today was one of those days when i’m smiling driving home from the beach. the story i heard today made me so happy! just to hear how surfing can change a persons life no matter what age he or she is. i was driving down to pick up Matsuda-san and Testu-san this morning. at age 57 and 55, they just started surfing a year and a half ago. after i picked them up, they told me how they started surfing. 2 years ago, i took their college friends Koshiro-san, Murakami-san, Takagaki-san, and Setoguchi-san surfing in hawaii. Matsuda-san and Tetsu-san weren’t surfing at that time so they went sightseeing. after the group of 4 friends came back to the hotel that day, they were super happy and excited about their morning surf session. it was just a different kind of excitement that only a surfer can feel. so Matsuda-san and Tetsu-san went back to hawaii and started to surf.
almost 2 years ago, February 11, 2011 to be exact. i clearly remember picking up Koshiro-san, Murakami-san, Takagaki-san, and Setoguchi-san from the royal hawaiian hotel. we surfed that day and i couldn’t believe how energetic they were once the got in the water. they caught every single wave that came in and rode the longest waves of their lives.
all in their 50’s, all reborn! i remember them being so excited on the way back to the hotel. just on a total natural high. well, their natural high rubbed off on their 2 friends who didn’t surf and were hiking diamond head instead. a natural high that will change 2 lives forever.
today, Tetsu-san (on the left), and Matsuda-san (on the right), are reborn surfers. they came to hawaii many many of times before but this was their first surf session in hawaii. they paddled hard, they surfed well, and they rode dream waves. now, their colleges back in japan are the ones that will have to listen to their wonderful surf session here in hawaii.
Tetsu-san told me that he use to have shoulder pain, neck pain, and knee trouble as he was getting older. but once he started surfing, everything went away. he told me how the relationship of their circle of friends got stronger, and healthier. and he also told me something that will stick in my head forever. he said “the things that came for us out of surfing is PRICELESS!” i understand that feeling all too well.
they even formed a group called TEAM SAZANAMI back in japan. Murakami-san being the team captain. a group of surfers in their 50’s and 60’s. they wake up at 2am, drive to chiba at 3:30am, surf all day, and laugh on the way back. all their lives will only get better from now because once you have surfing in your life, you don’t need anything else. my dream is to surf with TEAM SAZANAMI in hawaii someday. hope to see you boys again soon. and in the meantime, keep on surfing!
