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September 29, 2006
hump & bump
last 2 nights of sunset session has been bunk, humpy, bumpy & choppy.
going to the north this weekend. nice head high 2 over head and glassy.
sf~
Posted by Single Fin at 12:00 PM | Comments (0)
September 27, 2006
free hugs
Posted by Single Fin at 02:30 PM | Comments (0)
September 25, 2006
super 8
takes a bit to load, but it's a day dream effect worth watching..
sf~
Posted by Single Fin at 02:16 PM | Comments (0)
call me a russian monkey
thats about the jist of it right there in the header. i'm whiped like a rented pack-mule. my eyes hurt, my sun burn is on fire, my back feels like someone hit it w/ a bat, my fingers have shriveled up into a beyond-prune state & my hands have the perfect form of a webbed paw. i have no idea what told me to do it..but after the session this morning w/ soul sista i had to go back out. (btw: poor soul sista pulled a rib out of place during the set this morning & still surfed for another hour. kudos for being so hooked on the crack that pain was not an option if that meant missing a glassy roller. she truly is turning into a freak when it comes to the waves. :-)
needless to say after knocking out my sundays to do list & a solid nap, i quickly loaded up the 8' pintail fun board for a second session. what happened after that is burned into my brain until the next epic session comes my way. well you might ask what the hell makes a epic session? hmmmm i would say a few things; solid paddling, good duck dives, sweet overhead drops, spraying water off the lip, a few friends cheering you on, getting thrown over the falls @ 6ft, pinned on the reef for a few moments & just good ole'paddle for the lip to save your ass from getting pounded fun. i would say by these marks....today was a damn fine day. by far the best full session w/ the 8' board i've ever had. got plenty of waves & can say that 6 of them were dialed in. i mean "count down to launch get the monkey in the russian space shuttle we are lifting off for all systems a go kinda dialed in".
i was so stoked to finally after a year of on & off again surfing this board to pull it all together.
it only takes one wave to make the session great. when you get a 1/2 dozen that seem to gel i think something is happening.
its a sign. time to go buy a helmet & start training for north shore.
sf~
p.s.
"southern swell is staying around until Wednesday...then. : New winter activity sheds light for the second half of this week. Low pressure forms North of the Islands today while another storm approaches. Developing Low pressure sets up and further development expected through tomorrow. Intermediate NNW swell pulses up mid-week and begins filling in Wednesday afternoon into Thursday. This storm is still in progress but likely will help waist-chest-shoulder high waves build up to head high sets along standouts Thursday."
Posted by Single Fin at 12:33 AM | Comments (0)
September 24, 2006
sun burnt & stoked
surf has been up all weekend. its been a long month of surfing on the arms and back. i'm starting to have to dig into the reserves this weekend in order to handle. but....i've been re-inspired. king nimby over in colorado has thrown it out there. a call to the wild so to say. all the freaks with a passion for their expression have been called to the table. i'm happy to not feel alone in thoughts that are very similar as some of his most recent honest out bursts.
yesterday i surfed for 5 hours. surfed until my eyes hurt from the sun & my face was burning after the sunscreen melted away hours before. at one point i had the break to myself for 2 hours with 2 guys. it was a true blessing. a reward that was unplanned & honest. i was making head high sections & yanking moves i would normally back off from. this morning was much more of the same thing. throwing down in sections that i normally feel have little opportunity. the net results have been a snapped twig afffect. i found myself talking to self heavy yesterday during the surf. my own peanut gallery givng me the calls from the shoulder sideline. the gut feelings take over and shelling out honest brutal advice about being a mary & not taking that drop or not pig dogging that rail on the back side. or most honestly telling me to do my breathing soul sista taught me inbetween sessions. a cleanse of the sipirt and a true thank you back to the mother earth.
the most honest part of the wave is when she is hitting you in the face with the lip and you can't see. she's testing you...trying to throw you off. so i close my eyes, grint the teeth and let the little man in my belly steer me into the zen of the moment. to surf by the love of the next moment and allow for the pushing to the light. often you can make it...sometimes she throws down on you and tosses you over the lip & rolls you up to be munched.
its all about the piko out here. when you truly let go you know you are home.
