Kanoa Dahlin avoids all the flotsam and jetsam

The swell that graced our islands the past few days maintained its strength a bit longer than expected. I had scheduled a car repair a week earlier without prior anticipation, but I wasn't complaining.

After dropping off my car in the morning, I walked about a mile to Magic Island and entered the fray at Bowls. The surf just wasn't quite coming in there, but it still was pretty sweet.

It was a little over four feet (Haw'n) on the infrequent sets. The waves were mostly too fast to make from the first peak, so the heavies were sitting on the shoulder, including my good friend Dale Sabate.

I could not catch anything worth mentioning from the channel peak, so I tried my luck at the 1st. Although I took lots of closeouts, I did catch a mid-sized set and made it all the way through. Pretty fun.

However, I had to meet Buddy at Big Rights at 9:00, so I left for the long swim west. Tried out a few of the spots along the way, but purposely rode lefts to minimize my paddle time.

Finally got to Big Rights and found the crowd immense and intense. The swell seemed to be funneling in there nicely, which of course, attracted the best of the best. Three water photogs only added to the frenetic lineup.

Local ripper Ronnie Yamada got this set wave that just wedged radically. Everyone was howling after the ride, including the photographers. Look for that one in a surf mag in the near future.

Others who were going off included: Kanoa Dahlin (longboard extraordinaire) and Kahea Hart (master tuberider and Buddy's drop-in buddy).

Speaking of the Budster, he had an uncharacteristic awkward session, feeling the pressure of the crowd and cameras. Still, he managed to snag a few deep cover-ups and big snaps.

The bummer of the day, however, was when he lost his disposable cam after getting blasted by a big set. I think he had a shot of me mid-ride on a ten second, six-foot barrel--not! Seriously, it was a real bummer because it not only had the day's session, but pics from his epic Sunday afternoon sesh as well. We spent quite a bit of time looking for it on the inside to no avail.

As for me, being on a sponge and of inferior skills, I knew I would be barred from the rights, so I focused my attention on the undesirable closeout lefts. They were mostly good for a nice takeoff, a couple of pumps, and a deft pullout. Getting caught inside was not an option, since there was no channel whatsoever on that side.

Although a bit inconsistent some very large sets poured through, some topping six feet Haw'n. Kanoa got a wicked tube with the characteristic light green-blue, milky walls. I still have the image locked in my memory banks--I stored it there just before I got ragdolled by the set.

Came in after four hours, sans Buddy's camera. The crowd put a damper on the session, but we made the most of the situation.

As for my car repair? Well, anyone interested in buying a used Honda Civic? Cheap!

Aloha from Paradise,