How to be Prepared: throughout my traveling experience, i learned that you have to be prepared for anything. i went on about 100 surf trips around the world competing for the best photo with a bunch of pro surfers. if you get the best photo, you will be published in magazines around the world. that was my job and i took it 100% seriously. before i leave Hawaii, i’m already preparing. how? first, i take 5 surfboards in a big surf bag so i make sure every single board has my sponsors stickers, make sure it’s waxed, and make sure i have a leash attached to at least one of them. then i put my surf trunks in my backpack with the fins. then when we land, i watch and make sure my surfboard bag is on the top with the zipper facing up so i can easily access my surfboard where ever we go. so on this particular boat trip in the Philippines, we were cruising around islands searching for waves what nobody knew existed. as we round this one island, i see a big left point break wrapping around the island. everybody is excited watching the waves and i’m running down to my room to get my backpack. before we even pull up, i grab my board out of my bag, put on my fins, and jump off the boat when it’s still moving. being the first guy in the ocean surfing a wave that’s never been surfed before was a dream to me. so i paddle out, analyze the waves and reef, and i’m ready. i take off on my first wave and get the barrel of my trip. i had it all to myself. then 20 minutes later, the wind comes onshore and it’s over. i go back to the boat and see some of the other surfers still putting stickers and wax on their boards. of course i didn’t say anything because i was still super competitive at the time. i did that for 30 years and i still do that till this day. if there’s a golden opportunity, i’ll be the first one on it…
