Snoqaulmie River Flooding: Du Zhu Piao - Chinese Single Bamboo Pole Drifting, Suspended Pole Balancing, and Birling: Ancient Chinese and American Timber versions of Surfing

Aloha Tribe,

Today, in the Pacific NW, the Snoqualmie River is flooding, it's about a foot over flood stage at the moment and should, by the evening, be more than 4 foot above flooding. Naturally, it's a perfect day for practicing Du Zhu Piao (standing on a 6" diameter, 12 to 24 foot long single pole of bamboo) and Birling Driving (riding a log - about 11" in diameter down a river while standing on it as it races through the rapids). Both sports way enhance your surfing, by the way, and, more so, are must knows for any Watergirl.

Bodaciously Stoked,

Lily of the Valley

Soul Surfer Heart Meridian: Living and Surfing with total Stoke

Aloha Tribe,

All of us, at one time at least, were Soul Surfers. We surfed, for the pure joy of it. For the feeling we got as we glided upon the water. For, the Stoke. Yet, over time, some, perhaps many, lose their Stoke, at least, the Stoke that they always strive to regain.

In Chi Gung, Chi or energy travels through, around, and also beyond our body. Within our bodies, we have pathways called Meridians. There are numerous ones, such as the Kidney Meridian and the Liver Meridian, as well as Vessels, such as the Conception Vessel, and so on. The one that seems to relate to all surfers though, that is, the strongest of all of them, which is exemplified in our surfing, in how we view surfing, and, in how we live, is, the Heart Meridian.

Interestingly enough, each of our Meridians is associated, not only with a given organ, such as the Heart, but also, with particular emotions. In the case of the Heart Meridian, the emotion that is linked to it is the emotion of joy, what we'd call extreme Stoke.

Surfer's in general are some of the happiest people on the planet, for we are doing something, and living a lifestyle, formed around the activity of playing and living in joy. In a way, most of us are like a bunch of kids, that is, our inner child is alive and well and waxing up our boards even the second we get out of the water, for yet another session.

As surfers, we have strong hearts, and, that means we have strong Heart Meridians, which means we are healthy and happy. And, what a cool lifestyle, you know.

Being a Soul Surfer, I surf for the love of doing our art. The pure love of surfing. That's what Soul Surfing really means to most all surfers.

Bodaciously Stoked,

Lily of the Valley

Bundoran, Ireland for St. Patrick's Day

Aloha Tribe,

The place to be for tomorrow, what with it being St. Patrick's Day and all, sounds like Bundoran Ireland. So, grab your green board, mine's a Hawaiian Blades Thruster, hop on a plane, and jet over tonight for the beginning of the party. It'll be a day of surfing, feasting, thriving in the beautiful Irish weather and landscape, and, of course, contemplating on  and wishing all the best for all the wee folk.

Bundoran is a beautiful magical spot, and, a great place for a St. Patrick's Day feast and celebration, and a bit o' a surf. All who can, let's meet there. Bring beer if you got it, food if you can, a green board's a must, and above all else, a smile.

Bodaciously Stoked,

Lily of the Valley

Bottom Turn Pump vs. Lateral Zigzag Shimmy for Flat Sections and Top Turn Timing

Aloha Tribe,

Eh Brahs, I wanted to talk about Bottom Turn Pumps vs. Lateral Zigzags for those sections of the face that are flatter, and, for where you need or chose to improve the timing for your Top Turns and Off the Tops.

Everybody, of course, uses Bottom Turn Pumps, after all, you see it all the time with the Pros, and thus, we all blindly mimic it without thinking, after all, it works. Yet, to me, it's a rather very unaesthetic action, resembling sort of a frantically frenetic humping, in a sense. Instead, I've come up with a move that's so much more beautiful and stylish and, oh so much faster.

I call it the Lateral Zigzag Shimmy, and, basically, what you're doing is when you're in the flats, in a long section before a second peak that you want to hit, you Zigzag your board at an ever increasing tempo, allowing your rails to lift your board for faster planing, and, allowing gravity to work for you as you race down the bottom of the face you're working with each successive Zigzag. In a sense, the move feels rather like when you're on your skateboard, and, you're going to fast, and your front truck begins to shimmy your board back and forth faster and faster, until, often, you wipe out unless you can regain control through absorbing the extra energy with your feet, ankles, and legs, and hips.

