"off-the-top"

The expected south swell was late in coming, and since no surf was expected to come for some time, we decided to catch some pre-weekend action. Dawned it to Diamond Head Lighthouse in hopes of something.

Surf was pretty consistent in the morning, but very crossed up and peaky. Sets were overhead, but the direction wasn’t so good, shutting down across the reef. Winds were firm and sideshore.

I was floundering in the beginning, just falling and wiping out on my tank for no reason at all. I felt like a donkey out there.

At least I got a chance to enjoy the scenery. As the sun rose, it cast a nice aura of colors through the clouds. However, the moment was fleeting, because the sun quickly lit up the sky, losing the hues it once shed.

As soon as some others came out, for some reason my surfing started to click. Must be an internal will to perform better in front of others. I caught some fun walls, making sections and even turning pretty good.

On one set, I recall taking off outside on a set, had a small-kine bottom turn, then trimmed for the inside section, standing fully upright. Out of nowhere, the wave jacked and dropped out from under me as it felt the inside reef. For a short moment, I went weightless, before reconnecting with the wave. It was seemingly a minor occurrence, but I still found myself hooting out loud.

Later on, I caught one wave and did a good turn on it. Just one maneuver, but in that time, I actually felt like I had complete control over the board--something that I don't feel all too often. It felt good.

The waves dwindled and the crowd increased as the morning progressed. After two hours, I was satiated and headed for work, at ease with myself.

When you think about it, our cherished surf memories are just moments captured in our minds. It doesn’t have to be outrageous or life-threatening. Sometimes the greatest moments are just a beautiful scene, an unexpected sensation or a feeling of control. Such is the beauty of our sport.

Aloha from Paradise,