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go pro action from megan abubo on Vimeo.
The biggest nightmare in canoeing is to huli. It means to flip over in Hawaiian. In the first 30 seconds of our journey we hulied. Straight in between the tiny channel we were given, we went down. But we got up quick. We ended up flipping the boat over and getting all the water out and paddling on within two minutes.
Behind me in the canoe was local paddler Teavi. She was part of the local canoe club and we were honored to paddle with a local girl. She was strong, too, and when she said “dig,” I dug! Crystal was the steersman, and all 105 pounds of her steered that canoe well. I couldn’t believe she could steer that canoe like she did. I could barely switch sides when I was supposed to. I bet Dave and Jeff were laughing. I looked so serious, too. I didn’t want to let anyone down. I had a face of determination going.
Along the journey, I was supposed to be looking ahead and not sightseeing, but I couldn’t help myself. I saw waterfalls land in the ocean, turtles, and big swells that pick our canoe up. I saw reef passes and the world’s highest sea cliffs a few hundred feet from me. I was in the wild untouched coast in a little canoe. We weren’t using a motor, we were using our own will.
All the while, I was in the moment, forgetting about my life back home. I was forgetting about the door that closed in front of me. Amazing, it’s 2009 and I was traveling with no engine, no technology, and just sheer energy and mindfulness. I was experiencing life. This was amazing.
Escorting us was Walter Naki, an experienced diver, fisherman, and hunter. He ran guide tours in the area and he was one happy, funny Hawaiian. His son Vaika was Teavi’s boyfriend. Also Teddy Bear from Waianae, who grew up with Rell, came and was super stoked to be in the presence of Rell’s canoe. He was also one funny guy, such a good Hawaiian. It was definitely a family affair.
We went many miles till we pulled into a little black-sand beach with a few tents and Hawaiian flags flying high. It was Walter’s family’s valley, and we were welcome there. If I died and went to heaven this was it, I thought when I pulled in to the bay. Just as we started pulling in, Teavi said, “I’m just getting warmed up.” Are you kidding me? I was dying. My back hurt, I was thirsty, my neck was throbbing. Man, canoeing is a killer sport, a kill-your-body workout.
We unloaded and set up camp in this beautiful, private valley. We had a few beers to celebrate the journey and watched the sunset over a campfire. Walter cooked us up a great feed with venison he caught the week before. We ate with our hands and talked story till we got tired. What a great day. A day in paradise.
We camped in a valley that is home to amazing waterfalls, hunting, and taro fields. There are only a handful of Hawaiian families that still live in this area and most of them still live like they did 100 years ago—minus the Budweiser cans.
The first night we were there, the swim fins came on and we all went out for an evening bodysurfing session. I felt like I was a part of something so special when the three other people I was traveling with were all so excited to go bodysurfing after they set their tents up. We only had a half-hour before the sunset, it was onshore, and low tide with rocks exposed, but there was something to ride—or shall I say, something to glide on. It had been years since I threw on the swim fins and had no other craft than my body to ride waves. It felt so good gliding on the ocean, getting barreled, opening my eyes up underwater. I felt free, I felt alive.
I was camping in a beautiful valley with energy all around me. To my surprise Auntie Mahea, Glenn’s wife, had already cooked dinner. Unreal grinds in front of us with only our headlamps for us to see what we were eating. After, I crawled into my one-man tent and fell asleep to the sounds of the crickets and mongoose under the stars.
I woke up in the morning to some black black coffee made by Jeff Johnson, our photographer on the trip. I looked across the table at him and I noticed he got mangled by a huge Portuguese man-of-war or Blue Bottle jellyfish the night before. I couldn’t believe it! Wow, lucky I didn’t get bit—I’m allergic!
We ended up clearing the land for Glen and Mahea. We worked for hours clearing a path to the house. It was built in 1941, but was destroyed halfway by the tsunami that hit that year. The structure stayed and they rebuilt what was damaged. You wouldn’t have even known it existed by the green shrubs, weeds, and bushes surrounding it. By the end of the day, you could see the beautiful little house and even the abandoned boats around it.
To cool off, we took a hike to a beautiful waterfall and took a dip in the cool pool. I stood under the powerful force of water in total amazement of where I was and laid on the rocks to warm up after. Jeff works for Patagonia and rock climbs, and he dared us to climb the slippery algae rocks next to the falls. I was pretty unsuccessful. But it was fun till I plopped in the water.
On our hike down we observed some of the ancient Hawaiian terraces and homes that still lay there untouched. I was getting Hawaiiana History Lesson 101 by a real life Hawaiian teacher named Glen. Lucky me, lucky I live Hawaii.
Tomorrow we would rig the canoe and get ready for our journey. We were going to try to paddle many miles and camp at isolated beaches along the way, weather permitting of course. I was a bit nervous and excited. The team didn’t know I hadn’t paddled a canoe since I was 12, but it didn’t matter I was healthy and willing. I was just scared I wouldn’t be good for the rest of the crew and they would have to carry my weight. I didn’t want to disappoint Crystal.
After a walk on the beach, I checked out the valley in morning sunlight. It was so beautiful and untouched, the way the land should be. I drank my coffee while sitting on a black sand beach watching the others bodysurf.
In the afternoon we rigged the canoe. Well, they rigged the canoe. Jeff, Crystal, and Dave were all experienced paddlers so they had it down. I just learned. I learned a lot that afternoon. Crystal said she had butterflies, because we were to begin our paddling journey in the morning. I had butterflies, too. I didn’t know what to expect.
