Uuups… I am too slow against the time. I said I will write about my central America tour, but I forgot it in Hawaii. And now I am again in New Zealand and was already on a few hiking trips… But I will start at the front – Hawaii…
After a night with less sleep (I was maybe nervous for my first surf lesson) and a big breakfast, we met us at 8 am Brasilian time (Sorry Edison 🙂 ) and went to Puena Point, which takes 5 minutes by car. We took our longboards and went down to the beach. Edison sent me out in the waves after 10 – 15 minutes introduction and practicing on the beach. From this point on I had to paddle… I learned how to paddle out in the waves with the constant briefing from Edison. He said were I have to stay until there is a wave for me. He waited until a good set came in, turned me in the right position and by the right time he pushed me in the wave. I tried to stand up on the board and felt in the water a few seconds later. I paddled back to Edison, he said what I had to correct and he pushed me in the next wave. For a while it goes on like that and Edison started to follow me to pull me back out, because my arms got very tired. Around the 5. try I could stand up on the board for the first time. I rode the wave in direct direction to the beach. I think this was the moment where I realized how much I like surfing! The feeling to ride my first wave was amazing! The next to hours went on with sometimes fall down sometimes stay the waves. At the end I was totally tired, even if Edison pulled me out back in the sea from time to time to help me with the paddling. Jupiii, I was very happy to rode my first surf lesson out, only with a few excoriation on my feet, knees and hands. In the afternoon I went with Sophie & Christian from the camp to the Waimea Valley. There is a way trough a botanic garden up to a waterfall. The waterfall was brown because of the heavy rain the days before and nothing special in my mind (maybe I have to much waterfalls to compare ;-)). After all that green we went down to the Waimea Beach, where we watched all the people struggle in the Waves. The next day it was a storm with heavy rain and wind taking place and we had to switch our lesson to noon. I watched the whole morning the Van Triple Crown Contest at Sunset Beach on my laptop. The lesson was switch to 2 pm, because the wind didn’t stop. It was still raining when we drove down to Puena Point, but the wind was less. The rain was cold, but the water still warm and nice. There were only a few people out, which was perfect for me. At this day I nearly stood every wave, in which Edison pushed me in. Due to the constant tip from Edison I slowly get a feeling for the board and the waves. The feeling to ride waves is amazing!! The evening i spent comfy at home and went to bed early. The next morning we had lesson at 8 am. We went to Lanikea, which is an other sport more north at the North Shore which has stronger waves. This meant that I had to paddle harder to get out and to learn to fix the stand on my board. On this spot I also had the experience how it feels to stock in waves and feel like in a wash machine. In this lesson I learned how to act in such waves and that I always have to stay behind the board. Because I didn’t follow this rule my board was landing on my head when I popped up once. I was happy to know Edison around me in this lesson, so i felt save. I knew if i really have a problem in the water, he will be there and take me out. This was the reason, why I didn’t have fear to get in these stronger waves again and again and again, until I stood the waves a few times. After 1.5 hours I was really tired and I felt my arms really badly, but I was happy. And I had definitely a new passion – surfing!! Because of the constant briefing from Edison I made progress every day. I stood bigger and stronger waves (we still speak from 1- 3 ft Hawaiian reef break waves) and I got more excited every day. I could stand waves from further out until the beach. An incredible feeling!! My best rides I had on my second last day my last wave and the waves from my last day. At this place I have to say a big thank you to Edison, who made such a good job to learn me how to surf!!
Once didn’t take a long time to come up – I will go back to Hawaii, on Oahu, to Haleiwa, to the camp to getting better.
We didn’t only surf in the camp. On Monday afternoon we went hiking on the trail to the Stairs of Heaven. We didn’t found the stairs, but the hike was fun and nice anyway. On Tuesday I went to Pearl Harbour with Sophie. It was a thoughtful afternoon with the memories what happened at the 7 of December in 1941. On Wednesday evening we had our highlights from our trips. Jenni took us to the Story & Talk with Greg Long in the Surferbar at Turtlebay Resort. The interview and the following movie with/about the most decorated big wave surfer was really interesting and oppressive together. Greg nearly drown a few month ago. After the film and before we left, I took the chance to take a pictures with Greg 🙂 In the afternoon of the next day we went to the Opening Ceremony from the Eddie Aikau. This big wave contest is addict to Eddie Aikau, who was Lifeguard and big wave surfer. The opening ceremony took place at Waimea Beach. There are only select surfer who have the chance to surf on the Eddie’s. They stood in a circle with their boards and every one got ‚bless‘ and introduced. Afterwards they all paddle out to have an other ceremony out in the sea sitting on their boards. The contest itself will take place between the opening day and the end of February, if the waves are bigger than 20 ft Hawaiian. The last Eddie’s took place in 2009, where Greg won. This year it was special because the Hokulea, the double-hulled voyaging canoe whose fate intertwined with Eddie 35 years ago, with the crew was there. Eddie started to paddle out with his surfboard as soon as the ship get in troubles. The crew got saved, Eddie remain lost. Even the biggest search on the sea didn’t help to find Eddie… Before we went to our yoga class, we met Carlos Burle, a good friend from Edison. On Friday after class drove Edison with Chung and me along the surf spots at the north shore and explained us what the different between the spots are. In the late afternoon we learned Stand Up Paddling on the river with Jenni. We paddled up and down on the river and we saw a lot of turtles at the bank and in the water. In the evening we all met us for a BBQ in Jenni’s house. Carlos, Roberto, Camilla and their parents (all good friends from Edison) were also there. It was a great comfy evening. On Saturday afternoon I went for a coffee and some shopping with Chung. It was an expensive afternoon, but we had a lots of fun 🙂 On Sunday we surfed in the afternoon and after I had to pack all my stuff, because I had to leave on Monday evening to Auckland. On Monday I went for my last surf lesson and I had a great time on the waves, even if I was tired, because I didn’t sleep much at night… The leave, the suspense when I will have the chance to go back to Hawaii and the suspense what will come up for me in New Zealand preys on my mind… After the class I had a shower, packed the rest of my stuff, said goodbye to Edison & Carlos in a hurry, because Jenni went for a Island Tour with Chung and me. She showed us all surf spots, lookouts and many things more. It was a great tour – a big thank you for Jenni! For me the tour ended at the airport in Honolulu, where Jenni dropped me off. I few hours later I went with a heavy heart on board from the Air New Zealand aircraft with direction Auckland.
At this point I will say heartily thank you to Jenni and Edison for the great time at the surf camp!! It was amazing!! Thank you so much guys!!!