It doesn't matter how many times I watch this, it always make me tear up.
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Wandering: Summer 2012
On July 13 I quit my job (yes I put in my two weeks notice, jeez) and hopped a flight to the mainland. I will be away from Hawaii for over a month, starting in California, then to Vegas, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and finally Vancouver for a Chondrythian conference. It all started out as a two week family vacation to California. When I found my dad was going to Indiana to visit his side of the family following our Cali venture, I decided to tag along. I haven't seen my grandparents in almost four years so I'm way past due. And they have no idea I'm coming. From there I'll be visiting my sister and her family in Dillsburg, PA. And to top it off I'll head to Canada to give a talk at a conference on deep sea sharks, skates, and rays. So this summer I'll be wandering.
The California leg of the trip is already in full swing, so let me introduce you to the characters:
1) The Mom (Kiki) - planned this whole trip. Excites easily, and stresses way too much.
2) The Dad (Gramps) - just along for the ride. Cheesy and laid back.
3) The Younger Siblings - A younger sister (17), my dad in teenage girl form. A younger brother (20), thinks he's awesome. Dropped off the map about a year ago. This will be the first time the family's seen him in a while.
4) The Older Sister - happy and care-free. Lives in PA with her husband and two daughters. Basically awesome.
4) The Brother-in-Law - older sister's husband. Funny and outgoing. Kinda cheesy too.
5) The Girlfriend - Younger brother's gf. Knows what she likes and isn't shy to share it.
6) The Nieces - 5 and 8. The 5 year old is wild and hilarious, gets into lots of trouble. The 8 year old is smart and she knows it.
And finally there's me. I'm not nearly self-centered enough to describe myself, so I won't.
We touched down in LA on the 14th and headed to our first stop, Venice Beach. And the strange ramblings begin....
The California leg of the trip is already in full swing, so let me introduce you to the characters:
1) The Mom (Kiki) - planned this whole trip. Excites easily, and stresses way too much.
2) The Dad (Gramps) - just along for the ride. Cheesy and laid back.
3) The Younger Siblings - A younger sister (17), my dad in teenage girl form. A younger brother (20), thinks he's awesome. Dropped off the map about a year ago. This will be the first time the family's seen him in a while.
4) The Older Sister - happy and care-free. Lives in PA with her husband and two daughters. Basically awesome.
4) The Brother-in-Law - older sister's husband. Funny and outgoing. Kinda cheesy too.
5) The Girlfriend - Younger brother's gf. Knows what she likes and isn't shy to share it.
6) The Nieces - 5 and 8. The 5 year old is wild and hilarious, gets into lots of trouble. The 8 year old is smart and she knows it.
And finally there's me. I'm not nearly self-centered enough to describe myself, so I won't.
We touched down in LA on the 14th and headed to our first stop, Venice Beach. And the strange ramblings begin....
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Kristen Stewart should stick to angsty teen movies
My sister and I saw Snow White and the Huntsman last night. We weren't impressed. While it was great visually, just about everything else, well, sucked.
Listen to our review:
Listen to our review:
The Volcom Fiji Pro is Pau. Please get over it.
I'm sick and tired hearing about the "controversy" over the lay day at the Volcom Fiji Pro 2012. For those of you chasing butterflies, there was a massive swell pummeling Cloudbreak, and I mean massive. After waiting for a couple hours to set up camera equipment, the contest was called on. But only the final two heats of Round 2 were completed before the contest was called off. Crazy wind seemed to be the predominant excuse for calling it quits. Unfortunately, about an hour later the wind died down and Tavarua gave us one of the most spectacular displays the surfing world has ever seen. Beautiful and terrifying, Cloudbreak delivered massive barrels wave after wave. With the contest officially called off for the day, big wave chargers from around the world descended upon the break. Cameras originally set up for the contest continued to roll, giving spectators a glimpse of one of the most amazing free surf sessions ever.
And now everyone and their moms are arguing over whether contest officials were right to call it quits.
I for one am over it. Who cares? The contest was great. We saw a little of everything from massive Cloudbreak to the never ending barrels of Restaurants. Plus we got to watch a crazy free surf session. That's all I need.
I'd love to say more about how everyone that keeps talking about that day are a bunch of whiny brats (on both sides) but the more I say the more I sound like one of them. So I'll finish with this. Please get over it. I won't survive two months of bickering until the Teahupoo contest. Let's argue about something else okay? Like who should be the next leader of the free world? I heard elections were coming up soon.
Friday, June 15, 2012
Mike Love
We toured the Garlic and Ginger Festival at Ward, Honolulu, HI, last night. Surrounded by garlic sandwhiches, garlic steak, garlic ahi poke, garlic garlic garlic! The sweets were thankfully embellished with the ginger half of the festival theme and included ginger cotton candy and (it seemed everyone's favorite) candied ginger bacon.
