Headed to tavi!!!

Sorry I haven't been updating much. Just too busy! I'm a little
conerned that the waves aren't going to be epic. Oh well, I'm sure it
will still be a blast! Look for my tavi shackumentary shortly after
the trip!!!

Day 65 - Excuse me, Um, Ma’am?

Mrs. Nature? I’m not sure if you are married, so I’ll go with Ms. Nature: Please do not do this to me. I’m going on the surf trip of a lifetime and the super long range models are not showing any life at all!!! Why would you play such a joke on me? I have stamina for miles, lungs for days and determination for weeks, which I’m sure, are all great for snorkeling in Fiji, but that is not the point! Yeah, I get it, I haven’t recycled enough, my carbon footprint is arguably bigger than a house, but I don’t go out of my way to upset your ways. If I had more motivation, I would, I could strap myself to the front of whatever environment destroying machine that the capitalistic greedy evil exploiters are employing to accumulate useless illusionary amenities at the cost of the health of your children. Ok, so I’m not a tree hugger, but I'm conscientious! Please mother, will you spin some magic in the south Tasman Sea for me? I’m just asking nicely, I will not change ways if you don’t, I won’t start pouring my motor oil down the storm drains, I’m not going to start using Styrofoam again and I won’t start making fun of hybrid owners, it is not like that. So just to be clear this is by no means a threat. It is just a kind request, I am just asking nicely for you to work your magic. Do you remember that time that we went to Indo, in ’04? You were there, pumping swell at us, calming the winds for us, and making the right conditions for a trip of a lifetime. It was you, me, Jason, Ed, all the Brazilians and that one Auzzie on the Huey? I know you like to joke around and you got us! We were smoking and drinking everyday and you kept pumping swell at us. I was like, “Mama, that’s funny, you held me down for 15 seconds!” We had such a great time, do you remember? I do! I miss those times with you Ms. Nature, I do miss them indeed. Well, if I don’t hear back from you, take care ok? I’m sure there will be other times when you are not so busy refreezing the southern seas or getting ready to stir up hurricanes in the eastern Atlantic and maybe we can get together for some coffee or something.


Yours truly,

Mike



Today was small again, the water is warming up. Jay was noticeably perturbed with the conditions, but I was in Tavarua again. I had one wave where I was able to generate plenty of speed, lay on my rail and bring it around for a bank off the whitewater. I’m feeling pretty sharp, pretty loose and very ready. I’m ready to head out today!

Today is my peak day of training. I’ve been stepping it back up again. Yesterday I swam 3000 yards; today I’m going to do 3500 yards and then I’ll begin to back down and start to rest. I’m holding my breath every lap for as long as possible on one of the lengths so my cardio is tip-top. I’ve been working out as well, the strength is good. Yoga every other day has me feeling lose. My weight is down to about 175 or so – that’s a good weight for me. The Nica trip was great training! I mean I cannot express enough how stoked I am. There are no words, there is no way to transfer it to paper and it simply is not quantifiable. I’m a kid, I have grom-stoke frothing from every pore. Living it up and loving every second.

Dropping:




Floating:






Tucking:

Super Long Range Models...

They are showing absolutely no swell for the beginning of the week that I'm going. Hopefully, the models are wrong (that far out, there is a high degree of error). Maybe it is a good thing, but I'm assuming it is not. I'd prefer to see some potentially large storm developing under Australia in the long range forecasts. However, I also do not like to see a ton of swell just before going to a destination (this is certainly not the case - it looks pretty bad there right now, so I'm optimistic). Usually, when there is a ton swell or it is ideal just prior, it means that when you go, it will be mellow or the conditions will have changed for the worse. I guess that is just how weather is, heatwaves and coldsnaps always break. In Nica, we caught about 1/2 of a solid swell, which kept us busy for about 3 days. We also capitalized on a pulse on the Thursday (one day swell). So, this is what I do, I start looking at all the charts and put my amateur wave forecasting hat on (I'm pretty bad at it - I just cannot help it when I'm this fired up).

Day 64 - Tavi Tavi Tavi!!!

