hello hello from lance’s rights. today was one of the most greatest days of my life. i can’t explain it in a blog, i need more like a book. too keep it short, it all started off waking up at macaroni’s with nobody else around. 4′ and barreling!!! only japanese at macaroni’s? yup, another day of just us scoring perfect barrels…. then we hit the outer reef to catch some sashimi for tokura-san’s birthday. job done. we not only caught 1 big fish, we caught 2. then we pulled into lances right’s at 2pm and the waves were going off!!! 4-6′ and the best it ever gets. then it was the birthday celebration for tokura-san. 7 bottles of champagne, 1 big bottle of jacksan, and a lot of bintangs. my head still hurts….

tokura-san turned 60 and it’s a japanese tradition to wear a red vest. the boys at dove took care of that. a custom wetsuit for a custom guy… happy birthday tokura-san….

we thought we scored macaroni’s in the morning. then when we pulled up to lance’s right, nobody could believe how good it was. everybody was getting barreled. but the highlight of the session was watching a 60 year old hard core travel surfer get a perfect barrel and make it. that surfer was tokura-san…..

if you freedive deep. you will see things that normal people will never see. this was a dream dive session for me. first a huge GT, then a sawara. i used my 100cm stock picasso reef gun with no tag line. so when i speared these fish 60′ under, i had to hold on for my life. good thing hayato came and gave the kill shots. if he wasn’t there, i would still be fighting this fish underwater. and if you seen the sashimi platter we had for our evening bintang session, you would freak…

we’re almost half way through our trip and things couldn’t be going any better. surf, photos, video, sashimi, and a lot of bintangs. we pulled up to 6′ thunders yesterday and guess what? nobody was out. numajiri and zuccho paddled out as hayato and i geared up to catch fish for dinner. just another day in paradise….
**check out some photos from yesterday….

tokura-san’s been on the SanSoucci2 more than anybody else. over the years, he’s told me that this is the best boat. i didn’t know what he meant back then, but now i do. this is the best boat. luxury, service, and style. what more can you ask for when your living on this palace for 12 days in the middle of the ocean….

this is our surf shuttle. VIP service all day long. surf/dive/photos? timmy will take you there….

imagine spending thousands of dollars and flying for 2 days to get to your dream spot in the mentawai’s. then your boat pulls up to a spot with one boat anchored with 13 japanese pro surfers in the water, one stand-up paddle surfer, and 3 photographers. your dream trip could turn into your worst nightmare. i’m glad i’m with this nightmare crew…..

and last, let me leave you off with this photo. imagine going diving with your good friend in some remote area where nobody has ever dove before. both spearing travelly’s as the sun sets. the sky is bright red as we get back to our palace. the crew take our fish and clean it. then our private chef makes some poke and sashimi. we sit back drinking bintang’s as we eat fish as fresh as it gets. then i grab my blanket and lay down on the deck gazing at the millions of stars. i put in my ipod blasting kalapana’s greatest hits and watch falling stars one after the other. each time making my wishes. i fall asleep to one of the greatest days of my life. i don’t think anybody in this world is happier than i am right now….

it was in 1994 when tokura-san invited me for my first boat trip. i remember sitting down one evening on that trip looking out at the sunset thinking to myself…
“wow, tokura-san lives the life… traveling, surfing, meeting people, exploring, and having fun at the same time. gosh, when i get older, i want to be just like him. i want to be able to live the exact life tokura-san’s living. sharing, giving, and just being happy day by day.”

now 15 years later, tokura-san is still living the dream life. he turns 60 years old today and i wanted to wish him a happy birthday. we’re on a boat in the middle of the ocean celebrating 60 years of his life. and i’m probably thinking to myself….
“wow, tokura-san turned 60 today. 60 years old and still traveling around the world. when i get 60, i want to live the life he’s living and i will do my best to achieve that dream. sharing, giving, and just being happy day by day. i have a long way to go but i’m taking the path that my mentor, sponsor, and friend has taught me. congratulations tokura-san on your 60th birthday. i know most of your dreams have come true and i’m sure every single one will. good things happen to good people and your not just good, your great!!! thanks for everything.. cheers…[:?????????:][:?????????:]”