May 7, 2000, the scene is Diamond Head on the south shore of Oahu. Summer has arrived; the air feels softer, the colors are brighter, the wind is straighter and… there is surf. A series of south swells this spring have set stage; and now… at long last, let the summer fun begin. I'm setting up my rig to windsurf and the excitement hits. On days like this it's easy for me to feel the magic of this place and this sport.

I launch at my favorite spot, a little patch of sand carved out of the reef. With just the right wind and tide, sailing out into the waves is a straight shot. In light, variable winds and low tide this maneuver can range from tricky to severe. Tricky can be a challenge; sailing over and through the coral heads; severe can put you on the reef, causing damage to your feet and equipment. Today I sail out through the waves in one tack, passing a few turtles sunning themselves on the surface.

Something is happening under the surface that's for sure; the White Sea birds are fishing on the horizon, much closer than usual. The something that could be happening involves large predator fish chasing schools of smaller fish in accordance with the rules set out by Mother Nature. The largest of these predators are 6' to 8' white tip and black tip sharks traveling at incredible speeds… not a good place to fall. I delete a picture from my mind of what could HAPPEN; and I jibe to head back into the waves.

The wind is light yet filled in, the tide is high and the waves are 3 to 4 feet. There are four surf spots in this area. Looking out from the beach, to the far left is Browns, next is Mansions, then Chucky's Rock and finally Dudgeon Reef. Today the waves are breaking from left to right, starting at Mansions, breaking through Chucky's Rock and connecting to inside Dudgeons. This is my favorite set up, the wave begins to break in deep water, walls up and then pitches out, reforms and breaks all the way to the beach. I like to catch the wave as far outside as possible and fade into Mansions, turn off the top and shoot down the line and then jam as many turns as possible off the bottom as the waves pitches and then reforms. With the trade winds blowing across the beach from left to right, sailing back out into the line-up is a natural course.

Getting in the rhythm of this place and catching wave after wave with a few of your friends is probably as much fun as should be allowed. On this particular day, I sailed and surfed non-stop for about an hour and a half. I was on fire, enjoying every moment, totally focused in the moment, feeling the power of the wind and hooting from the pleasure of riding the waves. As I walked out of the water carrying my rig I gave thanks… my body was buzzing. In the words of one of my favorite Van Morrison songs, "wouldn't it be great if it was like this all of the time." Well it isn't and it probably shouldn't be because that's what makes this time of year so special.
SUMMER FUN is here at last and the Magic is Back.