Shadow Surfing…

Good morning 6am.

North shore 2-4′ and clean.

Ala Moana knee high and good for longboard.

Diamond Head chest high and good for foiling.

Light wind so nice morning conditions.

Sunny and warm.

Going surfing.

Have a wonderful day!

 teaching kids how to surf is one thing.  and teaching kids how to teach others how to surf is another.  i’ve been letting Ojiro-kun teach his Fathers friends how to surf.  and he does it perfectly!   after the crazy consistent big waves this past Summer, it’s so nice to enjoy the calm ocean now.  so easy and so comfortable for everyone.   i always use Oshima-san as an example for his friends.  he’s super calm… and super cool… Jun-san knew how to be calm and cool too.  super long nice rides… it was Naoka-san’s first time surfing and she was smiling the whole way… Jr. Sensei Ojiro-kun displays his flawless surfing skills…  this is how you’re supposed to enjoy surfing.  smile and ride… and when you can smile and ride like this, you will want more and more… i use to take this kid on my longboard and tandem, now, this kid can do it all by himself.  this is total confidence.  i think Ojiro-kun can be a surfing instructor already.  oh wait!  he already is!  haha… Oshima-san’s living the Hawaiian dream.  surfing and enjoying special moments like this with family and friends.  that’s an amazing life. another day of surfing, another day of meeting people, and another day of everlasting memories.  good job guys!!!

 if you’re a surfer, the ultimate dream is to get barreled.  if you think a cutback, off the lip, or floater feels good, you would pee in your pants when you feel how good a barrel is.  and once you get barreled, you will be addicted for life.  i got my first barrel at 12 years old and that’s all i live for as a surfer.  let me take you through one.  first, you have to choose the perfect wave.  this one is at Backdoor.  the take off is very important.  you have to position yourself in the right place so you can glide right into the wave.  next, you have to fully commit.  you either take the chance and pull into the barrel, or you go straight or around it.  remember that a barrel is high risk, so very high return.  so commitment is everything…once you’re in the barrel, just keep calm and keep looking at the exit.  the deeper you are, the smaller the exit is.  so just keep calm and look for the light at the end of the tunnel.    the calmer you are, the more you will feel the energy of the ocean.  so keep your calm face and enjoy the ride.   then when you make it out, nothing in the world can beat that feeling.  a bad day will turn good, a negative mind will turn positive, and you will never forget that feeling and will want more and more.  so to all my students i teach, this is the goal.  set your mind to it and you will enter the world only a few will experience.  and when you do, i’ll buy you a drink and we can make a toast to a better life ahead…

thank you Kenji Sahara for taking these photos years back on the North Shore.  i just relived this exact feeling and i’m feeling pretty dam good right now!  cheers bro!