Sometimes one door closes and another one opens in this life. I spent a week at the chaotic U.S. Open of Surfing and quickly caught a plane back home. During my stay in California a big door in my life unexpectedly shut on me and I thought at the time it was the end of the world. Lucky for me, as soon as I stepped off the plane from California, the small smell of plumeria and sense of security overwhelmed my mind and body.
My first night home I got a phone call from Crystal Thornburg and her boyfriend Dave Homcy. They wanted to know if I wanted to go on an outer island adventure in Aunty Rell Sunn’s canoe. What an honor, I thought to myself. I couldn’t think of a better door to open in front of me than the one of my hero, my idol, the Queen of Makaha and the woman who inspired me more than anyone to become a pro surfer.
Crystal and Dave are a happy little couple in my little hometown of Sunset and always have smiles on their faces, boards or swim fins in their hands, and grow a mean garden in their backyard. They eat their own food, drive a biodiesel car, and both have amazing talents in and out of the water. They are role-model citizens in my book. Dave is a cinematographer and has been involved with some of my favorite films in surfing such as Shelter and Sliding Liberia. He has an exceptional eye for his subject and knows how to touch the heart of the viewer—you really want to go for a surf after you watch his film skills.
Crystal Thornburg is a born-and-bred local girl who lives the ultimate water lifestyle. She is an accomplished canoe paddler, longboarder, and swimmer. Crystal has a classic longboard style and I am always pleased to watch her surf. She rides for Patagonia and gets to go on cool expeditions and adventures with Dave and her sponsor. I love her passion for the ocean and for her history of Hawaii and her sense of being a true water woman. She really wants to keep the spirit of Rell alive and I was super honored to be a part of the trip.
Before I went on the trip I stopped at the house one of my besties, Jen Homcy (Daves sister), and the adventure traveler she is, she loaded me up with the best camping gear a girl could ask for. I had a one-man tent, air mattress, junior park ranger coffee mug, waterproof bags, and, of course, mosquito netting up the butt. I am not a camper. I have not camped in the last 10 years.
It was on.
I checked in two waterproof backpacks and some swim fins. This was different for me. No board charges and no duffle bag. I packed very minimally for me and I was curious to see if I would be able to handle wearing the same thing over and over. I kind of have this thing about wearing ultra clean clothes. I was up for the challenge. Ready for an adventure.
We landed on an outer island and met one of our guides, Uncle Glenn, an amazing Hawaiian man with so many stories to tell. He grew up in Waianae with Auntie Rell, and he has some stuff to say about her. It was awesome to hear all these stories about her. He had a huge mango tree at his house and we picked tons of mangoes for our journey in the canoe. We stopped at the local market and loaded up on some food, then stopped at a friend’s house to grab our veggies. This was awesome to me. We got organic, local veggies and fruit. No hormones, no pesticides, and grown from loving hands. Oh, how my body was longing for this. And my soul.
We drove to the end of the island; I switched my phone off and was ready to be in the moment. The very moment I was living. No Facebook, no Skype, no news, no texting. I will be in the moment for a week and this was my vacation. I owed this to myself.
My favorite thing about traveling is lugging my 50-pound board bag around airports. And the guy saying, “Is that a dead person in your bag?” I’m not sure exactly where they came up with the name “coffin,” but I think it’s because your boards tend to die in your board bag. You sign a waver that says the airline has no responsibility for damages, and 50 percent of the time, your boards get tweaked in the bag—broken fins, noses, tire marks from being run over by the airline trucks. And you’ll inevitably get tiny dings and pressure dents no matter what, so I find it very fitting that board bags are named after a coffin, or something that holds death.
As a traveling surfer, the most dreaded thing I can think of is lugging a board—regardless of whether or not it has wheels—and showing up to the airline counter with three bags. I am a woman and I like to be comfortable, so I normally travel with a 50-pound clothing bag, 50-pound board bag, and 20-pound backpack/camera bag. It is quite a sight to see me rock up to an airport. My luggage weighs more than I do.
I usually break a sweat five feet from the counter. My ass-kissing usually starts the conversation, an attempt to get out of paying so much for my boards. “What did you say? How many boards?” Change the subject. Usually, I go on and talk about the flight and the weather, and how hard a job it must be these days working for the airline industry. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. Then I evade their questions, but end up having to say, “Oh yeah, I have a surfboard.” They ask how many boards and I say, “one” and they say, “How many?” So that is usually how it goes.
Sometimes I double lie and say, “Oh no, only two boards.” You can tell by the way a ticket counter person acts whether or not you have to resort to saying three boards. It’s highway robbery—but they get away with it, because it is all we can do. We are at the mercy of the airline industry I guess.
Traveling with all this luggage is quite a workout, too. Sometimes I don’t mind the quad/arm workout I get from lugging my stuff. Recently, though, it wasn’t that funny. I flew into LAX and was traveling solo, trying to get my five boards and luggage into a compact car by myself. And the best part of trying to get the stuff into the tiny rental car is people rarely help you. You would be surprised how many people just stand and watch and stare at my efforts. This tiny little woman traveling with all this crap often amazes people. After how many years you would think I would learn by now and travel with nothing, but no. I have to be comfortable on the road.
At my final destination, I usually find relief. Until I check into the counter and the woman at the rental agency says, “Oh, you’re up four flights of stairs. Sorry, there is no elevator.” Or something. Then I cry. And let me tell you, I have cried before.
