Alaia Secrets for Surfing Mastery

Aloha Tribe,

Would you like to improve your surfing skills? Sure, we all probably try to do this. Well, one pretty fun secret is to surf as much as you can on an Alaia. They're easy and fun to make and learning to surf on one will dramatically improve the way you surf. To make one, simply get a solid piece of wood and cut out the outline or glue several planks together and then shape them into the pattern you want for your board. Shape the nose and tail to fit your interpretation of what what you, work on the rails a bit, and, there you go. This can be as creative and beautiful as you dream, or, as simple as a piece of solid wood hand cut and shaped with an ax or  machete or  similar tool like one might do in the jungles of Gabon (there is a beautiful example of a rugged as hell hand chopped board on a Gabon site that is pretty cool (it couldn't be any rougher or more primitive, and that's why it so interests me). Simplicity, old-school, working with what you have, those are secrets behind Alaia surfing.

As for improving your surfing using an Alaia, for one thing, there is no rocker on an Alaia since it is simply a flat piece of wood. Thus, you have to pay much more attention to board trim so that you don't get your nose too high out of the water and Stall, or dig too deep and Pearl. Learning how to not Pearl using an Alaia will give your surfing a supblety, smoothness, softness, delicacy,  and control you may have never had to such a high degree of perfection, thus offering your surfing whole new possibilities of creative expression with surfing lines.

The same thing applies to turning. You have to be exact when you weight a Rail so that you don't Dig or Bog a Rail. In addition, you learn to use your feet to also help turn.

Once you master your Alaia, your old board you typically always ride  will seem easy by comparison, offering you a whole new way to explore your surfing.

Now then, as for the real secrets of surfing mastery by surfing Alaia, hmm, the best way to share them is to get together and surf together and also Talk Story after sessions and while in the Line-Up. So, all we need to do is to be in the same place at the same time. That being said, watch the waves around the world, chances are, I'll be there. And wow, are there some cool things to talk about and share and so very much for me to learn and try.

Bodaciously Stoked,

Lily of the Valley

Triple Overheads and Hawaii

Aloha Tribe,

So, for prep training for my Hawaii trip, we have Triple Overheads (21-22 foot) in the Wilds today. Blown Out, Voodoo Mist, Windy as hell, Choppy, and strong Cross Currents, medium Periods, plus, bitter cold and rain, just the way I love it. Then, after that, it's off to string bikini surfing in tropical lushness, perfect waves, long periods, lots of sunshine, gentle sea breezes, and lots of fish tacos and fresh fruit and tropical drinks like Mai Tais. It'll be a fun few weeks. My days will be spent surfing Dawn Patrol to Dusk and my nights playing Xiangqi or Chinese Chess (I've got to get in chess shape for my upcoming China trip - I plan to do some chess hustling on the trains as I travel the country, Street Compositions out of a portable stall in the cities,  games in the mountain Taoist monestaries, all while training for  some tournaments).

Bodaciously Stoked,

Lily of the Valley

Double Overheads Today Through the Weekend

Aloha Tribe,

Double Overheads today and through the weekend in the Wilds, except Saturday, oh, and a week ago, Tentacles and Beyonds utterly ripped. 15 footers tomorrow, 17 on Sunday.

Bodaciously Stoked,

Lily of the Valley

Pop Ups on 3" Manilla Rope

Aloha Tribe,

So, yesterday my 300 foot long, 3 inch diameter manilla rope came. It's roughly 600 pounds, but very worth the weight for lugging it around in that I can string it out and not only comfortably practice a huge variety of surfing moves on it, I can also practice Pop Ups on it. Basically, you simply tie the rope to two trees, boulders, buildings, docks, boats, or whatevers, I like to use a Double Bowline with Jack's Variation on the stationary end and two Butterfly Knots on the end you tighten called the working end. Running the rope end back and forth through the Butterfly Knots, I can easily tighten or loosen the rope to any tightness depending upon what surfing moves I want to work on.

