was super good to see japan’s most famous photographer Taisuke Yokoyama in the water in his hometown of kamakura. i remember when i first went to japan and seen his amazing portraits in all the surfing magazines. then my dream came true one year after when i got a call from Surfing Life for a photo shoot by Taisuke-san. we went to shoot in Enoshima and he took was one of the best portrait shots i have of myself. very artistic, and very cool!

want to thank Masae-san for sending me this photo. had a great time with you girls!

went out to hawaii kai early yesterday morning. so cool to see the sunrise!

then went fishing with some friends in the afternoon.

caught just enough, then went for a surf.

then watched an amazing sunset!

came in at dark again. so cool driving in the middle of the ocean in the pitch dark. i just love it!

Filipino NBA.
Good morning 6am.
North shore small and windy.
Ala Moana waist to chest high and clean.
Diamond Head biggest at shoulder high but windy.
Trade winds at 20-30mph.
Sun, showers, and rainbows.
Have a wonderful day!

life is a beautiful thing. and life is even more beautiful when you are lucky enough to meet such a beautiful person.

i met Ieki-san back in 1993. i have known this wonderful man ever since. every year we would meet somewhere. either in shikoku, kyoto, or some other surfers gathering place. Ieki-san is a hardcore surfer, a legend, and most important, the nicest man you will ever meet. throughout the past 22 years, he’s always been smiling, and always been such a great supporter. a man i respect, a man i look up to, and a man with the kindest heart.
on my recent trip to cuba, i received the news about Ieki-san’s passing away. a tremendous shock went through my body. so many mixed feelings. flashbacks, memories, and tears.

i wasn’t able to attend his funeral, but my heart and soul was there.

just looking at these photos brings back so many memories. i know all these people in all these photos. it is the exact same surfing world circle of friends that i’ve been in all these years. we are like a big happy family. so losing someone is very sad.

i want to thank Matsuo for sending me these photos. it meant a lot to me to see Ieki-san’s beautiful smile again!

here is a photo of Ieki-san’s beautiful daughter and i. gosh, that was taken back in 1998.

Ieki-san ran a grape and pear farm in kyotango. i visited him a few times and he would always send me fruit where ever i was in japan. and to top that off, Ieki-san was a huge supporter for our We Are One Missions.

and Ieki-san would also send me photos every so often. this one oh so cute.

he would even leave me presents. i went to check into my room in shikoku and i found a bottle of jacksan with a note. anyway, just this past april, Ieki-san was totally fine when i seen him in shikoku. shortly after that, he went to go see a doctor and was diagnosed with terminal cancer and given only a short time to live.

Ieki-san came to hawaii this summer and told me it was his last surf trip of his life. we surfed, we laughed, we hugged, and when he left, i cried. no, i would never ever cry in front of him because i knew he wouldn’t want to see me that way. but you know what, i’m only human. and i will miss him dearly.

i was so lucky to be able to surf with Ieki-san in hawaii. when i dropped him off at his hotel after dinner, we hugged and he told me “the last thing in my life i must do is go to the 40th anniversary Dove Wetsuits party to see everybody.” that was in october. and to tell you the truth, that was the main reason i committed myself to attend that party. i promised Ieki-san that i would be there too and i meant it.

so seeing Ieki-san at the Dove party was very emotional for me, and for everyone. i must have shook his hand and hugged him more than i should of. we both knew that would be the last we would see each other in this life.
Ieki-san touched my life in many ways. he is a true inspiration for me. i will never ever forget his kindness and warm heart. i am the luckiest person in the world to have met such a great man. i only have great memories this past 22 years and what most i will remember is his golden smile. goodbye my friend.