Last year, I showed up to Manly after traveling all day and my car was tiny and I forgot my board straps so I took all my boards out into the car, tried to fold up my coffin, and made it to my hotel only to find out I was on the top floor with no stairs. It was late at night and I had what I call TRAVEL MELTDOWN. I sat on the curb after carrying my board bag up the four flights alone, came back down, pulled my bag out of the car, and just started tearing. Lost it. I took a few minutes, then got back up and did it because I had no choice.
Sometimes the glam and glory of traveling just isn’t always there. Sometimes you’re a small woman traveling with 150 pounds of massive luggage by yourself late at night and sometimes you just lose it. Then you go to bed in the morning and look out your window and see good waves and forget it was so hard to get there.
Four years ago, I said I didn’t want to go back to Africa because it had gotten pretty dangerous and I was a bit scared and it was just so far to go for a small beachbreak wave and not totally worth it to me. Then I became good friends with local Ballito surfer Tammy Smith and my whole perception changed. Her parents had a cool surf camp called the “ Secret Spot” which I would love, and she convinced me to go and see another part of Durban. So I packed my bags and headed off halfway around the world. I had two groveler boards and one shortboard packed in my bag, and this is usually what I used in South Africa for the beachbreak comp. I wish I had researched the place a little better.
I had just surfed uncrowded points in Mexico, so I was a bit tired and didn’t mind the two days, six airplane meals, fat feet, and sore back. I traveled with Alana Blanchard and it amazed me how she slept so much without sleeping pills. Oh, to be 19 again. Finally, got there and slept for a day. It is the furthest you can go around the world from Hawaii, and I would like to add I think it is the driest—my lips were parched and my skin was flaking off!
The first day I was in South Africa it was beautiful, crisp weather with 2- to 3-foot sandbar waves. There was lots of talk about the 10-year storm coming, but I didn’t believe it. Quite a few girls on Tour were staying at the “Secret Spot” so it was pretty fun. We would all load up in the VW bus and surf and do grocery shops. It was a hostel-type kitchen setting for breakfast, but Roz, Tammy’s mom, and her staff would cook up some mean muffins and delicious dinner every night. There was a pool table to occupy us when we were bored. And of course there was wireless Internet and the mass Facebook sessions everyday.
Well, the 10-year storm finally came and I was in disbelief. It looked like Sunset Beach across the street! There were 15-foot sets for the first day of the waiting period. I had a choice between a 5’9”, a 5’9”, and hey, wait, another 5’8”. I was crapping my pants! Lucky for me, it was canceled. I guess I wouldn’t have minded surfing if the wave was rideable, but apparently it wasn’t.
The following day wasn’t much better but we had to run because, unfortunately for us, someone allowed a 2-day waiting period for a 2-day event. Not so bright. We started the event at 7 a.m. and were told there was a front coming in at 1 p.m. A BIG front. The girls in the morning were blessed with Trrestles-like rights and super fun looking sections. Girls like Nicola Atherton, Ornella Pelizzari, Bethany Hamilton, Leilani Gryde, Alana Blanchard, and Sarah Beardmore were all killing it because they were all amped to get something good for a WQS event.
I was Heat Nine and I was psyched. But just before my heat, the 50-knot winds started kicking in and I was finding it hard to change into my wetsuit. My little epoxy board was barely staying under my arm while I was walking down to the rocks for my paddle out. I was also given 20 minutes to get out there. Attempt One was unsuccessful. After paddling for 10 minutes and getting swept and windblown hundreds of yards down the beach, I gave up. I got out and ran up the beach and tried again. Once again, Attempt Two, unsuccessful. Third time’s a charm I guess. Finally, made it out the back—nine minutes into my heat! Are you kidding me?
I caught a small wave and scored a 4.5, was washed in again, tried to paddle back out for the fourth time and was unsuccessful, so I stood up in the whitewater and scored a .3. Buzzer goes and my heat is done.
That was the hardest heat I had ever surfed.
I can’t believe it, but I made it. Sally got one wave in the heat, a nine somehow. And not a second one. Third and fourth didn’t score more than 1 point each. They called it off after my heat, and the girls and officials had a crazy meeting about what was going to happen.
I felt bad for everyone, especially the girls giving it a real go on the World Tour and trying to get points. There were so many mixed emotions because points, money, and time were all on the line. I kind of stood back, as the first 14 years of my career were spent with all that emotion and now I’m just kind of watching it all.
In the end, equal 24th went to the remainder of the girls—and a basic pat on the back and thanks for coming went down. I’m sure it’s not the last the ASP is going to hear from some of the girls. It was a bit of poor judgment, but I guess everyone lost out. Sponsors, girls, and ASP. So, hopefully we learn from this mistake. Life is about learning I guess.
flow rider from megan abubo on Vimeo.
Last week, I went south of the border to an undisclosed area for a surf trip with the next generation of surfers that will lead the charge into the next decade. We all got invited to go somewhere in Mexico with a filmer, photographer, and writer. Lucky us.
We first landed in the heat of what I would call the desert in 105-degree weather with humidity…hmm… 98 percent, I would guess.
After a three-hour car ride in the sweltering heat no air con—and the strong urge to have to go to the bathroom—we were at our guest house in the center of a small Mexican city. All I wanted to do was eat and get in the water to wash the sweat off me. Traveling, even to a neighboring country, just makes you feel so dirty. I mean, Mexico is a drop of a hat away and it took us nearly 12 hours? Why is that? Even inter-island trips take half a day.
But in no time I was hopefully going to be cruising on some fun waves with some groms, maybe a cold cerveza after—and this is called work. Man, I like work.
