So, my new series will appear in Beach Badge, but that is a bi-annual print publication. In between, I will release installments on my own site.

Before I start, let’s make one thing clear – I have no business writing surf reviews… food reviews… coffee reviews… or beer reviews. I’m still a rookie surfer and I’m godawful. I grab about one out of twenty waves. I panic if the waves are too big. And I immediately wipeout after I pseudo stand. I have no business writing anything about the sport. As for food and beverage, I have no palate for recognizing spices used in scrambled eggs, tasting nuances in coffee beans, or noticing what hop is forward when a beer is hop-forward.

But, aside from being a husband and a father… these are the things I do most. I attempt to surf. I eat. I drink. I write. A bit more on the surfing. I started SUP surfing three seasons ago with a great group of guys who are simultaneously legends of the sport and mentors. All the stories you hear about territoriality and surfers being jerks, well I’ve never seen it with them. They’ve been welcoming and treat each other like family. And they’re amazing SUP and prone surfers, all with decades of experience. Then, a year ago, my family went to Oahu and stayed with good friends for two weeks. We had the privilege of driving around the island and scoping out all the beaches from Hale’iwa on the North Shore to Lanikai in the southeast. My friend, also relatively new to the sport, had two 9-foot longboards and took me out as much as possible. We surfed a few spots like White Plains and Kailua, but I couldn’t get to my feet. Then one afternoon, he and I gave it a shot at the break at Hale’iwa Ali’I on the North Shore.

Oahu’s North Shore is a mecca for surfers and is famous for its big waves. Folks surf their entire lives and never get a chance to experience that spot. There I was, brand new and dipping my toes into a holy grail of a break. I paddled for wave after wave and inevitably missed wave after wave. The sun dipped low in the sky and the water took on a dark, but clear sheen. I knew we’d be packing it up soon. So, I said to myself, “I’m grabbing the next damn wave.” I saw the peak rolling toward me, so I paddled hard and felt the wave push me toward the beach. Without thinking about it, I popped up to my feet. In my excitement, I looked to my side and there was my friend riding in the same wave and we cheered and high-fived. I was hooked. Adrenaline coursed through my veins for the next few days as I constantly recalled the natural but exhilarating feeling of riding a wave… in Hawaii.

A few more things. There are plenty of blogs and write-ups of surf spots out there, reviews by the pros. I can’t compete. But I figured, why not give some thoughts from a rookie’s perspective. Also, I won’t be writing about the generic pros and cons to surf spots or eateries and breweries. Far from it. I’ll be cataloging my in-the-moment experience.

And away we go.