Sequence

I'm starting to get used to surfing with the Go Pro. I've surfed with it my last few sessions it's really helped me learn a few new things about my surfing. Today was the first time I actually tried it in some sizeable surf. A new swell has filled in with lots of North in it which means that Lani's was unreal tonight. I took off on a few big ones and here is a little sequence I made from one of my waves. 

Dawn Patrol

Surfing ain't easy, but planning is!

I've been doing a lot of planning for the next parts of the trip and it's crazy how small the world is. Just today I spoke with someone in Fiji about organizing a boat to get to the surf and I booked a room in Sumbawa - which unless you are a surfer you probably had no idea was even a place! I couldn't imagine planning a trip like this before the internet. I spoke to some of my Dad's friends a few weeks ago and they told me about their summer adventure through Europe in the early 80's. They traveled to Europe separately and they were to meet at a hotel in France that they had heard about in a song. If they didn't see each other they were to go their separate ways! 

On a side note I've been using my GoPro to help me surf better. I hate surfing with the GoPro on my board but it's amazing what you can learn about your surfing when watch yourself!

 Grab rail cut back... not pretty. 

Paddle In

Yesterday I wrote that I got to meet Mark Healey. If you don't follow surfing you might not have heard of Mark Healey, however you probably have heard of Laird Hamilton. Laird is known around the world for surfing some of the largest waves ever riden. Laird pioneered toe surfing, a form of surfing that uses a jet ski to whip a surfer on to the face of a massive wave.

For many years it was widely believed that the only way to ride the worlds biggest waves was with the help of a jet ski. However, in recent years many surfers have foregone the help of a jet ski and are instead doing it the old fashioned way by using their own two arms. Guys like Mark Healey, Shane Dorian, Greg Long and Ian Walsh are now riding waves that were once considered impossible to paddle into.

This week an article in Outside Magazine was published that shed some light on some comments Laird made to ESPN about the resurgence in surfers paddling into big waves. Check out what Laird had to say here:

BIG-WAVE PADDLE BATTLE

In the Shaping Bay

Not only is Hawaii home to some of the best waves in the world, it is also home to some of the worlds best surfboard shapers. Unlike almost every other piece of sports equipment, surfboards are still handcrafted and made to order. Surfers in a developed surf local can even visit a shaper and have a board created to their exact specifics for no more than they would pay for a board off the rack at the store.

In preparation for the remainder of my trip I visited local shaper Jon Pyzel. Jon is one of the best shapers in the world and his team members include 2011 Vans Triple Crown winner John John Florence and big wave hell man Mark Healey. (I actually got to meet Mark, who popped by Jon's shop to pick up a new gun - a board for surfing giant waves.) Jon showed me around his shaping bay and glass shop and explained to me some different design features that make a board work well in certain waves. The end of our conversation concluded with the dimensions for a board that we hope will work really well in Fiji, Indonesia and on bigger days in New Zealand.

Boots

In just less than a month my friends Mike and Dex are going to join me in Hawaii before we head to Fiji, New Zealand and Australia. While I hope that we score good waves the entire trip, flat spells are inevitable. If the ocean does goes flat I'm prepared. Here are my new wheels that I scored for cheapy-cheapy on Amazon. Mike and Dex get ready!

Can-con

My friend Nick and I sing songs all day while we work. Nicks a great musician and he plays a few shows here and there around Hawaii. Sometimes I'll start singing a song and Nick will have no idea what I'm singing. At first this was kind of weird because Nick knows a lot of songs but I realized that the songs he didn't know were usually by Canadian artists that aren't well known in the States. To bring Nick up to speed I made him a CD with only Canadian artists on in. Here's my Can-con radio playlist.

The Tragically Hip - 38 Years Old
Bedouin Soundclash - When the Night Feels My Song
Feist - 1234
Elliott Brood - The Valley Town
Neil Young - Old Man ft. The Stray Gators
The Band  - The Weight
Matthew Good Band - Strange Days
Big Sugar - Better Get Used to It
Big Wreck - That Song
Blue Rodeo - 5 Days in May
Broken Social Scene - 7/4 (Shoreline)
The Rankin Family - You Feel the Same Way Too
Stars  - My Favourite Book
City And Colour - Waiting...
Arcade Fire - Rebellion (Lies)
Great Lake Swimmers - Your Rocky Spine
The Guess Who - These Eyes
Joni Mitchell - This Flight Tonight
Metric - Gimme Sympathy
Tegan and Sara - Hell
Rush - The Spirit of Radio
Bryan Adams - Summer Of '69

Saturday and Sunday

It's been so nice to read the comments people have left on my blog. It's always interesting to see who is reading and to keep in touch with people back home and around the world.

