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.
Part 2 of 2
ReplyDeleteOur travels were also long before iPods - and even CDs - were in use - so we simply listened to the radio where we were staying or sang our own songs along the way. Reading your set list reminded me of our own music from that period. If you don't mind - I'd like to share three songs with you that come to mind when I think back to the travels we shared together.
The first was Neil Young’s Hey Hey My My. Rust Never Sleeps was - at that time a recent release and I remember we heard it while staying at the Pella Inn in Athens - The inn place for out people - was their advertising line. We sang that song often and to this day, it remains one of my favourites.
The second was Roger Miller's King of the Road. We never heard the song on the radio but Rob sang it incessantly the entire trip!
The third is a moving song which still today stirs up strong emotions inside me - Otis Redding's Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay which I remember singing one evening down by the water in the French Riviera while we watched the sunset over the Mediterranean - we sat there and just sang that song - when I think back - I think it more than anything defines the entire trip for me - the travel the adventure our youth and our friendships. Every time I hear the song it harkens me back to those days together.
One final coincidence. I call my wife Lanny - very similar to the short form Lani for Laniakea that you have written about. My wife is Dutch and her name is actually Jolanda - Lanny was what her mother called her and along the way - I also picked up the nickname for her.
Who knows - in three decades time you too may be sitting at home while Laniakea makes her own journeys and shares stories with you while your memories take you back three decades to waves you rode in the Pacific.
And so John - in closing I wish you health and happiness as you make your own journey - write your own story - create your own memories and lasting friendships.
Travel safely
Ken (Bravo)
Sittin' in the mornin' sun
I'll be sittin' when the evenin' come
Watching the ships roll in
And then I watch 'em roll away - yeah
I'm sittin' on the dock of the bay
Watching the tide roll away
Ooo - I'm just sittin' on the dock of the bay
Wastin' time
Part 1 of 2
ReplyDeleteJohn after a week in The Netherlands I arrived home from Amsterdam yesterday evening and was checking my emails early this morning. In my inbox was an email from Rob along with the link for your website. Thus I've been checking out your journey it's stories and adventures your thoughts and reflections. I have to admit there's more than a little bit of foot-loose envy as I peruse your blog. A great mix of pictures video stories and of course surfing. I look forward to a continuing vicarious journey through the South Pacific.
I hope you don't mind if I share a number of thoughts and emotions that have surfaced as I sit here quite moved by your blog.
You look much like your father whom Rob and I travelled with in Europe when we were your age. We three shared a somewhat similar adventurous time together in our youths. We weren't surfing but certainly had and still retain our own share of adventures and the friendships and memories we made and still have from that time.
Coincidentally we all met in the Amsterdam Hilton on May 1 1981 - not only the city I was in yesterday morning but just a block from the very apartment where I was Friday night until 2am - one minute from the very same hotel - with Canadian friends - sipping wine - playing guitar and singing songs.
Back in 1981 we picked the Amsterdam Hilton as we knew about the hotel from the lyrics of the Ballad of John and Yoko. Our travels were long before the days of today's digital connectedness. I had gone ahead to travel several weeks on my own so we had made a prior arrangement to meet between noon and four pm on May 1st with the 2nd and 3rd as back up dates. If either party didn't show we were to just continue on our own ways - it was too expensive to call home in those days. I have to tell you that after travelling solo for almost two months - it was one of the happiest moments of my life to see your father and Rob walk into that hotel lobby.
We went on to spend six or seven weeks together and our times also included several Mediterranean beaches in Italy Corfu and other Greek islands. One amusing story to share involves a Phillips prank. While on an island - I think it was Corfu - we found our own private beach and went for a skinny dip. Unbeknownst to me Rob had surreptitiously taken a frontal nude shot of Chris with my camera and managed to do so without either of us noticing. This was long before the days of digital cameras so you can imagine my surprise a couple of months later when I looked through all of my trip photos for the first time and came across this picture of a stark naked Chris - which I still have.
continued -
Btw - this was my first blog posting - I had problems publishing this comment and removed all the commas and semi-colons I hope it reads alright; I think Part 2 may also follow Part 1