Hawaii Story
By Michael Atwood
Monday, January 2, 2000 at 10:45 am was not only the day after New Years, but definitely the best day of surfing I have ever had. My whole entire family (aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents) decided to go to Hawaii for New Years. The 14 of us stayed in a 2-room condo - it was pretty crazy. It occurred during my senior year of high school, and my 18th birthday was only 5 days away. Under normal circumstances, I would be sitting in my math class, “Trigonometry, Statistics, and Functions”.
For me, the most epic day of surfing will stay on the North Shore of
Kauai. Only six people paddled out that morning. I had always surfed with my dad, but that
day, I went out alone. I learned how to surf without knowing anybody in the water (I was a
scrawny haole, among pure Hawaiians), a very humbling experience. Today was different as
you can tell, but the best part had yet to come - I hooked up on my first tube ride! The
waves that day were breaking between 8 and 10 feet. Just outside, beyond the outer reef,
it was 12-14 feet. (Of course, I am using California measurements, not the Hawaiian’s
way of measuring). I had already braved the exhausting 250-yard paddle, and caught four
waves that morning. The next wave I caught I took the drop, which seemed really long,
cruised up to the middle of the break, stalled my 9’6”
“Strong Current Haleiwa Model Longboard”, and let the wave break over me. I
watched as it began to close out. I sidestepped to the nose, picked up some speed, and
made it out alive. When I cruzed over the lip of the wave, I let
out a bellow that was heard for miles. I glanced at my watch, 10:45. I thought to myself,
“I could be sitting in math, perched on a desk, or drifting on my Longboard in the
break known as “Bowls”, on the North Shore of Kauai, just outside of Bill
Hamilton’s backyard.”
Michael G. Atwood
13800 Biola Ave. 984 A
La Mirada, Ca
90639
[email protected]