this year, the ASP decided to let 2 junior wild cards into the prestigious Triple Crown or Surfing on the north shore of oahu. only 2 spots for the best junior surfers in the entire state of hawaii. guess who were chosen? Seth and Joshua Moniz!!!! OMG! this is the biggest news coming out of hawaii right now as 2 brothers came in as the 2 top picks! now they will be surfing against world champions like Kelly Slater, Joel Parkinson, Mick Fanning, and more. at age 15 and 16, they are going to be the giant killers! hey Seth and Joshua, uncle is very proud of you both. i always knew you could do it but to be honest, not this early. you are both true hawaiian champions who represent hawaii in a great way. north shore season and the triple crown starts in november. the whole hawaii and friends around the world will be cheering for you! congratulations and go kick some ASP ass!

i was one of the first guys to shoot the boys. they just started surfing as i just started taking photos. i practiced on them and now that they are champions, these photos are freaking priceless! here is Seth at age 8 or 9 surfing kewalo’s. i still remember this day.

then i went to the north shore to watch one of the contest at Haleiwa. the waves were big but when Seth’s heat came up, it was game on! he was 11 years old in this photo and ready to rule the world. see those eyes? that’s the eyes of a fierce competitor! the most competitive kid in the world!

and this past summer winning the national championships in california. the best in America!

now Joshua getting ready for a heat at age 12. Josh is the shy one of the boys. i took him surfing out a secret spot near aina hina for the first time at age 10 and his leash got stuck to the reef and almost drowned. he was crying and we went in. i really thought he was going to quit surfing after that. well, he actually quit surfing with me for a while after that incident. haha.

the little chubby boy named Joshua that nobody took seriously. no kid his age has more power than him and he’s going to be a major threat at haleiwa, sunset, and pipeline this year for the triple crown. my money is on him to deliver some major upsets!

and yes, 2013 Champion of the World, Josh Moniz!
these 2 kids are my nephews, my blood, my family. i love them like they’re my own kids. i watched them grow up into fine junior champions and now i’m going to watch them take over the major league of surfing. and along with the high level of their surfing, they both have hearts of gold. the most respectful and thankful kids you will ever meet. Go-Boys!

Super cool surf park!
Good morning 5:45am.
North shore tiny knee high.
South shore chest with some shoulder high sets at Ala Moana. Cloudy and rainy now but becoming sunny.
Winds at 20mph from the East.
Surf 3 rounds today.
Have a wonderful day!

ok, i get up early, go surfing, the waves were perfect! the weather was perfect! sunshine and rainbows and long rides. it was just a beautiful morning! after that dream session, i decide to take my boat out for a dive/surf session. i was out in the middle of the sea when the craziest storm i’ve ever been in hit.

the thick black clouds came in, the wind switched, the current was ripping, the waves were building, and it was raining so hard that i couldn’t see anything ahead. there were chest high wind swells coming from the shore straight at my boat, the current was turning it one way, the wind turning it another. then when the waves started breaking in my boat, i started to worry. for the past 25 years since i had a boat, this was the first time something like this happened. i was almost going to jump on my surfboard and paddle to the beach. the only thing that prevented me from doing that was i couldn’t see the beach. i couldn’t see anything! 1 hour later, the sun came out, the weather cleared up, and it was paradise again. what a weird day! lucky to survive that crazy storm!

on our last day in taiwan, Kimura-san and i stopped by for a quick lunch on the way to the train station. i ordered the mountain boar noodle soup.

it was so good! and only cost $2.

and the gyoza was the best i’ve ever had before. i swear i’d fly back there just to eat at this place. it was that good!

and yeah, the shinkansen system in taiwan is much easier to use than the japanese system. just one train going north to south. cheap and easy!

ok, check out this photo my friend in the philippines sent me today. this was today! OMG! if the swell lasts until this weekend, i’m there! i love waves like this!!!! i’m jumping on flight leaving thursday and like usual, still didn’t pack, and still don’t know where i’m going. it all depends on the waves! and if the waves are like this, there’s no doubt in my mind where i’m going. see you there!