My Early Days: Session 0. Summer/Fall 2001

Yesterday, I was talking to a friend and he said there are some people who cannot restore files from the Timemachine. Well, I tried it this morning and my earliest backup was from April 2004. But guess what I have found - a backup of my original CultureWave.com -- Later became Stokemster.com web site.

For the next several posts, I will begin posting copies from the old site.

Session 0, 2001

By a friends suggestion, I bought a 7'0 NEV gun shape thruster board with 3 fixed FCS fins (I did not know what kind I got until 2002). Took this out a few times, I could not paddle well, and it was every scary to the point that I could not paddle in when I was not confident.

Later in September, went to Richard Schmidt in Santa Cruz and took a beginner lesson, and I was able to catch and stand up with a push from an instructor on a 10 ft Doyle foam board. This gave me a confidence that I was using a wrong size board to start with. In fact I was so lucky that I even did a top turn and stayed on the wave face all the way from the 41st to the Shark's Cove, a good 30-40 second ride. This was one of the happiest moment in my surfing memory. 

StokeMaster's Guide to Maui (2005)

A bit  old but still a great deal of information that has to be preserved permanently on my blog.

StokeMaster’s Guide to Maui Surfing
Updated 25 October 2005

Keywords: Maui Guide, Maui Travel, Maui Food, Maui Lodging, Maui Surfing

This guide is prepared for beginner to intermediate level surfers. Maui is known for epic waves in the winter, but that’s when expert surfers are talking. As usual there are “rest of the surfers” whose goal is to enjoy surfing at a bit more mellow and relaxing level than going after monster waves or fast waves to be discovered by a surfing magazine etc.

Where to Stay:

It looks like the best deals are in Kihei and if you can group a few people together for a week or more, a vacation rental should be the way to go. Another area where there are a lot of vacation rentals is a bit north of Kaanapali, called Kahana.

Wailuku might also be a good choice as it is centrally located to visit both Kihei and Lahanina, and there are some less expensive hotels in town. Wailuku looks more like an old gold rush town in California and there are a lot of historical buildings and also many inexpensive restaurants in this and Kahului area. Some parts of this town looks a bit rough so be prepared.

There are many different deals and price seem to vary quite a bit depending on who you ask (on the Internet) even for the same date and the same property, so be sure to shop around using your Internet search engine as a tool.

Overall Surfing Situations

You have heard about Honolua Bay and Hookipa, or The Jaws. You can find out about them in most surfing web sites. But they are mainly for experts who can safely surf 2 or 3 times overhead fast waves.

For beginners and intermediate surfers, I recommend going to Kalama Beach Park (the locals call this The Cove) in Kihei if you are staying in Kihei or Wailea. If you are staying in Lahaina or Kaanapali then the Lahaina Breakwater and several beach parks south of it is the best.

There are numerous breaks on the way from the Kahului airport to Lahaina along the route 30. Since the shores are protected with the corral reef, the road hugs the beach and often you just park, and within 20 steps you’d be in the water. As you go up north from the Kahului airport, you will go through a short tunnel. After this tunnel to Lahaina are series of beaches, and if you find a break you like, just stop the car, and go surfing. Some are fully maintained with a parking lot and a shower; others are still maintained with at least some portable toilets.

Once you hit the first sign that says the town of Lahaina, turn left at Shaw street then turn right at the Front street. The first public beach access lot is where you take off for surfing at the Lahaina Breakwater. The shower is kind of hidden in front of the hotel/restaurant building so look for it.

Often overlooked is Kanaha (and not Kahana) Beach Park just north of the airport. This is actually popular with beginner wind surfers polishing the skills to go to The popular Ho’okipa. Also speaking of that on the way to Ho’okipa is the Baldwin Beach Park. Be sure to check this spot out when there are some N swells coming in.

For more information about beaches in Maui a local FM radio station KPOA has an excellent web resource athttp://www.kpoa.com/parks/beaches.shtml

Some caution should be exercised when surfing in Hawai’i or most other tropical islands. Maui, and probably in Hawai’i in general have volcanic rock, coral or the mixture of both. They are razor sharp and just brushing over them can cause very deep wound. I did not believe this first, but sure enough I got a deep cut on the second day of my trip and after two weeks, it is not completely healed. Probably a good idea to bring some first-aid kit with you, as it is most likely that you get a nick or cut. As a surfer not familiar with the bottom of the water, I suggest you at least wear booties for the first few sessions at a new location. Also some of these rocks to protrude almost up to the surface level so watch out for not being caught (your center fin or the board) in those. You could tumble forward then you and you board both might get a deep gash.

I was there in September when the swells were really low, but the quality of breaks are great as at most locations you paddle out several hundred yards in the water where breaks occur then you can ride some of those almost all the way to the shore. Again, when you have finished with your rides, do not jump in the water to stop. Just sit on the board and wait for it to stop or if you are a bit better do a final kick out by turning the board back toward the ocean. When you are about to wipe out, hang on to the board so that you don’t hit the bottom of the water where the razor sharp objects await you.

Locals are very friendly even though they look all sun tanned and tough looking in Maui, but some are very serious about the sport so you may get some advice from where you should be paddling out. As with all surfing sessions in new locals, wear a lot of smile and when paddling by a surfer, a simple greeting of “Hi” or “Good morning” will tell them that you mean no harm. Also, they often ask you if you will be taking a wave. If I am asked, I usually return the favor by “No, please take it, it’s all yours!” then I will watch where they go, and on the next break I will try to go to the same place.

Note that where they paddle back. Locals almost always paddle around. You can almost always tell locals from tourists by looking at how they paddle back.

Renting the Board

For the amount of the trouble of carrying your boards from the main land, you might just rent it and return it when you are leaving. You can rent high quality short and long boards. Of course, you can bring them and I have seen people carrying 4 or 5 long boards at the airport.

