Hawaii Story (by Reubin Pearce)
HAWAII – Land of two types of surfers. Those who paddle out at 30 foot Pipe on 8’0 foot plus boards and those who paddle out on 7’0 foot plus boards. Now you ask what’s the difference here, well let me break it down so you see my reasoning for this. Those who paddle out on 8’0foot plus boards are more than likely going to be sitting further up the line up and closer to the drop/impact/death zone than those who paddle out on a 7’0 foot plus board, this person is most likely going to be sitting on the shoulder and paddling into the left over insiders. So in basic terms there is those who surf and those who dream of surfing and there is no other place on earth that sets these two surfers apart than that of the great islands of HAWAII.
This was my first ever trip to Hawaii, while growing up as a grom I had a number of opportunities to go to Hawaii but always ended up going somewhere less crowed instead. So in my head I had been there over and over and over, seen millions of pics and videos of the place that the day I landed it felt like I had already been here year after year.
I stayed in front of Sharks cove which was just a bit further back from Pipe and Backdoor but still had the ocean in front of our house so I could still get a feeling for how big the surf was and it wasn’t anything under 6feet while I was there. In fact to give you an idea of how big the surf was while I was there they almost ran the Eddie which hasn’t run in 3years due to lack of good BIG swells, so now you know that when the Hawaiians say BIG they mean business.
Every morning was a early one with a surf check up the whole North Shore slowing pumping myself up to where ever it was that I was going to surf. I was well prepared, with a whole new quiver of JP’s that went insane. My favourite was a slightly thicker 6’4 that I surfed Rockies with and had the barrel of my life at and then surfed Pipe after the Backdoor Shoot out comp one afternoon. I paddled for this wide set and though I was in a good spot to get into but I wasn’t and ended up just catching my rail on the way down and going over backwards head first into the reef SMASHING my head while getting held under and coming up to a clean snapped board.
The whole trip was everything and more I ever imagined it to be. Next time I’m gonna hang abit longer and take two 6’4’s. Thanks again JP and all the boys at the factory that make things happen. Best boards ever.
Reubin Pearce.
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