I surfed waist high Tavarua today. Well not really, but that is where my mind was, so it may as well have been. I'm working so hard to peak (physically) even a little bit more - it's all mental at this stage, I'm there physically. I want to be ready if it gets serious out there, there will be a bunch of Hawaiians on the trip and a ton of better surfers than me, so I'll be pushed by both talent and cajones. The Hawaiians will certainly be like, "It's 2 foot out there", which is when I'll double take and say, "How do you get a stand up barrel in 2 foot?". That's what they do you know, it is all about downplaying the conditions on their end, that's the culture which has developed out of regularly being subject to serious surf. This happened at Macaroni's once. I'll have to find the video of that sometime. There were some Hawaiians calling it 2 foot and guys were getting stand up barrels. The joking aside, guys from the islands are typically the real deal and they'll drop in and they'll pull in. They'll surf double overhead stuff like its nothing, doing turns where it doesn't seem possible. I can't wait to see this, experience it, take it all in. There is no way that I'm going to let this opportunity pass. If I can paddle in, I'm on it. If there is a barrel, I'm in it. That is what I'm thinking, that is what I'm doing. I'm in my twilight of taking a serious beatings, so I'm going to rack up as many of those as possible now (I think I got whiplash from a pounding in Nica)! Without risk, no reward. So stoked, so stoked. Just have to hope for a solid swell or two during my time there. I watched a show on Tavarua on Fuel TV last night after Tom informed me about it via text. It was a Nixon trip to Tavi, probably in February or something (not prime time), they got fun waves, but nothing serious. So you can get sort of skunked there, I hope that is not us.

We caught some fun ones out there today. Nothing GOOD but, I had fun. I kept trying to bottom turn even though there was no room to do so. It was about waist high on the inside and bowly. We both were able to get some speed. One wave, I thought Jay was going to launch as he had a ton of speed, but he instead opted for a super extended floater - probably the right call, but I like to let loose when there is nothing to lose.


Backside Airdrop!


Ben sitting pretty:



Turning where I shouldn't:

I love surfing:

Day 63 - Getting Better

I had fun out there to day on the fun gun. Had a couple of full-attack snaps on the fun gun! Generated speed on some waist-high bowls. Yeah, I can go fast after that Nica madness. I'm ready, so ready for Tavarua. You thought I was amped for Nica! Are you kidding me? I'm going to surf arguably 2 of the best waves on this planet with about 20 or so surfers? Really? Life is so good to me. I count my blessing every day. I truly have a special life going and love every second of it. I am a happy, happy camper.

Laker game last night agains the Nuggets... I lost my voice. Me and Jay, yeah we went. Insane!!! Nail-biter! I'm a huge fan if you haven't figured, even though my pops is a Laker-hater. I guess, I forgive him.

If you don't surf, this is Tavarua:

http://www.tavarua.com/

I really hope there are good waves while we are there. I'm in shape, I'm ready. I'm pulling in on bombs!!! It's that simple. Tube time is the call. The high line is my line on this trip.

I don't know anyone on the trip, but I'm sure I'll get to know them. It will be mostly industry people as a guy from Volcom is setting up the trip. More on how the trip came about later. I'm pretty busy right now.

A couple of Nica Pics (More to come)

Me (having the time of my life!):

Painting in the airport in Nica.

I just saw this (forgot that I took it) as I was sending the pic from the Laker warm up. Had to share it. I almost bought it. Just kidding. I wonder who does buy these things? There were a lot of them.

Lakers!!! - Addendum: They won!!! Crazy Crazy game.

Day 62 - Lakers!

At the game tonight. Should be good, we have take down the Nuggets in game 1! Got 4 waves today, it was a little bigger than yesterday. Had to throw some turns on the big daddy again. Still had fun. I'm back on the workout plan... Did I mention that I'm going to Tavarua next Thursday? There is a pretty good story behind that, but it will have to wait since I'm watching the purple and gold warm up right now and I'm sending this from my phone. More to come...

Day 61 - 3 and out

Just got my quota today. Tiny!!! I got my 3 on the long board and got out. Ankle slappers on the sand, it happens. Still tried to challenge the conditions - I cannot resist - I tried to crank a turn on the long board where I shouldn't have and it rolled over, I fell on it banging my forearm on the rail. Some things never change. Not worth the pain, but I cannot stop myself. I have a lot to do in the coming days. Oh yeah, did I mention that I'm going on another surf trip in less than two weeks? I cannot wait (again)!!!!

Day 60 - Small and Bad

It is hard going from thumping barrels to crumbly knee high mess! I got our there with Jay pretty late as I was messing with my computer all day. It seems I screwed something up with one of my programs, so I had to restore the whole computer from an archive instead of messing with it. Fortunately, that worked.

I rode the long board and Jay rode this fish that he has been fixing, which he borrowed from our buddy Frank. It was downright awful out there. What a contrast! But, I still had fun. Imagine that! I caught about 6 waves and didn't get my hair wet.

I'm going to do the best at recounting my Nica trip over the next few days. I'll probably forget some details, but I think it is better to get something logged now. It was a good trip, but not an epic one. We had a blast, some barrels, some bombs. I love surf trips. Now it is time to start prepping for my next one. In two weeks! I leave May 28th! More details to be revealed later.

