i always ask my students what their goals are.  then once i hear it, we try to incorporate a plan to make it happen.  this girl wanted to focus and get better at long boarding.  she wanted to be more graceful and also wanted to Hang 5.  both of those goals were achieved pretty quickly.  where ever we surfed, i would compare her to other long boarders.  and what stood out the most was her style.  completely calm, controlled, and amazing flow.  it was so beautiful to watch…

from a photographers point of view, i love to shoot girls like this.  it’s just so easy because everything is placed so perfectly.   it makes me job super easy.  it kind of reminds me when i use to shoot Kelia.  all it took was one wave and we would get the cover shot.  just like this…

Secret Spot @ North Shore.  It’s called “Nevermind.”  haha.

Good morning 4:10am.
North shore shoulder high and good.
Ala Moana waist high and good.
Diamond Head chest high and bumpy.
Trade winds at 15mph.
Sunny and warm.
Going to the sea.
Have a wonderful day!

ever since the big Japan earthquake and tsunami in 2011, i get alerts to my iPhone whenever there’s a earthquake in Japan.  so this morning, i woke up to this!  i hope everybody in Japan is ok…

this morning, i finally got to open my hard drive and look at old surf trip photos.  trips i have no recollection of because i was so busy that years went by so fast.  it was literally one trip after another so instead of coming home and looking over the photos, i was already repacking for the next one.  so looking back brought back precious memories, smiles, and also some tears.  this trip consisted of Japanese legend surfer/snowboarders that took place in 2009.

we left Padang port, sailed half the coast of Sumatra, and ended up at the Southern tip of Bangkaru.  it took a total of 40 hours to get there.  but stopping at Nias to get a few barrels helped that long journey.  

i don’t recollect taking this photo so when i opened it, i froze.  teary eyes followed by a broken heart.  i miss Akazawa-san so much…

i’ll never forget the surf sessions, the parties, the laughter, and the smiles.  it was probably one of the happiest times of all of our lives.  Tokura-san invited me on this trip so i’m very thankful for that. 

Dear Akazawa-san, thank you for the sponsorship, friendship, and support you’ve given me from the time from Gonzo clothing to Spice clothing.  those 25 years were amazing and i’m so happy to have spent time with you both in the office, and in our playground.  the day will come when we both share waves again in Heaven.  until then, keep on smiling my friend…

at the end of each day floating in the Indian Ocean, we would always get together, open a Bintang beer, and do a toast.  as surfers, we all knew that we only have one life to live.  and we wouldn’t have wanted to be any where else in the world at that time.  to many it may seem selfish, but to us, nothing else mattered.  we lived by ONE LIFE!