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March 30, 2006
rain for 40days straight....
yup. that gets a big ol'WTF comment from me. all i know is that la nina is real people. believe it.
i'm in the middle of the damn ocean & it has rained everyday for 40days.
feels like seattle or the pacific north west....yet here its real rain. i'm talking flood your valley wash away streets, flash floods & breaking dams kinda rain. lots of people have had a flooded house for over a month in some sides of the rock.
not to mention its causing madness with drains, power, highway crashes etc.
the worst part is that all the surfers have been out of the water due to the amounts of trash, sewage & sharks patrolling.
people/ home owners in oahu-hawaii are crying about the problems. but nobody wants to throw down more tax dollars to cover the cost. its easier to flip the mayor some grief. not to mention the floods are decreasing home values...and oh my savor new hope chapel god....oahu-hawaii people are not going to have that. oh no no no. if it means oahu-hawaii people are going to loose face asian style thats one thing. if they are going to get effected financially they are going to start freaking out. it might even mean that in the urban city we might....just might have to help one another.
that my friends would mean the average lazy ass might have to get up...shut the tv off, put the church beads down & well OMG like help people out...ya know...or somethng like the hawaiian spirit or something. lol
sorry people...its true. parts of honolulu are great. most of the island is nice & people are as well. but there are a good percentage in the city that are only caring about one thing and one thing only..and thats a high cost housing market.
(BTW: i'm not speaking of tropical life as a whole, or the other islands. i'm referring to the city and the clowns that live here. most of which are from the mainland...and have bought homes with their babyboomer money and want a piece of paradise as far as the 6-8ft high protech guard fence can reach)
Posted by Single Fin at 10:12 PM | Comments (0)
March 27, 2006
tropical rain storm session @ lani's
the bishman & i headed up w/ da boards loaded for a north shore session. looked like the only place with decent waves. not to mention it's been raining tropical style now for 2 weeks. some days it rains all day for a full 24hours. lots of flooding & the ocean has some serious nasty run offs. course that means the turtles or feeding, sharks are chasing everything out & about as well. last week (thursday) some tourist got bit down at "left overs" in north shore. plus all over the island there has been lots of shark sightings.
what more a perfect reason to call up a camping surf trip. all the ideal conditions were there...we had the camper van, bottle of vino, full blanket of stars, "lani's" break was right at a river mouth feed into the ocean..pouring out miles of farm lands worth of brown nutrient rich shit/ sludge. the sky was cloudy & rains were heavy. the shark bit scene happened about 1/4th a mile down the road. but more importanly....the waves were head high to a few feet overhead cranking nice long walls with only 15-20 guys out. so to do it justice we brought my new stick & headed out.
we proceeded to have one of the best times of the year. lots of head high rippers & watching local guys just tear down & slash the hell out of 6-8ft reg faces. bishman was showing some serious force going back side pig doggin the rails on some nice over heads. letting some of the locals know that longboarders are able to stick it.
the first hour out i was being a sissy & just going for the head highs at best. still having some fear of the last snapped stick i suppose. then a few guys (wave hogs) went in & the lineup trimmed to about 15 guys. so it was much easier to sit on the peak waiting for some choice sets.
after about 20 more minutes this one macker set started to roll through. the first 2 looked good @ about 8ft faces. so i picked the 3rd juicy one & hauled ass to drop in. next thing i knew it was stacking up a couple feet over head as the wall opened up for a nice 50+ yard stretch with no signs of a closing out. stomped on the tail cranked a nice bottom turn for the lip. looked up & could see a nice 10ft moster wall in front of me rolling with a dribbling whitewash lip. slipped in underneath it & just gunned it for the next section. i could hear bishman yelling & hooting from the pit as i screamed by...hair on the back of my neck standing straight up with goose bumps all over. guys several feet below me in the pit getting munched with a few guys scrapping to get over the top.
the new stick was gliding so fast i was unsure what the hell to do. my mantra was all about holding the line, diggin the inside rail, take the high angle & setup for deep rail cutback if i could make the shoulder in time. whipped down the line with a cat ate the mouse grin..stalled into a deep cutback while spraying a nice wall onto a passing short boarder. all said & done after that i felt sick amp'd.
another hour went by & a few more nice bombers for the books. i swear it only takes one or a few waves to make a session the best of the spring season so far.
headed in with a grin from ear to ear. tropical rain storm still pouring away & the juice flowing in my veins.
i love this stuff & the addiction is beyond anything i've ever known.
