KKs Vacay - Last Day of Gratitude 010715

Surf Report: 15-20 feet and Junky
Winds: Trade winds
Water: ???
Atmosphere: Cloudy and sunny

None of us can sleep comfortably this night. It is uncomfortably hot at night, and Alex and I are sharing the bed. We all knock out at 1000 PM, but I wake up at midnight. Apparently, Francis couldn't sleep either, and neither could Alex. Alex was snoring the whole night, and I would have to slap him on the chest to stop snoring.

Nicole has to wake up to go to work, which is in Molokai. Francis has to drop her off at HNL airport, and he asks us to wait for him to come back. We're up in about, like zombies, waiting for him. We warm up some coffee and eat some fruit that I cut up yesterday.

Sunset Beach - No one out, but everyone watching

I try to call Mitsuken Okazuya to order some garlic chicken to take home, but can't get through. It's the one thing my mom and dad look forward to when I come home from Hawaii, and I can't even order this... FUUUCK. 

Francis returns with some McDonalds, and we munch on that while we check the surf reports. It's upgraded from yesterday's 8-15 feet faces to 15-20 feet+, and building.

"It looks like Victory at Sea," Francis says, as we munch on breakfast. "No one is out in the water."

FUCK. ME.

Looks like it's a day of no surfing. My last day in Hawaii, on a building day of swell, and I can't surf.

We opt to hike the Sunset pillbox, which overlooks the three peaks of Sunset, Backdoor, and Pipeline. It's a nice hike, easily done with slippers. We hike and check out the scenery below. No one is out. In fact, the famed Third Reef at Pipeline is breaking, and closing out the whole line up. We see the inside white water spit out a few times, but the view from atop is deceiving.

The view from the top

We climb back down, and check out the surf from the beach. Pipeline is packed with people, but it is just un-surfable. It's too gnarly... I doubt we can even get out past the second duck dive. We watch it for a while, and go to Pupukea Grill for lunch. By this time, it is impossible to get to Town, pick up garlic chicken, and then head back to Honolulu airport.

Third Reef Pipeline

I call my mom, apologize I can't get the garlic chicken, to which she replies, "It's ok, just get back home safely."

Pupukea Grill - BBQ Pulled Pork Quesadilla

I have all my stuff packed up and ready to go by the time we get back to the house. It is a sad Aloha with da boys. It always is. But it's not Aloha, it's A Hui Hou, or till we meet again. The doggy that has been keeping us company looks sadly through the stairs, and bids us farewell.

I hug Alex and Francis tightly, and tell them see you later. We all drive off into the North Shore traffic. There are two road construction sites on our exit of the North Shore, making it damn near impossible to go shopping into Town without risking missing my flight. I already did that last time, and I won't miss my flight again.

You're leaving already..? :(

I get to the airport two hours early, hauling my surfboard bag full of stuff around. I check my bag in, and head over to the bar. I grab a beer, some sweet potato fries, and marinate in my own thoughts.

This trip was different from any other trip I had. I didn't score perfect surf like I had in my previous trips here. In fact, the weather was super shitty the whole time I was here. I partied hard with da Dojo boys, and spent a lot of time fighting off a cold brewing in my lungs. I got to spend time with Francis and Nicole, Kev, B-sauce, De Roy, Ivan, and Alex. I met some new people, and reconnected with old ones. I had times of temptations and times of solitude. I had met new surfers and old surfers from previous trips. Yes, I only surfed three days out of my nine days here, and yes, it was cold as fuck, and yes, the windows blew down on one of those nights, but I had my fun. I had my surf bug tickled. And I had my share of hold downs and gnarly paddles characteristic of the North Shore.

A Hui Hou!!

This trip made me realize how lucky I have been in the last five years, and how fortunate I have been to score great weather and great surf the whole time. Even though Hawaii is "paradise," it can be gnarly and wet and wild, far from an idealistic paradise.

So, it has been a different kine of Hawaii, indeed.

And I loved every minute of it.

Except maybe the all night ragers.... Those I could do without...

But as Kev said, "Klaudey Laudy, did you have fun?"

YES.

Mahalos Mother Ocean! And Mahalos to all of my ohana that made my stay so amazing. And Mahalos to the magical land of Hawaii. It's always a pleasure to be within your giving bosom.