We were blessed with some pretty solid waves the first afternoon. We surfed this right-hand pointbreak with lots of current that was absolutely running along a mile-long bank. Just the girls out and our guides—are you kidding me? I was basically at Snapper Rocks with five girls out. Does it get better?
Steph and Coco were so at home on the perfect right-handers. I think of Coco as a mini-Steph, and they were pretty much cloning each other. Or, I mean Coco was cloning Steph. Mini-me. It was awesome. They were also both trying to outdo each other with the hottest one-piece around. Coco in yellow and Steph in Black. Wait just a minute, I wore one-pieces when I first learned to surf in 1989—Coco wasn’t even born yet, and hell no was I going be caught dead in one at 31 years of age.
Alana Blanchard has really come into her own and was absolutely ripping the first night. It is crazy how overlooked her talent is. She is a beautiful girl, don’t get me wrong, but her surfing is way more beautiful. She is always fins-free, sometimes doing airs above the lip, and she rarely falls. She is super serious as a surfer as well. She has big dreams and big moves and I really think her surfing is going get her to her destination. Looks or not, she is now one of my favorite surfers after this trip.
And then the lone goofyfooter, Paige Hareb. To hold the flag for all the goofyfooters of her generation is a big job, but she seemed to go pretty well. Sparkly silver shorts in hand, she was trying for backside airs and backside lip smashes. It’s not easy being the oddball out, but Paige seemed to have no trouble.
Well, lots and lots happened this week, but I will save that for my next blog. I am writing all this from a beautiful garden in South Africa, so stay tuned, because I’ll fill you in on all the good goss and dish that’s happening here in Ballito, South Africa.
After two days of travel, Coco Ho and I arrived in Lisbon airport. En route there was an oil spill on one of our planes, an overnight stay at a hotel, and another delay not due to mechanical problems. Oh, and don’t forget the threat of this whole new swine thing. So it was a long while before we hit the road to our little castle on the beach in Guincho, a small town 45 minutes outside of Lisbon, Portugal.
Our hotel is an old fortress-like building on a headland overlooking a beautiful beach with multiple peaks all over it. We went out for a late surf to wash the travel away. Portugal is the coldest surf I have felt since England in April. As soon as my toe touched the water I immediately went numb. I couldn’t believe how cold it was. Yikes! Are you kidding me? I just surfed my last session at home in a bikini. I haven’t worn a wetsuit since I was in Manly, Australia, back in October. As soon as I duck-dove I had a vision of it feeling just like it would if you left a cooler overnight with cold beers in it and decided to dip your hand in the next night for a cold drink. “That is my brain, that is my brain frozen,” I kept saying. I couldn’t believe it. I had no booties and a 3/2, where a 4/3 was much needed—and wish I had gloves and a hoodie. Well, I stood up on two waves and told grom I was going in. She was pretty amped and stayed out for a while. The one positive I have to say is that there were waves and plenty of swell, it was by no means flat.
I woke up at 3 a.m. and read the New York Times until about 6, the whole time trying to wake up Coco who was in a slight sleep coma. I finally fell asleep again to wake up extremely groggy. The hotel had a huge breakfast display and a cappuccino maker—I made myself two doubles to jumpstart my heart and body for the cold morning surf.
The surf was pumping that whole day. I found some booties and had a 3-hour marathon surf in the afternoon. It was dead glass and absolutely beautiful. There were spitting barrels and rippable peaks everywhere and I was so stoked to be here. I surfed with a couple other girls for hours. And the booties made me feel so much better. I could actually feel my board and felt comfortable in the surf. Coco is a machine and I am so grateful she let me use her booties. Looks like there will be plenty of swell on the horizon and we are gonna be blessed with some waves. Can’t wait.
I got one restless night’s rest in and got word the next morning that the Tidal 9 Women’s Pipe Pro 4-star was a go. Man was I jetlagged. I had a big cup of coffee and peeled my eyes open to walk up to thumping 4- to 6-foot Pipe. I rarely surf Pipe, but thought this was a great opportunity to get it with no one out.
To my surprise it was freezing down on the beach and apparently the water was even colder—there were girls running up and down the beach from surfs in short-arm fullsuits and long-arm springs. This kind of freaked me out.
I decided to charge it with a bikini and got a freezing fright when I first jumped in. It was so weird surfing a heat, as my head was still up in the clouds at 35,000 feet. And on my first wave you could tell—I did the splits straight after standing up. Now I remember why I usually get myself to events a few days earlier.
It was amazing to see all these girls charging solid Pipe. Every one gave it a good go. Honorary wipeout mention on this particular day would have to go to none other than Keala Kennelly though. She was on a bigger board and able to chuck herself over these crazy ledges—sometimes making it and sometimes not. The craziest one she got was this 6-foot heaving backdoor barrel that she just couldn’t get into in time and went head first over. All you could hear were groans from the beach. But she loves this stuff—wipeouts and all. Rochelle Ballard got some late drops at Backdoor and pulled most of them, and Ornella Perizalli and Claire Bevilacqua really impressed me. Both of these girls spent quite a bit of time out there this winter, so it was good to see them charge it.
The next day we walked up and the swell had deteriorated, and it was supposed to get smaller so they quickly started at 8 with the longboard division. Okay, now these girls are crazy! They’re charging these shallow, steep ledges with 9 feet of foam in front of them. All that comes to mind is OMG! I couldn’t even imagine making one of the drops—let alone get barreled and charge Backdoor on a longboard.