Most rentals in Maui are SofTOP boards. Foamy boards are actually rare here. You can rent them at Kalama Beach Park or at the Lahaina Breakwater right at the beach. They also offer lessons at the same locations. If you are into higher performance board, many surf shops in the area offers rental boards. I was very pleased with Hi Tech Surf Shop in Kahului where they can rent anywhere from short boards to long boards. All are high-end epoxy boards including JC, South Point, McTavish. At this time of writing a $20 (a going daily rate island wide) a day package consists of a board bag, leash, the first stick of wax, and the board. Many other places including snorkel rental or even SCUBA rental places have boards so you could ask around. If you rent from these beach front places, they have already pulled out the side fins and also put in a soft Surfco center fins. This might cause a performance issue. If you want to rent short boards, above mentioned shop or other specialized surf shops in Kahului are your best bets.

Spending Money

Be prepared as Hawai’i in general, you will need to pay a bit to a lot more than your counter part in the main land. But with some strategy you can do well. Also, keep in mind that as a visitor you are supporting their economy, so when you feel you’ve spent a bit more money, well, think that you have helped someone in the island.

Sales tax there is fairly low at the time of writing, compared to say in San Francisco (8.25%). But hotel stays are heavily taxed. We were slapped with $25 a day tax staying at a major chain hotel resort. This can add up.

Eating

As a resort destination, there are a lot of restaurants and bars out there and many are tourist places. At one place, I have seen a dinner plate costing close to $40 while you enjoy a view of a condo complex construction site with cranes and plywood fences. Then you can also enjoy a bowl of Saimin or plate of Yakisoba for no more than $6.00 a plate. You can get away paying $6 or $7 for a burrito with a soft drink in the main land and in Lahaina it is about $10 from a taco stand.

Picnic and BBQ option: On most of the state run beach parks they provide BBQ pits or stands, and many locals do use these facilities to cook dinners even on work days. So you probably pick up some charcoal and some meat. It is warm and nice out so you can really have fun BBQ. Some locals are also happy to share the food with you.

There are many Safeway supermarkets, and also we liked Food Land in Kihei. If you go there be sure to ask for the member card which is free.

Some Places We Have Tried:

On our second trip to Maui (just returned home on Sept 10) we aimed to skip most of the expensive places and eat more locally, focusing mainly on ethnic eats in Kihei, Wailuku, Kahului, and Upcountry. Here's a report:

Tokyo Tei ($) - 1063 E. Lower Main Street - Wailuku
Great homestyle Japanese food, specializing in tempura and teishoku meals. No sushi. Housed in a funky medical building with doctor's offices and hostess bars. The whole Lower Main Street area has some very intriguing places.

Wei Wei BBQ and Noodle House ($) - 210 Imi Kala St. - Wailuku
Good mix of Cantonese BBQ, Japanese and Hawaiian. Tasty BBQ pork.

Tasty Crust ($) - 1770 Mill Street - Wailuku
Famous for hotcakes (served since 1944) but also open for lunch and dinner. We had a cheap, good breakfast there. Full of locals and wonderfully authetic diner atmosphere.

Who'd the Boss? ($$) 2051 Main Street - Wailuku
Reasonably priced island cuisine bistro with nice fish dishes.

Polli's ($$) - 1202 Makawao Ave - Makawao
Excellent, reasonable, fresh Mexican cantina fare with a pleasant atmosphere. The outside sign says “Come in and eat or we’ll both starve”

Makawao Steak House ($$$) - 3612 Baldwin Avenue - Makawao
Overpriced for just okay steak and rather amateurish service. Not recommended. They have a tea room that serves high tea, which looks nice but we did not go.

Hali'imaile General Store ($$$) - 900 Hali'imaile Road - Hali'imaile (Upcountry)
Had an excellent lunch at this place, which could be called a Hawaiian Chez Panisse, with its emphasis on fresh local produce and innovative cuisine. Nice wine list. Will definitely go back here. Lovely atmosphere. Not cheap but not outrageous. Website: www.HaliimaileGeneralStore.com

Aroma D'Italia Ristorante ($$$) - 1881 S. Kihei Rd - Kihei
Decent, reasonably priced Italian with good homemade meatballs.

Vietnamese Cuisine ($) - 1280 S. Kihei Rd - Kihei
Good, reasonably priced Vietnamese. Good soups.

KKO (Kaui Ku Ono) ($$$) - 2511 S. Kihei Rd - Kihei
It has the fresh fish, the sunset views, nice outdoor seating, competent friendly service, all for reasonable prices.

Horhito's ($$) - 41 East Lipoa St - Kihei
Innovative Mexican cuisine at reasonable prices with an emphasis on fish dishes. Cantina decor with Mexican antiques, murals, and twinkling lights. A nice find.

Hanafuda Saimin ($) - Azeka Mall - 1279 S. Kihei Rd - Kihei
Finally I got to taste saimin and I was not disappointed. Noodles are a lot like ramen and the broth is like some Cantonese won ton soup base with Cantonese-style BBQ pork. Also serves sandwiches and assorted plate lunches. Highly recommended.

Canton Chef ($$) - Kamaole Shopping Center - 2463 S. Kihei Rd - Kihei
Tasty Chinese cuisine at reasonable prices.

China Boat ($ lunch special, $$ dinner) - 4474 Honopiilani Road - Kahana
Very good Chinese food with an emphasis on seafood.

Food Court in Maui Marketplace ($) - 270 Dairy Rd - Kahului
Any restaurant here is probably a good bet for tasty, cheap eats. I had a great chicken plate lunch at the Vietnamese place and my husband had a good pho. L&L Plate lunch place is also here as well as Fernando's Mexican and a Chinese place. Was packed with locals on the weekend.

Roy's Kahana Bar and Grill ($$$$) - Kahana Gateway Shopping Center
A good friend's sister-in-law works here so we paid a visit. We'd been to Roy's in Spanish Bay (Monterey, CA) and knew the food would be good and it did not disappoint. High prices but high quality for Roy Yamaguchi's famous Hawaiian/European/Japanese fusion cuisine. My husband had a unique sake tasting menu. Dramatic atmosphere with 40-foot ceilings but no view.
Excellent, professional service and nice wine list.