Today out in the Wilds, there are Blown Out Overheads, choppy as hell, more wind than predicted so it'll whip you a bit, so it'll be a great day for some surfing in small rough stuff. The worse or harder it gets, the more I love it because there's so many different things to work on in the unpredictable waves  offering true in-the-moment responses and decisions, as well as it's just pure fun. Sure, most love the smooth silky perfectness of tropical waves, but whatevers, I like it wild and unharnessed.

I got a lot of BMX riding in yesterday which was great, I set up an Olympic official sized BMX track on my property. It's a full quarter mile long track with some wild spots to work on such as great berm curves, lots of jumps, good solid dirt in spots and muddy as all get out in others. It's a perfect track for my training. BMX, by the way for those of you who don't do it, is where you ride on those "little kid" bikes. There are several types of events such as jumping, freestyle, and racing. Where I live, I can do all three right at home. In any event, it's a great way to really develop the fast twitch muscles you want to truly shred when you surf. Longboarding is about smooth style of course, but for those who love to rip when you surf on shortboards, you need a body shredded with fast twitch lighting fast muscles so BMXing is one way to really hit it hard.

Bodaciously  Stoked,

Lily of the Valley

Tightropes, Slacklines, and Tightwire in Home for Surfing Training

Aloha Tribe,

It's been time to set up my various tightropes (manilla rope), slacklines, and tightwires in my home again for training on constantly to hone perfect balance for Surfing.

The various ropes, slacklines, bamboo poles,  and wires are distributed so that I can go anywhere in my home, garage, or barn and be balanced on something, including my NOHO Surf Trainer. In this way, I'm practicing balance pretty much 24/7.

At the moment, I'm doing my dishes and typing this while balanced on a 2" manilla rope strung across my kitchen.

Rig out your home like this, it's great fun, perfect practice, and it works your body in so many awesome ways. If you want to be hotter than hot on your board, walk the wire.

Bodaciously Stoked,

Lily of the Valley

Double Overhead (16 Footers) Hitting the Wilds mid-Week

Aloha Tribe,

So, tomorrow I'll find out if I can slide on the Double Overheads coming mid-week to the Wilds. If so, bring an appetite for fish tacos over an open fire, great surfing, and lots of Talk Story. Oh, and, I'll have my Rescue Swimmer Rocket Fins and my Monofin with me too for training and kicking ass in a shredded sort of way for Oahus coming up this Fall/Winter. The Big Island first (massage and flexibility, as well as intense sand and beach training and underwater training). Then Kauai for Individualized Life Guard Conditioning and honing my surfing. Then the North Shore for longboarding and ripping.

All in all, several months (5 or 6)  of intensely wild training and surfing.

Alohas,

Bodaciously Stoked,

Lily of the Valley

Alaias and Paipo

Aloha Tribe,

I'm making three Alaias and one Paipo. Two of the Alais will be 8 foot long, one will be 5 foot. The Paipo will be 3 foot. Each is made out of a combination of redwood, red cedar, and yellow cedar. For waterproofing them, I am using a combination of coconut oil, macadamia nut oil and ashes and mud. I'm particularly stoked about my little 5 footer. Oh, and, the more common natural way to finish your boards and waterproof and protect them is with Linseed Oil but I simply chose to go with the more traditional method that I've also used on my Chinese Bamboo Poles.

I'm hoping to use the Alaias and Paipo  on Oahu's North Shore, but in the meantime, it's to the Wilds, Tentacles, and maybe Number 9's. I'll also be hitting the local rivers around here of course.  And, as you all know, Alaias and Paipos don't have leashes or fins so they'll be great for my favorite style of surfing,  riding Slidding Ass.

Bodaciously Stoked,

Lily of the Valley

Conditioning for North Shore (Oahu) this Fall/Winter/Spring

Aloha Tribe,

So, I'm doing me pre-North Shore workouts now, to get totally shredded for surfing Oahu's North Shore this Fall/Winter/Spring. It'll be a great season.

