for the past 3 years, i’ve been taking my little friend Ryuta-kun surfing. he started at 4 years old and has gotten better and better. now he’s 7 years old and loves the ocean. we paddle out together and surf together. we started in the inside but now are going to the outside. he couldn’t swim before but now he can. he wasn’t smiling as much before because he was a little scared, but now he’s comfortable in the ocean. this kid is talented, a good singer, a good dancer, and a good kid. i miss him already.

if you’re a kid, you can’t fake a smile. look at Ryuta-kun’s face after we caught our first wave. he was so happy! and so was i.

OMG, how cute is he? hey Ryuta-kun, i had fun surfing with you these past 3 years. you are very brave! keep on dancing, keep on singing, and keep on surfing. see you again next year!

ok, it’s my yearly cherry blossom spring journey to japan. i’ve been doing it for the past 21 years and haven’t missed a season. the 28th annual TSSC Users Cup in shikoku will be my first stop. held at ikumi beach on april 14th. i’d have to say that this is the biggest and funnest users cup in japan. cool surfboards, cool people, cool surf, and cool memories. see you all there!

then the following week is the Love Hawaii Collection event in yokohama. that’s on april 20th and 21st and is presented by HIS. hope to see you there too! it’s going to be a busy 12 day trip in japan and i’ll be moving around faster than a train.

i didn’t even know there were sea horses in hawaii? i saw my first one down at the ala wai yacht harbor when a guy had a few in a cup. then my nephews and friends found this one on the beach in waikiki. cool! i hope to see one someday.
small south swell this thursday and big north/west swell on friday. winds are perfect all week long so expect some awesome surfing. see you in the water!