The entire place had run out of beer by the time we got there, so we got in line for some cocktails. No ginger or garlic themes here though. That would have been fun.
But the highlight of the night wasn't the garlic or the ginger. It was the music. Mike Love, a local reggae musician, was amazing as usual.
Here's a taste of his awesomeness:
The entire place had run out of beer by the time we got there, so we got in line for some cocktails. No ginger or garlic themes here though. That would have been fun.
But the highlight of the night wasn't the garlic or the ginger. It was the music. Mike Love, a local reggae musician, was amazing as usual.
Here's a taste of his awesomeness:
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Bad Branding: Blueberry Muffin Tops
I was walking through the grocery store the other day and stumbled upon a new gem of a cereal: Blueberry Muffin Tops. I stopped mid way down the aisle and gawked at this masterpiece of advertising. Really Malt-O-Meal? How did that slip through the marketing cracks?
Honestly, Google the phrase "Muffin Top" and the first site that pops up is a Wikipedia definition:
"'Muffin-top' is a generally pejorative slang term used to describe the phenomenon of overhanging fat when it spills over the waistline of pants or skirts in a manner that resembles the top of a muffin spilling over its paper casing."
Yum, can't wait to dig in!
Monday, June 4, 2012
Gabriel Medina killed it. So can we stop saying he's only good at airs?
For the past two days, the Volcom Fiji Pro 2012 has delivered. Amazing barrels, ridiculous wipeouts, and classic power surfing. Josh Kerr surfing on a super taped-up sprained ankle. Cloudbreak offers a return to a raw, rough form of surfing, the kind we have always loved. It's a refreshing break from all those airs, not that we don't love those too. But I ramble. For the most part, the first two days of the contest have been awesome. Kelly Slater ousted in the last seconds of his heat by wildcard Mitch Coleborn. Don't worry Slater groupies, he won his next heat and is now safely into Round 3.
But Slater going down to a wildcard highlights a really important aspect of Cloudbreak: it's all about the wave. Like Pipeline or J-Bay, you can't force a score here. Catch a great wave and you'll get a great score... assuming of course you don't fall and test out the reef. It makes this contest unpredictable. That being said, just about everyone you'd expect to do well in heaving barrels did do well. Parko, Owen Wright, Mick Fanning, John John, Jordy.
Something you might not expect, and I've been guilty of this too, is that the Brazilian horde is killing it as well. Adriano de Souza, Heitor Alves, and Alejo Muniz all won their first round heats, getting to skip straight into Round 3. Although forced to surf in Round 2, Brazilians Gabriel Medina and Miguel Pupo rebounded and are also into Round 3. The only Brazilian to go down so far is Willian Cardozo and he lost to Taj Burrow (no shame there).
So now can I talk about him? I'm just going to say it. Gabriel Medina can surf. Period. He's not a one-trick pony. This kid does more than just insane airs. He can navigate barrels and destroy waves with beautiful power hacks. And with the contest's first perfect 10 point ride, he's proven it. So are you satisfied yet? Can we stop questioning whether all he can do are airs?
It's a bit of a paradox with Medina. Last year he was ridiculously hyped after making it onto the Pro Tour at the tender age of, what? 17? Anyway, really young. He then went on to - in his rookie year mind you - win two World Tour contests (The Quiksilver Pro France and The Rip Curl Search San Francisco). So, clearly he deserved the hype. What's weird is the excitement was extremely narrow. What I mean is, Medina was type-cast as this hot new kid who took to the air any chance he got. If anyone mentioned his power surfing skills it was only to degrade or at least express some level of concern. Every event he entered was punctuated with the question, "he's good at airs, but can he battle through these waves?" And just about every time he's proven himself. Even after placing 5th at the Pipeline Masters, commentators continued to question his skills outside launch ramps.
The media's views of him have been shaped by his youth, his size (tall, lanky - can those chicken legs really do power hacks?), but mostly his nationality. Brazilians have always had this stigma as choppy, ugly surfers with bad styles and even worst attitudes. While the recent crop of Brazos are working to overcome this wall, there are still years of bias. And that doesn't get overturned overnight. Which is why Gabriel's been so undersold. Ha, see the paradox? Over hyped yet undersold.
And, entering the Volcom Fiji Pro 2012, the questions continued. But Medina's perfect 10 in Round 2 was a game changer. Not even the cameraman thought he was making it out of that barrel. I think he's proven himself, so can we all just shut up now? I'll say it again, just one last time. Gabriel Medina can surf. Oh, and he does airs too.
