s what this spot can do to you so you must respect it.

Pro surfer/Lifeguard Dave Wassel once said “there are 2 kinds of surfers who surf at Backdoor.  One already hit the reef.  And the other one is going to hit the reef.

Pro surfer/World champion BJJ Kaiborg Garcia once said “if you can catch waves at Backdoor, you can catch waves at any spot around the world.”

Blue sky Top Gun.

Good morning 3:40am.
North shore head high and coming up later today.
Ala Moana knee high.
Diamond Head waist high.
Light winds so clean morning conditions.
Sunny and warm.
Going to the sea.
Have a wonderful day!

We drove out to the North shore early this morning.  I knew the waves were going to be pretty big but I didn’t say anything until we were almost there.  We checked Haleiwa first and after I saw this set, I knew that somewhere was going to be really good.  But I didn’t know if Mighty Mouse would be able to make it out.  The waves were really clean but the ocean was still a little wild.  From the beach, it looked very dangerous.  

We arrived to the spot and watched solid 5′ sets barreling.  Nobody out and it was a little out of control.  These are the days we train for.  These are the days we challenge ourselves and see if Boot Camp really works.  After some deep meditation, we paddled out into the wild sea.  Mighty Mouse caught the 3 best waves of her life.  No mistakes and all well ridden.  Yes, she passed the test as this spot is for experts only.  It also turned out to be my best surf session of the year so far.  We drove home happy as the adrenaline was still sky high.

The reason I can live the life I live is because of Tokura-san.  We surfed and had drinks together since 1992.  That’s 33 years of happiness and still going strong!  Tequila!!!