My night

Creatively frustrated I went for a barefoot skate in the night
a block over, down a hill, and into a roundabout.
Stopped at a corner and a centipede scurried out.
Ever get bit by a centipede?
It hurts like a big needle you can't get out.
Skated over it a few times then skated home.
Pushed uphill and ran over a cockroach.
Crunch.
I got some aggression out.

My favorite cheap red wine

Bear Flag Smooth Red Wine Blend
Everytime I drink this wine I have a good time.
Doesn't get me tired.
Doesn't make my wife mad at me like beer does.
For a good time buy two bottles.
7.99 each.

Some Street Art I like in (Kakaako) Honolulu

Pow Wow Hawaii 2012 brought street artists from around the world to paint in the streets of Honolulu...

One of my favorites because of the vent shades and....

this detail of a skater doing a gorilla grip with his toes.

I like this dude with the paint brush.

Some wisdom.

My Homeboy Beak3 with the rad aloha shirt and classic graf techniques.

This one blew me away. Dude killed it.

This one too. All the art is so rad.

And I'm not gonna lie, it made me realize I have to paint more.
If you are ever in Honolulu, cruise the streets of Kakaako on and enjoy.

Frontside Wall Rides Part II

Aloha friends and family, this is me after work on Friday, before rushing home to spend time with my wife and son, to follow up my last post.
and here's a song by a one of my favorite bands, Little Dragon doing a cover of one of my favorite songs, Gypsy Woman by Crystal Waters.
Manny

Frontside Wallrides

Today I did a frontside wall rides on the bank to wall that was in the last blog post.
I will video it soon. All I kept thinking about is how my brother used to rip them without a bank...
Frontside wall rides right off flat ground. Frontside Mute Grab wall rides. Bob was an animal skater.
And an animal snowboarder. I randomly called his best friend Cesca last week. He said he went to Tahoe to snowboard with some bros, but he missed snowboarding with Bob, because it's not the same with others... they don't get gnarly. Shoot...I just called Bob in Colorado where it is 12:30 am and asked him if he could do Ses slides off the ramp to wall at the our local skate spot the Tennis Court on Yorkshire Ave when we were14-16 years old. He said "Yeah, but I only landed it once, I'll call you back tomorrow.
Considering he was doing it like 6-7 feet up off the ramp and landing on flat on a rough cement wall... Thats so gnarly.
Then I told him that I did frontside wall rides today, and he said, "Rad. Goodnight."
 I still can't believe that one of my favorite skaters of all time was my brother. Trippy. I sound like a skate fag. If gay means happy then, I'm a Fag on Wheels.
I've never did frontside wall rides like I did today at 38 years of age. All other times it was total luck, and didn't know what I was doing. It felt so solid today.
Let's see if I can do them again. And catch it on Vid.

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

SKATE BETTIES AND STYLE

I was working painting a closet with Kilz oil base primer and losing some brain cells thinking to myself, Kilz Kills Brain Cells when it occurred to me, What would skateboarding be without Skate Betties?

What is a Skate Betty? UrbanDictionary.com defines Skate Betty as a hot chick. One that is attractive, stylish and self confident...." but I'll add, one that is friends with skaters or skates. In my memory, Skate Betties were the Hot Chicks that were always at the Hot Skate Spot, Skate Contest, Skate Party, Skate House. They were part of the Skate Scene.

Some dudes skate better in front of Skate Betties. My memory remembers me eating shit. 

One time I was in SF visiting a girl and I was getting into bombing hills. I found a steep hill. I started thinking about skating down it. She said do it. So I did.

It was night time and the steep hill was well lit and then it flattened out onto a bridge of total darkness. 

I should of known there was a gonna be a fat gap between the street and the bridge. I was used to skating New York City streets which are smooth and where there are hardly any cracks or gaps. But San Francisco is different, there is asphalt to concrete to metal trolly tracks, back to concrete then back to asphalt... All these make for not so smooth transitions. 

So to make a long story short, my wheel stopped short in the gap between the street and bridge and I went flying forward miraculously getting away without a face plant only a bloody hand. 

I was scared out of my mind with my wind blow hair and teary eyes and got into the car 

and the girl told me to stop whining. 