To get my cardio up, I'll be riding my BMX, mountainboarding, swimming in the roughest seas I can find, and paddling on my board. Most of my training will be paddling (both sprints and distance), as well as Open Ocean Swimming and Coastal Swimming (the most dangerous sport there is). For balance, I'll be slacklining, soft rope walking, tightrope and tightwire walking, as well as using my NOHO Surf Trainer and my Chinese Single Bamboo Pole Drifting Pole and skateboarding as well as Birling (log rolling in a river - use a cedar log, by the way, they don't take in as much water as pine). For flexibility, I'll be doing Taoist Yoga and Chi Gung. For vision training (spotting swells as far away as possible) I'll be spending a lot of time doing a variety of eye exercises with the sea. For timing and coordination, I'll be practicing basketball (Darrick Doerner - DD - taught me this one as part of my Watergirl Training).

My diet, as always, will be mostly fresh fish tacos and fresh fruit with tons of water.

Bodaciously Stoked,

Lily of the Valley

Surfing Balance: BMX Bike running Pegs and a Freecoaster

Aloha Tribe,

A great way to practice your balance when you're not on your board is riding a BMX bike. For mine, I run quad pegs with a Freecoaster. This lets me use any of the four pegs as something to stand on and the Freecoaster lets the bike coast backwards so you don't have to reverse pedal.

My bike is a white MirraCo Blend BMX with a KHE Reverse Freecoaster and four smooth steel pegs, two for each wheel (lots of riders run pegs on just one side but this way, you open up your balance opportunities which is great for practicing Switch Foot for Surfing your surfboard. My chain, hand grips, peddles, and tires are pink and my seat is yellow.  A bike set up like this lets you balance on your rear pegs or on your front pegs or on a front and rear peg on the same side, allowing for a variety of riding and balancing experiences. Using the pegs in combination with the seat and handlebars, you have 6 different pieces to stand on. For BMX Surfing, by the way, simply stand with one foot on your seat and the other foot on our handlebars,  steering with your front foot and body shifts.

Bodaciously Stoked,

Lily of the Valley

Surfing Party in the Wilds Friday-Tuesday- All Welcome

Aloha Tribe,

Tonight, Friday, begins an  end of Summer, beginning of Fall awesomely bodacious Surfing Party in the Wilds, tonight through Tuesday. All welcome from anywhere on the Planet. Okay, the hell with it, lets everyone, no matter who you are, no matter where you are, if you can't come here, have your own Surfer Party this weekend, and we'll all connect in the dreamtime. Let's make this a world event this weekend!!! Surfers, anywhere, everywhere, alone, with friends, in huge groups, no rules, whoever, however, wherever, no worries,  just party.

Beer. Fresh Fish Tacos. Tropical Fruit. Whatevers. Anything goes. Bring camping gear (tenst, lean-to's, hammocks).

For the cerebral types, there'll be chess and Xiangqi (if you don't know, I'll teach you).  Got a guitar or ukulele or something, bring it.

Surfing. Bodyboarding. Bodysurfing. Spearfishing. Net Casting Practice (for those who've never done it). Skimboarding. Open Ocean Swimming. Coastal Swimming - for those who dare) Freediving, Snorkling and Big Wave Training under a very special program.

Night Surfing tonight, of course, it is after all a tradition. Dawn Patrol tomorrow morning before first light.

Oh, hey, if you want to learn to throw a knife, without a spin, over 43 feet, and, hit a playing card every time, I'll show you how.

All-night Talk Story too every night.

Bodaciously Stoked,

Lily of the Valley

Bamboo Pole Over Pond, Rope Over Swamp

Aloha Tribe,

It's Summer, and, what could be better than getting wet. But sometimes, you simply can't get to the surf yet you still want to practice your balance, so, what do you do?

I have a pond in my yard, about 5 feet wide and 8 feet long. I will extend it soon to roughly 7 feet by 11 foot, approximately the same size as a swimming pool on a modern Russian Submarine (really). The pond is about 4 foot deep.

