Saturday we went back to Kahena. This is secluded off the side of the road, you have to hike down a lava rock staircase jutting from the cliffs. It's a secluded black sand beach with a violent wave break. The undertow can be vicious if it's not expected. The point of bringing this up: I caught waves! Small ones for sure, but I even manage to do a turn!

Thanks to a local 16yr old named Solomon who gave me the courage and reminded me that no one was judging. He also told me my board was too small.

The rocks were pretty big and not very soft. I'm really sore today and I have cuts on my knees and feet; keeping in line with my wounds from the sea.

Someone was nice enough to get some video of one of my waves:

Short Story 2: Surfing

Surfing is one of those mythical activities I'd never actually be able to do. Like owning a convertible or seeing Nine Inch Nails in Prague.

I'm about to make this happen! As I stare glassy eyed at several boogie boards hanging. Which do I need? What's the difference? The owner is quacking away on the phone without a care for me.

I choose one, immediately he gets up “you don't want that one, you want THIS one.” he snaps and then back to his phone. I grab some flippers and wax and I'm out.

Twice a week I ride to the beach to learn this sport and conquer this. 45 minute bike ride there, 2 hours of flopping around in the water, 45 minutes bike ride home. While discussing my trouble I hear that I may be too big to catch waves.

How can this be? Hawaiian men are bigger than me and I know they do it, they invented it! My motivation sapped, I give up for a few weeks. I ask around about surfing and how to get starting. No one wants to tell me about the boogie board, only about real surfing. Longboarding. It took them only a few tries to pick it up. Good for fucking them.

The motivation I lost turns to spite with this latest news. I'll show them by showing myself and learning this once and for all.

We drive to the beach in the rental, I launch out, pass the snorkelers towards the waves. They're coming in high and strong today.

I'm the only one out here which is a little strange but it's too late to worry about that now. I position my body facing the shore and turn my head to wait for a good wave. A few small ones and then a big one, it lifts me up and pulls me but I didn't kick fast enough and it rolls past me and breaks a few feet infront.

Another couple small ones, then a big one on it's way. I don't have much hope but I kick as hard as I can. It lifts, it... breaks right on me! I'm looking down at the water this time. My board starts to shake and I then I understand: I'm riding the wave. I can't see anything, there's salt water in my mouth, I can hear screaming and my face feels strange.

I open my eyes and I can see. I spit out the salty taste of the pacific. The screaming was actually me shouting with excitement. The strange feeling in my face is the ear to ear grin that I haven't had in a long time.

I paddle back to shore. I've caught my first wave.

Published with Google Docs

Ocean pulls me close

I went surfing again today, I actually caught a few waves but only for a few moments before the wave devoured me, punched me in the stomach, kicked me in my balls and injected salt water in my nose. This happened several times. So while I didn't get near any rocks, I certainly got my ass kicked. I am determined to learn how to do this, and all my best friends hit back so this should actually work out.

Today I didn't even have to use my A.K.

Today was not a very good day. I woke up later than i wanted. The inertia to get ready to go to the beach was overwhelming. My plan was to go surfing because I don't know when my next day off will be and I really wanted to catch another wave, after my first one.
So I rose at 10. I ate breakfast and played TW, until about 11:30. I finally assembled my gear and was ready to leave and it started to rain. As it started to clear up, my brother called. We spoke for half an hour and then Jessie called. At that point I thought the universe was telling me to stay home. She persuaded me to actually get out of the house, which I really needed. The sky was still overcast as it has been since she left last week.

I finally left the house at 1:30 and biked to Honoli'i Beach. I was hoping because it was a Monday it would be fairly deserted, nope. There were probably about 30 surfers present doing some amazing things. I decided to swim off to the side so that I didn't get in any one's way while I am still learning. I ended up so far off to the side that I put myself in a fairly dangerous position, the waves were pretty big and they were pushing me towards the rocks. I spent most of my time swimming away from the rocks, like every other time. I was so tired by the time I made it back to safety that I decided to call it quits because I still had to bike home. After showering and changing clothes I got on my bike and the sun came out. In my eyes, another instance telling me to go home.

I made it home, ordered a pizza and watched a terrible movie. My neighbor's dog ran into the house and ate a slice while I was outside. I would've starting drinking but it was 4 o'clock. Now I have an indeterminate number of days of work in front of me.

I caught my first tube today... Sir.

Today was my 4th time out in the water with my fancy boogie board and I finally caught my first wave. It was incredible, though I had my eyes closed for most of it. I heard myself yelling "Wooooooh" right past a snorkler. I spent the next 45 minutes paddling back to find another wave. I didn't catch another but my feelings on how to do it next time are right place, right time.

One day I'll do something like this:

Do or Do Not. There is also Try.

Last week I bought a boogie board and flippers. Today Kev and I headed to Richardson's Beach.
It was the longest bike ride I think I've made here, yes I know it's only 6 miles; but I'm a big dude.

We arrived and Kev went to study, I decided I needed to try out my new board. I guessed at how to wax it and I guessed again on how to attach the tether.

This is no shock to anyone: I don't know how to boogie board. I spent about 45 minutes paddling around trying to figure out how the other boarders seemed so weightless on the waves. Most of my time was spent swimming away from rocks and other boarders so as not to encroach on their space / waves. My ankles are not strong enough yet to effectively use flippers.

"Maybe you're too big to boogie board." From someone close to me and it took away the rest of my confidence for the afternoon. The rest of the afternoon I napped and worked on my tan.