good morning. back here on oahu and checking the waves now. north shore looks 3′ and pretty clean. not too many guys out. town is pretty small. got a bunch of surfers out at bowls but it looks only waist high on the sets. overcast skies with some rain. looks like a dark day but i like it. i was in the hot sunny blue sky sun all day yesterday. i’m totally fried. drove around deep into maui yesterday and you know what? i found a place where i want to live when i retire from work next year. yeah, i wish. but that place is hana, maui. freaking paradise….

krispy kreme doughnuts is the bomb. every time local people go to maui, they bring this back to oahu as an omiyage. i don’t really like doughnuts but these are pretty dam good..

we say in japanese “kaisugi”. that means, “buy too much”. and that’s what i did… 24 doughnuts… haha…

i’ve been to maui many of times to surf contests and stuff. i use to go with carter in our amateur days and use to enter the local maui contests. but my memory is so bad that i don’t remember anybody. the only thing i remembered was how nice the people there were back then. and still are. so much aloha spirit. i guess that’s why they call maui “The Friendly Island”….

takeshi from japan asked me about the super ferry because he’s going to ride it this summer. so here are some super ferry tips that i think takeshi and everybody should know before riding:
1. it’s freaking freezing cold in there. i wore long pants, shoes, long sleeve shirt and i was still freezing cold. if i go again, i will take a blanket for sure.[:???:][:???:][:???:]
2. excess baggage charge for surfboards is $25/one way. i was lucky, my wink at the check in counter worked so it was free both ways. haha… but you know something, the staff at the super ferry are the nicest people on earth. so nice and excellent service.
3. if you get seasick, get an airplane instead. the waves and wind were as calm as it could be so the ride was pretty smooth. but on a regular tradewind day, expect to throw up…
4. take your own car from oahu. save about an hour and some hassles of renting a car when you get there.
5. and last, they have strict rules about being late. 30min before departure, they shut the gates and won’t let anybody in. well, except if your a cute japanese girl that was late for taking her rent a car back. then you get escorted right on in. if your a guy, forget it. hawaiian style….

just wanted to say sorry to everybody that sent me emails and called me this past week. been too busy to reply but will get back to you as soon i get some time to sit down. back in oahu tomorrow. have a safe and nice evening…

by the way, please don’t complain if you live on oahu about the gas prices. we found cheap gas here in maui for $4.27/gallon. some places was $4.71/gallon. yikes…. oh, and wanted to thank leroy and all the maui boys for sharing the aloha…. be back again…. mahalo….

good morning. it’s looking like a clear day on maui. it cleared up right before the awesome sunset last night and i wish i could show you the photos i took. probably the best sunset photos i ever took. drove around in a panic when i seen the sun come out around 5pm and found this little killer private beach. coconut trees, blue water, blue skies, and white sand. one of the most beautiful sunsets i’ve ever seen. and after looking in maui galleries and postcards these past few days, i knew what shot i wanted… can’t wait to put the images on my computer…

this magazine is sitting on the coffee table of my room. pretty cool mag. and speaking about my room, i’m here in a $585/night 2 bedroom 3 bath villa overlooking the ocean. only rich people can stay here and i ain’t rich. just lucky. for the last 36 hours, i only spent a few hours in my room. feels like a waste but for the short time i’m in this room, i feel like a king. so somebody go grab me a beer.. haha…

breakfast isn’t that bad if you find the right place….

hookipa was the spot yesterday. the waves were 3′ and super fun. i’m starting to like maui a lot….
**oh, just wanted to wish my friend john hall a happy birthday. and sorry i missed your birthday party last night. and wanted to congratulate egan inoue for winning the fight on friday. see ya all soon….