So, I have a bamboo pole, about 12 foot long, and, I can simply lay it on the banks of the pond and practice walking on it. Using a variety of poles, from 1" to 6", I can have varied experiences.

In addition, I have a swamp that the pond is in, and I can tie a manilla rope to two trees on each side of the pond and roughly 100 foot apart. In this way, I can also practice walking and balancing on the rope practicing Chinese Soft Rope Qigong (a form of tight rope practice with a loosely hung rope rather than tight).

If I fall off the bamboo pole, I fall into 4 to 4 1/2 foot of water. Or, if I fall off the rope, above the pond, I hit the water, or, otherwise, I simply fall into the soft swamp. Either way, it's a soft and fun landing.

In being creative on the bamboo pole or on the rope, one can practice all kinds of surfing maneuvers from Paddling to Popping Up to various body, arm, and foot positions.

Anybody can do this over a pond, creek, or whatever you have. A sand pit or simply the beach also makes a soft landing should you fall. This type of training offers wonderful methods of dramatically honing your surfing balance.

Bodaciously Stoked,

Lily of the Valley

Late Drops Yield Faster, Steeper, more Powerful Rides

Aloha Tribe,

Here's an interesting thought. let's look at, say, the water temperature in Hawaii, perhaps at Puena Point.
In the Summer the temperature averages 82 degrees F. Now, given that the average human body has a temperature of 98.6 degrees F. So, with water, science will tell you that liquid water, the molecular stretch vibrations will increase in frequency with higher temperature. 

4th of July Weekend in the Wilds

Aloha Tribe,

Bring a hammock tent, a backpack, one surfboard, a slackline or rope (for walking on - I love manilla rope), perhaps any food or drink you might want, and, head to the Wilds for Friday through Monday for an American  4th of July Surfing, Camping, and Balance Training Extravaganza.

See you there, all who make it. Everyone from the Tribe (all surfers) all over the World are welcome!!!

Bodaciously Stoked,

Lily of the Valley

Loose Rope Walking vs. Slacklining for Surfing Foot Development

Aloha Tribe,

Loose Rope Walking and Slackling are NOT the same thing. There seems to be confusion out there as more and more people get into Slacklining as they mistakingly call it "loose rope."

With a Loose Rope, the rope is simply tied around two points, such as, trees, rocks, cars, sign posts, or whatevers. And, the rope hangs loosely when it is tied, that is, it is NOT tensioned nor pulled taught in any way, in fact, when strung up, in might rather resemble an elongated letter U. When you walk on it, it looks like a letter V.

A Slackline, on the other hand, is almost always tenstioned until it is semi-taught or fully taught. This can be done in numerous ways, such as my own Ultra-Primitive method of simply using a single rope and knots and nothing else, or, the Primitive Method which uses carrabiners and also sometimes rings, and, the more technological methods which use wenches of various types. In such systems, the Slackline, when it is first hung up, looks like a -. That is, it is parallel to the ground and tight. When you walk on this, it can look like a - if it is very tight, or, more typically, a very lazy extended out U.

Between the two, Loose Rope is astronomically harder to walk on that Slackline. It is also simpler to set up and quicker to set up and only requires just one rope which is what you walk on. This rope, by the way, can be any diameter, and I have them from 11mm all the way to 2 1/2" in diameter and up to several hundred feet long.

I love balance training. And, a great way to increase your surfing balance is by supplemental training, since, any given ride on a wave typically lasts 6 to 20 seconds or so.  Thus, using something like a loosely hung rope (manilla is common, hemp less so because it is illegal in the U.S., jute feels great by the way, and even mountain climbing rope works) or a slackline (which is thin nylon webbing), has tremendous advantages, and, it's loads of fun.

All you need is a rope or a long piece of webbing, and two trees or other attachment points such as large boulders, cars, street signs, etc.

