it was a pretty emotional day. a day to say goodbye to a friend that was like a brother to me. John Shimooka passed away a couple weeks ago and i’m still in disbelief that he’s not with us anymore. since the coronavirus, you can’t have a proper funeral. so just the closest people to John paddled out to Big Rights to catch a wave for him.
when i got out there, i couldn’t believe how many people showed up. everybody was social distancing which was good, and the vibe was tense. from cries, to laughs, you could feel John’s presence. the current was so strong, the water was rough, and one of the canoes flipped over. i could see him laughing down on us…
most surfers, including me, want their ashes to be scattered in the ocean. it kind of feels good to be able to surf where ever you go and feel each and everyones soul. all us surfers know that there is only one ocean and we are all connected to it. this is our final destination…
good to see all the Big Rights boys out there. John loved to surf out there and that’s where we made most of our greatest memories…
hey John, thank you brother for the amazing times we had. from the crazy memories in Japan, to the crazy memories in Hawaii, we did it all. you made me laugh, sometimes so hard that i ended up crying. you made me smile, you made me happy, and you made me super stoked whenever i was hanging out with you. i’ll keep those memories tucked away in my heart and when ever i go surf Big Rights, i’m going to get barreled for you because that’s what you loved. peace my brother…
i was up at 3am when i got my first text, “going to be good at the secret spot today.!” it took an hour to get there, but i still arrived in the dark and waited on the beach until i could see the rocks that i had to paddle out through. while i was waiting, i saw the brightest falling star ever! i made a wish, and hope it comes true…
i was the first one out so it felt good being in the huge ocean all alone. then a couple of the boys paddled out and we had an amazing session. it was glassy, calm, and as beautiful as it gets. here is one of the early morning crew Ross loving life…
when i see older guys than me still enjoying the ocean to the fullest, it reassures me that i still have lots of time to enjoy. so yeah, i get inspired and happy…
as the sun started to creep up, i was just mesmerized…
and the waves were perfect! some waves were so good that i wish i had my shortboard! it felt like an Indonesia surf trip…
i took this photo before i caught my last wave. so i was out for 40 minutes, rode 5 endless waves, and rode the last one 500 meters to the beach. woke up at 3am, worked out, did yoga, saw a falling star, foiled, and was in by 7:30am. i was smiling all the way home…
Happy Birthday Marissa! Wishing you a bright and wonderful year ahead! Always good to see you looking so beautiful and happy!