One of my best friends from my teen years and someone I started the tour with, Cori Schumacher, was in town as well and it was good to catch up with her. She ended up winning the event and surfed some solid backdoor barrels against the field to come out on top in the Final.
I managed to get through my quarterfinal heat with Bevo, but my semis was pretty wave-starved and I only did one turn, so I had to sit it out and watch the Final. Bevo took control over the groms in the heat from the get-go—and when I say groms I mean Carissa Moore, Laura Enever, and Anastasia Ashley. Claire got every set, every barrel, and just surfed with pure determination and aggressiveness throughout the whole heat. The other girls were pretty quiet until the last five minutes when Carissa Moore started her attack. She pulled into a big Backdoor barrel, but barely squeaked out to get smashed, then ripped a right to shreds. I guess in the end it wasn’t enough.
All in a days work for the girls. I think the event was successful. It’s still pretty grassroots, but it is a step. And hopefully next year we can get some good waves again.
Making a commitment to Rainos Hayes and the 2009 ISA World Junior team representing Hawaii was a bigger job than I could have ever imagined. A few months ago when Rainos asked me to do it, I knew I would have the time free because Layne would compete at Bells and I thought it would be a good opportunity to get my feet wet on the other side of competitive surfing—in the coach’s box. I have been a selfish pro surfer for 14 years now and only had to think about myself while on the road. I don’t think I realized at the time how deep in I was going to get.
I tried to get settled as best as possible with my four roommates, all of which are 15 years old and psyching for the under-18 girls title. The next 12 days would be very interesting. Our room had two sets of bunk beds, and a nod from the girls gave me a solo full-size bed in the middle of a small shoebox room. It was probably about the size of my room at home, except for the two bunk beds and full-size bed inside of it. Oh, and don’t forget the five travel bags, massive amounts of feminine hygiene products, and 12 surfboards accompanying us. This was going to be one eye opener for me. I was a bit scared because I tend to lose my cool sometimes when I don’t have my space. But I guess this was a bit different, as now I was a bona fide role model/team supporter and had to keep morale up, despite tight living quarters. It was healthy for the soul.
Our hotel consisted of four teams, including us. The Germans—which was kind of like having a Hawaiian ski team—the Italians, and the Kiwis. For breakfast we got some instant coffee, which didn’t quite feel like my hard hit of vanilla mac nut from my kitchen, but after a few cups it would do the job. Every morning, Kahea Hart, the assistant men’s coach would stretch the kids and make them wake up, while I sat and watched with my cup of Joe.
After my brekky, I would jump on the big bus, video camera and tripod in hand—man, this was a first. The first couple days I surfed with the girls and got frustrated with the 250 best grommets in the world. I thought it would be a good idea for the girls to see themselves surf a bit. It was gave me more pleasure to film—never thought I would say that!
Ecuador was very hot and humid, even hotter on the beach with no umbrella in hand. So it was my job to scout out the lineup and see how the bank would change with the tides and give my opinion on the best possible peak to surf in any given situation. At the same time, I thought about how detailed and how much energy I was putting into this, I thought maybe the next time I compete I will focus a bit more and use all this to do better myself. It was sort of waking up the competitive sleeper cells in my own mind.
After a long day of surf and sun, dinner was usually high-carb—which wasn’t too great for my low-carb diet. But hey, in Ecuador, I threw my diet out the window—unless I felt like a case of E. coli would be better. Ha-ha. White rice, white pasta, and lettuce which, oooh, I’ll pass on. Team meetings went after dinner and were Rainos’s amazing insight and positive morale boosting speeches. I think 12 days of this and I would be frizzled, frazzled, fried, but I was ready to take on the new task at hand.
This week, I’m in Ecuador for the ISA Quiksilver World Junior Championships. I ended up here because two months ago Rainos Hayes asked me if I would like to coach the girls side of the Hawaii junior team and help with the ladies side of things. He and Kahea Hart run the boys side. Since my year is pretty freed up and I wanted to do some different things, this seemed like the perfect opportunity to give back to this sport that has given me so much.
This event is being held in Salinas, Ecuador. To get here was a mission! Especially with 12 teenagers, three coaches, a few parents, and some long-time supporters of amateur surfing. I’m not used to checking in with so many people, not having my special seat, and being entertained the whole time I travel, basically. It was very different, but a good experience for me.
So, after three five-hour plane rides, mechanical difficulties, and a few layovers, we were finally in Ecuador.
The past few days have been spent prepping the kids for competition. I am mostly just soaking it all in and learning from Rainos and Kahea. Rainos was one of my coaches and Kahea is a very well respected professional surfer with lots of experience and passion for the sport. Heck, both of them have lots of experience and both of them can get tubed better than you on any given day!
These kids are real good though. Some of the best young kids I have ever seen—so polished and mature in their surfing. And they’re all very respectful as well. I was brought along to give a feminine touch to the girls side of things. Our team consists of Alessa Quizon, Malia Manuel, Leila Hurst, and Nage Melamed. I think each one of these girls has the potential to win this event.
The first day here we surfed a little left point—kind of like a big Kewalos to me. But wow, it’s hard to get waves with 250 frothing groms out!
Today was the Parade of Nations.We got all dressed up in mumus and haku leis while the boys wore khaki and kukui nut leis. Everyone represented Hawaii so well. I guess that’s why everyone is here, to make Hawaii look good. We walked about two miles down the beachfront with local Ecuadorians taking pictures and throwing out shakas every 20 feet. It was pretty cool! The town got super into it.