Check it out:
But Slater going down to a wildcard highlights a really important aspect of Cloudbreak: it's all about the wave. Like Pipeline or J-Bay, you can't force a score here. Catch a great wave and you'll get a great score... assuming of course you don't fall and test out the reef. It makes this contest unpredictable. That being said, just about everyone you'd expect to do well in heaving barrels did do well. Parko, Owen Wright, Mick Fanning, John John, Jordy.
Something you might not expect, and I've been guilty of this too, is that the Brazilian horde is killing it as well. Adriano de Souza, Heitor Alves, and Alejo Muniz all won their first round heats, getting to skip straight into Round 3. Although forced to surf in Round 2, Brazilians Gabriel Medina and Miguel Pupo rebounded and are also into Round 3. The only Brazilian to go down so far is Willian Cardozo and he lost to Taj Burrow (no shame there).
So now can I talk about him? I'm just going to say it. Gabriel Medina can surf. Period. He's not a one-trick pony. This kid does more than just insane airs. He can navigate barrels and destroy waves with beautiful power hacks. And with the contest's first perfect 10 point ride, he's proven it. So are you satisfied yet? Can we stop questioning whether all he can do are airs?
It's a bit of a paradox with Medina. Last year he was ridiculously hyped after making it onto the Pro Tour at the tender age of, what? 17? Anyway, really young. He then went on to - in his rookie year mind you - win two World Tour contests (The Quiksilver Pro France and The Rip Curl Search San Francisco). So, clearly he deserved the hype. What's weird is the excitement was extremely narrow. What I mean is, Medina was type-cast as this hot new kid who took to the air any chance he got. If anyone mentioned his power surfing skills it was only to degrade or at least express some level of concern. Every event he entered was punctuated with the question, "he's good at airs, but can he battle through these waves?" And just about every time he's proven himself. Even after placing 5th at the Pipeline Masters, commentators continued to question his skills outside launch ramps.
The media's views of him have been shaped by his youth, his size (tall, lanky - can those chicken legs really do power hacks?), but mostly his nationality. Brazilians have always had this stigma as choppy, ugly surfers with bad styles and even worst attitudes. While the recent crop of Brazos are working to overcome this wall, there are still years of bias. And that doesn't get overturned overnight. Which is why Gabriel's been so undersold. Ha, see the paradox? Over hyped yet undersold.
And, entering the Volcom Fiji Pro 2012, the questions continued. But Medina's perfect 10 in Round 2 was a game changer. Not even the cameraman thought he was making it out of that barrel. I think he's proven himself, so can we all just shut up now? I'll say it again, just one last time. Gabriel Medina can surf. Oh, and he does airs too.
Check it out:
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Mongooses on Kauai?
Yesterday the first live mongoose to be caught on Kauai was trapped at the Marriott Kauai Lagoons. Houston, we have a problem.
In the late 1800s mongooses were introduced to Big Island, Maui, Molokai, Oahu in an effort to curb rat populations. Unfortunately rats are nocturnal, while mongooses are active in daylight hours, rendering their introduction completely useless. Mongoose populations exploded on the islands they were introduced, decimating ground-nesting native bird populations including petrels, shearwaters, and Hawaii's state bird, the nene.
Kauai, it seems, had been spared. The story goes a ship loaded with a crate of the critters was destined for the island in 1883. One of the workers on board was bitten (they're not very nice), and in a fit of rage kicked the entire crate into the water (thank you random bipolar guy!). No other shipments of mongooses were sent to Kauai.
Growing up there, I had always thought of Kauai as mongoose-free. Just another reason it was the best island. (Uhh... I mean worst. Don't go there.) But every once in a while I'd hear someone describe a rat-like creature they'd seen but had no idea what it was. In 2003, my uncle came to visit from the mainland. He was walking along a beach on the north shore when he saw some sort of strange mammal he couldn't place. As he described it to us - kind of like a rat and squirrel mixed together - it sounded a lot like the mammal that wasn't supposed to exist on Kauai. February 2004 saw another report of a mongoose sighting appear in the local newspaper, The Garden Island.
In fact, there have apparently been over 160 "credible" reports of mongooses over the past 44 years, with sightings ranging all over the island.
Then they found one. In 1976 a lactating female was found dead on the road in Kalaheo. Kauai definitely had a mongoose problem. But the question shifted from "Are they here?" to "Are they established?" If mongooses had a stable breeding population, Kauai was in trouble.
Now that a live mongoose has actually been caught - this one a mature male - there is little doubt Kauai has an established population of mongooses in the Lihue area. Likely elsewhere too. What worries me are those sightings spanning the entire island. Just how serious is Kauai's mongoose infestation? And how can we stop it before the Garden Isle becomes as lifeless as Oahu (again, I'm a little biased)?
