my Memorial Day holiday began waking up at 2am.  driving to the North shore in the pitch dark singing Neil Diamond out loud.  Sweet Caroline…

another late season North swell and nobody’s complaining.  Kaiborg is the top of the food chain out there and when we show up, he makes sure order is in place.  the ocean is dangerous but i feel safest with these guys…

came back in and couldn’t believe how crowded Haleiwa Park was.  omg, i never seen it like this before…

and to think international travel isn’t even open yet?  once it does, Hawaii is going to be the most crowded island in the world.

i’m starting to like this sport.  getting towed in and towing others in is so different for me.  but the same rule applies when it comes to ocean sports;  “keep calm and connect.”

as i was driving home watching all the traffic backed up into Haleiwa, i was thinking “hey guys, you’re too late.”  haha.

late last night, i got a rare missed call followed by a text from a friend saying “call me when you get this.”  when i checked it at 3:30am when i got up, i already knew something was terribly wrong.  i called him back and he broke the bad news to me.  tearing up, i was told that one of our best friends suddenly passed away.  a friend that has been a huge impact in our lives, a friend that made us laugh so hard that our stomachs would hurt, and a friend that we shared so many precious memories since our college days.  i took to the ocean in the morning, thinking about him all day long, and thinking about the good times.  sadness and reality hit when i pulled up a photo of him on my iPhone.  i choked up and teared, i had a sharp pain in my heart, and i’m once again, i’m heartbroken.  loosing so many special people suddenly in this past year has been really hard on me.  i know that’s the circle of life, but it still hurts.  yes i would have loved to have a last drink with him, a last laugh with him, and a last memory with him, but i couldn’t.  all i can do now is cherish the precious memories we had and remember the happiness he brought to all of us.  once again, the message of “life is short” is flashing more than ever.  so if you’re not enjoying life to the fullest and appreciating each breath of air, it’s never to late to start.  everything in life is suddenly 10x more important than it’s ever been to me.  please keep healthy and happy…

Endless rides…

Good morning 3:20am.
North shore coming up today. Good for us!
Ala Moana chest high and perfect. Good for everybody!
Diamond Head shoulder high and the best spot.
Light winds so perfect morning conditions.
Sunny and warm.
Going to North.
Have a wonderful day!