had a great time in shikoku. been going there for the past 23 years straight. gallery up soon on Go-Naminori.com. check it out. here is a little preview. it’s a huge job to put together a big contest every single year. 180 competitors this year so lots of work. perfect planning by the TSSC staff. great job Yassan, Tomoko-san, Kesuke, and the rest of the wonderful TSSC family.

great kid. known Kesuke since he was very young. now he’s a husband, father, hard worker, and surfer. good job growing up Kesuke.

shaper Mike Woo and i went to preschool together. been friends ever since and will be friends forever. Satoshi Kubota i met 23 years ago. another long time TSSC pro team mate and a super great guy.

over 4 years later and there are still a few people that didn’t forget about 3/11. We Are One! so stoked for the years of support.

Kenji Sahara. a surfer, photographer, and friend.

was so stoked to see TSSC rider Shun Murakami ripping it at ikumi. very impressive surfing that keeps on progressing.

very grown up. so stoked to see this kid living out his dreams.

Matsuo is another great friend of mine for the past 23 years. more like a brother to me. one of the nicest guys you will ever meet. and an awesome MC.

Nakajima-san probably has been with Dove Wetsuits the longest. i think 30 years??? so if you know Dove Wetsuits, you know Nakajima-san.

i just love shooting photos of anything, especially nature. isn’t this an eagle? we don’t have these in hawaii.

a great smile, a great man, a great boss, and a great heart. thank you again Yassan for all the years of support. great job on the contest and great job on your 60 years of life.

Morning session.
Saitosan at Ikumi.
Fun waves.
Thank you Saitosan for the ride to the airport!
Flying again.
Have a great afternoon!

yesterday’s contest was amazing. when we all got there, the waves where pretty big and it was raining. but nothing stopped the competitors from their outstanding performances. it was a challenge and they took it. now i’m sure their level raised and are ready for bigger and better waves. the cool thing about this whole event is everybody is riding magic boards!

coming to shikoku for me is like going to a candy shop. there are demo boards everywhere so i just check every one out, figure out what i want, and order my own custom one.

always ahead of the technology. it’s called research and development.

and of course, you need good wetsuits to keep you from freezing to death in the cold water. thanks to Dove Wetsuits, i’m still alive.

when it comes to warmth, you can’t cut corners. get the best and you will have the best sessions.

i came prepared for the rain.

oh, not so prepared. my shoes were soaking and cold all day long.

yesterday’s weather was cool. rain, showers, fog, hot, cold, and at the end of the day, super sunny. mother nature showing all her colors.

like always, TSSC trophies handmade. one of a kind for the one of the kind moment.

congratulations TSSC on 30 years! so stoked to be a part of the family!

then it was party time. Pension Shishikui is my favorite place! log house, barbecue, and cherry blossoms.

gosh, i ate so much meat!!! so good!

Yassan turned 60 years old. a huge pinnacle in ones life in japan. it’s called Kanriki and it’s a great time to celebrate 60 years of success. for surfers, the red vest is a must!

it was very touching. lots of friends giving their speech. like always, i get nervous and always forget to say something. “Yassan, it’s been a great ride for me these past 22 years with TSSC. thank you for always taking care of me, thank you for being a great supporter, thank you for all the magic boards, and especially thank you for all the magic moments. you have many great friends around you and thank you for bringing me into this wonderful world of TSSC. let’s keep up the magic boards, and let’s keep up changing peoples lives. “a magic board will change your life,” it has changed mine. thank you again and i wish you the best life ahead. aloha.”