gosh, surfing with Ai-san and Rika-san seems like so long ago. BUT, it was only a week ago from today! are my trips short? or is my memory getting short? or both?

Ai-san with the perfect smile paddling out early morning.

great job Ai-san!

and great job Rika-san! you girls did so great! thank you for the wonderful surf morning! and can’t believe i still went straight to the airport with sand on my feet. haha.

Akeo and Matsuo for the DJ’s. both cool guys with great surfing in their blood. both Dove riders for over 20 years. says a lot about these guys loyalty.

so happy that Asayama-san drove all the way from Saitama to see me. we had a great time in hawaii this summer and i was happy to hear all his stories on how he loves surfing so much. a great man with a brand new life at 66 years old. just ask Asayama-san and he will tell you that it’s never too late to start surfing.

and it’s never too late to start yoga too! after his first ever yoga session together in hawaii, Asayama-san went back to japan and practices frequently. so stoked for his new genki lifestyle!

the contest was amazing! just happy faces everywhere! good to see grass roots surfing living on for 40 years of excellence.

everybody supporting each other. from start to finish, everybody was winners!

Shin-san always with plenty of aloha!

last, check out this cool outside bath in chigasaki. awesome!

Yesterday photos by Maki Yamamoto! Awesome timing yeah? Great memory!
Good morning 6am.
South swell continues!
Shoulder high and perfect at Ala Moana.
Diamond Head head high and clean.
North winds at 10mph.
Super sunny and warm.
Going to work.
Have a wonderful day!

so stoked!!!! Umino-san just gave me a brand new Mares dive watch! perfect timing as my Suunto just broke on me!

i just got it today and can’t wait to use it! thank you Umino-san for being a very kind person! i can’t wait to go deep!

omg, today was such a beautiful day in hawaii! super warm sun, cool north winds, and perfect conditions.

went to take my surf buddy out this morning. when ever she asks me to take her shopping, i say no. when ever she asks me to take her surfing, i say yes. she’s finally learning how to have more confidence in her surfing. so now she’s very excited to get into the water.

then took out my friends for an afternoon till sunset session. we had so much fun surfing to ourselves sharing the ocean with each other. it’s days like this that make my life so complete!

then the most amazing sunset on the 2 hour ride back. perfect day again!

then we went to dinner on the way home. yes, the best orange and ginger chicken on the island. right as i was ready to call it a night and go home, the cake and candles came out. omg, another birthday celebration! thank you to my wonderful friends Maki-san, Maki-chan, Toda-san, Takami-san, and Yuko-chan. good surf, good food, and good friends.

when i was young, i use to drink for quantity. now, i drink for quality. this Fresh Squeezed IPA beer is the best quality beer on the market right now. i love it!

and i love this! Happy Birthday Samurai!! yeah, i finally feel like a samurai! haha. thanks again to my special friends!