Now You are Back in Bay Area and Miss The Taste of Hawai'i
Here are the branches of some of the very restaurants you have enjoyed while you are in Maui.
L&L Hawaiian Barbecue:

Daly City(Mission St. & Citrus Ave.)Mission Plaza Shopping Center6893 Mission St.Daly City, CA 94014
Phone: (650) 756-7188
Fax: (650) 756-7388
http://www.hawaiianbarbecue.com/

Hawaiian Drive Inn
50 San Pedro Road (near Mission Street), Daly City, CA 94014 (650) 997-0887
24251 Hesperian Blvd. (near Southland Drive), Hayward, CA 94545 (510) 781-4886
711 El Camino Real (between Broadway and Brewster Avenue), Redwood City, CA (650) 369-0396
4827 Mission Street (at Onandaga Street), San Francisco, CA 94112 (415) 586-9382
128 Hazelwood Drive, South San Francisco, CA 94080 (650) 871-2836
3730 Sonoma Blvd. (in Longs Shopping Center), Vallejo, CA 94589 (707) 643-8883
http://www.hawaiiandriveinn.com/location.htm

Hukilau
642 Ramona Street (1 1/2 blocks south of University Avenue)
Palo Alto, CA 94301
(650) 329-9533
5 Masonic Avenue (Southwest corner of Masonic Avenue and Geary Blvd.)
San Francisco, CA 94118
(415) 921-6242
230 Jackson Street (between 5th and 6th Streets in Japantown)
San Jose, CA 95112
(408) 279-4888
Al Omoto, Kurt Osaki, and Eric Tao
Hukilau serves Island-style food and cocktails. Drink specials for women are available on Wednesdays (Wahine Wednesdays), live music can be heard on Fridays (Aloha Fridays), and brunch is served on Saturdays and Sundays.
http://www.dahukilau.com/

J & J Hawaiian Barbecue
1170 - 1180 Alma Street
Menlo Park, CA 94025
(650) 323-6137, FAX (650) 323-6203
Daily: 10:00 am - 9:00 pm
Also

Linda Mar Shopping Center in Pacifica and other locations in the Bay Area

J & J Hawaiian Barbecue opened in February 2004. Island-style plates (e. g. barbecue beef, chicken, & short ribs; chicken katsu; loco moco; and mahi mahi) are served in two sizes. A kalua pig plate, saimin, musubi, and Chinese food are also available.

http://www.jandjhawaiianbbq.com/pages/1/index.htm
Da Kitchen
1477 Plymouth Street, Unit #E (near Century Cinemas 16 on Shoreline Blvd.)
Mountain View, CA 94043
(650) 960-6906, FAX (650) 960-6926
Sun: Closed
Mon - Fri: 11:00 am - 7:00 pm
Sat: 11:00 am - 3:00 pm
Da Kitchen began with two restaurants on Maui (Kahului and Kihei) and opened the Mountain View restaurant in early 2004. Island-style plate lunches (e. g. teriyaki chicken, teriyaki beef, loco moco, and chicken katsu) are served along with rice bowls, wraps, sandwiches, and salads.s 

If You Go Leash-Less, You Should Assume All Your Responsibilities

A Guy wipes out right in front of me, and the surfboard comes right at me. Obviously he was not wearing a leash. 

That in of itself is fine by me. I was not hurt. If I could have the confidence, I would do that also.

But the guy on the way to his lost board said why I did not catch it for him.  If I was him, I would not have thought of asking.

Well, I could have caught it, actually, if I saw the leash snap or would be in otherwise more dangerous condition. But obviously he was surfing without the leash and it was a small surf day. So I did not catch it for him. 

Because it is part of the deal, if you lose a board and if you chose not to wear the leash you go get it. 

Surfing, for me, is a kind of sport that you as an individual have to take the whole responsibility from the time paddling out to coming in, and that makes it even more of a discipline to become a level of confident surfer who can do so at all times (or knowing when not to get out.)

The most challenging part of surfing is taking off!

Note, I wrote this note on my NEO Alphasmart and in around 2006, and it was still not posted.
I will assume this is about August 2006... Today in June 7, 2015.

At this point in my surfing, I still find taking off the most challenging part of surfing. Obviously without a good take off, there is no surfing. As the skill level goes up, so is the willingness to take either bigger of faster waves. For me the main focus is to catch faster and hollower waves because there are a lot of those in my home breaks, and also when I do catch them they are much more thrilling. Also in these types of waves, it is often good to take off at an angle, as when you take the route of going down straight the wave is already closed down and not riding the shoulder.

And to do this, what I need is the seer paddling strength, and that's where I have realized was finally starting to build up; instead of paddling evenly on both hands, I now paddle harder on one arm to steer the board in the direction I want.

WavLOG is Back on the Blogger

Well, the time has changed.

I have given up on maintaining my own web site and technology. I have enough other things to do both at work, at surf and at music.

Google has been doing a great job of maintaining and updating the Blogger with better features, more sharing capabilities ever. So why not let them take care of me, and I'd focus on what matters the most -- the contents.

So there we go. I am back on the Blogger.

See you again soon!

On To My Own Site

On To New Surf.Stokemaster.Com




I will be updating the stuff on all new WaveLog II at my own new web site moving forward. URL is http://surf.stokemaster.com  The web site uses the same software as Huffington Post and The Onion!

Summer 2010 Recap

WavLOG

Summer 2010 Recap

Just about every local in Half Moon Bay I surf with seem to agree that this summer was a bust.

Jogging my memory, there were two factors that mainly contributed to this.

• The lack of strong onshore winds in the afternoon.
• The lack of south swells.

You probably say that the lack of strong onshore wind condition is a good thing in our area. I think that in a very selfish way, it is because, yes the onshore winds tend to ruin the surf locally. However, the general lack of this means that we also did not have much high-pressure induced waves. Around this time of the year, most of the local source of the waves starts off the coast of Mendocino, and a few days of winds, we get decent NW swells, like 8 seconds 5-10 feet which will give some fun waves in Linda Mar and other spots.

The South swells also have been not very active until this week. This summer I have not been surfing at the Jetty in Half Moon Bay (nor Santa Cruz) because there simply was not much south swells. This means that there has not been sever winter swells in the Southern hemisphere.

Hopefully this is not the start of a long time weather pattern.