If you know how to stake out a line, you can even simply use an A frame type setup with each A staked to the ground to its sides and rear, with the rope or webbing then between the two A's.

Now then, as to rope vs. webbing, personally, I prefer rope for a number of reasons. First, it's more historical in that rope such as hemp rope or the more common manilla rope have been around for ages before nylon webbing was ever developed.

More so, since hemp, jute, or manilla ropes are made of natural materials, as opposed to chemical means like nylon, they have a "life," about them that feels more "alive." Rope moves and feels differently, and, it's so much more eco or green for today's world.

Granted, virtually everybody uses slacklines nowadays simply because they are easy to get and everybody uses them, that is, they are popular because they are popular. Silly, but true.

Sure, webbing is smaller and a bit lighter than rope so it does make slacklines a tiny tiny  bit easier to transport, yet, I"ve had no problem with my ropes simply tossed in a canvas backpack.

Now while most today feel that slacklines are the original walking or balancing materials, this is not so. John Gill, the boulder, and a friend of mine, used a chain when he first started, he told me. Chain, while heavy, is easy to get and rather fun to walk on too, though, I must say, it is not like walking on rope, especially the beautiful feel of jute rope, for example.

Now then, on to working the foot. In balancing on a rope or slackline, you are working on your balance, which, as I mentioned, greatly helps your surfing balance. Yet, there is more to it than this. Laird Hamilton, the Big Wave surfer and Waterman's Waterman said in his book that surfing uses specific muscles of the foot and, interestingly enough, I've found that these same muscles can be worked to a truly unlimited degree by walking on rope. And, here is the difference between rope and slacklines. Rope, being round, works the foot more and in greater ways than a flat slackline. Your foot, on a rope, with time and training, wraps around the rope as your muscles become more flexible, and, this very muscle development, which is truly unique to rope walkers and tightwire or tightrope walkers also, leaves, eventually, a permanent "tattoo," as Philippe Petit, the world famous highwire walker said, on the bottom of your foot, the mark,  by the way, if the true rope walker and highwire master.

So, if you want to more or less just work on your balance, walk on a slackline. But, if you are truly serious about your surfing, and, if you want to go to places you've never dreamed of in your skill, then, start walking and balancing on rope. If you can get it, the rope walkers dream, of course, is hemp rope. Hard to come by in the U.S. More common over in England. So, you'll probably end up with manilla, which, is perfectly fine. Then, eventually, progress to jute. And, by the way, start with large diameter ropes and work your way down as your feet become more flexible and stronger.

Just like swimmers develop the "swimmer's body," by working out more than they do simply swimming, if you want the surfer's Foot Tattoo of the Rope Walkers art, , then, take up soft rope walking.

Bodaciously Stoked,

Lily of the Valley

Shaping Alaias

Aloha Tribe,

So, I'm shaping a few Alaias.

One is 2" thick. Pine.

One is 1" thick. Pine.

And two others, one for myself and one for a friend are also 1" thick. It'll be fun to see how they turn out. Redwood.

All of them will be 8 feet or a bit longer. I'm still planning on the widths and shapes.

Bodaciously Stoked,

Lily of the Valley

Lily of the Valley's Kelly Slater Surfing Extravaganza Camp

Aloha Tribe,

So, for the next month, I've started Lily of the Valley's Kelly Slater Surfing Exravaganza Camp. Of course, this doesn't really directly involve Kelly, instead, what I'm doing is studying his moves in all of his dvds and in as many magazines as I have on him as well as all the book photos, and analyzing the movements from a Chi perspective and then, translating these movements into a moving Wai Dan series of flowing exercises, not too unlike Tai Chi actually, though more specifically, like Liuhebafa aka Waterboxing.

I have two primary forms, one is Wai Dan which means physical movements, and the other is Nei Dan which means mental or visual images in one's mind. So, in the first form, I actually physically do the movements, focusing on balance mixed harmoniously with flexibility, whereas, with the Nei Dan visualizations, I do the same form, only, I do it while sitting perfectly still and not moving but instead, simply circulating the Chi within my body and muscles exactly replicating if I was literally doing the movements.