I was in pain and so un-stoked and so pissed at her because she showed me no sympathy. This was about ten years ago so I'm sure I cured it with a beer.

I'm not gonna drop names because the Skate Betties I knew back in the the late 80's New York Skate Scene are now married to skaters and have been married with kids now for a handful of years. 

All I can think now is how they balanced out what would of been just a bunch of sweaty dudes trying to show each other up. Just being there, they gave us a reason to be cool and have style.

Oh and what is style? I have been asking myself this question and trying to hone in on what it means to have  style, and what one must do to have style, and I'm getting closer to an answer after studying my all time favorite skater Christian Hosoi and surfer Gerry Lopez (both "THE" Style Kings of their sport).

Style is looking good and making whatever it is you are doing look easy or natural no matter how difficult the task at hand.

 In Christians case doing the biggest airs in the world at the time and making it look so easy in fact so easy that it felt good. His face in his photos either look like he's nonchalant ten feet in the air or having an orgasm. 

Gerry on other hand was master of the the wave that kills the most people in the world, the Banzai Pipeline. He would drop into fastest walling wave on the North Shore of Oahu which makes you go Mach ten in one second, and pull into the biggest tubes and do his classic "Wipe the water off his nose", as if he had time to do something like that (which he obviously did) while a huge lip was about to come crashing on his head which could send him into the sharp shallow reef below which has scalped some surfers or straight killed them by a bloody smack down.

Finally on a more beautiful note,  in the case of the Skate Betty or I should say Skate Beauty above, look at her. She's barefoot with healthy curves, her yellow hair color along with the cyan and magenta in her clothing colors and the black in the background complete the CMYK color model and you hardly realize it- making it a fine example of the Art of Print. And she has a graceful skate posture... she even matches the pool color. Granted the photographer probably knew about all these elements, along with the graphic designer with his typographic color choice. Everything about the above photo has Style.

This Aloha Shout Out goes to Skate Betties and Style.

To my Irish Homeys

5:48 am Hawaii Standard Time

I brew up some Irish Breakfast Tea for a 

Dawn Patrol Surf Session

and  think of my Irish Homeys

Jimmy Lynch, Charlie Butterly, Ian McCarthy, and Jefferson Pang (Half Chinese/Half Irish)

These brothers were so influential in my life, I sometimes say to myself that I'm part Irish.

Super tough brothers.

Keep me tough today.

Time to go surf.

Aloha.

The Past Three Surf Sessions

Session 1

 Tuesday Morning 6:30 am

I made the Dawn Patrol Session after staying up until 1 am fixing my favorite board.

Forgot my leash and didn't lose my board. I surfed well and was riding fast with a glue foot and did hard cutbacks grabbing rail. Was super stoked.

Session 2

Tuesday Evening 6pm

After having such a good surf surf in the morning then going to work, I got greedy and even though my wife wanted me to come home, I insisted on going back for another quick session. The waves were still looking good. It was packed. Everyone in the water after work was hungry and greedy like myself to catch waves after a hard days work. It was a  ZOO. Two people per wave. I caught a few waves and didn't lose my board.

Went home and talked to wife about GRABBING RAIL in Surf Session 1. 

She was kind enough to listen.

Session 3

Wednesday 5:30pm to 6:45pm, No Leash again.

Surfed with my friend Josh after working with him for the first time. It was good to work with someone who was just as a perfectionist as me if not more.

We paddle out to Diamond Head again. Before paddling out, Josh tells me that he likes to have his observation of waves be greater than his desire for waves because when you desire too hard, you're not thinking straight and start paddling around chasing waves. I like his surf wisdom. 

The big sets were overhead.

I see a big wave in the distance and start paddling to the horizon to catch it.