sf ~
Posted by Single Fin at 05:13 PM | Comments (0)
September 23, 2006
om shanti...peace
saturday morning is here, hearing the pitter patter of the rain outside our window. there's something so comforting about hearing rain living here in hawaii. it's a nice little excuse to stay bundled up underneath the covers, get in a few extra zzzz's instead of rush out to go play with mother nature (or start working) as soon as the sun rises. i don't know what it is about the sun here, but i always feel like you should be outside doing if the sun is shining.
back into my balance again. it's such a wonderful space to be in. i've been so open to life beyond surfing these past few weeks after my near fatal crash with single fin. don't get me wrong, i've still been surfing, but now with the intention of "not having to conquer the world", as single fin would put it. i don't always have to go big, i'm learning.
living here in hawaii has been a truly spiritual experience on so many levels. yes, we have our gripes about being on an island and its limitations within it...the crowded traffic, the conservatism, unsafe drivers, expensive housing market, blah, blah, blah. hawaii is considered the "piko", belly button of the world. everyone is on some sort of spiritual path here, it seems. trying to find themselves, trying to heal from the past, seeking, searching for some sort of peace. and yet, i'm learning that the answers are deep within...we just have to be still.
i've had some amazing experiences with hawaiian healing this past week. we took a ho'oponopono class over the week-end. it's a hawaiian form of healing that allows you to start each day fresh & new. in it's essence, it means "to make things right." there is so much value in cleansing and letting go of the old, to begin fresh & new. i received my first lomilomi massage at the beach by some random wild spirited hawaiian. it was an incredible experience. breathing as if you were the waves coming in and out of the shore, completely letting go & trusting.
so the cleanse is going well...on a deep level. acknowledging what is real & being okay with it. (thanks kay, for joining me in on my cleanse) i'm doing my yoga workshop this week-end. riding my beach cruiser more and more, spending less time in the car. getting in touch with nature, keeping it simple. hope you are all well.
love & namaste,
soul sista'
Posted by soul sista' at 10:52 AM | Comments (0)
September 21, 2006
flies & cliffs
seems like the past 2 weeks has been a steady diet of surf. YUMMMMMY says the surfers who are getting their fills in the late summer months. looks like another swell is on the way this week/ weekend as well. the last swell is still slight down here on the south shore. ended up hitting cliffs yesterday morning for a little hump & bump with the trades cranking in at 15-25mph. the night before i surfed over at flies & had a great time with only 12 guys/gals in the line-up.
north shore is starting to come alive as well. looks like this weekend will be kicking up head high sets. need to start moving over to the 8ft'r more & more so i can make a few more trips this year up to n.shore. looks like i've locked in 2 new co-pilots as well. both guys are good surfers & we've talked about starting a chain gang to head up & car pool. should be fun to get out with some fresh styles.
l8's
Posted by Single Fin at 11:13 AM | Comments (0)
September 19, 2006
morning all you rippas out there
check it out: hawaiian water shots
solid water photos of bowls and some other hot spots over the past coupla days of swell.
click on "bowls" or "courts" for some sweet glances @ the later summer hawaii love we have in town this week.
it's 8am and from the office with the binocs it looks like the swell is still over head with regular head high sets. i'll be taking a long lunch today for sure...
sf~
Posted by Single Fin at 10:52 AM | Comments (0)
pics from the botanical garden last trip we made out there
ok, real quick surf post 1st off. surf was nice at "paradise" tonight. severral head high waves for those who knew where to sit. one the sun went down the waves kicked it up an notch. soul sista & i enjoyed the break to ourselves for the next 20 minutes with our choice of nice teal blue waves. caught a super fun 10toes on the nose to end the session with afat stoke.
ok..back to the point at hand. flowers...and lots of them.
i really enjoy the contrasts in the pic
these flowers seem to be saying " go ahead, try to pick me"
very cool looking little village atop a cactus
cute little guy hiding in the bushes
Posted by Single Fin at 12:49 AM | Comments (1)
September 18, 2006
south swell is cracking
surfed the hell out of the last 3 days. yesterday was by far the biggest so far of the summer. solid 3-6ft local scale. (6-12ft regular) diamond head was a handful at times w/ a small group of surfers on the outside lineup. most people sat way inside where the shore was. suppose it was hard for them to get out & punch through the breaks. seemed like the channel at cliffs was straight up white wash. most of us snuck in the back door through the lighthouse channel. even that would have been dicey if you picked the wrong set to paddle over. some of the sets were coming in at a solid several feet over head w/ massive closeouts. not much fun for the short boardies. was a little fun though watching them from the outside scambling up the lip to get over the top. a few sneaker sets were at least double overhead. the current was moving really quick as well so it was a making for some good poundings. i haven't had to throw my board & swim for the reef in a while. this day was by far a good day for getting tossed & pounded.
