been coaching Aoi here and there. just plugging a few things in his mind little by little. it’s going to be his big contest debut this weekend so trying to fine tune his surfing. so watching him surf this morning really good made me feel super confident going into this big contest. i know he’s ready. i just don’t know if he knows he’s ready. as time nears, he will get pretty nervous. it’s only natural.

i told Aoi after he did this perfect off the lip, “hey, just surf like this and enjoy it. don’t feel the pressure because you have nothing to lose. go into your heat feeling confident and feeling good. i know you can do it!”

Local Motion Maki-san also getting in the practice. work and play. both all good!

went to my sisters house this evening for a dinner party. so good to see so many family and friends enjoying this special day.

Tony Moniz on the grill.

there were 7 tahitians over the house. they are all here for the pro contest at bowls this weekend. so stoked to see the Moniz kids mixing it up with kids from all around the world. forming friendships that will last forever. i get so excited seeing this because i know these precious friendships are so special.

local style. i’m so full!

want to wish my nephew Isaiah Moniz a special happy 22nd birthday. you’ve grown into a very fine young man. wish you the brightest year ahead!

if i had to choose what was the best feeling of surfing, i’d have to say getting barreled. the feeling is unexplainable. it’s a surfers dream. i’ve been getting barreled for 35 years and i keep on wanting more and more. the absolute best feeling in the world!
anyway, i was texting my friend about getting barreled. she texted me:
“I want barrel! Very big dream! It takes 10 years? 20 years? So big dream.”
i texted her back:
“No, it only takes one wave!”
she texted me:
“Hawaiian joke?”
that made me laugh!! haha. getting barreled is very easy. in fact, i learned how to get barreled before i could even do a cutback. i was getting barreled since i was 12 years old. what’s the secret?

first is finding a wave that barrels. if the wave don’t barrel, you won’t get barreled. simple. there are many spots in the world that barrels. some easy, some hard, some perfect, some ugly. but hey, a barrel is a barrel. you can find them all over the place in hawaii. and for you japanese dreamers, you can find them all over japan too. this particular spot in japan is a perfect barrel with nobody out. if you can turn sidewards, you can get barreled. where is this wave? sorry, i can’t tell you. all i can say is if you search, you will find.

second is confidence. if you don’t have confidence, forget the barrel. in fact, forget everything. you have to visualize yourself in the barrel, and visualize yourself making it out. every single barrel i enter, i expect to make out. and when i’m feeling super confident, i’m making almost all of them.
so hey, getting barreled is pretty easy. go look for a barreling wave, have some confidence, and you can do it! and when that barrel happens, i would love to hear all about it! ganbatte!

BMW Pickup Truck!
Good morning 5:30am.
Ala Moana waist high and coming up slowly. Shoulder high by tomorrow. Clean.
Diamond Head chest high and clean.
South shore peaking on Friday.
Light winds from the East.
Going coaching.
Have a wonderful day!