Day 51 - Taking off to nica!

I cannot wait to get there. Today was really fun, buy I cut it short
in order to rest and get ready for nica. I had 5 or six waves, which were chest high and peaky. So fun, but my mind was set on getting to Nica. I got out early and got to packing.

Day 50 - I don't remember...

But I know that I surfed! I'm updating this after my Nica trip. I got a barrel the day before, I cannot remember my session right now. That's OK, I was out there. We had a pretty good string of wind swell before I took off to Nica.

Day 49 - Fun but not so fun

Session 55

There was a lot of swell in the water, and it was pretty shifty due to the proximity of the secondary wind swell. I got lucky out there. My second wave, a doubled up left came right to me. I knew it was going to be meaty so I paddled for the shoulder to get to the edge to try and avoid getting closed out. I dropped in with no expectations, but it threw and I pulled into the slot, suddenly I was looking at the lip crashing in front of me just past the nose of my board. I was in there! A fairly quick in and out, but I got pretty deep and I came out dry. I don't know the last time I had a legitimate barrel, one where you pull in and shoot out dry like that. Maybe a few months? I don't remember right now, but I know it has been a while. I closed it out with a floater off the whitewater and a hoot. Remember the post where I said don't claim it? Well, I did not make a physical gesture, but my hoot probably resulted in the same effect. I was stoked! I shouldn't have, but I couldn't hold back the emotion. I had the discussion with Jay after that, he said, "you won't see another one of those out here, so don't even bother looking." He was right, but I was still looking. Other than that I had a closeout floater/off the lip on a wave that was overhead - about as big as I can go on something like that. I pulled it, which was another highlight of the session. In general though I was not surfing that well on waves that were a little frustrating to deal with. I'm so looking forward to getting on the road. We locked in our lodging today. We just need to get a ride to the beach from the airport and we are set. I'm extremely busy at work and I'm behind - back to it.

Day 48 - Viva Mexico!

Very short - It's crunch time. I'm under the gun at work. Today, Jason broke his streak and did not head out there with me. The waves were backing off in the high tide, but I still had a couple that I was able to connect through with some pretty good cutbacks. Waves were probably shoulder high on the sets and I went left more than right. My surfing is pretty sharp at this point. Yesterday was my last swim workout. I'm planning on heading to yoga tonight. I think it is the teacher that used be in a Russian circus. She is good.

Day 47 - Bad Time

I headed out for another session. The waves looked good, but I really struggled. From stepping on my leash to just being in the wrong spot. The tide came in and the wind picked up, it was overhead and I caught probably 10 waves, with the best one only resulting in 2 cutbacks. I did not have my mojo out there tonight.

Day 47 – Objective accomplished

I’m worn out! Smack! Face first into the wall of exhaustion. Perfect. By the numbers so since last Tues (6 days): 6 workouts (3 legs/3 arms), 6 yoga sessions (3 Hot/3 normal), 6 Swims (12,000 yards), 6 core workouts (1/2 hour long each) and of course surfing every day. Basically, I’ve been working out in some shape or form (including surfing) for about 4 ½ to 5 hours a day and I’m not messing around, sweating a lot pushing as hard as I can. I’m pretty happy with my progress! Especially yoga, I’m actually feeling pretty good in class. 2 things to note here, I think it is clearly easier to get back to levels that you have already been achieved (last summer for me) and the second is that there are huge benefits to going to yoga for consecutive days. It just seems your body does not have a chance to tighten back up – they always say this, but I guess I’ve never really believed them. My arm and leg strength are about 80% and 90% respectively (as % of peak weight I have lifted in the past). I think I will be close to 100% after a few days of rest. What do I have left? My final 2k yards of swimming will be today and then I’ll begin to rest my arms. I have a 2 more leg workouts (tonight and Wednesday), One more arm workout (tomorrow), 5 more yoga sessions (3 normal/ 2 hot). Tomorrow I’ll swim as well, just breath training however (I’ll only do 1,000 with as much as possible underwater). I might add in a sand hill or two on Wed/Thurs. The point is that my legs don’t need rest, it is the arms that are always problematic because it is necessary to paddle so much when you are surfing everyday. Of course, core workouts every day until I go (even while I’m there). Well, it would have been better to spread these workouts over a few months, but I didn’t know that I would be going. Yeah, this has been hard work, but for the amount of benefit that I’m getting, it is nothing. My back is pain free! A little twinge here or there, but for the most part it is good. I’m exhausted, but my surfing feels reasonably sharp. I feel like I’m going to be ready. Bring it on, maybe well get a bombing swell that I can test my limits on. Maybe it will be just small the whole time and I’ll be able weave and turn. I don’t know but, I’m glad I’m here instead of that place of physical insecurity.