StokeTIP 55: Go See Local Surf Flicks

Novice StokeTIP 55

Go See Local Surf Flicks

Here in Northern and Central California almost all of us surfers have surfed in Santa Cruz at least once, if not once a month, or every day. The quality of the waves is almost always better than my home breaks in Half Moon Bay and from novice friendly Cowells to highly competetive Hook and the Lane, the place has a lot to offer and further up the coast we got Mavericks break right in my home town of Half Moon Bay.

As you surf more and become familiar with surfing, you will start hearing about "The West Side" and "The East Side." And sooner or later you will become failiar with surfer names like "Flea", "Ratboy" and "Barney." Even if you don't want to hear about them, you will hear about them on local regular news-talk radios and in the front-pages of San Francisco Chronicle or San Jose Mercury news. In many ways, California and surfing are part of our daily life; everyone is influenced by it from the slang we use to what we wear even to work!

As you surf more in Santa Cruz, you will also get to know about the "West side" and "East side" surfing culture you will learn that they often crash, even sometime to the point of physically being violent. So it has always been curious in mind how these different cultures come about.

And of course these things being as culture they invlove people, and every so often our own surfing communities has produced great surfing documentary movies that are prouced often by the very people who grew up within.

Such is the case with the new upcoming documentary film "The Westsiders." The film was produced by Joshua Pomer who grew up with the big 3 names in Santa Cruz West Side surfing scene. Joshua got a hold of portable video camera from his high school and started to shoot videos of his surfing friends and so he knew right from the start to some day tell the story about what it is like to grow up with top surfers and being immersed in the scene. Also very important in the formation of the culture is one dominating character, Vince "The Godfather" Coller who pretty much controlled The Lane and for good or bad, he was the key part of creating the force in the Westside culture to put these surfers and Santa Cruz Stemer Lane on the map. Like a Big Bang, the melting of all forces have created some of the darkest part of the surf culture as well as some of the brightest and innovative breakthoughs in surfing like legitimizing aerials as a surf move and even surfing upside-down inside a barrell and of course the big wave surfing.

The movie is a serious and important documentary about Santa Cruz surfing culture and the history of the West Side. It is a nice and intentional departure from "just surf" type movies where you only see people surfing on the waves for an hour, and it really provides a deeper look inside how it is to grow up in the environment. Interviews include numerous people from the surfing community and partents. Jason has also used his networks of friends to collect interesting home movie clips from the 60's and 70's. Because of this approach the movie can be enjoyed by both surfers and as well as non-surfers.

My words are not going to be adequate to describe all what I have expeirenced at the preview, but one thing for sure, you being a part of the surfing culture today, you must go see this and many other surfing documentary movies produced by our very own local film makers who also surf.

The movie was selected and premiers at the Newport Beach Film Fetival on April 24th, 2010 and shown at the Santa Cruz Film Festival on Saturday 5/8 at 6:30 PM (More information about the Santa Cruz Film Festival)

For more information about the movie, here are additional web sites you can try:

www.nbffaction.com

www.thewestsiders.com

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=63949915605&ref=ts

http://www.twitter.com/TheWestsiders

http://www.youtube.com/user/westsidersmovie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvPReLc90c8

StokeTIP 54: The Importance of a Positive Attitude

Novice StokeTIP 54

The Importance of a Positive Attitude

Posted originally on:

http://wavlog.stokemaster.com

http://twitter.com/stokemaster

Yes, we all know that having a positive attitude is important in just about everything. But I have been reading up more on this stuff from a neuro surgeon.

I am going to quickly summarize this. Based on our current knowledge of our brains, it appears that when our brains process information one of the first things it does it to distingulish "like" or "dislike."

As we all grow up, we tend to accumulate in our brain to process more stuff into the "disklike" category. To make things short, that occurs because our brains tend to work in the manner for preservation. So we always tend to take a safer approach.

You can see that as we get older or observe people who are older than us, they all tend not to like new things, lose curiousity and then witter away.

So what does this got to do with surfing?

Actually what I want to point out is what does this got to do with our "Stoke."

To me the Stoke is driven from our curiousity and constant queests for better experiences on the wave. I refuse to get in the mode where I waer a T-Shirts that says "I rule!" and I refuse to tell people "I only surf at this break only when it is the greatest."

So, maintain your curiousity, always hope for a better wave, better tomorrow, and even when the waves are crappy let's get out and come back and blog or tweet about how much we got out of each of our session, exchange, and share the joy.

Your brains will appreciate it!

See you in the lineup!

http://wavlog.stokemaster.com

http://twitter.com/stokemaster

StokeTIP 53: Find a Limitation To Expand Your Skills

Novice StokeTIP 53: Find a Limitation To Expand Your Skills

Most of us want to be technically better surfers. I certainly dream about being on the wave freely making all sorts of interesting and creating moves very often. You could be lucky in this regards with a cat-like 3D agility that you can fly with your boards. But in most cases that's usually not how we are equipped with.

When it comes to surfing for me, each paddle out is a practice that never ends. In many ways, I almost can't tell if it is the first time I have ever tried surfing or not. Surfing can bring many humbling occasions; just I thought I've learned something, next time out, I cannot repeat what I've learned and many times I feel like I hit a limit of some sort.

To this effect, I know and I do forget one thing, which is understanding my own limitations.

This seems to be obvious to many, but when you are on a wave and ready to catch one or trying to make that cut back ahead of the changing wave, it is difficult know "live" where your limit lies.

That's where I think that analyzing and truly understanding our own limitations can help improve our surfing skills (and anything else I do) and I think we don't give much time for it.

If you understand the boundaries that limit your current abilities to accomplish things clearly, that can help you set up clear goals and then remove these obstacles. For example, for me right now, I need to work on the take-off technique on steeper waves, and I am currently working just on that. To be more exact, I am too timid right now to take on steep waves, but I also know that every once in a while it works and when it does I have really great rides.

So next time, don't just blame things that make your surfing experience less than perfect. But just think and analyze what really are limiting factors in your current ability to surf the way you want.

Don't set too high of a goal, in most things in life we need to chew a little bit at a time.

Keep On Stoking!