Check out the article on the KHON 2 News website: First Live Mongoose Captured on Kauai
 |
| Photo courtesy of Hawaii News Now |
In the late 1800s mongooses were introduced to Big Island, Maui, Molokai, Oahu in an effort to curb rat populations. Unfortunately rats are nocturnal, while mongooses are active in daylight hours, rendering their introduction completely useless. Mongoose populations exploded on the islands they were introduced, decimating ground-nesting native bird populations including petrels, shearwaters, and Hawaii's state bird, the nene.
Kauai, it seems, had been spared. The story goes a ship loaded with a crate of the critters was destined for the island in 1883. One of the workers on board was bitten (they're not very nice), and in a fit of rage kicked the entire crate into the water (thank you random bipolar guy!). No other shipments of mongooses were sent to Kauai.
Growing up there, I had always thought of Kauai as mongoose-free. Just another reason it was the best island. (Uhh... I mean worst. Don't go there.) But every once in a while I'd hear someone describe a rat-like creature they'd seen but had no idea what it was. In 2003, my uncle came to visit from the mainland. He was walking along a beach on the north shore when he saw some sort of strange mammal he couldn't place. As he described it to us - kind of like a rat and squirrel mixed together - it sounded a lot like the mammal that wasn't supposed to exist on Kauai. February 2004 saw another report of a mongoose sighting appear in the local newspaper, The Garden Island.
In fact, there have apparently been over 160 "credible" reports of mongooses over the past 44 years, with sightings ranging all over the island.
Then they found one. In 1976 a lactating female was found dead on the road in Kalaheo. Kauai definitely had a mongoose problem. But the question shifted from "Are they here?" to "Are they established?" If mongooses had a stable breeding population, Kauai was in trouble.
Now that a live mongoose has actually been caught - this one a mature male - there is little doubt Kauai has an established population of mongooses in the Lihue area. Likely elsewhere too. What worries me are those sightings spanning the entire island. Just how serious is Kauai's mongoose infestation? And how can we stop it before the Garden Isle becomes as lifeless as Oahu (again, I'm a little biased)?
Check out the article on the KHON 2 News website: First Live Mongoose Captured on Kauai
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Preparing for the Volcom Fiji Pro 2012
I don't know about you, but every time I think of a return to Cloudbreak I can't help but jump up and down like a toddler handed a gallon of ice cream. I love Fiji. I love Cloudbreak. And Restaurants. These are the waves that should be mainstays on the contest circuit, rather than the blown out beach break closeouts that have become increasingly common over the past couple years. While I recognize the driving factor in contest placement is and will always be centered around money, we need contests like these to maintain the integrity and soul of the sport. And with a contract spanning 2012-2014, Volcom will be able to give us three years of Fijian perfection.
The 2012 Volcom Fiji Pro marks the World Tour's return to Fiji after a three year hiatus. The contest has actually only been held eight times since its inception in 1999. Occy took the inaugural title, followed by Luke Egan (2000), Michael Lowe (2002), Andy Irons (2003), Damien Hobgood (2004 and 2006), and of course Kelly Slater (2005 and 2008). All were goofy foots except for AI and Slater, meaning goofyfoots have won in Fiji over 62% of the time. US surfers have won four times, Aussies 3, and Hawaiians once (thank you AI!).
Fresh off his win in Rio, and bred for waves like these, I'm looking to John John as the one to beat in Fiji. But I'm also excited to see Jordy, Parko, and Julian, guys who have proven they're not afraid of heaving barrels. Of course expect fireworks from Kelly (and Mick), but don't we always expect that? Finally, I'd like to see how Gabriel Medina and Kolohe Andino fare in waves like these.
Only 10 days till the waiting period! Check out the site: Volcom Fiji Pro
And here's a little tease:
The 2012 Volcom Fiji Pro marks the World Tour's return to Fiji after a three year hiatus. The contest has actually only been held eight times since its inception in 1999. Occy took the inaugural title, followed by Luke Egan (2000), Michael Lowe (2002), Andy Irons (2003), Damien Hobgood (2004 and 2006), and of course Kelly Slater (2005 and 2008). All were goofy foots except for AI and Slater, meaning goofyfoots have won in Fiji over 62% of the time. US surfers have won four times, Aussies 3, and Hawaiians once (thank you AI!).
Fresh off his win in Rio, and bred for waves like these, I'm looking to John John as the one to beat in Fiji. But I'm also excited to see Jordy, Parko, and Julian, guys who have proven they're not afraid of heaving barrels. Of course expect fireworks from Kelly (and Mick), but don't we always expect that? Finally, I'd like to see how Gabriel Medina and Kolohe Andino fare in waves like these.
Only 10 days till the waiting period! Check out the site: Volcom Fiji Pro
And here's a little tease:
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