Well, I hope we smash some other keikis on our journey to winning!
Been home for a few days now. It was super refreshing having some surfs with minimal crowds. The other day I had a marathon surf day. The sandbars were fun, so I decided to catch a few and ran into Kanoe Garcia, Kai Garcia’s wife. She had just dropped the kids off at school and got a surf day. That must be so great to have your kids old enough to where you can finally go do the things you love. She was so stoked to be surfing the fun waves. Coco was out as well. Mid-way through the surf we both got so excited to go stand-up paddle surf out at Pupukea. It was kind of solid though, like 3-4 feet, so I was a bit scared.
I really suck at it, but Kanoe was just jamming. Catching lefts, rights, anything in sight. I would have to lie down and paddle out every now and then cause I wasn’t good enough. But I have so much fun with it because it’s so different and hard to me. Haha! It was a blast!
Well, we didn’t kill anyone or didn’t ding the boards, and came in with shaky legs and sore arms. So I guess I got my daily workout in.
But when we came in, Kanoe’s car got ripped off! It really sucks when you get stolen from in your own backyard. What jerks, I was thinking! We had the best day, and then it ended on the worst note.
There is a big problem out here on the North Shore with theft, because of the big drug problem. Our community has tried very hard to clean it up, but I guess right now there is a big problem with break-ins. I heard of quite a few people getting ripped off. So watch your cars, people!
I felt so bad for her. Hopefully they catch whoever did it. If not, I believe in karma—what goes around comes around. Sometimes you have to sacrifice for a good day of waves. I guess she did that. And in the end, hopefully she remembers the good surf and not the robbery.
So the Roxy Pro Gold Coast came to an end. It was so cool to see the whole women’s tour has gone up a couple of levels and everyone’s really putting some flare and mixing it up this year. The Top 18 on the ASP Women’s World Tour are all capable of winning a world title and they’re all looking at the top of their game.
After Steph won the comp, we had a whole lot of fun down at the contest competition site. There were free Coronas to go round, one of the best rights in the world in the background, and celebration to be had! It was pretty great to have beers with three champs like Lisa, Wendy, and Steph. And it was Lisa’s birthday so we were ‘all cheersing her and Steph.
I would also just like to note that the girls are looking so fit—and even the soberest and most focused of them all, Jackie Silva, came down and celebrated! Haha. That was a sight. I was trying to teach Billabong team manager how to drink a cold Corona, but she wasn’t having it—sad excuse for an Aussie I say.
It was nice to catch up with Chelsea as well. She managed to get a babysitter for the evening and we got to catch up and have a nice view of the sunset. She seems focused and I hope she does well this year.
It is so weird competing because I don’t have the same expectations on myself as the other girls. I don’t have to chase points. I can sit back when it’s all done and watch the whole thing go down. I guess when you don’t have certain expectations on yourself it is so different looking at the big picture.
Leaving Australia I just reflected back on the people I hung out with and met and the waves I got. I didn’t think about what I didn’t do, but rather what I gained out of this trip. I gained a sense of respect for these women and what their doing—some of them sponsor-less, some of them with their whole lives in front of them, and some of them 10 years deep, with that small curiosity of what their gonna do next. It is a changing of the guard, a changing of a sport.
I was excited to come home. The only thing I like to do when I get home is sit on my couch and read the newspaper. Home in the islands.
They ran women’s Round 2 through the quarterfinals down at fun, peaky 2- to 4-foot D-bah. I lost my first round so I had to surf in Round 2.
I felt pretty relaxed despite the fact I had a very experienced heat. In the water with me were Bec Woods and Jessie-Miley Dyer. Both girls are very experienced and competitive and good on small beachies. Bec is a good friend of mine, so it’s always funny surfing against your friends. Sometimes they bring out the best in your surfing because they make you feel relaxed. The heat was very slow and all three of us only started riding waves mid-way through. At the end Bec and I got the better of the exchanges and came out on top.
After my heat I watched some amazing surfing to psych up for my next heat. I was to come up against Stephanie Gilmore, current world champ and my absolute favorite female surfer at the moment. Steph and I have had many match-ups, and I think I have only gotten the best of her once out of all the occasions. Ha-ha. So I knew I had to bring my A game and go big.
I watched the first couple of Round 3 match-ups and saw the most progressive, high-performance surfing I have ever seen in women’s surfing. It was awesome. I saw Silvana bust an air and get a perfect 10. I watched Sally Fitzgibbons get two 9.17 rides on her first two waves of her World Tour campaign. Chelsea Hedges came back from having a baby, guns blazing, and was surfing better than anyone. She is on fire right now and it’s good to see her back. Her little baby Meika is running around everywhere and all the girls fight for who gets to hold her. It’s nice to have a baby in the competitor’s area again. Mel Redman Carr had a little one as well last year.
My heat against Steph was hard. I kept falling and going for broke, but that is what you have to do against Steph. We sat like 300 meters apart on totally separate peaks so that was kind of fun. My waves weren’t a match to her high 8s and I just couldn’t put anything together to beat her, so in the end she got the better of me. But I had fun and tried to do some big turns and had fun, so I guess that’s all that mattered. Oh, and I got to surf D-bah with only one other girl out.
