first, the big news of the Eddie Aikau running on wednesday is true! it’s been 6 long years since it was last held. forecasters say big wednesday, but i checked and i think big wednesday night. the swell supposed to peak at night but hopefully it will be big enough in the morning to hold the recommended 8 hour event. we shall see. expect big hype, lots of traffic, and dangerous rides.

i knew this morning was going to have an amazing sunrise. and also knew that the waves would be perfect. so yesterday i asked Rikita-san and Toshimi-san if they wanted to start early. they said yes and it turned out to be the best decision for us all!

woke up and it was 16 degrees C? omg! that’s so cold!

we went very far out to sea to watch the sunrise. you can’t see it from waikiki because diamond head blocks it. so just have to go out to the ocean and you can see the golden moment.

the best part of the day. it just takes your breath away.

looks like golden fire! after this, we went straight back in and surfed.

the waves were super glassy and empty. Rikita-san told me he likes the view. i like it too!

many long rides into the sunrise. it was absolutely beautiful!

it was also Rikita-san’s first time long boarding. and today was the perfect day for that!

Toshimi-san rode many more waves than yesterday. that’s a lot of waves for this surfer girl.

gos, i love this angle. morning sunrise session is the best feeling!

i feel like i’m gliding on the ocean. just perfect lines and perfect waves. waking up early and experiencing a moment like this is amazing. much better than sleeping. at one point, we had bowls to ourselves. score!

thank you Rikita-san, Toshimi-san, and Mayuki-chan for the wonderful golden morning.

then we went to eat my favorite sandwich at my secret spot. a great way to wrap up an awesome morning. sleeping early tonight because another long surf day tomorrow. good night

EVENT HEAT DRAW:
Heat 1:
Shane Dorian (HAW)
Kohl Christensen (HAW)
Greg Long (CA)
Ramon Navarro (CHI)
Sunny Garcia (HAW)
Ross Clarke-Jones (AUS)
Jamie Mitchell (AUS)
Heat 2:
Kelly Slater (FL)
David Wassell (HAW)
Grant Baker (ZAF)
Reef McIntosh (HAW)
Jamie O’Brien (HAW)
Aaron Gold (HAW)
Tom Carroll (AUS)
Heat 3:
John John Florence (HAW)
Mark Healey (HAW)
Clyde Aikau (HAW)
Nathan Fletcher (CA)
Noah Johnson (HAW)
Peter Mel (CA)
Takayuki Wakita (JPN)
Heat 4:
Bruce Irons (HAW)
Makuakai Rothman (HAW)
Ian Walsh (HAW)
Albee Layer (HAW)
Kala Alexander (HAW)
Garrett McNamara (HAW)
Jeremy Flores (FRA)

look good at all these photos of ala moana yesterday. you won’t find anybody around us. it was super bowl sunday in hawaii and the best time ever to surf. the whole island is watching tv and we are surfing the empty ocean. i do this every single year and will continue to do it forever!

just love teaching the youth how to surf. it was these 2 sisters first experience and i was stoked to be the one to teach them. meet they young and energetic Yumi-chan and Ayu-chan.

as soon as they got on the surfboard paddling out, they said “tanoshi,” which means “fun!” so happy to see the bright smiles.

Yumi-chan on her very first wave of her life! she was so stoked!

then Ayu-chan on her first wave ever. you should have seen these 2 girls smiles paddling back out. it was amazing!

half way through the session, Yumi-chan started to surf on her own. yeah, surfing on your own during your first ever session is something amazing. she must have caught over 25 waves. pure energy and excitement.

Ayu-chan kept on going and going too. i was amazed on their energy and power. it’s good to be young and full of energy. so stoked for these girls and i’m sure they will include surfing in their lives forever. good job girls!

then came home and at the snacks they gave me.

thank you Yumi-chan and Ayu-chan for the snacks and wonderful super bowl afternoon of surfing. keep on surfing and keep on looking forward! wish you the best future ahead!