See You on the Wave Soon!

http://wavlog.stokemaster.com

Twitter: http://Twitter.com/StokeMaster

StokeTIP 52: Volunteer for a Local Surfing Organization

Novice StokeTIP 52

Volunteer for a Local Surfing Organization

Have you ever volunteered to work in an organization of any kind? If you have, that's wonderful, but if the thought of doing that never came to your mind, then it is time to think about doing it.

Needless to say, you can make great contributions to your community with your volunteering efforts, but on this post I am going to touch more on the benefit to you, most of which are not immediately obvious.

I was involved in Surfrider San Mateo chapter and through this experience I have found that that;

• I had to help solve problems that I was not normally exposed.

In my situation, I was fully unaware of local environmental issues and how peoples interests were conflicted, met and resolved.

• I was able to understand and work with people skill issues that come with any organizations

If you have a party of 2 or more we do agree and disagree. At an organizational level being able to meet the challange is very important skill set to acquire. Also you get to meet people who are from much more diverse backgrounds that think (often) quite differently than you do. This will enrich your knowldge and ability to be a more diversely participating member of the community.

• I had to demonstrate my leadership skills

As a part of organization, you do need to take charge and make things happen, I had both success and failure in this area, but I did learn a lot what works and what does not thoughy my efforts.

• I got chances to meet or network wtih people with whom you would not normally be able to hook up including community people in Half Moon Bay all the way to nationally known surfing figures etc.

This is probably one of the greatest benefits to me. I got to expand my network in a very meaningful way. Many of people are live and real friends I met in local community, we do business or even go surf trip to other countries with! I also got to meet the top notch surfers, surf movie makers, surf publishers and such both locally and nationally, and that's really exciting.

StokeTIP 51: Be Well Hydrated To Prevent Muscle Cramps

Novice StokeTIP 51:

Be Well Hydrated To Prevent Muscle Cramps

Since I took up swimming in collage days, I have been bothered by calf muscle cramps. Now I get this painful muscle spasms when I over-stretch or stress the calf muscle; frequently enough. The most devastating time to get this is when I try to kick the water hard while taking off... imagine if that's the best wave in a surf competition! I also get one when I stretch in the morning in the bed.

While there is no complete cure for this either by drug or doing warm-up/stretch exercises there is one thing that seem to lessen the chance of this happening for me, which is the importance of being hydrated.

With the help of StokeMaster.com friends, I found out this article at this Mayo Clinic web site http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/muscle-cramp/DS00311/DSECTION=prevention

If you are like me, so stoked and busy forgetting to drink water pre-sessions (somehow I don't forget to drink Beer post session but that's actually causes more dehydration) .

Since then I drink a glass of water at home before leaving and packing a eco-friendly water bottle full of tap water and remember to take a drink before a session and also immediate after it too, since an elevated heart rate does cause my kidney to work hard too... I am sure you can relate.

Also for me a sudden stress in the calf causes the issue so I should try to move the leg often while in the lineup. It is also a good way to stabilize your position yourself while in the lineup after all.

This site http://www.health911.com/remedies/rem_cramp.htm has more information and also many Folk Remedy techniques. I am not entirely sure if any of them work other than I try to eat a Banana in breakfast for potassium, but instead of over-drugging myself I will stick with the Hydration and stretch methods as my main means.

Keep on Stoked and See You in the Lineup!

Manabu Tokunaga

Blog: http://wavlog.stokemaster.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/stokemaster

Novice StokeTIP #50: Go Take a Rest

Novice StokeTIP #50

Go Take a Rest

More often than not, after a so-so session, and while changing, I see some great weave coming through at the spots that I was not realizing while I was in the water, but the time is already out for me to move on to other stuff in my daily life.

So, especially when you are not having so good of a time, get out of a water in the middle of a session and observe from the shore what is happening and re-assess your lineup.

I think I will try to do that myself.

Surf Tip 49: Go See a Pro Surfing Competition Live!

Novice Surfer Tip 49

Go See a Pro Surfing Competition Live!

I find that going to see a live professional competition is a part of the essentials all new surfers should experience. As a budding surfer, you owe it to yourself. Whether you agree with the principal of competing or not, you can get a lot out of it from just one day of attending.

You might say, you can see all that on a Fuel TV or DVD, but here are some of the things you may be missing out of:

• On the TV (especially DVDs), you are only seeing what they want you to see. Mostly pictures of the top people just surfing on the waves. As a person learning how to surf, you get a whole lot more out by watching how the real professional surfers take off, from the wave spot selection to the direction to which they take off. Then how they set up for the initial turn. Most videos won't be able to capture that phase of surfing; they want to cut directly to them catching some air or getting tubed. But to me the initial 5 seconds of surfing is the most critical part of succesful surfing.
• By being there, you will also get to see everyone, from the top notch competitor to the ones that do not have the right day. Again, videos tend to capture only the top people. You should watch and compare among all competitors.
• Also, you can see all different sorts of styles how people surf and compete.
• The excitement of being among the live audience is also just something you cannot experience even if you have a 500w surround and 1080p HD television system.

For the people in Bay Area we got many top international level professional competitions that hapen at Steamer Lane or Pleasure Point, among few others, so it is worthwhile checking the calendar and plan on spending a day.

One of the most amazing things about going to Santa Cruz is that due to the configuration of the cliffs, you can see the surfers often from all the anges of the wave, from the front, side or even from the back. This is something that would be difficult to do at beach break compeitions unless you can get on the pier.

Still Love My Stretch F4 Quad

WavLOG

Technical Update

Still Love My Stretch F4 Quad

DISCLAIMER: Just before I blurb on with surfboards or technique, I am not one of those hot surfers. I am still trying to figure out how to get there and the progress is at the snail's pace.

So what prompted me to write this note is that I put away the Stretch F4 Quad board for a while mainly because the tail-pad started to peel off and I did not get a chance to fix it until this weekend. In the meantime, I was using the JC Ugly Stick 6'4 for several weeks and not having much fun. Until the repair I have been riding the F4 exclusively for short-board sessions, for at least a year at all sorts of conditions.

When first I got this F4 board, I did not know what to say about it, I was much more used to the JC board, but one important thing I've learned is the importance of sticking with one board for a long time. I have realized after being back on the F4 board that this morning I felt like the "magic" has come back. It is probably true that if I stayed on the JC for a long time, I would probably like that too.

