thirty years ago was my first Japan Typhoon season. Tokura-san took me to the most secret and sacred surf spots throughout Japan. we went to places that only a few are welcomed. Tokura-san’s a legend so he was always welcomed by everyone. so lucky me got to tag along and experience a part of the deepest Japan ever. i met the heaviest locals and started to understand why only a few are invited. it’s a system, it’s a culture, and it’s about loyalty. for the next 20 years, i chased typhoon after typhoon and surfed all these secret spots, mostly traveling to Japan by myself. even though my friends begged me to take them with me, i never did. the reason for that is because i understood that it was a privilege for me and that is not to be taken advantage of. honestly, loyalty, and respect. that’s the way the samurai lived and you can still feel that vibe at these sacred spots. till this day, i still feel like the luckiest outsider in the world to be let into a world of the unknown.
i get asked over and over where these big barrel spots are. i never told anyone including my closest friends. just let me say that i got over a couple hundred barrels out there. and also had the best sessions of my life. where was it? don’t ask. these are secrets i will take to my grave…