Here is a bit of a recap of my weekend:

Saturday, with the exception of the Leafs beating the Sens was about as perfect as a day can get. I spent my St. Patrick's Day day surfing as much as my arms would let me and I got some really fun waves. I'm not sure if it was the green wax that I put on my board or my Irish blood, but my last surf of the day I seemed be in the right spot to catch some of the best sets that rolled through. In the evening I went to a bar in Haleiwa called Breakers with my friend Nick for green beers and a game of darts. Fun stuff!

Gut bomb. Finger licking good.

Sunday was very laid back. I surfed Sunset Beach in the morning and then in the afternoon I drove to town to pick up my friend Brandy from the Airport. The real story here however is that on the way to the airport I stopped at KFC. I know that sounds gross but in America KFC is different. It's actually awesome. The chicken is crispier and you get mashed potatoes, gravy and a biscuit. That said I'm paying the price now as my belly definably looks like I'm about to have a baby. Oh, well. I don't really need to move to fast with a sunset like this!

Another awesome sunset. Kaena Point, Oahu, Hawaii.

Laniakea

I'm probably going to name my first born daughter Laniakea, or Lani for short. Seriously, ask my mom, sister or Marla and they will confirm this fact.

Tonight I had an awesome surf at what I consider to be the most fun wave on the North Shore, Laniakea's. Lani's, as it is commonly called, peels right about 400 yards out to sea and on a North swell (like today) connects for one of the longest rides on the North Shore. It has been my favourite wave since my second visit to Hawaii and where I first felt like I was getting the hang of surfing.

Here's what I could have done tonight if my name was Kelly Slater.

Some thoughts

Thought One

It's hard to believe how fast my time hear on the North Shore has gone and how quickly the seasons are changing. Winter is slowly turning to spring and things are starting to look very different along this coast. The waves are smaller and the lines ups that were once clustered with traveling pros are thinner and almost all local. While it's nice to surf with only a few people out I miss the excitement that riding big waves brings. As beautiful as Hawaii is the added down time between swells (days with good waves) makes you a bit home sick and I realize how lucky am to have had my wonderful girlfriend and family visit me.

Thought Two

This morning I surfed at a spot near Sunset Beach called Kammieland and had a chance to talk with big wave legend Ken Bradshaw. One of things that is so cool about living on the North Shore is the access you have to people with so much surf knowledge. It's really neat to talk to people who have more experience than you could every imagine. Surfing hear is a learning experience everyday. 

Thought Three

My friend Cleo left today to return home to Canada. Over the past few months I have really enjoyed surfing with Cleo and it was nice to have a surfer of similar ability to push me. I think because Cleo was a few years younger than me I couldn't stand to see here get more waves than me. This pushed me to go on close outs and waves that I usually wouldn't. I can now say that I can successfully air drop any ten foot wave on to the sharp reef. Thanks Cleo!

Thought Four

A few weeks ago was my birthday and I was pleasantly surprised to find a card in the mail from my girlfriend's parents with a few nice little pieces of green paper stuffed inside. Thanks Max and Therza, you are as awesome as your daughter!

Here's what I bought with my birthday money!

No More Brown Water!

For about the last two weeks it has rained on Oahu. What this means is that all of the rain pushed whatever gook there was on the land down to the ocean. Poop, oil, pesticide etc... nasty! As a result of all of this brown water I have been dry docked from surfing for the past couple weeks until last night when the brown water warning was lifted.

I surfed this morning out at Lani's and I got some really fun waves.

Here's a song to celebrate the brown water and rain going away!

Marla Visits!

I'm so sorry that I haven't updated my blog in a while. My amazing girlfriend Marla was visiting and between, surfing, hiking, eating Hawaiian treats and touring around the island I didn't have that much time to update the blog.

Here are a few pictures that highlight some of the fun stuff we did.

 Marla and my friend Brian from Halifax hiking up Mount Ka'ala, the highest peak on Oahu.

 There were lots of trip rope sections on our hike to Ka'ala and sometime we were hiking on ridges that were less than a meter wide.

 When we got to the peak 4 hours after we started we were in a big cloud. Here is Marla and me taking cover from the rain.

 In Hawaii a friend who is older than you is called Auntie. Here is Marla wearing the leis that my Auntie Peta made me.

 The Polynesian Cultural Centre was really cool here we are with a Samoan friend.

 We hike into Maunawili Falls. There is a a 40 foot ledge here that you can jump off of and of course I jumped. Marla is way smarter than that.

 Me surfing.

 Marla surfing

 Marla got pink wax for her board. So cool!

 We enjoyed some really nice sunsets.

 Dinner at Haleiwa Eats Thai. So good!

Dinner at Haleiwa Joe's -- Again really good!