Posted by Single Fin at 02:54 PM | Comments (0)
spring love affair
been thinking alot lately. work has me in a heads driven down mode. starting to burn the candle a bit on both ends & starting to smell the burnt crispness of a person that has been working to much.
last week i was getting twitchy & snappy. decided that i needed to go out & look for the one thing that will bring me out of this comma & into the light.
headed down to the surf garage for a little window shopping. dragged soul sista along for the ride. (part of my master plan was to show her the nicest collection of surf sticks on the island. hands down.) of course it's not the cheapest store either. but hey....this(surfing) is my temple & i learned a long time ago that if you have a hobby that suits you, helps you cope with life & grows your spirit..then the costs involved are nothing more then a hurdle to move around.
i was drooling for about a solid 30 minutes before i wrangled my choices down to 4 boards. the first was a baby blue 9'4" hap jacobs. a beautiful epoxy nose rider. the second was a dino miranda 9'4" orange & blue epoxy performance nose rider. very nice deal for the board & price. the third was a used chris christenson. a stunning 9'1" double ender with a beautiful lush soft green heavy glass. so so sexy & fast looking. a perfect double over head chun's reef board.
then there was this eye catcher. a 9'6" schaper hand shaped hawaiian plowed foam board. an earlier bonga perkins model. hard lined rails into a sweet pintail. moderate to progressive rails with a nice wide nose for some time on the perch. a sexy pant job that just screams how i feel inside when i surf. "everything is bleeding, melding & swirling around. life...it's about the flow"
mind you there is at least a few hundred of some of the best boards/ shapers in this store. unreal the quality of some of those sticks.
so in a cease the moment agreement with the wife we slapped the hold sticka on the schaper/ bonga 9'6". i spent the rest of the day pacing in my head. weighing out all the options, angles dimensions, rails, tails & possibilities of pushing my surfing to the next evolution phase. as a surfer i think it's important to know what reaches your soul & inspires it. this is the access point or the rabbits hole if you will.
later in the day i returned to the shop & walked out with a local shaped & glassed stick that'll be surfed on local breaks.
it means something to me to surf a stick created here. given from the hands of the land to be used with a locals knowledge of the ocean. so we brought the new ride to the ocean for a blessing & intro session for a new life with a new family.
Posted by Single Fin at 01:34 PM | Comments (2)
March 26, 2006
soul sista' check-in
'just got back from my yoga class (aaahhh), playing jack johnson's new lullabye tunes, hearing the pitter patter of the rain outside makes me nostalgic for the pacific northwest...single fin's trying out his brand new board in northshore. i tried to make him wait until after taxes are due. but how could i deny him his temple?
there's something about sundays that are so comforting. a whole day of emptiness. a blank canvas with nothing on it. endless possibilites on how it will look. i value these days, as they are far and few between ever since i started medical school.
life's been a little less crazy now, since i've been decreasing my responsibilities. taking a break from assisting bringing babies into the world, until the end of may. i'm just teaching at the massage school & yoga, practicing medicine & doing the presidency thing, as far as my responsibilites. hmm, somehow that still sounds like a lot :)
feeling pretty well balanced, overall. the things that bring me back to balance are my: yoga, surfing, hiking, eating lots of greens, girlfriend time, cat naps, savasana breaks, sleeping in when it's pouring cats & dogs outside, having time for my creativity, meditation, time with my other half, laughter, dancing, keeping in touch with family & friends, lisening to music, learning something new, experiencing new adventures, contributing to humanity & our earth...
i must say that i've been able to do a handful of these things each day. once again, just expressing gratitude for all that is. i would love to hear from you all what brings you back into balance. feel free to drop a comment or two!!
~namaste (may the spirit me honor the spirit in you)
Posted by soul sista' at 11:59 AM | Comments (0)
compassion...
"one compassionate word, action, or thought can reduce another person's suffering and bring him joy. one word can give comfort and confidence, destroy doubt, help someone avoid a mistake, reconcile a conflict, or open the door to liberation. one action can save a person's life of help him take advantage of a rare opportunity. one thought can do the same, because thoughts always lead to words and actions. with compassion in our heart, every thought, word, and deed can bring about a miracle."
~thich nhat hanh
Posted by soul sista' at 11:54 AM | Comments (0)
March 24, 2006
more rain
so we decided to hit the yoga studio last night for a visit.
need to make this part of my life more. the better half practices yoga on a routine basis. she's much more dialed in then me when it comes to yoga. suppose i just need to focus & get in a solid 2-3 months of visits to settle into a groove.
kaui has been getting hella rain. most they've seen in over 2 decades. suppose to be la nina effects that have been lingering for the past few years.
we did notice though that chinatown has gotten a nice washing & seems to have clean streets.
suppose thats a bonus.
