wow, had another twilight surf session this morning. i couldn’t even see and neither could anybody. haha. but here i was riding behind Ryu-san… story coming tomorrow because had another story to tell first…
i followed this kid ever since he was born. i was documenting his life and everything that came with it. Seth Moniz was special, he had something most kids didn’t. and that thing was motivation, passion, and confidence. you won’t find another 8 year old surfing like this at Queen’s in Waikiki. 
another special thing Seth has is his heart. so warm, so caring, and so loving. i took the boys hiking in the mountains and right before us, this little wild pig fell off the cliff. it was pretty much dead. but Seth ran up to it, wrapped it in his t-shirt, comforted it, and brought it back to life. i was in awe… then he carried it out of the mountain, we took it to the hospital, and it survived. i’ll never forget that moment of a young boy giving his heart to a helpless little pig. 
as for surfing Backdoor/Pipeline, these kids were terrified and wanted nothing to do with it. so one day, i tricked all the boys and told them it was Ehukai sandbar. i even parked my car somewhere else so when walked down the beach, it didn’t look like Pipeline. but it was. haha. then after our session, i told the boys, “welcome to Pipeline!” you should have seen their faces. here is Seth getting barreled at Backdoor when he was a kid…
i wanted to take all the boys with me to Japan every year, but Seth was the only one that wanted to come. he was a very curious kid and this is what made him strong. here we are at the Dove Factory…
he wrote out his name in the sand at Ikumi Beach in Shikoku. this is called “making your mark.” 
at the Billabong house, Seth was just a little kid that everybody thought was so cute. little did this cute kid know, he would someday be the man! Seth surfs against Kelly Slater tomorrow and it’s going to be a good one. i dreamt of this day many years ago and it’s crazy that it’s happening at one of the biggest days in surfing competition history. so much on the line for everybody tomorrow but if i’d choose one of the guys that can keep calm and be confident, it’s the Rookie Seth Moniz.
check out this video i took of Seth in Japan when he was 12 years old. i just watched it again and i couldn’t stop laughing. at that young age, he already knew he was going to be on the WCT. and to see where he is today, it’s wonderful, it’s amazing, and it’s heartwarming. if you have a little young surfer, have him watch this video, and have him watch the Pipeline Masters tomorrow. it’s a real show of a kid chasing his dream, and now living it…
