Memory of Magic

Its a good to survive and it's even better to experience the magic and beauty of life. Last night I stepped out of my daily routine to visit the home of my friend and role model, Ethan Lau.
During our conversations, he said these words,
"Life can end at any moment, and all that is left is the memories of magic"
His home is a living museum. A home of a Contemporary Cosmic Individual Connected.
Below is a photo essay of his home.

A studio on hill exposed to wind and stars

Tools

Nutrients

Water Containers

Notes and Inspirational Forms

Ethan Lau

A new lense

  Plants including sweet potato and papaya

Surfed Out, Art time

Aloha friends and family,
Last month was practically non-stop waves on the south shore of Oahu.
I surfed so much I got my first ear infection that I am still recovering from.
October is apparently the month with the highest count of shark attacks.
So maybe staying out of the water to heal my ear is a blessing.

On Oahu alone there was 2 shark attacks in October, one at "Left Overs", the other at Lani Kai.
Left Overs is one of my favorite spots. I've caught waves there 5 times the length of my old home break of Rockaway Queens, going probably 3 times as fast on waves twice the average size.

I'm not sure if I'll surf Left Overs this winter. If you're already surfing it,  you're one brave human.

What else... My last day of surf was two Saturdays ago at my home break. It was glassy with head high perfect peeling conditions. Maneuvers seemed effortless- floaters, lip cracks, drop ins with ease.
I surfed it with my friend Chrisitian. One of his sons is in kindergarten and goes to the same school as my son.

Its funny how some days you can be "on it" surfing like a champion, while other times surf like a donkey. It's rare, but three weeks ago I surfed like true donkey. I went over the falls twice sitting on my board falling face first, fumbled on drop ins, dropped in between a girl on a longboard in front of me and a dude behind me, and dropped in on a dad of a kid who is in the same kindergarten class as my kid. I got one good wave of redemption, but eventually I realized I was the super kook that day and paddled myself in before I caused any damage to a beautiful session.

Thats all to report for now.
Working on a mural for the kindergarten walls where my son goes to school.
I'll keep you posted.
Singing off.
-Manny

Some Secrets to Skateboarding

One of the great secrets to skateboarding is to have a few up your sleeve. To surprise your fellow skateboarder, to surprise yourself with your secret line or trick, is one of the great joys of every skate session (or art show for that matter) - to do things unseen, to do things with utter grace or trick of the eye.

For example: Can someone tell me what the hell Mike Kepper (riding for Shut Skates in 1989) is doing here? Ollie or Wallride to Layback? Only he and a few may know. But I'll tell you what. Its a mystery to me- A graceful cement assault perfectly captured. Form that couldn't be more dope. Mike Kepper, if you're out there reading this, I must tell you brother, you are one of my favorites. Your skating is burnt into my memory more than most.
Mean Kill Style.

Skateboarding or art is like Magic. What would a Magician be if he/she told you how they did their tricks before they did them.  A magician would not be, without the show.

One of my personal skateboard secrets lies in the acronym PYOS.

The photo used in this Fall's Issue of Stay Wild Magazine. 

Photo by Jianca Lazarus

HI Sk8 Films 2015

HI Sk8 Films 2015

A selection of short films featuring Hawai‘i's best skaters and skate filmmakers collaboarating to showcase their technical skills and creativity. Collectively, these shorts offer a glimpse into an island community that revels in its contradictions: social but individual, progressive but subversive, nature-loving but concrete-dependent, grounded but gravity-defying.

Opening-night reception: Oct 23, 6-7:30pm: Enjoy live music with food, beer and wine for purchase. Meet filmmakers and skaters and check out a pop-up display of local skate art and photography. HI Sk8 Films showcase screening at 7:30pm. $10 • $8 MM

As with all Doris Duke Theatre screenings, visitors under 17 years of age get in for free.

Shorts showcase lineup:

Only This Nothing More (trailer)Directed by Sean Reilly. Produced by Shitty Kids. O‘ahu. 2015. 2 min.