Having said that though I have really noticed the following things that I can do better with the F4 board.

• Taking off on an angle at the top of the wave is more controlled. You know when the edge of the wave starts to fold, and I am trying hard to get into the wave at an angle so I take off and at the same time, I won't get crushed. This is where I feel my surfing is the weakest and every little bit of help is needed still. And since that means I am giving up the wave to the next surfer a lot, I get less time on the wave. Most other buddies I know bring out longboards, take off much further out and sooner, while I sit a bit inside and wait for the sweet spot (yes, I should be paddling for it.)
• I feel like stalling less often after a take off. This is where I usually (OK, I admit, almost all the time) lose a momentum and can't surf well. I can pump a bit and gain a bit more of speed, and when that works, I can head the board to where the power is on the wave. This is where I feel much more confident and once I am really on the wave like this; getting power from the wave, I can begin to be a bit more creative... perhaps a bit more aggressive in all movements. I am getting there slowly, but there is still a lot of room to work, and more consistent taking-off is most important agenda for me right now. But now it does happen once or twice in a good session, finally I am getting some pay-off.
• Turns especially going from the bottom going up then cutting back works great... nothing is more satisfying to me than than a clean and long "S" cutbacks! And from the shore it looks like I am drawing an 8. Yeah! That's fun!

When I got the board, I thought 4-fins are a bit of a gimmick (and still may be) but in my situation, I feel like sticking with this board patiently has helped me a lot!

Surfing is very interesting and continues to be because I can never get good at it to the extent I am rarely satisfied with the rides... when I think I have done a good ride there always is someone who does it better than me and more consistently!

Enjoy!

Review: RipCurl F-Bomb vs O'Neill Mutant 3/4

WavLOG

RipCurl F-Bomb vs O'Neill Mutant 3/4

I have written smaller piece of information with respect my new RipCurl F-Bomb and O'Neill Mutant suits before. I have two suits because I usually alternate between them and usually buy a new suit 1 to 1.5 season(s) apart, replacing one at a time, but for some odd reasons two of my old suits ripped this year within a few months of each other.

So I had to replace two suits at about the same time. I paid approximately $320 for each Mutant and F-Bom, though I got RipCurl at discount and and O'Neill at more like the full price so this may not be a "fair" comparison since O'Neill Mutant is a bit lower end positioned product. There are higher-end suits costing more than $500, but I am not sure if they last any longer, so I usually opt for a mid-range price stuff, and buy new ones more often. Besides, the two suits I got this time are both warm enough, I see no points in paying more.

Both are front-zip kind and that's basically the only type of suits I will be using. This is because I do not like verclo around the neck. It is almost amazing that people can construct suits without any verclo on them.

Now that I have been out with both of them, I can write a bit more.

Warmth:

I can definitely say that F-Bomb is noticeably warmer. When I am paddling around a lot in the 53-54 degree Half Moon Bay water, I do get quite hot inside. It feels a bit more water tight. There is quite a bit of the "red" stuff inside the suit, whereas on the Mutant the heat shield material seems to be in the chest and back only. So the "red" matter may be making quite a bit of difference.

I do not mean to say that the Mutant is cold, both are nice and warm in Half Moon Bay surfing situations, but if you want a bit more warmth then between the two I'd choose F-Bomb.

Construction

The next day I got F-Bomb I ripped the seams on the neck flap. It took almost a month for them do a warranty fix. It came back with more stitches.

What I did was I pulled the neck flap too hard and the threads in the seam on the flap broke. It is partly my fault to have pulled the flap too hard, but I think there is a bit of design issue there since this never happened with the Mutant or other Xcel suits I have owned. I must say that F-Bomb is still harder to get in and out of. I also like the thicker bigger zipper on Xcels. But after several times of getting in and out of the suits I now can do it with much ease.

In terms of the construction, O'Neill always seem to have mastered the quality in stitching. There is not much dangling threads at the end of seams. Seams are clean. I usually tidy those up by cutting them, and on the RipCurl I had to do some of that.

Also the inside collar part on the O'Neill has stitched re-enforcements. I have been using front-zipped Xcel suits for many years and the inside is just scissors-cut without much re-enforcements (later models put tapes around it), and that's where the suits starts to tear (and that's how I lost two suits this year).

A Major Advantage of the Mutant Constructions

All my suits seems to deteriorate first from the collar. Either the collar rubber splits, deteriorates or tears after a while of use when the rest of the suit look practically new. On the Mutant model, I am supposed to be able to buy replacement flaps both in hooded and plain collar styles. This might help me keep the suit longer. I would like the suits to last two seasons.

Please also note that in my case the suits gets more abuse than typical weekend warriors since I usually do dawn patrol 2 ~ 3 days a week and head to work while the suit stays in the car most part of the day all wet. This is, in addition to, weekend surfing too!

I will be sure to revisit the longevity of both suits in the future WavLog.

Winter Surfing, Staying Warm

Do You Really Need A Heated Wetsuit?

The winter surfing season is upon us, we often think about how we stay warm in the water.

Actually, the coldest water I have experienced here in Half Moon Bay is not in the middle of November or December but in May when strong winds blow across and bring a lot of cold water up in the phenomenon called upwelling. This is the time when the average water temperature dips below 50 degrees F. Getting in and out of the suits in the winter is another story.

I have been surfing here in Half Moon Bay area for many years now with 4 mm suits, but I have not yet switched to a 5 mm suit, and I do not think I ever have to. There is nothing wrong with 5 mm suits, but I also use 3 mm suits in the summer and I can tell how light I feel in and out of the water, so while it is a pure guess I would think I feel significantly heavier with a 5 mm.

In the past couple of years, the suit technology has made a significant evolution. The rubber material feel much lighter, and also many makes started to use welded seams rather than blind stitches. I think that's a great improvement since a break in a string in a seam often cause splits and blind stitch repairs take time. In most warranty repair situation it can take 2 to 4 weeks to get your suits back from the shop.

In addition to the whole suit material they have started to add more heat retaining materials in front of the chest. This firewalling does make quite a bit of difference and when I am paddling hard, I feel the heat reflecting off the chest.