Today, the waves were solid, but I didn’t really get much. A solid cutback, a weave to the inside, a few beat downs from the lip. There were some pretty solid sets out there. Jay says it will pick up in to the close of the week. We’ll see, it could be good to test my thumb tail before I go. I think this will by my “go to” board – 6’3” rounded tail, but wide enough to keep things loose. It works well in waves where you need to turn and fit into barrels. Hopefully, it will get challenging here on Thursday or Friday. That would be a nice late season surprise!

Day 46 – Thanks Warren!

My good buddy Warren, who is also my lifelong physical therapist, designed a program for me to strengthen my core. He did this a while back, but I still have the workout (he does these stick drawings of what I’m supposed to do, utilizing the ball and the foam roll). I have been doing this everyday along with my other workouts. The surprising thing is that it is not only helping my back to feel better, but I’m reaching new levels in yoga as well. It is not that I care to be a standout yogi; it is just that it is much more enjoyable when there is less pain. Anyway, it is allowing me to make more progress than I had previously thought possible for such a short period of time practicing. My back is feeling good! Multiple surf trips have been hampered by my bad back and it has been real trouble for the last 10 years. The first one that I remember where it was a real problem was Punta Abreojos with Tim, probably around 1999. The first session, the waves were good, but I had to get out of the water after only 3 waves. Then we got his Jeep stuck in the sand… So many stories. Anyway, I had an MRI once and they said that I had a herniated disk and that there was some degeneration. So, I need core strength to make up for the difference and fortunately it is right now. Incidentally, Warren had given me 4 exercises before I went on that trip to Abreojos and it got me back in the water then too! I did them on the beach before and after every session.

This morning the waves were good and my back felt perfect. I got out there, but I was too amped. Jason, had already surfed and he had told me that it was good. My first 5 or so waves, I really struggled. I couldn’t find my groove after riding the long board and the fun gun. And then it happened, right in front of a good surfer that I know from Santa Cruz, his name is Nick. I took off on a chest high left, slowed things down a little, got in tune with the wave, picking up speed I got out ahead of the wave so I laid that squirrely board on rail. My cutback was so strong, I had strength to burn as I turned the compressor so sharp yet so efficiently that I was heading back up the face at the whitewash that I had just left behind and I crushed it, throwing my board off the whitewater with authority, finding myself in the right spot again. What an amazing feeling, that’s how you are supposed to do it. Nick gave me hoot and then came up and said hello. From there I was letting go of snaps, floaters, cutbacks, everything. I felt very good physically even though I was worn from all the working out.

Day 45 – Just 3

There was news of a front coming through, so I knew it could be bad. It was awful. White caps and wind. I rode the fun gun and Jason rode my 6’8” traveler (pin tail made for barrels – funny that he rode it). Afterward, I pushed very hard on my prep, the workout was brutal. I finally tried out the Spectrum Club in Redondo Beach. I liked it, it is in the marina, it has an outdoor pool and the gym is open air throughout. I did Yoga, Lifted (legs), Core and then swam 2,000 yards.

Day 44 - Up the Ladder

Today was small, but better than I thought. I sandbagged by ridding the long board as it was very small and frustrating yesterday on the shorty, I just wanted to get a lot of waves and not struggle to catch them. I did, I got my share of waves, pretty much every set that came through and I even had some pretty good turns on the 10 footer. As I usually do, I imagined that I was on my short board, arms in proper position, switchblade stance* trying to take the extended rails of that 10 foot boat to their limits. It was probably waist to stomach high with some decent punchy waves on the inside, I could have ridden my shortboard. I always ride that long board without a leash. I lost it once today and had to swim in reminding me of the soreness in my arms from swimming for the last three days and surfing the last 43.

I’m still on my plan to do yoga every day until I leave, workout (lift) up until Wednesday, swim up until Monday or Tuesday, and continue to do core workouts everyday. I was pretty happy with my ability to hold my breath longer yesterday so I’m a little intrigued to see what happens today. What I do know is that my strength is pretty low right now as I am very tired, exactly where I want to be. Powering through this will pay dividends, I am certain.

*I call it the switchblade, where you put weight over the front foot and the back leg extended with a bend in the knee), Machado doing it nicely on a top turn:

Huh?!? I have to see his… I think it is from a movie “The Present” by Thomas Cambell, not sure though. I think I checked out another Woodshed Films production down in Encinitas at Patagonia last September or with my bro. I'm pretty sure this is Chris Malloy. Funny.