The guy with the big yellow board (Brian) was scoring at Himas

Date: December 8, 2004
Time: 0900 -- 1030
Spot(s): Himalayas
Conditions: Light SW to southerly winds, half dozen of us spread across the lineup
Swell: Bit from the west, but most from the NNW
Surf: 6-8' Haw'n (fairly soft)

Words: Took off a half day to partake in some big stuff. Surf did not look too appealing early on (kind of big and unruly), so I decided to check out Pipeline. It was the opening day of the waiting period for the Pipeline Masters, and they ran the trials in some pretty sketchy conditions. There was a mix of west and NNW swells popping up and the sand just wasn't groomed yet.

Guys were getting blasted on the inside and some heat scores were unusually low. However, later on I watched the finals (via Webcast) go off in sweet, glassy conditions.

After talking story and taking lots of pictures, I hooked up with Buddy, Liam, and Kelly at Himalayas. Other than Pipe and maybe Sunset, seemed like Himas was the only other game in town. Some guys were towing way outside, but left well before we hit the lineup.

I was really fortunate to dial into this sweet double-wave that lined up all the way inside (maybe a couple hundred yards). I took a very conservative straight line, doing these massive chop-hops on my bodyboard. Despite the lack of any high performance moves (or even low performance moves) the speed and power alone was satisfying.

The waves were kind of tricky with a north push that didn't create that typical focused bowl. However, there was an occasional big peak that rolled in and combined with other swells to make some sweet walls. I'm not complaining because I tagged a few of them despite being (or maybe because riding) on a bodyboard.

The session was not without folly though. On one of my rides, the bounce was so severe that I clipped my "boto" against my board, sending a sharp pain through my groin. You learn to deal with these things when you bodyboard.

Was really nice talking story with the friends in the lineup. (Speaking of which, the "lineup" out there is difficult to gauge because you are so damned far outside.) All the guys are regulars on Buddy's bulletin board, so they are all like old friends.

Came in after only an hour and a half, but felt good as I headed for work after my mountain climbing expedition.

Aloha from Paradise,

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