So today's 3/4 mm suits are significantly warmer than the ones just a few years ago. I am not sure what they will come up with next, but I am sure more lighter and warm materials will come in the future.

This year I got two new suits, one is Rip Curl F-Bomb and other is O'Neil Mutant. It just so happened that I have ruined two of the Excels that I have been using for a couple of years. On the average I buy one suit a year alternate them each session as I go in the water 3-4 times a week, often the first thing in the morning and also they stay salty and wet in the car all day until I come home in the evening.

I have used both brands of suits recently and I must say that these are significantly warmer than the others I had in the past. Especially when I am paddling I can actually get hot inside the suits, but that's one of the points of staying warm which is to keep on moving. So I do that a lot by adjusting my lineup positions or going to other peaks throughout the session, I usually am not just in one spot. Trying to get to the next peak before others find out is part of fun in surfing.

In terms of the styles of the suit, I tend to like the front-zip ones. Especially during duck diving, the front-zip ones tend to leak less water. The integrated hood also does help to this effect. The part I do not like about the rear-zip ones are two folds. Most rear-zip ones require a verclo closure. This material tends to lose the grip before the rest of the suit goes. When that happens you have one heck of a leaky suit. And anyone who have forgotten to tighten the neck closure or forgotten to zip up fully know this.

Another irritations with verclo are if any part of it is exposed to your skin, it makes a rash, and also it sticks just about any place and damages the jersey material inside the suit when washing or handling it after a session.

Most front-zip ones do not use verclo. In fact it is so much so that Excel front zip Infinity suits I had did not have any verclo on the suit. I was amazed with the clever design of that too.

The next key to retaining the warmth is to wearing a hood. If your suit does not come with a hood, I recommend you either get a Squid head type or a vest with an integrated hood. The vest kind is a bit warmer as it helps seal the water around the neck too. Often I actually get hot so I take it on and off in a session.

Another important thing may be is preventing the surfer's ear condition, which is an unwanted bone growth in the ear canal. It is said to be triggered even from the outside of the skull. So keeping the whole head warm may be important especially if you go out a lot.

If your suit is a bit older and you want to hang on to it (I'd rotate that into a spare stock myself), get a thicker under-garment called Mysterioso which is available in surf shops or outdoorzy places like REI. Pull the collar as high as possible after you put the suit on. This helps seal (i.e., slow down the speed and volumes of water coming in) and so makes a significant difference over plain rash guards.

So in summary, I would;

• Invest in a newer mid to high range front-zip wetsuits with welded seams. Invest $60 to $100 more than the lowest end ones (almost always a rear-zip type) will get you a significantly better deal, I paid < $400 with tax for mine. No need to get into a high-end costing $600 or above with fancier materials. You are reaching for an incremental improvement there. I'd rather get new suites more often.
• Get a hood.
• Keep on moving in a session.
• Ask or Share Your Experience On This Blog.

It's The Shape That Matters

WavLOG

It's The Shape That Matters

Don't Laugh at Small Waves

Our friends Miguel from El Porto provided me with this link to a local blog site out there on the other day.

As long as we know, the "size" is usually what people talk about. Just eaves drop on a surfer on a cell phone, the chances are you'd hear "It's small", "It's big..."

My findings have been though it isn't really the size of the waves that really matters to me. It really is the shape that I am going for. If the shape of the wave is nice, clean and forming somewhat slow and not walled up or closed out, I'd go out practically any size from knee high to double the size of my height and I am a bit at an advantage with my 5'6 height, there are more overhead days than my my much taller buddies. I can also fit inside more tubes than them too (provided that I know how.)

Small waves are just as difficult to surf than bigger (and especially faster) ones and surprisingly require similar technique. I mean the following sort of things;

• I need to paddle harder to catch.
• I need to get up on the board quickly
• I need to turn the board to the wave sooner

OK, so what do I need to do in a bigger more demanding situation?

• I need to paddle harder to catch.
• I need to get up on the board quickly
• I need to turn the board to the wave sooner

In essence I believe that if I master small waves, the same technique provides the building block necessary to master the wave riding in just about any conditions. The only difference in the small wave condition is that I need to be a bit more gentle and precise in all moves once I am up on the board. These requirements also help make me a more precise surfer in bigger condition.

So if you have been hesitating or even ashamed of getting into the smaller stuff. I'd encourage you to try it out. I recommend it highly.

Beside it is always surprising more often than not, it is always more fun than what it looks like from the shore. I am thanking to those surfer who turn away. I get to catch a lot more waves!

The Fear Topic: Fear of Getting Better

WavLOG

The Fear Topic

The Fear of Getting Better

It has been quite a whil since I wrote a post on my blog. I had a bit of cold last week that put me down for about a week. Then at the same time our area was blanketed with a massive Red Tide phenomenon. As I wrote here before I am very sensitive to the Red Tide situation, and when I go in the water, I am sure to get some nasty sinus problem that can last for a few months. So these days I have been very cautious and I have not had an incident for over a year now.

Another reason why I do not write often is that I should write something when I can really write about something so it would be both worthwhile for me to write and for you to read.

I was surfing at Montara yesterday in late morning and there was one other good surfer out there. He was catching waves significantly more than I did. I was thinking about what the difference between him and me, and I came to the conclusion that another "Fear" is part of the issue.

Let me explain why.

Over the years I have been able to handle pretty fearful conditions (I am still talking about relative to myself.) But going to Montara was one of the biggest fears that I had to work on. The waves does pack more energy. It is a beach that we usually lose a few people every year. It did happen this late spring too. I had a surfing accident there that resulted in 5-stitches and where nearly missed the siatic vein. I overcame the fear when I got more used to handle the waves... getting in and out of massive shore breaks, duck diving through to get to the outside etc.

You've probably read about my fear of ocean currents. The current is usually very strong around here even at the Jetty. I paddle out and I usually end up at a totally the different spot from where I intended and during the session I often notice drifting fast. The most fearful time is though when I get caught in the rip and I start to move further away from the shore. That have been very terrifying. I ended up overcoming this fear through one of the most fearful incidents. My leash snapped quite far out in one of the bigger spots near the "radar" As it turned out I was able to swim back to the shore. You've read about that also.

