i used my japan rail pass for the first time today. it’s good for 7 days unlimited use. it was so easy walking onto any train i desired. from wakayama, it took 4 different trains and 5 hours of traveling time to get to where i wanted to go. so easy with this pass. no need waiting in long lines anymore.
$276 or 29,010 yen for a 7 day pass. you can only get them before you enter the country so if you come from hawaii, go to HIS and pick up your pass to heaven! i would totally recommend this to every tourist coming here because it’s the cheapest way to see japan.
i got some bose noise canceling headphones as a gift and i love it! you can’t hear other noise than what you are listening too. so amazing!
while i was scoring waves this morning down west, Toda-san and Takami-san were scoring some good waves too a few hours away. it’s times like this when i wish i could be 2 places at the same time. do you think it’s possible to be in 2 barrels at the same time?
i am traveling with the best quiver right now. all made by TSSC and all magic! for any given day or wave, i’m pretty much ready!
back to this morning. after scoring awesome waves in shikoku yesterday, i thought to myself that everything after that is a bonus. look at the bonus i pulled up to this morning. i thought i was in the mentawai’s!!! overhead barrels!
and to paddle out at first light, glassy conditions, good waves, perfect light, and awesome waves. i was in the exact place i wanted to be.
i try very hard to get photos of my friends any chance i have. this one was my best fisheye shot from this morning. Kimura-san is 62 years old and putting his short board fully on the rail! he even got barreled this morning too! look how beautiful this photo is! another secret spot i swear not to tell anyone about.
back side off the lip. feels so good! i was thinking to myself again as i was riding the train, “wow, this surf trip is awesome! i’m just at the right place at the right time. i’m so lucky to have such good friends all over japan placing me in the right spot all the time. yes, i travel alone, but when i show up to places, i’m never alone because my friends show up from everywhere. i’m a very lucky surfer!”
going sleep early because i have a super long day tomorrow. can’t wait to visit more and more friends as i continue to use my Japan Rail Pass to Heaven!
Japan Rail Pass to Heaven!
Surf to Tokyo
Wakayama to Tokyo.
My relax time.
Watch movie.
Enjoy memories.
Typhoon Chasing from Shikoku to Wakayama
yesterday’s waves were incredible! big waves and good wind all day long. surfed 3 rounds, took 2 naps, and had such a beautiful day. i’ve been doing this for 22 years and i’m still in love with it! this is a secret river mouth in shikoku that i will never ever say the name. secrets are best kept secrets. want to thank the locals there for being so nice and sharing the waves with me. stoked!
Matchi is a shikoku local and we’ve had some of the best surfing experiences together back in the days when there was no cell phone and no internet. we would just drive around for hours and hours looking for the perfect wave. and we’d always find it!
Matchi took a few photos of me when i jumped in. i was staying in the inside trying to find the hollow waves that break right along the sandbar.
and yes, my new Minami 5’10 is working pretty dam good! stoked to always have magic boards from TSSC.
yesterday i had 2 choices. one to stay in shikoku for an early morning surf, then travel by car, ferry, and train for 11 hours to get to tokyo in time. another choice was to start driving, head to wakayama, wake up early, surf, then take my time heading back to tokyo. i chose the second choice and it was the right one. yeah, it took 6 hours 10 minutes by myself to get here but it was well worth it.
look what this morning looked like. in fact, this was just 2 hours ago. i’m packed and ready to head to the train station for a long journey back to tokyo. then when tomorrow comes, i will start yet another long journey. i’ve only been here for 3 days but it feels like 3 months already. and guess what? there is another typhoon heading this way right now! if i can surf another good typhoon swell, i will be the luckiest surfer in the world. stay tuned!
