Surfer Dude

Many feared that when I left home to spend a month in Maui, that I would never return.  A few of you may have even worried that I would fall for a sun kissed blonde long haired surfer.  Well, I admit it; I am in love with a surfer dude!  (A few of you are panicking, “I’ve been following this blog, isn’t she married?!” Those of you who know me well are already thinking, “It’s Greg!”) That’s right friends; my sweet husband Greg is now a surfer!  We started our day taking the bus into Lahaina.  Maui Surf Clinics was recommended to us by another guest during our first week, they said if you book them on Sunday other surf schools are closed and no one realizes that this one is open, so if you book a group lesson it is bound to be a small group. Indeed it was, just Greg and his surf instructor, Billy.  So it wound up being a private lesson for the price of a group, score! 

Beautifully tan and blonde, Ali, who worked in the front office, set Greg up with his rash guard and reef shoes.  Ali then ushered us the beach to meet Greg’s surf guru, Billy.  Billy arrived; deeply tan with floppy dark hair and a dog.  That’s right, Billy’s little rescue mutt, Irene, had short black fur with a white patch on her chest peppered with grey hairs, as Irene was pushing eleven.  Did I mention that Irene enjoys swimming and riding on the end of Billy’s surfboard?

Greg and Billy spent some time on the sand going over technique and before I knew it they were heading into the water and down toward the jetty.  I really wanted to get some photos, so I abandoned our towels and the beach chair that Ali so kindly provided, to climb out on the black rocks of the jetty and get some shots.  Greg did great, it seemed like the very first wave they tried he stood up.  He looked like a natural.  Many more times they paddled their boards way out, watched for a good set to come in, and then Greg was up on that board again.  The last wave he caught he rode nearly all the way and flashed me a shaka as he rode past.  Here it the photo of that momentous occasion!

When they returned to the beach, Billy warned me that Greg might fall asleep in the next half hour and though I had not been doing the tough cardio the surfers had, the sun was taxing enough.  Before we headed home for a nap we grabbed lunch at Pacific'O, a farm to table concept restaurant right on the stretch of Lahaina beach where Greg had surfed.  It was a bit pricy but splitting a salad and entree made it manageable.  We enjoyed the catch of the day in a Thai peanut sauce with an upcountry salad including shaved beets.  For you health nuts out there, we tried the kombucha, a locally made ginger lime variety of fermented tea and juices that creates a fizzy refreshing drink full of probiotic and healing qualities.  It was the perfect light lunch after a morning in the sun!

After a bit of rest at home, we realized it was not just our time on the beach that made us feel hot and zapped, it was a really warm day everywhere on the island.  Our little condo was feeling pretty steamy, so we decided it was time to cool off in the ocean.  The surf was pretty choppy this afternoon, so we didn’t even attempt snorkeling.   It seems that body surfing was on the agenda for the afternoon.  Greg got to fill me on the details of his lesson from today as we bobbed about in the ocean in front of the condo. It was fun to jump up and ride over certain waves and ride others back to the shore. At one point when we were just kind of floating, I looked at the curl of the wave just in front of me and saw a sea turtle-shape gliding toward us. “Hey man, check out the waves!”, he seemed to be saying.  I so adore these creatures!  Back inside we felt refreshed and showered up for the evening.  Greg was feeling like sushi so it was back on the bus to the Kahana Manor Center for more Miso Phat; a rainbow roll for Greg and an avocado roll and yellow tail collar for me. On our bus ride back we hopped off one stop too early, still learning to identify our stops in the dark, but we were rewarded with a 10 minute walk under the glow of the full moon, the company of a friendly black cat and a soaring local owl.  Is it Halloween in Hawaii?!  A creepy cool night to cap off a super sunny day!