| Tow
Boards for this winter, 2004/2005 are smaller
than last year: 6'1" to 5'11".and a bit heavier
for that big bottom turn. It all definitely needs
to be solid. Work on your leg strength.it is
important to be able to turn at high speeds.
Going straight is not going to work. Fins on
the tow board are double-foiled now. Check yours
out.
The
x-peck-tating order: The boys who have good
wave judgment and solid partners, who can hang
on through some shit, will obviously get the
most waves.and good ones at that. It's all about
distance and timing, in and out of the water.
It's not always how good you're standing, but
where you are standing!
There
are plenty of eager, but "don't know where
to go" tow surfers.steer clear of these guys!
Everybody seems to be getting hyped on the sport
lately.but its how they use their stoke and how
they stoke others that counts. We're out there
to have a lot of fun. I am smiling and stoked
for everybody to get good waves.especially my
partner.
Get
along! And don't run each other over! Stand
off at times, give waves, and bring back some
of the memories of when you were a kid. That
is what is going to make the sport last. Let's
face it, the older guys are tow surfing because
they have years of experience and are tired of
hassling to get 3-4 foot waves. They are smart
to get out there when its bigger, really cut
loose, and relive a lifetime faraway.of just
being a kid again...a very happy kid.
Ken
Bradshaw loves to surf. He can go all day long.
He wants the best for the sport. Leave the
egos at home on the couch and find the old
stoke.like when you were a kid. Go out and play
with your friends.or make new friends. Remember
where we all came from.the ocean. The ocean hasn't
changed, people have. Now the poor sport seems
to be centered around all of the egos and hoopla.its
kind of out of control. This is why I find awe
in surfing pristine outer reefs by myself.
I've had some terrific experiences tow surfing.and
some amazing guys to tow with. I feel very blessed.
I'd love to share some of these stories with you...
First Big Swell ( September 2002)
Kona
winds were at 35 mph. Waves were 25 feet on the
North Shore.. My partner, Todd, and I found a
15-20 foot giant left on the East side.outside
Outside 7 th Hole. (Kona winds blow out the North
Shore...but make the East side semi-offshore. 7
th hole has a big outside left that grinds forever.)
I
was driving Todd on the rope. When he yelled
for the one he wanted, we went to get into position.
We chased the wave to the point we needed to be
before the release. All of a sudden we realized
that we were not chasing the wave anymore.it was
chasing us! The wave grew in every way: length,
height and thickness.
There we were, not getting over the break, and
couldn't go faster down the line. If we straightened
out, we would lose speed from the white water from
the wave in front of us. So balls out, we shot
as fast as we could down the line...and just barely
made it out.
The next one was up. It was perfect. Todd was
ready. I sling shot him in and jetted over the
backside of the wave. As I got to the shoulder,
the lip was pouring over his head. I was so stoked
for him.
That
was the first wave of our session. Pretty heavy.
We were there for about 2 hours.stand up
barrels all afternoon. It was like 2 nd Reef Pipe
at its finest. Nobody was out. Todd and I were
like 2 little kids, stoked on the new sport of
tow surfing.and it was on the East side! Just goes
to show that you can find all kind of waves in
places that you didn't plan on (kind of like Sandy's
last year)
Luckily, we trained hard all summer and made most
of our mistakes in small waves. We also went through
a lot of thought processes to figure out how to
work together safely and as a team. After all,
the surfer doesn't catch the wave, the driver does.
Second Swell: The Story of the Nasty Left (October
2002)
I
found a spot that breaks like Teahupo'o on the
East side of Oahu.you'd never find it. I had to
convince my local friend, Kimo, to show me the
bigger spots around the island. He knew of one,
but it was totally nuts: sharks everywhere, reef
almost completely exposed, water moving very fast.
The depth was about 150 feet to 10 feet.