I began my camp yesterday, and will do it for the next month, roughly 6 to 8 hours a day.

My purpose is to dramatically increase my balance, flexibility, and creativity mirrored by mimicry of Kelly's movements then, going beyond simple mimicry and adapting the movements to my own body and feminine style.

Bodaciously Stoked,

Lily of the Valley

Easter Surfer Taco Extravaganza: All Welcome

Aloha Tribe,

Today is Easter. If you want to surf and eat fun food, come to The Wilds.

Appetizers:

        Chips and Salsa

        Bacon wrapped stuffed Jalepenos

        Fresh Fruit: Papayas, Mangoes, Pineapple, Bananas


Main Course:

       Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos

       Mongolian Lamb Fish Tacos (to honor my Siberian/Mongolian heritage)

       Sonoran Pulled Pork Tacos

       Chicken Tacos

5 home made salsas

Drinks:

       Corona
       Longboard
       Margaritas

Dessert:

        Fruit Salad
        Coconut Ice Cream


Bodaciously Stoked,

Lily of the Valley

Surfboards I'm Currently Shaping

Aloha Tribe,

So, at the moment, out in the barn, I'm working on 4 sticks. One is a solid wood Longboard. One, a solid bamboo Pigboard. One, a Twinnie Pig Shortboard from PU (polyurethane) - perfect for The Wilds. And the third is another is a Classic Retro Longboard.

At the moment, on the solid wood Longboard, I'm working on the rails. This board is Old-School, no skeg, turns with  your foot, weighs roughly about 100 pounds. . With the late'60's Vietnamese Jungle Style bamboo Pigboard I'm glueing the bamboo as well as the bamboo skeg. And on the two PU's, I'm working on their rockers.

It's nice to shape boards. It lets you get exactly what you want and need. Working in the barn, with the doors flung wide or shaping out in the yard on a sunny day, feels right out of the great surf movie Morning of the Earth, especially living in the country like I do, with wilds all about me.

Bodaciously Stoked,

Lily of the Valley

Boards I'm Currently Shaping

Aloha Tribe,

So, at the moment, out in the barn, I'm working on 4 sticks. One is a solid wood Longboard. One, a solid bamboo Pigboard. One, a Twinnie Pig Shortboard from PU (polyurethane) - perfect for The Wilds. And the third is another is a Classic Retro Longboard.

At the moment, on the solid wood Longboard, I'm working on the rails. This board is Old-School, no skeg, turns with  your foot, weighs roughly about 100 pounds. . With the late'60's Vietnamese Jungle Style bamboo Pigboard I'm glueing the bamboo as well as the bamboo skeg. And on the two PU's, I'm working on their rockers.

It's nice to shape boards. It lets you get exactly what you want and need. Working in the barn, with the doors flung wide or shaping out in the yard on a sunny day, feels right out of the great surf movie Morning of the Earth, especially living in the country like I do, with wilds all about me.

Bodaciously Stoked,

Lily of the Valley

You Should Have Been Here An Hour Ago by Phil Edwards

Aloha Tribe,

My neighbor just gave me  a 1st edition mint condition copy of the truly magical book You Should Have Been Here An Hour Ago. It is truly a beautiful book.

I absolutely love it!!! Reading the book just so fills me with stoke and dreams and Aloha smiles.  I spent a good portion of yesterday reading the book outside in the beautiful sunshine, and, I shall do that today again too, over my breakfast of grilled fish tacos cooked outdoors on my cast iron hibachi. I realize the book is long since out of print, and, almost impossible to find, so, I highly suggest that some publisher somewhere republish this incredible book. It shares so much about what surfing was like during the 1950's and 1960's and there's just tons of ideas to explore and dream about.

A freshly grilled fish taco for breakfast, a great book, warm sunshine, beautiful waves, what more could a girl want!!!

Bodaciously Stoked,

Lily of the Valley