My early morning sessions…

Good morning 4am.
Ala Moana knee high and perfect.
Diamond Head chest high and bumpy.
Trade winds at 20mph.
Sunny and warm.
Going to the sea.
Have a wonderful day!

i went out to Bowls early this morning.  i knew it was going to be small, but i also knew it was going to be peaceful.  just 2 of the boys out with epic conditions.  there were enough waves to make everybody happy…

one of my friends said “just imagine if there was a contest on waves like this.”  i told him “omg, i’ve surfed contests with waves way smaller than this in Japan.”  the didn’t believe me but if you surfed the JPSA in the early 1990’s, you know it’s true.  that was my first experience of culture shock!

but thanks to all the experience of surfing small waves in Japan, i can ride a knee high wave and still have the time of my life…

i watched this fire start, then grow into a huge black smoke screen!

it was burning for a very long time.  that was the big news in Hawaii today.  anyway, we have 2 back to back South swells coming in starting Tuesday.  i have no expectations so if it turns out to be only knee high, i’ll still take it!

such a classic photo with me and my Mom back in 1992.  this was my graduation day at the University of Hawaii.  looking back, this had to have been the biggest accomplishment in my life.  and it was also the biggest turning point in my life.  i had already planned to move to Japan so i sold everything i owned, packed my bags, and moved to Japan 2 weeks later.  i went to Japan with 2 business suits, my resume, and a surfboard.  my plans were to be the richest businessman in the world, but i ended up being a surfer.  haha.  but that is one choice i will never regret.  people said i was wasting my college degree, but i alway told them “i’m using my degree every single day of my life.  it taught me how to be on time, how to get things done, and how to make a living on doing what i love.”  and that’s exactly what i’m doing till this day…

*check out Carter in the back.  we were so young!  haha.  and my Mom wasn’t too happy about me holding a giant Asahi beer.  haha…