When we got out there, my jaw dropped. I looked
around and was wondering how long this place had
been breaking like this: 10-12 feet Hawaiian style
with no backs. Heavy, very heavy. Kimo was pretty
scared and it kind of spooked me too. His fear
made me nervous because if he was going to tow
me in, he needed to be 100% committed and ready
and willing to come in and pick me up. But crazy
as I am, I figured I needed to at least get one
wave. If he didn't come to get me, I would handle
it and be in safe waters soon enough (at least
that is what I convinced myself!).
He
wanted to watch it more from the shoulder for
a while.well at least we thought it was the shoulder,
until a deep blue set emerged. It was nasty, so
we moved further out into the channel. We were
out there 20-30 minutes just looking at it. The
lip didn't fall at first, it literally got heaved
up into the air and the ocean would push forward
onto the reef. I noted to myself: "Don't worry
about the lip so much, but mind the ocean behind
it!"
Still
spooked, Kimo was finally ready to do it. We
putted all the way outside to the dark blue area.
One came, and looked like 5 feet.I wanted
to wait. The 5-foot turned into a 10-foot so incredibly
fast. There still wasn't really a back to the wave.
I decided to wait for the last wave of the set.
Kimo agreed. As it came, he hit it. I was up. He
went down the line and over the back. I let go.
I hesitated a little while riding the wave. That
moment was intense for me: pushing my limits over
the edge.and down so fast. (I really don't care
to go backside that much on big, nasty, sucking
up, first time, what's gonna happen?!, kinda wave.
But what the hell.you only live once!)
There
I was, stoked I did it.and even jammed an
under-the-lip-cutty!
I
must admit, I was still trying to play it safe.
The wave was really heavy. Kimo said that the wave
was "throwing" over my head so high and into the
sky and that I was lucky to make it.
I
WAS lucky to make it. I tried it. I did it. When
we left, I felt kind of incomplete though.after
just one wave. I figured there would be other days.
Kimo was not my real partner. He didn't feel comfortable
out there, which unnerved me a bit...especially
since it was practically his backyard!
I
went home that night and called some friends
that tow and are hardcore about it, like Garrett
and Ikaika, Makua and Rawson, and my partner at
the time, Todd. I told them about the wave and
they were all into it. So we decided to go again
in the morning. I had some butterflies in my stomach
that night.the surf might be more north and bigger.
Now that I had told them how hardcore it was for
me, I wondered how the best guys in towing would
absorb all of the hype I had created about the
place. 5am, we were set to go.
Dave Ogle, filmed all of the action. The surf
actually dropped, as did their faces when the saw
the place. They said the surf break was everything
I said and more. They watched the surf for 30 minutes
and Makua was the first to go, then Garrett. The
boys were playing it safe at first, as well they
should. One Tahitian guy, Deata, came with us and
his thought on the spot was that it had a Teahupo'o
setup. I was inspired by all of the action as I
drove Ogle into the pit. Everybody was in awe of
the place and the power.
When
the Tahitian finally got to go, he ate it. He
got dragged maybe 200 yards to the inside. Ikiaika
towed him in. So Ikaika went in after him, but
couldn't find him. Nobody could see him. When the
next wave came in, it was right on top of Ikaika.
He had to turn and go over the lip. Just then,
the Tahitian popped his head up.right in front
of Ikaiika's wave runner! CRACK! The wave runner
hit him! It was a heavy moment. Ikaika jumped off
and grabbed him, pulled him onto the wave runner
(so quick, it wasn't even funny!). His head was
really bleeding badly.
I tried to smooth out their ride back to the beach
by driving in front of them. Ikaika was holding
the Tahitian in front of him, driving with one
hand, and holding his head together with the other
hand. It was a mile to get to the first beach.
There was no lifeguard tower there. So we had to
go on to the next beach. We ran our wave runners
up onto the beach and carried him to the tower.
They got an ambulance and were off to the hospital
to get 38 stitches across his forehead.
The
Tahitian was hardcore: by sundown he was having
dinner with us on the East side, with two less
teeth. That day was actually hardcore for all of
us. The disconnecting of ourselves from the norm
of the surfing world, and charging out there was
really intense, fun, and exciting. I was glad.
The day before had been a little bigger, and had
put me in my place. Humbled by Mother Nature once
again.I live for those days. |