The Quiksilver Pro Show had a pretty good lineup this year. They put on this cool concert with up and coming bands and as a competitor we got to go for free. It was pretty neat. I really enjoyed watching the lead singer from the beautiful girls cause I liked his style of music and voice. There were a couple of rock bands. Amee went into the mosh pit, but I wussed out because I had slippers on. Then the last band I watched was a Kiwi band because we were there with Kiwis and they were frothing on their fellow countrymen singers.All in all, it was cool to see some talented bands for free and groove next to pumping D-bah into the night.
Stradbroke Island is always the place to go when the waves are small and you just want to get away from the crowds. After being in Oz for a week, Lisa was getting especially overwhelmed by the crazy crowds and wanted to have a little adventure away from the surf scene. So when Paige Hareb invited us to go to Straddie on a boat she hooked up with Queensland Surf Charters Guide Bill Morrison—an opportunity not to have to paddle the channel—we were amped.
The waves weren’t big, but it was peaky 2- to 4-foot A-frames with only a handful of guys. Young Aussie surfer Ellie-Jean Coffee’s dad was doing whip-its with us. Bec, Lisa, and I were a bit mellow and not taking advantage of it too much because we knew how sore you get. But the grommet Paige towed in for about two hours and we were all laughing because we knew how sore she was gonna be—haha, grommets. But she did a couple of sick airs with the speed. We went to the island, had some lunch, and then went back out. The surf got glassier and a little bigger, and the second session was even more fun. The only problem with Straddie is that you have to put sunscreen on or else you will absolutely fry.
Lisa and I thought we were invincible and paid for it at the end of the day. I don’t think I have ever been that burnt in my life. Just before we left, the water police came and gave us a warning because we weren’t supposed to be doing tow-ins. All in a days work!
Back to the crowds of Snapper and D-bah.
On the first lay day of the Roxy Pro, I went down to Byron Bay for the Sunday markets. I don’t particularly like markets, but a little Byron Bay on a Sunday mixed with the markets sounded very interesting to me, so decided to give it a go and head an hour south of the Goldie.
A few of the girls decided to join in the trek: Lee-Ann Curren, Rosie Hodge, Amee Donoho,e and Nikita Robb. Lucky for me, I was just a passenger—Amee Donohoe’s dad drove the whole way, so I just checked out the rolling hills. The Byron Bay markets were bustling with people, music, food, and plenty of patchouli in the air. My first stop was the Mexican burrito truck. I have been away from home for about 10 days now and just had to stop for a brekky burrito. I have to say, it was the best egg burrito outside of California I have ever tasted. It was just weird when the guy handed it to me in an Aussie accent and said, “G’day, mate.” Haha. I wandered the aisles and saw so many cool things I would have bought, if not for the 10-hour plane ride home and customs. But I managed to buy a couple of cool Aussie products: freshly made Byron Bay lemongrass soaps and a cool homemade handbag. Markets are tough for me because I don’t know how to barter, and I don’t really like shopping. At least when I go to a mall there is air con. But these markets were different because when I got bored I would just wander over to the nearest musical act and listen to African drumming, a Partridge family-like band, or didgeridoo player. I almost bought a drum set, but opted not to. I don’t think Lisa would have liked the loud banging. Haha.
After the markets we ventured into the main street. The only destination I had in mind was the Top Pub. I love to people-watch and have a cold Aussie beer. This pub is infamous around these parts of Australia. People come straight in from the surf, boardies still wet, sand on the feet, and salt in the hair, and say “Can I have a schooner of New please?” There are no signs that say shoes required. There are people everywhere at all times of the day. We sat on a little corner table and just soaked it all in. Sundays in Australia are days to drink and be merry. In America, it’s a day of rest because all we can think of is work the next day. But Aussies are like, “Nah, this is our day of rest.” Everyone is out having lunch and drinks and kind of dressed up. You especially see large groups of girls chatting away. After some good people-watching and a beer we headed back to the Goldie for a rest. We may surf tomorrow so I wanted to be rested up and ready to go. Good night from down Unda.
So I have been in oz for a week now and it is always so surreal coming here. This country is just so surfer friendly. It has the only airline in the world that doesn’t charge you a cent for your surfboards and there is a pub on every amazing surf break along the entire coast. For instance, you can sit at the Snapper Surf Lifesaving Club and have your favorite schooner and watch the sunset and 400 surfers fighting it out on one of the world’s longest right-hand pointbreaks.The only buildings that are even really allowed on the beach are these surf lifesaving clubs. It is a surfer’s paradise really, and from my room I can see the actual Surfers Paradise.
My first week here I have spent hanging with Paige Hareb, World Tour rookie from New Zealand, and some of her Kiwi mates. They are funny and half the time I don’t understand a word their saying. All good, I just nod and say yes. Haha. One day Jessie Miley-Dyer came up and threw their little kiwi bird into the fan and they politely opened the door to escort her out. I think that the Aussies and Kiwis have a bit of a rivalry. Then I spent a couple days hanging with veteran surfer on the World Tour, Amee Donohoe. She seems real focused and ready to challenge this new crop of women surfers and super relaxed just having spent a couple months at home.
The weather has been amazing and warm, the water looks like a swimming pool, and if you’re really keen, you can get five surfs in a day. But that’s if you’re a total grommet. I went for three surfs before 2 today and I am about ready to keel over.The only bad thing about this warm water and hot weather is that I think it attracts sea lice and they are horrible little creatures. They sting you all over and itch, itch, itch. They distract me from these perfect little Snapper peaks and the other day I even had to go in because my neck got so bit up.
