good evening. i wanted to start off 2009 with a bang so i stuck in my ear plugs in last night at 9pm and went to sleep. this was the first new years for the past 30 years that i didn’t wait for the countdown. and i’m glad i didn’t. i set off at 5:30am in search of a new years barrel. it was raining so hard, the roads were flooded, and there was lightning. i was ready to turn around but that wasn’t one of my choices. so i pulled up to backdoor/pipe and it was still dark. grabbed my 7’0 and paddled out without even checking it. i’ve been surfing there for so long that i already knew it was going to be good before i slept last night. and good it was. the sky cleared up, the sun came out, and it was a beautiful day. i surfed for 2 hours with hardly anybody out. then came in to take some photos, then surfed again. it’s the first day of the year for me and i already got my barrel of my year. nothing can beat my job….

japanese boys kaisa kawamura and kaishu tanaka got a lot of waves this morning. smart kids to be out there….

this is the best shot i took today. and i’m glad it was shinpei horiguchi…. check out the sand bar line in the photo. that’s how close the waves were breaking to the beach today. the only thing separating shinpei and the beach are rocks, reef, and rocks….

here’s my wave of the year. i took off, looked down the line, bottom turned, got into the barrel, stood straight up so i could claim it as a stand up barrel, and smiled my ass off. my sister took this photo along with the other 22 photos in this barrel sequence. i’m going to say it again. i love my job….

when you make a long perfect barrel like that at backdoor, it’s time to come in. i could have won a million dollar jackpot, i could have got a new toy, i could have bought a new car. but nothing would make me any happier than getting barreled on jan. 1st, 2009. it’s going to be a great year. i can feel it…. hope all your dreams come true too. SURF YOUR DREAM…

backdoor/pipe going off!!! 3-5′ and perfect barrels this morning.
sunny skies and happy faces…
kesa no backdoor/pipe wa sugoi yokatta desu. tenki ga ii, minna
happy dayo. 2009 saiko!!!!

good morning. january 1st, 2009 5am in hawaii. what am i doing up so early? i’m going surfing. going to start the new year off the right way… have a nice first day in 2009… and please be safe…

RESOLUTION means “a firm decision to do or not to do something.” i don’t know about japan, but new years resolutions in america is kind of a big thing. when i was younger, i usually never made one because my mind was weak and i broke the resolution within the first week of the new year. it wasn’t until about 4 years ago when i started making new years resolutions. i made them because i used it to give me drive throughout the year. my resolutions weren’t to quit drinking, stop swearing, or anything like that. mine is better. my resolutions were to work hard, surf and dive as much as i can, travel at any opportunity, and live a healthy and happy life. so come december 31st for the past 4 years, i sit down and think about my year. and every time, i have absolutely zero regrets. i surfed some of the best waves in the world, dove at some of the best diving spots in the world, traveled to many countries, and most important, made new friends. and 2009 will be no different. i can’t wait to do it all over again…. by the way, what’s your new years resolution? if you don’t have one, it’s not too late. in fact, it’s never too late….
and it all starts now. i woke up early this new years morning to start my 2009 off with a barrel… see you out there… or should i say, in there…
**one last thing, wanted to say happy new year to my family and friends around the world. you guys rock!!! see you in 2009….