when i was a teenager, Ben Aipa was my shaper, and also my surf coach.  he was very strict, but very dedicated.  throughout the years, i would always see him on the beach or in the water, and we would share stories and laughs.

and when he surfed, my camera would always be on this legend.  a true Hawaiian surfer that i respected very much.

and when my friends from Japan would come to Hawaii, i would always introduce Ben to everyone.

and we would go out and share waves.  i would always tell everyone, “when you see Ben paddle for a wave, don’t even try to paddle.  just watch.”

Ben use to hang out at contests coaching Hawaii’s best.  and i’ll never forget the first time i took Shun Murakami surfing at Kewalos.  Ben was watching Shun carefully and told me “that Japanese kid is really good!” and that’s a huge compliment coming from him.

hey Ben, thank you for being such a great coach and shaper!  and also thank you for just being a nice guy to me and my friends.  i appreciate all those years of coaching and i will continue to use your techniques when i coach my students.  goodbye Big Ben…

watch this video of classic Hawaiian style surfing by Ben Aipa…

Have a swell day!

Good morning 4:45am.
North shore 4-6′ and junky.
Ala Moana knee high and good.
Diamond Head waist high and clean.
North/West winds at 15mph becoming 30mph North winds later today.
Sun, clouds, rain, cool, and maybe stormy.
Going to the ocean.
Have a wonderful day!