daijyobu.
i am still alive.
tsunami warning!
6.5m and scary!

the new surf1st magazine is out!! look inside to see the part 2 article of our mentawai dream trip. toda-san wrote the article and kenji sahara took the photos. i still can’t believe how good the waves were… by the way, nice cover shot wakita!! stoked!!!

here’s my 2 page spread. i keep on dreaming about that special evening session on tokura-san’s birthday. somebody slap my face and wake me up….

good evening. it was spice clothing owner akazawa-san’s birthday on the boat in north sumatra. there was going to be a party and a party on a boat won’t be complete without fish. fresh fish. it’s pretty cool that you don’t need to keep fish in the freezer. when you need it, just jump in and catch it. some people fish. i don’t have enough patience for that. i like to hunt. jump in and catch what ever fish you feel like eating for dinner. this dinner, our chef asked me to catch a few fish for baking, and barbecuing. so that’s what i did….

to spend a birthday on a boat in the middle of nowhere is something special. akazawa-san will never forget this years celebration for sure. great dinner, great time, and great memory…. i spent my birthday on a boat in the philippines once and i won’t forget that one too. wanna know where i spent my birthday in 2003????

right here!!!!! i will never ever forget that day!!!! i will never ever forget the butterflies in my stomach looking down the face of those waves!!! and i’m glad i’m still alive to talk about it….