I thought I'd start with trying to explain why this blog (which is my first ever) is titled, Hele On. Growing up in Hawaii, on the island of O'ahu, one of the first things you learn is to not stand still - don't sit around and do nothing. With the weather being almost perfect 365 days a year, you just have to get out and move. The term Hele in the Pidgin/English definition means to move, go, get off your butt, etc. For anyone who as ever visited the Hawaiian Islands must have heard this term before. Now that I live in Seattle, I try not to speak with a Pidgin accent. Well, except when I surround myself with other Hawaii locals or have one too many beers.
I've lived in Seattle for almost a decade now, and I've meet some amazing people, had some wonderful relationships, and now I'm looking to experience life more and tell my tale...for those of you who find it interesting. Why? Well, at the moment I'm a single dad with an amazing daughter (9 yrs at the moment) and still trying to adapt to living in the amazing Northwest.
In this blog, I will hopefully be able to share some of my experiences going into the fall season and beyond - starting with my first ever stand up paddle competition in the NW called Round the Rock. Ever wonder how a kid from Hawaii can adapt and surf in the freezing cold waters of Washington? Well, that's just what I'm going to share and more. I've got a few good friends that surf and live in Seattle; we try to hit the waves when we can. I caught Westport (aka: WestDump, from what I'm told) so good a while back. I had no idea Washington surf got this good.
Clean barrels on the sets, and uncrowded. Now, for all you local NW surfers, please know that I'm not planning on blogging about all the secret spots in the NW. Calling Westport a secret or localized spot is like trying to claim Queens at Waikiki or Cliffs at Diamond Head. However, I did notice the jetty at Westport had a bit of a localized vibe; which was fun to be around. It reminded me what it's like being back home. I wouldn't recommend paddling out to the jetty and expecting to take any set wave if you're a novice at surfing. I feel with surfing, you've got to respect the locals. No matter where you are. When I paddled over to the jetty, I just sat inside and watched to see who the heavies were. It's smart to do that so you know who you should and shouldn't challenge against for a wave...well, at least in the beginning of the session. No matter what though, you never sit inside someone and drop-in on them while they are already going down the line of the wave. You will look like a donkey, get hurt, and never get anymore waves:
Paddleboarding has also been a great NW adventure for me. Being part of Hemel Board Company has been and still is an amazing experience. Trying not to give in to the norm and produce our boards overseas, we are trying our hardest to manufacture our boards in the good'ol USA. Look for more posts on Hemel going forward...
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