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Hawaiian Blog January / February 2009

While the rest of my contemporaries went to France to train for the summer holidays, I stayed at home and worked in the Saltrock Surf Shop at Croyde. It was a tough summer because of the poor weather but there were waves of a sort most days, and the time went quickly, and I managed to save enough to fund my third season in Hawaii.

Please scroll down to check out what I’m up to this year on the rock!

January 1st 2009. While everyone was recovering from their new years hangovers I was travelling up to Heathrow to catch my flight to Hawaii. it was a bit cheaper to travel on new years day although I had to pay an extra £70 for my quiver of boards. I’m travelling with two 5’10”’s, a 6 zero, a six four and my trusty seven foot gun.

January 2nd 2009. After 18 hours in the air I have finally arrived in Oahu, I am staying at Rocky Point in a house owned by a fabulous lady called Rex.

January 5th 2009. Been here a few days now and settled in fine, no jet lag at all now so thats all good, and only had on night of dodgy sleep. Been surfing loads, every day, its been kinda windy and rainy, but then last nite and today , it cleaned up and has been sunny, ive got tan lines already!! Ive been surfing rockies loads, its breaking really well at the moment, cus all the sand has cleaned off the reef and its just really lefts and rights, rights are a bit shallow so sticking to the lefts which is good for my back hand! I just had a mornings session, well two acyually, I went in at 6.30 then had some breckie and then went back in , just had some lunch and havin a bit of a rest before gunna head down to V-land to see what thats looking like. I’ve seen some of the British crew who are here, i saw Toby (Donachie) briefly before he flew out to Aus, also Luis Eyre, and I bumped into (Croyde local) Ben Ruth yesterday at the super market, (funny how its such a small world!) and hes out here all winter so thats good!! Ollie Adams and Emma are here as well, I’m goin down to Wakiki with them tomorrow to cruse on longboards for a photographer!

January 8th 2009. Surfs been fun today, took a bit of beating first thing but its droped now an I’m about to go back in. Duck dived right next to a girl this morning and she broke her board on the duck dive. My Fluid Juice was ok, I guess I was lucky to have such a well made stick (thanks Adrian!). Got dragged across the reef at Gas Chambers last nite. which was fun - Im ok, the boards fine, just grazzed the Rainbow fins abit but sanded them down and they should be an ok back up pair now!!
 

January 11th 2009. I’ve heard that it’s really cold at home, not too cold I hope! Its all going cool here, got good waves and a bit of a storm hit today but been really fun waves!! I’m absolutely knackkered so I’ve had a bit of a rest... only surfed twice not 3 or 4 times! Haha! Stayin at Rex’s house is really cool, we have this new guy here, he’s a pilot in the airforce and just been flown in for a weeks holiday from Afganistan, he surfed today for the first time in 8 months and was was stoked!! The boys are all getting a bit drunk tonight to celibrate with him!! He has some sketchy tales to tell!! Part from that, just been surfing and sun bathing, and doin some swimming/running. Aloha.

January 17th 2009. The waves have been really big for couple days now, so I’ve been surfing a few other places that don’t normally break, I’ve made friends with some of the locals though Ben Reuth (Croyde Lifeguard), so the other day we went lookin for waves on the east coast and we surfed an amazing place called crouching tiger, and it was (no jokes) the most beautiful place ive ever been to, it was amazing, a palm tree jungle and chopes!! Any way it was really shallow and had a crazy long paddle to get out there! We all had a good surf and then came back in, only then did one of the locals say it was the sharkiest place on the islands and the last recorded attack (2 months ago) was there!! Pretty scarey! Any way, on the way back there were 3 of us in the back of the pick up truck, with the boards and it started chucking it down, we all got drenched, like there was a inch of water in the truck with us! Good job it was warm!!! haha! Anyway Im just goin to Wiamea because its breakin today and i want to watch it!!! Til next time.

January 20th 2009. Waves are big here again today, went out at sunset this morning and took a flogging!! it was a bit sketchy, all’s wellthough. Ive attached two photos to show two different sides of hawaii, one is of the sun set the other night, and one of the storm that hit the next day!!! That wave is breaking onto/over the break water thats suposed to help protect the road, down near halewia. Also the boys and I dropped in to speak to Bushman (legenday North Shore shaper) about boards the other day, so here a photo of him chatting to Mickie about boards. Check out the room though, it’s a shed - no posh air conditioned show rooms here!

January 25th 2009. Ive had a well good couple of days here. I was walking back from Larnis, the other day and some girl in a big truck with loads of boards in the back, asked me if i wanted a lift, it was a local girl called Mya, shes really cool and ive got to know her a bit now, shes been giving me lifts quite a bit and she knows every one!! Anyway the waves have been really really good on the North Shore for the last couple days, the big storm swells have gone leaving us with 4ft absolute perfection, I’ve surfed Velzy Land the last couple days. Yesterday, me an Mya were paddelin out at V-land and we saw this fight kick off in the water, it’s first fight ive seen out here, I didn’t know what it was about and it was a little scarey, but luckily, whilst the boys went to the beach to sort out their problems, we were left with perfect V-Land and about 5 other people out!! It was so good we surferd for hours, after a while Coco Ho paddeled out, watching her surf her home break was impressive, im not suprised shes on the WCT and I expect she will get a title some time soon.

