Hawaiian Winter Skateboard Practice

Aloha friends and family. It's 1:40am and I should be in bed. Mostly every day afterwork I've been skateing home, and every time I do, I do one thing different, like take a different side of the street or do a maneuver I haven't tried in a while or ever. For instance I used to pass this driveway every day until I looked behind me and realized there was a bank to wall behind me. All day today as I worked, all I could think of was doing wall rides. I know it sounds useless, but skateboarding always sounds useless, but it has given back to me so well in life. When I get home after skating I am so sweaty, stoked, and breathing hard... and I don't even have to pay for a gym membership or even go to a skatepark. I don't really want many people to know this, but to me street skating is so fun. I know by this small blog post and by me skating down the street in this video, it will soon be illegal. There is so much stuff to skate in Hawaii, and mostly people skate in the parks. I'm not saying I don't like skating skateparks, it's just skating is so rad in the streets, sidewalks and parking lots.

 I'm not saying I'm Danny Way, but... I heard once that  the best skater or surfer is the one that is having the most fun. I think today I might of been the best skater in Honolulu between 5:30 and 6:30pm. 

Til next time. Here is my video of today's skate with my homemade soundtrack. Enjoy.

Aloha.

-Manny

FEBRUARY THOUGHTS

Some thoughts and images of February.

The woman I love. Marisa- means "of the sea" how ironic.

After she got out of the water from boogie boarding.

My day work Before 

After

As my Homey Scrappers says, "Adding retarder sauce" to my day.

 Me with my Chinaman hat in front of the one and only Chinaman's Hat Island.

Makaha. This was Valentines Day Morning before work. A one hour drive from home.

Bad Dad came days late with a Valentine present.

Son Haydoggy Dog with his bulldozer. He loves trucks. He doesn't listen to me much right now, but lately has been responding when I call him Mr. Dude. Before bed he kisses me good night, says "I love you" then follows with "Now go away Papa".

Today was Sunday Family day. And I had a great day surfing with my friend Aarron to celebrate his birthday.  Another father I know doesn't surf on family days. I haven't conquered that yet.

Marisa didn't come down too hard on me for surfing two sessions (basically all day) with Aaron at my favorite North Shore  Break. Solid overhead waves all day. I finessed a handful of waves and was proud of myself for breathing and keeping cool on the rides bottom turning low dragging my hand along the 12 foot faces. I paid for it on a handful of waves too though. A couple of guys said was that you who got swallowed in the barrel on that set wave and tumbled all nuts? It was me but thankfully didn't hurt. 

I had some of the best rides of my life today (my wife says I say that every time I surf), but I definitely dropped in on few with three left feet aka Blowing it on Beautiful Waves.

I told my wife before I paddled out that all she had to say when I came in was "I saw you catch a wave and you looked so smooth! Just like Gerry Lopez" and She did and I believed her. It made me feel so good even though I know she doesn't know who Gerry Lopez is or what he surfs like.

My biggest regret today was not taking the time to build a sand castle with my boy. Or spend time with my wife looking for shells. But  by writing this down, I plan on making a conscious effort to make more quality time with them.

My biggest dilemma these days is prioritizing, managing my self employment and developing whatever business I want to pursue, deciding on which business that is, family time, surfing, skateboarding, making art. Writing helps. If I can somehow combine them all to work for me... Hmmmm.

Aloha Family and Friends.

Z catching time.

SKATE HOME

Pau Hana Skate Home as Animal Chin.

Music by Little Dragon

Nap Time Skate as Animal Chin

Bought some new wheels for quality side walk surfing on Saturday from Bike Factory. Bike Factory is  probably the best shop to buy cruiser board products in Honolulu. It's skate eye candy in there. Anyway when I got home I had my son Hayden help me dismantle my old truck and wheel set up by making him press the button on the screw gun and turning the skate key to remove and tighten wheel nuts. I also had him help me lace my a sneaker that had a lace tear by giving him the end of the lace and having him put it in each hole and pull the lace. He laced a the whole sneaker. By then he was ready for a nap. Then I went for my skate.