The sun has been absolutely scorching and several layers of sunscreen and a bottle of zinc have gone since I have been in Oz. If you made a good sunscreen, you would get rich in Oz, cause everybody wears tons of it here. It’s crazy because Aussies are so fair-skinned and because we pollute the air so much up in the Northern Hemisphere, they have to deal with the huge hole over the ozone layer, and they get the most fried.Poor little fair-skinned Aussies. Man, I feel for them.
I’m such a morning person so it’s great here.Lisa Andersen is my roommate and she is the biggest coffee-frother/early-bird I know. The only person in the world I know that wakes up earlier than me. I wake up and she has the fresh brew going. I make the eggs and we hit the waves. I haven’t stayed with Lisa since 2000. We were reminiscing about how time flies and she was tripping on the fact that she hasn’t been to Oz in four years. It’s kind of crazy going anywhere with Lisa because she is such an icon in women’s surfing. She just turns heads and has that kind of charisma that people just love. I have been filling her in on all the new talent and how things have changed. It has been great though to be able to catch up with Lisa and see how passionate she is about surfing and to be able to pick her brain and just hear her point of view on so many issues and so many things, because she literally helped—if not whole heartedly changed—the way every woman from my generation and beyond sees women’s surfing. We all owe such a great deal to her. But because she is so humble she makes you want to walk up to her and just have a beer with her. She doesn’t ask for any praise or any gratitude; she just wants to check it all out and see how things have changed and just smile and ride her little 5’4” Pod. It makes me happy to know that is what life can be like after the jersey and to remember at the end of the day she is just a surfer, we’re all surfers, and that is what we love.
Last night we all got dolled up for the ASP Awards Banquet. It is always so fun to dress up and put loads of jewelry and make up on. It is an excuse to not look like a surfer chick and try to look like a Hollywood actress or something. They even have this funny little blue carpet thing. Lisa and I had a couple glasses of champagne then headed over to Bec Woods’ place and got ready with the rest of the girls. Everyone looked too great and fancy. We polished off some good bottles of champagne in the limo ride there and stepped out of the limo ready for action. It was good to pay respects to all the champions. I was super glad to watch my friend Bonga Perkins win the World Longboard title. I grew up with him and I am so proud of him. It was cool that in his speech he mentioned age and how getting older is sometimes better—ha! That made me smile. It was my 15th banquet and they all start blending in, so I try to remember little things. I liked Dane Reynolds’ simple funny speech, I thought Sally spoke very poised for such a young woman, and Bugs always gives the great Bugs speeches. Haha. All in all it was a good night, lights out early as the comp starts the day after tomorrow.
Well its looking like minimal Swell for snapper the next couple of days, so rumor has it the amazing bank at D-bah could welcome us. Well I’m off to watch another amazing sunset. See ya tomoz! Every day I’m in this country my Aussie slang comes further and further into play.Yeoww.
The New Year can bring much change for people, it can give us a sense of hope and it can give us a start at new goals we aspire to reach. I am starting 2009 off with a very big change to my life and I’m a little bit scared, a little bit excited, and very open-eyed, with absolutely no idea where my surfing and travels will take me. For the first time since 1998, I am no longer a full-time ASP World Tour surfer. I started full-time competition on the ASP World Tour in 1995 at the age of 17 because we didn’t have a junior series, so you just kind of jumped straight into the big leagues. Since then, I have had an amazing career and have been a part of such a talented group of women that I will forever see as having changed the sport to what it is today. When I was a grom, I had a heat with Rell Sunn that I will never forget. I was able to surf woman vs. woman heats with the best of them—legends that include Lisa Andersen, Pauline Menczer, Jodie Cooper, Pam Burridge, Neridah Falconer, and Frieda Zamba. Not to mention my peers and my generation that pushed me through to be a better surfer.
And these past few years I was able to surf with this crazy new generation of female surfers that will take women’s surfing to new heights. I have been surfing and gallivanting around with Coco Ho, the new addition to the women’s world tour. We have been training a bit together and surfing when its not 25 feet. Ha-ha. It is great to see her grow up and make the tour. She is going to turn some serious heads on tour this year and I wish her the best of luck.
For now, Hawaii is where it’s at for me. I’m enjoying the big winter swells and the nice, cool weather. It’s been a nice time to catch up with friends and family. We had some great days at Rocky Point before the big swells came, and I was pretty surfed out. I love surfing out there with all the boys and everyone is just heckling and pushing each other. Home is so good this time of the year.
So I go into 2009 with a fresh sense of focus and a new set of goals for myself. Who knows where the world will take me, but right now I just kind of want to go where the wind blows and go where the waves are good. So join me this year in my global adventure around the world. As I am the first seed replacement due to Layne Beachley’s semi-retirement you will see me at a few ASP events. I may do a qualifying event or two at home, because I still have a bit of fire inside. But most of all, I am given the opportunity to chase good waves around the world with a fresh set of eyes. I no longer have to pack the grovel board if I don’t want to. I think after 13 full-time competitive years of chasing a world title and points it’s a nice time for me to sit back and let it all unfold, appreciate surfing in its purest form, and be able to ride different boards, draw different lines, and just have fun—instead of always thinking what will get me more points or who I am competing against. It gives me the opportunity to meet new people and challenge myself in other ways. I recently have acquired quite a quiver of different types of boards and am going to pack them in my board bag for my first trip Down Under to Australia. I will be competing on the Gold Coast first up for the Roxy Pro and then going on a road adventure and seeing where the road will take me. Armed with a video camera and still camera (which my skills are pretty amateur), I am going to try to let you see my world as I see it. It’s so exciting to me to be able to document my life to you wherever it may be.
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