As it approached I soon realized I was too far inside. I looked up at the lip went to duck the wave, but it came down on my head and ripped my board violently out of my hands, and took me for a hard underwater tumble. I rise up with no board to be seen. My friend Josh says look in the channel! I swim in and take a few more waves on the head and begin to feel what it might feel like to drown, but keep swimming, and keeping my cool. I swim all the way to shore looking for my board but cant' find it. I run up halfway up Diamond Head Cliff walkway and stand up on the railing scanning the ocean's surface for my board. I back down to the beach to see if it washed up. I start to feel desperation and mild depression.  I run back further up the cliff and scan the ocean again and soon see a friend  who tells me there was a board down on the beach.  I run back down and see a guy with my board. The sun has already set but I  quickly paddle back out for another wave, thinking to myself that I'm probably stupid! I see Josh, who tells me he was just about to paddle in. I see another big wave in the distance that wants to land on my head again, for once I get a little nervous of losing my board, but stay cool. I paddle to the peak before it breaks, and turn around, as it is right about to break on me, I paddle hard, and drop in. It was a radical wave with a steep 10 ft drop and just kept on going and walling up. Instead of being cool guy by trying to shred the wave, I stayed cool and enjoyed the ride and then rode it almost all the way to shore quitting while I was ahead.

Then waited for Josh to paddle in and meet me at the car  where I remembered we had two tall cans of beer waiting for us.
Drank tall cans under the crescent moon.

Moral of the Sessions.

Don't be greedy for waves.

Time to wear a leash for a while.

Remember Josh's Surf Wisdom

Late Night Ding Repair and My first Barrel.

11:36 pm and doing Ding Repair
Hoping to get a quick surf before work.
but probably will be wiped out from lack of sleep.
Remembering how I used to go to bars every night when I lived in NYC
and then go to work gives me hope that I can do some late night
ding repair and still wake up surf and make it to work.

I want to paint too, and do some paperwork for a job I'm working on.
But Can't do it all. Probably got my priorities in the wrong order.

I remember doing late night ding repair and waking up at 4am in
Brooklyn to do a Dawn Patrol at Rockaway on a Saturday Morning
and people would be just getting home from the bars and clubs.
Took a Subway with my 9'0" and to a Shuttle Bus from hell.
Two wasted african american guys laughing at me because I had a
skateboard and 9 foot surfboard on a packed bus.
Repeating, "How you gonna skate and surf at the same time?" I was waiting for them
to make a move. I didn't say a word. People were staring.

But heck I was the second one out at Rockaway that day with 8-10 foot faces and I got my first barrel
it was so worth it. It was still dark out. And there were bunches of people on the board walk checking out the waves.
I paddled out after looking at it for 1 minute. I had surfed there for the past two years and hardly missed a swell. It took me like one minute to paddle to the jetty point with the low tide.  I dropped in on the first  overhead wave. I was a stoked rookie. I looked up and saw the lip about to come down on me so I bottom turned back up to get closer to the top and the lip went right over my head and I was in a dark brown tube. The wave got silent and made a sound similar to a stomach growl and I came sliding out so stoked and pulled out.

The next set of waves I ate shit.
In fact I ate shit for the rest of my session until I was done.
and then went back to Brooklyn to get ready for a skate contest.
It was still worth it. I was still stoked even though I got my ass handed to me.

On the way home, some dude on the subway asked me for my number and
gave me his card. He said he was writing a book on people and there relationship to the water,
titled, New York Waters: Profiles from the Edge. It came out like 3 years later. I am the surfer in it.
I kept telling him that he should write about my friends, I called people but no one responded.
And he insisted he write about me so it ended up happening- a melodramatic after taste upon reading it.
Got a good full page spread photo and a few pages of words.  Maybe I'll post it sometime.

Good times.
I know some people have a problem with nostalgia.
But whatever.
I better get back to my ding repair.
I'm sure the resin is past ready.
-Manny

Qcell resin was just right.
Sanded, then patched with cloth
12:53 am.
Time for bed.
Keep you posted.
Aloha

One Day Soon

Surf Life: Accidents Happen

The Department of Awesome

Check out this blog.

It's my homeboy Justin's blog of Creative Awesomeness with an Aloha Flavor.

http://thedepartmentofawesome.com/

I've always been stoked and honored to have my friends as my favorite artists.
When I get a little insecure about myself and my artfulness, I always look at the friends
that I have and know that I must be doing something right.

Finished

Mini Deck and storage shelter for two bikes, shelves and cabinet made with recycled wood.

Manny Aloha Custom Creations