Catching faster waves, pearling, held over etc. I am managing those too. When the condition is right I can catch shapes and sizes of the waves the other good people are catching.

So these days I have gotten sufficient technical skills and body strengths that I can handle the situations where most "regular local" surfers handle. The level of the fear in these areas are now significantly less in my mind.

But still I am not surfing as well as those locals.

And that's this post is all about.

From Friday's session I now came to the conclusion that I am now afraid of surfing as good as others. I am afraid of being "successful" at something even though I have all the confidence and skills to do that. If I am forced, I will go further out, go to the peak and catch the waves more aggressively. As this Friday, there was nobody else really out so I don't even have to be so aggro about getting waves. I just have to make myself do it.

I am not quite sure that why I am stuck with this type of fear, but then I was thinking more about it, a lot of people have this type of fear in many other aspects of daily life.

Things like "slump" or "writers block" got a lot to do with this. May be this is something about "Self Esteem" issue. And that's probably true. Deep inside I have been keep telling myself, "I am not a good athlete. These good surfers have been in sport team when they are in high school..."

So I my next project to join the rank of "Local Good Surfers."

Whatever you are working on, perhaps, you may be stuck in similar kind of fear.

I am going to work on it now, and you should and you can too!

Surf’s Up at the SFMOMA Artists Gallery

Surf's Up at SFMOMA Gallery

Exhibition Explores Ocean Environment and Surf Culture

via Press Release

June 4, 2009

Contact: Maria Medua, 415/614-3201, mmedua@sfmoma.org

Surf’s Up at the SFMOMA Artists Gallery

Exhibition Explores Ocean Environment and Surf Culture

From July 16 to August 28, 2009, the SFMOMA Artists Gallery will present the exhibition Pipeline: Art, Surfing, and the Ocean Environment. The exhibition examines the influence of surf culture on Bay Area artists and will feature paintings, sculptures, photographs, installations, film, and mixed media works alongside custom surfboards by Jeff Clark, one of the most noteworthy big wave surfers. Artists in the exhibition include Doug Acton, Anthony Bacigalupo, Jo Ann Biagini, Leo Bersamina, Charlie Callahan, George Corzine, Peter Shepard Cole, Keone Downing, Jessica Dunne, Jack Y. Ford Collection, Colin Gift, Dale Hope/Kahala, Terry Hoff, Max Lawrence, Ian MacLean, Reuben Margolin, Serena Mitnik-Miller, Linny Morris, Adrienne Keahi Pao, Frank Quirarte, Don Ross, and Charles Valoroso.

The title of the exhibition takes its name from the Pipeline, a wave that breaks at Ehukai beach on the North Shore of Oahu in Hawaii, the birth place of surfing. The sport was popularized by Olympic swimmer and Hawaiian waterman Duke Kahanamoku in the early part of the 20^th century. It spread to the United States, catching on first in California, and reached new heights in the 1960s, when surfing as a phenomenon became a nexus between youth culture and expressions of personal freedom. In recent years, California surfers have become an important arm of the environmental movement, raising awareness about the condition of the shoreline and ocean.

Exhibition Highlights

In the exhibition are paintings by Charlie Callahan that reverse the typical roles in which nature and humans are cast. His vivid, large-scale works painted on beach debris, imagine humans as victims consumed by sea predators.

Reuben Margolin looks closely at water, observes its dynamics, and translates it into handcrafted forms using salvaged materials. The resulting kinetic sculptures are moving tributes to the unseen forces that move water.

Adrienne Pao’s series of color photographs evoke travel posters that have attracted tourists to the Hawaiian Islands since the advent of jet travel.Beachfront Property at Diamond Head/Lei’ahi Kapa depicts the Waikiki shoreline of today, overrun with tourists and encroached upon by concrete high rises. The Hawaiian title, Lei’ahi Kapa, refers to the origins of the site and calls to mind a past that cannot be retrieved. Pao re-frames the visitor experience and calls into question the practice of exoticizing other cultures, the natural environment, and women.

Charles Valoroso grew up surfing Kalapaki on the island of Kauai. He is noted as the first artist to pay homage to the Aloha shirt in a series of large-scale oil paintings. His work has been translated into textiles for the Kahala shirt line. For the exhibition he will present an installation piece that includes paintings of the ocean that verge on the abstract and as well as works from his Bikini Atoll series.

Linny Morris photographed environmental issues such as the struggle to preserve Midway Atoll and its wildlife. She also made photographs of the world that exists below the surface of the water. Her appreciation of the ocean and her eye for abstraction are showcased in the exhibition.

Peter Shepard Cole’s realist works evoke the early period of Hawaiian contact with the West. His references are haunting; there are native women donned in layers of Victorian garb and hand-to-hand combatants. In the painting, Self-Portrait as Captain Cook, Cole imagines himself in the vulnerable position of the man who opened the door to the transformation of Hawaii and paid a high price for it.

Related Film

In partnership with The Surfer’s Journal, the exhibition will also include an education room featuring the Journal's series 50 Years of Surfing on Filmshowcasing prominent surf filmmakers. The film surveys the history of surf films through interviews of the most influential filmmakers and the surfers in their films, along with clips from those historical features. In the process of covering the evolution of surf films it also depicts the surf culture in transition from 1940s to 2000s.

* * *

Where: SFMOMA Artists Gallery, Building A, Fort Mason Center, San Francisco, CA 94123

When: July 16–August 28, 2009.

Gallery hours: 11:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m., Tues.–Sat.

Opening reception: Thurs., July 16, 5:30–7:30 p.m. featuring the music of The Eldorados, a four-piece surf band that includes Stu Brandt, Mark Scardello, Jeff Moon and Scott Culbertson.

Admission: Free

* * *

Representing Northern California artists, the SFMOMA Artists Gallery offers a diverse selection of original artwork for sale and rent.

The SFMOMA Artists Gallery is located in Building A at Fort Mason Center. Gallery hours are 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. Admission to gallery exhibitions is free of charge.

Visit our website at www.sfmoma.org/artistsgallery or call 415/441-4777 for more information.

* * *