Posted by Single Fin at 10:43 AM | Comments (1)
March 23, 2006
rain rain rain
its been raining off & on now for at least a 2 week span. water has been brown nasty looking. yet the mtns are beautiful lush fuzzy green. almost surreal in deep organic colors. managed to get out & surf a bit over the week. goofing around mainly & just getting in the water to keep my mental framework intacted.
starting to get a touch of island fever, feeling a tad bit like ground hog day out here as well.
maybe i'm still heart broken with the loss from the quiver...suppose i've been trying not to think of a new board to much. but then again....there are so many possibilites.
take look at some of the sticks that have been burned in my melon of lately.
these look suuuuuuper fun. classy 9.0-9.2", moderate rails to tapered low/ medium lines. 22-23" wide with plenty of nose to get out there & perch in the edge.
my fingers are crossed that after tax season i'll be able to walk in..plunk down the cashola & walk out with a grin from ear to ear holding a new stick under my arm.
for now though....i'm content with my 8ft'r. yet part of me wants to keep pushing my surfing & starting pushing my limits. king nimby has motivated me to get back into trying switch stance. his latest skate vid is classic footage of a guy who is in his zone. skating to skate & rolling in its mud with a feverish passion.
Posted by Single Fin at 09:57 AM | Comments (1)
March 17, 2006
just a day
finally able to sneak away under the cover of darkness for a nice friday morning dawn patrol session.
chatted with bishman about life & people. slipped into the water to catch some waves in the rather blah looking conditions. still excited for the sunrise & a few choice waves.
about an hour into it. this outside wave comes in. nothing to serious...but not in a predictable spot as it should have been. next thing i know its in front of me & i turtle. just like the many thousands of times before on my longboard. this time is diiferent.
i turtle the board then underwater i hear a muffled crack & thud noise. sure enough i now own either:
a pair of end tables
a coffee table
2 boogie boards
2 small sleds
or last but not least...one big white board.
ugh...what a bummer. to throw salt on the wound even more was my buddies standing on shore laughing @ me as i paddled in on 1/2 a board. :-p
ah well, tiz life & at least i got to retire my fav board during her usual dawn patrol session.
alohas
Posted by Single Fin at 11:20 AM | Comments (1)
March 16, 2006
i'm the muffin man
this is a slogan on my favorite t-shirt i've been sporting this year.
its how i feel
Posted by Single Fin at 09:33 PM | Comments (0)
March 13, 2006
random shots & stories
yummy lush tropical jungle. needed to get out of work the other day & headed out back of the valley for some perspective. after seeing this....i feel better about life.
wondering where this goes...
this one is kinda funny. after a long week its all about salt, sugar & a few crunchy things.
this is what i get when the wife sends me off with a shopping list
diamond head grills frosty blueberry creamcheese scones. other wise known to us dawn patrol surfers as "crack cocaine" or even "grandma's version of a trip on the white horse".
Posted by Single Fin at 09:46 PM | Comments (5)
March 12, 2006
it could happen....
shots from the 2006 paris-nice race.
could he hold the keys for july's show down?
rumor has it that discovery tried to get him & he turned them down this past winter.
my money is on him to go for the new available title in tour de france.
not to mention it would be nice for american cycling considering the recent black eye of hamilton & roberto's epo results. (landis, roberto & tyler all being formerly trained US postal riders mind you)
Posted by Single Fin at 05:55 PM | Comments (0)
March 11, 2006
saturday morning sunshine
surf last night was more about big wedges closing out at head high (+ on the outside sets). dicey drops with possible affects of a broken stick with a bad choice. got mybell rung on this one outside bomber & ended up getting maytag'd then held down on the reef. to be honest it was kinda wonky but the force of the waves was so rewarding. its nice to be out there & have her send some waves that will mow me down, make me want fresh air, sunshine & another try.
up @ twilight today. antsy & wanting to be in the water. the bishman & i drove around scoping the spots. several boards in the van with choices to surf. i could have sworn we checked as many breaks in one loop as we could..(browns, mansions, cliffs, suicides, tongs, oldmans, inside castels, publics, queens, canoes, pops, paradise & 3's). after the sweep the final call was to hit 3's maybe surf paradise & pops pending stoke factor.