The Root of SkateboardingDirected by Manny Aloha and Ethan Lau. O‘ahu. 2015. 3 min.

Primo Time-ODirected by Junji Murata. Produced by Soundboarding. Japan. 2015. 20 min.

TemptationsDirected by Adam Funari. Produced by Ditch Life. O‘ahu. 2015. 7 min.

Shitty TV
Directed by Justine Edwards. Produced by Shitty Kitty and Mikey Albert. O‘ahu. 2015. 11 min.

Shmood
Directed by Travis Ota. O‘ahu. 2015. 30 min.

- Intermission • 15 min. -

X808X
Directed by Josh Rubalcava. Produced by 808 Skate. O‘ahu. 2015. 4 min.

He'e Holua x Wind VibrationsDirected by Mackenzie Yoshida. Produced by Wheel Turner Hawaii. O‘ahu. 2015. 5 min.

Rhythm to RideDirected by Chris Miyashiro. O‘ahu. 2015. 9 min.

Dumb Youth Skate PartyDirected by Tomoki Kobayashi. O‘ahu. 2015. 15 min.

SaffronDirected by Alec Singer. O‘ahu. 2015. 3 min.

Poi DogDirected by Conor McGivern and Kale Kaaikala. Produced by APB, Treevisions and Mokelife. O‘ahu + Maui. 2015. 20 min.

STAY WILD MAGAZINE: ALOHA DITCHES!

I haven't seen it yet, but, I am honored to be in the fall issue of 

Stay Wild Magazine. This summer I discovered countless skateable ditches while driving around Oahu during my day job. Ditch postings on Instagram like the photos below inspired me to pitch a "Hawaii ditch piece" to Stay Wild.

I got the green light from Stay Wild head honcho (friend and role model) Justin Scrappers Morrison.

So I called up one of my favorite photographers (and friend) Jianca Lazarus and two dedicated and radical skater broz Mike Sidani, and Johnny Noel, and we made a day of it. 

I hadn't skated that hard in 10 years.

I'm stoked that two photos of me made it into the mag. 

Below are a handful of shots from that Day of Ditches that weren't printed.

Thanks Stay Wild Magazine for giving us a great reason to skate and create.

Mahalo and Aloha!

Johnny Noel -Backside Hurricane

Mike Sidani ollie into the steep

Manny Method to five-o-axel pivot.

Johnny blunt 

Sidani speed carve setting up for a backside ollie.

Manny Magic Method

Sidani Wire Grind Uluz

Me keepin' it simple.

Thank you Mike Sidani, Johnny Noel, Jianca Lazarus, and 

Stay Wild Magazine for the friendship and Ultra Positive Vibes.

Sincerely, 

Manny Aloha

WEEK OF WAVES

ALOHA FOLKS,
Waves on the South shore of Oahu have been at least head high for the past week with perfect conditions. The wind kicked up today (Saturday) but people are still having a ball.
Here are a couple of picks from this week.

Tales of a Honolulu Homeboy- SUPER CONNECT!

I dropped into the wave and everything turned silent. The water was clear and I saw a stray piece of seaweed floating. Time slowed down as the wave, my actions, and desires melted together- one moment stretched. I dragged my hand in the curl and my face in the lip. The sun shone bright. Up and down the wave I went all the way to the inner reef stoked.

I began to paddle back out only to get stuck inside. I was in the zone of white water, lips and curls- the Whitewash Museum. As the outside sets came pounding, I relaxed safe inside, and admired the infinite curvilinear forms and movements of whitewash- up, down, diagonal, sideways. As the big sets subsided, I paddled back out and observed a perfect mid size wave similar to my last. I called it the "Super Connector". It came hidden between unorganized brut waves, and looked like a Cool Guy or Hot Chick.  One approached and I yelled "Yee haw!" as I paddled to the pocket. As I dropped in,  inside my head I yelled, "Super Connect!"

Zombies - Time Of The Season HD