swell today looks cleaner & more organized. still good size & we'll be getting ready for an afternoon session with soul sista.
more to come soon...
sf~
Posted by Single Fin at 04:26 PM | Comments (0)
September 13, 2006
sign from above or below...
okay, okay...it's a sign. i need to take a little break from surfing and get back into my yoga practice. funny, how i'm such a glutton for suffering, all for the benefit of spiritual enlightenment :) it's gotta be my buddhist side of me. if i suffer, i will grow. but there are many times when i try to create the suffering on my own. oh well.
taking a break from the great big waves that i so love to ride up and down on. i'm gonna do a yoga class tonight, stretch out my surf muscles, breathe from deep within, and sit in stillness. i'm excited to get back into my yoga world again. i just took a little hiatus, which i blame on the heat. alas, it's just another excuse.
i've decided to swear off sugar, coffee, fried foods till my birthday. 'do a nice little nourishing cleanse to start up the new year. focus on eating my veggies, lots of bitter greens, artichokes, lots of oily fish, moderation in the mercury infested ahi, sprinkle ground flaxseed on my food, drink lots of water...keeping it simple. i'm trying to get single fin to join me on my cleanse. maybe when his stress has decreased? :)
anyone else want to join me?
Posted by soul sista' at 01:35 PM | Comments (208)
me so happy
apple announced this week they are putting games on the ipod.
i feel less stressed now . hint hint wink wink
Posted by Single Fin at 11:33 AM | Comments (0)
yikes!
this bruise is a result from soul sista running me over.
not to mention last week she got tossed and chewed a huge hole in her lip.
Posted by Single Fin at 11:15 AM | Comments (0)
September 10, 2006
close call...
i almost ran over single fin today. it was pretty scary. it's pretty rare that i'm actually scared out there on the surf. a few times when it's really really big. but today was a scary day. i started paddling for a wave, then decided to pull back. i didn't think i was gonna make it. apparently, the lip picked me up and decided for me that i was gonna go left...here i go. uh oh, there's somebody down in the pit. it all happened so quickly. i went under the water for what seemed like eternity, just waiting for some major impact. i covered my head, like i was taught by single fin....waited & waited. then eventually came up for air. phew...i didn't kill anyone afterall. and then all i could see was single fin's shaken up face, red blood shot eyes right before me. and for that quick second, i said, "oh thank god, it was you." since it was single fin, for some reason, i just knew it was gonna be okay. everyone's okay, boards are intact. i just have a big bruise on my thigh that will have a great story to go with it. we're just full of gratitude that we're alive.
on the flip side, i caught some nice big waves to make up for it all. i was told by single fin that i caught an 8 foot wave. sometimes, i am completely unaware of how big the wave really is. actually, i think most times i am. that's probably a good thing. as they say, ignorance is bliss at times. today was truly humbling.
anyway, sorry single fin for almost running you over. i love you and am glad that you're alive.
Posted by soul sista' at 11:58 PM | Comments (1)
September 08, 2006
full moon sessions
the moon this month looks amazing. this big fat chunk of cheese floating over the south pacific. bright enough to throw some great soft silver light on the waves. luckily there is also a nice swell in town that has brewed out of the deep south. pending the tide swing...most waves on the south shore are 2-5 local scale. (4'-10' regular face) perfect......size for just having fun.
