we see the swell building on the 1.5 hour drive up North. i can see 15′ open ocean swells outside as we pull up to “The Spot.” it was my first time here so i didn’t know what to expect. i knew it was going to be big, maybe 4-6′? but hey, i was wrong… the waves were 10′ solid and pumping! only a couple world big wave experts out. i knew the onshore winds will be coming so now’s my only chance. i only have a 6’2 shortboard? way to small, but no excuses. i didn’t fly half way around the world to watch other surfers surf. so i pretty much had a minute to make up my mind… paddle out? or regret it for the rest of my life?
i look at my brand new 6’2 and say “hey, please be good to me.” it’s actually the first time in my life i talked to my surfboard. i didn’t have time to watch the sets, i didn’t know how many would come, and how often. all i knew that it was getting bigger and bigger super fast. i didn’t even know how to get out??? so i take a deep breath, wax my board, and jump in off the rocks. i let my 30 years of traveling experience guide me that day. i teach people how to believe in yourself, and this was the big test for me. i believed in myself, but to be honest, i wasn’t confident with my equipment because i knew it was way too small for that size of wave.
i make it over the dry reef with the current ripping right to left. i get out and see a huge 10′ set break and nobody even paddled for it. i thought to myself “wow, this is way bigger than i could ever imagine.” i get to the lineup and see world class surfers like Craig Anderson, Chippa Wilson, and Brent Dorrington. i paddle to them and say “what’s up boys.” they looked at me and probably thought, “who the heck is this guy?” these guys are in their 20’s and chase big barrels like this as their profession. i’m old enough to be their Father, but we are all here for the same thing. the only difference is they expected waves like this, and i didn’t.
Matsu had my camera on the beach and took some amazing photos. Craig Anderson usually pulls into any size of barrel. but i saw this one as i was paddling out and he didn’t want to pull into that beast. that’s when i knew “wow, this is The Day!”
when ever i surf a spot for the first time, i usually paddle up a wave and look into the barrel, and below the barrel. i’m mentally measuring impact pressure, water depth, boils, currents, and reef formation. just by paddling up this wave, i knew it was safe to ride this wave sidewards, but not safe to go straight. if you go straight, you will ride right into the dry reef sticking up. if you go sidewards, you had a better chance of surviving.
when you surf small Ala Moana, everybody wants to catch every wave. sometimes you have 4 guys trying to take off on the same wave, and sometimes you have guys yelling at you. but when you’re surfing big waves in remote areas like this, there is a mutual respect. no matter who you are, everybody respects each other because people die on days like this. no matter how many waves come, you take turns. not by pulling a number and waiting, but by simply waiting. everybody in the lineup knows who’s up next. and when that wave comes, it’s all yours… this one was mine and it felt so good! thank you Matsu for documenting that special day, and thank you Chifumi-san for telling me when i got out of the water, “you’re fucken crazy!” haha.