 Anyway, surfed all day again today, it was super good an fun again, I then headed to the famous Foodland to get some groceries and guess who i saw in the tinned food isle? Tom Curren!!! It was weird to see some one like that (one of my Dad’s heroes) in the Supermarket!! I was too scared to say hello, but it was still cool to see him, I’ll be keeping my eyes open for some of those classic full rail cut-backs in the next couple days. Aloha.

January 29th 2009. Some sad news to start, well a couple days ago ripcurl and I ended our partnership, I’ve ridden for them since I was 11 or 12, so its an odd situation for me to be in, but alot of things are changing at the moment and I know it’s a difficult time for the surf induststry, for myself I look on it as another opportunity to move forward in a different direction. I would like to thank ripcurl for there suppport over the years.............but heres to the challenge of a bigger, brighterand better future!

So first things first. I need a new sponser, please, any offers are more than welcome, just drop me an email.

Ok with all that out of the way, the last few on the north shore have been probably some of my best yet, its been crazy! The waves have been absolutely pumping! Ive been surfing loads and loads! Velzy land is feeling like my second home now, i seem to be living there, but its the funnest wave i think ive ever surfed!! In the last couple days ive felt my surfing really improve and I’ve become a lot more confident, and really thats why im here in the first place!! Today i got a proper beating at V-Land, hit the bottom, rolled over the reef, ended up standing in ankle deep water on the reef, not to worry though! A few well placed steps and i was back in the channel!! Ive had a few cuts since ive been here but nothing major so far!! Today, after my surf at Velzy land, i came back to the house and my friend Mya picked me up to go surf some quiet spots around on the east side, we surfed all afternoon and then on the way back she took me up to her house, she lives with her family up the valley behind sunset, from their house you can see the entire north shore, its amazing......! I ended up meeting her whole family, who insisted i stayed for dinner, so i had a really lovley evening! They all thought my accent was really funny, and kept om making me say things like 'Can i have a cup of tea'! It was really nice to chat to them, and i showed them some photos on my phone of england, the waves and the food (I had a photo of this roast dinner me and my dad made the night before i came to hawaii)! They were a little suprised that we actulaly surf in England! Hah a! Any way, it was lovely to be invited in like that and it really made me miss my family! The waves over the next couple days are supposed to be really good,so im really excited!!

There was a water fotohog at Velzy and I met him in the street the other day and he said he was going to e-mail some surf shots, so I should be able to post some next time.

February 3rd 2009. Last couple days here have been kinda funky, it was flat for a day and then yesterday and today it has rained like nothing i have ever seen before! It rained for like a day and a night and a another day! Its been crazy, anyway its been windy aswell, but I have surfed quite a bit! Apart from that theres not much to do on the North Shore but surf. I had a nice bike ride on the flat day, I cycled to haliewa, it was fine on the way there but then on the way home i had the wind in my face! It was really hard but still fun! Apart from that ive just been doing school work to try and stay on top of things with my home work for college (I’m doing the surf science course at Treviglass College, Newquay.). It looks as though the weather and waves will be looking better in the next couple days, with a 10 -12 feet (Hawaiian) swell expected but still no sign of the big one that will trigger the Eddie contest. I hope we get it before I leave coz I’m really looking forward to seeing the guys charge some big waves.

February 4th 2009.I’ve just been having a look at all the pictures of the snow back at home on Facebook and they look amazing!! Well, after a coupla days of stormy surf, it’s looking better today, surfed Rockys and Gas chambers this morn, and now I’m of to V- land, so I can’t stop.... x

February 8th 2009. Got a few shots of pipe yesterday it was doin something crazy!! Its been a really busy the last couple of days here, the waves are cooking an its been sunny so its been lovelly! And the Pipe contest is on too! I surfed Haliewa yesterday with Bonga Perkins and Pancho Sullivan, it was pretty impressive to see them surf it!! It was a bit big though and we all got nailed at some point, i even saw Pancho ditch his board a few times!! I got 5 waves but got hit by quite a few sets and snapped my leash as well! But it was ok! I’m sorry I’ve been a bit slack with the blog but I’ve just been surfing my brains out, I think that I have mislaid my photo lead as well but I’ll try and find it to send you some pictures...

February 9th 2009. Yea the waves have continued to pump, it’s been really good and I’ve just been surfing as much as pos. as I’ve only got ten days left! Its been really really hot too! Oh i went shopping yesterday just to haliewa and found an awesome hoodie, it has UNSPONSORED written across the front!! hahahah I thought it was quite appropritate! Apart fromt that not been doin much, just surfing, I met Coco Ho out at Haiwea, she remembered me from the World Games and paddled up to say hello, which was really cool (as she is a super star!). Anyway she gave me a lift home and was really nice and saved me from the walk, as I was tired as a fox! Nite nite x

17th February 2009. Its all still going well out here now, into the last week! Its odd i feel so settled in now, like this is kinda a second home! Its been such an amazing winter for me out here! I feel ive learnt so much and grown up alot! Its going to be stange to come home and not just be able to jump in the water in my bikini, but it will be nice to be home with the family! As for the last week, the waves havent been so great the last couple of days, its stormy today, but until now we have had a great run of fun waves, hence my lack of blogging!! Yesterday was a kinda lazy day, surfed in the morning but then it picked up loads so i went to watch the comp at Pipe, its the body boarders comp (AKA speed bumps) but i have to say watching some of them drop into crazy waves was impressive!!