last night the bishman & surfed from about 11pm-330am under the moon's bright light. decided to go to our secret spot rather then the popular & very safe waik's. (waikiki beach aka: canoes)
we quit counting how many waves we thought we had caught. it was a true session of soulful gliding. the waves were beautiful with plenty of light & we even had the backdrop of honolulu (waikiki & diamond head). a warm soft breeze with faint hawaiian music drifting in off the beaches night spots. more of a treat was the walls were throwing so if you found the sweet spot you could get a little shacked. providing for several covers ups & small kine barrels. only 6 guys out uncliding us. it was nice a pack of 1am surfers to be sticking together to keep the take off spot dialed in & provide some partnership of numbers incase of "visitors" underwater. ;-) let me tell you it's still creepy out there at that time. even if you know that sharks are rare in some areas more than others. it's not going to take away the feeling that you are out in the middle of a reef break about 1/4 mile out & in the dark black/ blue night. a true lession of just letting go of that fear & just living in the moment. truly a surfing lesson is to give into the fear & focus on the moment of living. you may laugh....but when your in the ocean she can throw you some serious questions. life just changes in a manner of respect. one night session we did see a huge stingray. the large white coverings & wing span looked like a big ghost underwater. it swept by me & i never noticed until it was a foot away. i'm sure he was just checking me out, beingg a curious creature he/she might be. the trip was i never had an idea that it was a friendly helllo. all i was worried about was it "could" have been a shark. lol....what a clown i was. which gives even more weight to the powers of the islands. let go...and she willl reward you with aloha.
earlier in the week soul sista, myself, kimo & the "flying s" all headed out about the same time at the same break. had mad fun & twas able to catch way to many waves.
one of those couple sessions of all time that will live in my mind as epic.
i feel lucky & happy to have unlocked a door like this in my life.
Posted by Single Fin at 08:52 PM | Comments (0)
September 05, 2006
1 fish, 2 fish, 3 fish 4...
first glimpse of the new stick is in.
finally getting around to posting the shots from this past saturdays shaping with kimo.
check it...
obviously clark foam has gone bye bye. so i had several different blanks to select from. the 3 choices were from brazil, OZ or a new one from cali called US Blank. needless to say due to sizing of the blanks & rocker shapes i elected to go with elova from brazil.
a cool before & after look
love this shot..kinda fun to see another board of some what similar shape laying against the back drop.
by far my favorite shot of the shaping session. love the tools, angles, piled up foam, extra blanks, 1970's planer/ blower & the general state of choas in kimo's shaping room. one of the things i've come to appreciate in working with a shaper is to create something unique. talking about surfing styles & hopes for the board add to the quality that it's an original with 40+ yrs of his experience in each of his choices.
more of a big boy fish @ 7' that will allow the rider to thrust through fast sections & still allow for a late drop like a long board style.
now with some small tweaks, adding of the quad fins, color choices, logos, 6-4-4 glass & about one one month...we'll be ready for some sets.
Posted by Single Fin at 12:19 PM | Comments (0)
September 04, 2006
Vu Ja De
odd...same time the next night we found ourselves sun burned, bellies full & getting sleepy.
suppose that a sign of a good day. grabbing a cold beer at the moment & enjoying the last of the day.
soaking in the stoke from the days events. hope you find some stoke in yours.
aloha's
sf~
Posted by Single Fin at 09:52 PM | Comments (0)
lazy sunday's
ending up cruz'n most of the day. then soul sista & i headed out for a afternoon session that turned into a sunset paddle in at dark.
we're beat & tired after a 3hr + session at cliffs and mansions.
must go sleepy now....
Posted by Single Fin at 02:12 AM | Comments (0)
September 03, 2006
surf rider foundation party & surf flick night
beautiful swell was in town a week ago. around the same time that a few of our friends were going to throw a surf movie night at a local bar. stu & his posse at surf rider were gonna show a flick, app's & drinks followed up w/ some good local spin masters.
great flick for a packed standing room only bar. good people, lots of laughs, telling of stories & talks of the swell in town. lots of people w/ sun burns & good summer smiles from being outside. and!!!! all the cash goes to the foundation for many little things to make the world a better place.
as the night wore on...the sleepy crews went home after the flick. the dj's stepped onto the stage & then all hell started to break loose. lots of dancing & people pulling out moves i hadn't seen in years. after a few drinks i think i do remember an instance of a 70's disco train dancing? suppose i can thank red label for that.
randsom shots from the rest of the eve:
dj shot 1
dj shot 2
lounge area
fun bar lighting
bishman & stu showing some aloha
Posted by Single Fin at 02:57 PM | Comments (0)