Hope you enjoy. 

Aloha,

Manny 

Sidewalk Surf and Last Sunday

Oldie but...

The past couple of days, I think Thursday and Tuesday, I've been skating home from Pili Place in Kaimuki Honolulu, to my home on Makiki St.  Wearing an Animal Chin Hat and shades. I enter another Dimension as Animal Chin. 

Here is the line. you can google map it and get an idea if you're a nerd like that.

Pili to, run up Paula to  Iwi Way which is a rad narrow downhill to Sierra Drive which can be a little gnarly unless you Roll with Control and sidewalk surf / zig zag da bitch.

That's the most fun way to me anyway. I used to bomb the hill full tuck style, but you miss too much of the funs stuff. Anyway back to the line home.

Down Sierra Drive to into the 7-11 Aloha Gas Station to slappy the yellow curb

to sharp right hand turn down Waialae Ave 

ollie up the small step, ride down the double step to

right and run up St. Louis Drive,

to left on Dole St. to push as hard as you can and do a coffin across the whole UH Campus

to right up University to slappy the red curbs at the bus shelter, 

to left on Metcalf

to slappy some more curbs to session with some long boarders on Marques St.

back down Metcalf

to right on Wilder 

to right on Makiki St. to my home.

My son Hayden wearing my hat on our Surf Safari last Family Sunday.

We went to the East Side after I stayed up midnight til 3am carpeting the back of my Ford Station Wagon. We invited our friends CW, wife Kamia and daughter Nuella to join us for a Epic East Side Extravaganza of Surf and Shop- (thank god the ladies only window shopped) in Kailua.

We started by checking blown out Crouching Lion then decided on Surfing Kualoa's, 

surf in da sun, to Lunch at Heeia Pier General Store, to Check out all the girly stores in Kailua,

to Surf Baby Makapuu. Good times.

Last surf Session by the ladies at Baby Maks

Ending in pouring rain. Which worked out perfect because that break has no showers.

Rain=Instant Shower

Us Jammed in the Ford Escort getting dry.  

Arriving home by daylight in one piece. or I should say three.

Trust me. it wasn't all Fun in the sun though. Hayden and Nuella had some tantrums along the way crying for that orange water gun which we only had one of (mistake) 

and crying for Mom hardcore repeating "Mommy let's Go Home!!!" When she was surfing. 

4:40 am now. Not good.

Z time.

Jesus was a Carpenter

And so am I.

He drank wine with his Bros

And so do I.

Skateboards weren't invented yet when he was alive,

but I bet he would rip.

Not really religious.

Just shootin' the sh*%.

Instead of bein' zombie styles watchin' TV.

TV is awesome.

Just in moderation.

Even too much surfing can screw you up.

Like take you away from spending quality time with your wife and baby.

But that's why we're spending family day at the beach tomorrow.

Emanuel is my name and it means "God is with us"

but for now I go by Manny Aloha.

Below is some before and after carpentry I've been doing.

These kind of tasks help me design and cut my own skateboards and surfboards.

Kind of like wax on, wax off from the movie Karate Kid.

I just spent the last two hours- midnight to 2am 

cleaning my car and cutting carpet to fit in the back of

my Ford Escort Station wagon so my wife, son and I can 

kick it and enjoy a cush snack time in the beach parking lot. 

Hope you Enjoy your Sunday.

It's 3am I better get some rest.

Alone in Hawaii

Dad alone in Hawaii

Mom out of town with the baby

After work surf rendezvous with Miss Pacific

Getting barreled under pink skies

Wisped cotton candy clouds

Floating mesmerized 

Sinking into sunset emotions

Immersed in fluid crossroads of past, present and future

Inhaling deep ecstatic silence

Exhaling cosmic telepathy to family and friends

Awaken to paddle in under stars

                    -Manny Aloha Feb.4, 2012