3's wasn't to crowded w/ maybe 20-30 surfers out. nice sets over head with long long lines to goof around on the face w/ some footwork. even had a chance to work on some floaters. the sun was shining bright, lots of sail boats out, people all over the beach & a nice flow of a tropical living.
after about 3hours it was time to get some breakfast, coffee & a paper. the stoke of spending all winter surfing dogmeat dh south shore waves.....it felt so good to let some of that out on a large carving face.
Posted by Single Fin at 03:41 PM | Comments (0)
March 10, 2006
day trippin in my head & my mac is telling me something
supression of time has gotten me down. arrive before the surises & leave when she sets.
i miss her, she waits for me outside my window. she's smiling at me & with her mischievous grin, inviting me outside to play. i have my 8ft board sitting by my desk. ready to run if i can free up some time. i promise my mac i will return & that this affair with the sunshine will only be brief. i claim that if i get some love from mama nature that i'll be able to come back & make her happy. she fuses around giving me laggy data feeds & the beachball of death. i still smile & move forward in the days work. we both know this is what i need...some waves will make the relationship w/ her more loving. we agree that today is the day...i'll plan my breakout using the "i'm freaking out card & need a break in my 60hr week trump card".
so i buy the new pixies live album & crank up the tunes, hit a fresh cup of tarwater & dive in. we are happy the 2 of us. my white knight in shiny armor. right now we are mentally in the manchester, england @ the 8/30/05 show, dancing free & wild w/ thousands of other people. i can feel the chilly air now settling in for a long evening of the pixes live in my own little world.
tide changes at 2-3pm going low. supposedly its chest to over head today with the new south swell picking up this afternoon into saturdays peak. i feel so giddy, i think i need to cut back on the coffee.
single fin~
Posted by Single Fin at 12:23 PM | Comments (0)
March 08, 2006
putt putt & the green hornet
decided i needed to surf today. even though work right now has been taking up all my free time. i'm going out for a break, hit some waves & come back to the grind later.
until then..
Posted by Single Fin at 03:48 PM | Comments (0)
March 05, 2006
windy blown out south swell
2nd swell of the spring has arrived. not nearly as nice as the one last weekend. but still got some waves every now & then on the outside sets. inside is breaking consistently w/ lots of space to get some practice in for the 8ft'rs new thurster setup. we hit it in the morning hoping to catch some light winds & decent waves. ended up with some waves & moderate winds w/ light crowds. another true lesson about surfing i've been learing is: ...learn to love to surf in wind & you'll get more waves w/ less crowds. most people avoid surfing when the wind is cranking cuz its harder. yet in reality the wind teaches you a few key lessons that are highly valued for progression. for example..
tucking tight when rising towards the lip, throwing more weight into the turn to hold the nose true, pumping the board through gaps/ sections looking for speed, taking off late, handling heavy white wash spray in the face & of course a fine apprecition for mother natures power.
every day is a new day truly applies to this analogy of life.
anyhow..the water & air have been warming up lately. hopefully killing some of that "la nina" affect we have been experiencing lately. hopefully heading out again today.... when the swell is expected to peak.
alohas..
single fin
Posted by Single Fin at 01:36 PM | Comments (0)
March 03, 2006
another day in paradise
south swell is on the way for the weekend. hit it last night & it seemed disorganized w/ a high tide killing the faces @ 1.1ft. similar situation this morning w/ high tide, yet the waves looked a tad bit more organized. "lola" is saying the surf should start kicking today when the tide drops.
still managed to bust a coupla sweet nose rides though as the morning clouds started to burn away.
Posted by Single Fin at 01:42 PM | Comments (0)
March 01, 2006
great party shot....
just wanted to post this. for some reason it makes me smile. this is me & my team being happy about all the hard work & cohesive glue that makes us a small family.
Posted by Single Fin at 10:44 AM | Comments (0)
day dreaming
raining today, n/ne swell is wrapping & i hear the south shore has waves as well as the east side has overheads. surfed my brains out this passt weekend. made some serious progress w/ some great hangtens, cheater 5's, hit the lips & some other sweet "s" turns. may not seem like much but on a 10ft board it's much harder then one thinks while surfing diamond head.
anyhow....i was looking at the quiver & realized that life is good. each of these may not be as pretty as the next, but each has it's own use & personality. couple of them are older 80's designs, some 90's & a few modern shapes. as i get more & more into surfing i realize that boards are like bikes. different frames, fins, gear(s) setups, handlebars, tail shapes etc...all start to blend in. a refelction of the soul of the rider.
btw way..i would like to give props to soul-sista. she can rip on all these boards as well ;-}
Posted by Single Fin at 10:33 AM | Comments (0)