The Lateral Zigzag Shimmy is a lighting quick way to increase your speed, using centrifical force, planing, and gravity all in your favor, and more so, the faster you allow yourself to carve, the faster you'll glide at breakneck stylish speed instead of ending up looking like some hormone enraged ape desperately trying  to get laid. Sure, strong words, but, style is everything, you know. And, why imitate the masses when you can simply branch out in originality and individualization? Dream. And, dare.

Bodaciously Stoked,

Lily of the Valley

Stealth Slacklining for Surfing Creativity

Aloha Tribe,

Slacklining or walking a slack rope is a great way to keep in shape for surfing. Personally, I love the rope, I love the way manilla feels, it's relatively easy to get, though webbing is easier to find in many places nowadays, and, it moves so nice. Besides, it looks good.

I've tried all different diameters of rope, and my favorite is 2" manilla, though, that's a bit hard to carry around, especially if you're thinking of using it for Stealth Slacklining.

So, get whatevers you can, preferably, something that will blend into the environment where you are. For the most part, Stealth Slackling is an urban sport that I've been working on. Basically, you simply carry some webbing or rope in a backpack, and set up quickly, anywhere in the city that looks ideal, preferably, in a spot that is rather illegal to be there. The idea, of course, is simply to have fun, but, by setting up your art, where you want to set your art up, it adds an element of artistic expression unbounded by conformity and rules.

Most if not almost all slackliners use carabiners for setting up their lines, but, as I have mentioned before, using my Primitive Slacklining System, namely, simply using knots, all you need is the webbing or rope which saves you weight and money, and, it adds an element of style to it since the primitive system is outside of the box of what everybody else does.

The idea here is to slackline in places that you'd skateboard. In other words, find anyplace that looks crazy, wild, and fun. Between two buildings if you're into highlinging, over water which is always fun and beautiful, between trees or lightposts, or even hooked up to cars, after all, why not? Between two boats or a boat and a dock is great fun, by the way, with the added challenge of the swaying boat or dock, you've got to try it!!!

Wear clothes that blend in. Use a slackline or rope that blends in, learn to tie your knots quickly, set up your line, and, do your art. No limits!!!

By doing Stealth Slacklining, you're like the surfers of yesteryear who had to sneak across private land to surf a break. Most of us conform too easily today, in our surfing, and, in our slacklining. Well, I say, cut the harness loose and run unbridled and you'll learn to free your art in ways open to new creativity and wild insight.

By doing Stealth Slacklining, the point is that you'll find new ways to express your art that you normally would not have even considered. For example, suspend your line at an angle uphill or downhill. Or set up a zigzag shaped line. Or maybe connect several lines or ropes together, creating a sort of spiderweb effect or like the spokes of a wheel so several of your friends can all walk interconnected lines simultaneously, which, adds a broader sense to your balance as you have to harmonize your movements with your friends, just like surfing on a Party Wave.

The point of this is not only to have fun but also to open yourself to new paths of creativity, which, then can be applied in everything you do, including in how you surf. In other words, learn to adapt the concepts of everything to your slacklining or balance arts of any type or surfing, and, you'll find yourself opening new envelopes of ingenuity daily.

Personally, for my Stealth Slackling, I prefer, black slacklines that I carry around in a black backpack. I guess it gives me a sort of catburglar kind of feel to my training that I find fun. When I was in Scotland, in Edinbourgh, I studied a bit about the guy who was the real Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. He was a guy who was a thief. And, he often traveled on tops of the buildings. Now, I'm sure he didn't use ropes to tightrope on, but, that's one of the things I studies as I walked the streets their each night. It would have been so easy, in the old district where he plied his trade, to stretch a rope across the street at rooftop height on dark nights, to safely cross from one side to the other as a second story artist. It was fun exploring where to hang my ropes while I was there.

Bodaciously Stoked,

Lily of the Valley

Moving Small With Focus Rather Than Large Movements Unaware

Aloha Tribe,

So, what is the secret of surfing? Being aware of what you're doing. Truly aware. Fully, totally, 100% aware. Aware not only of every single muscle movement in your body, but more, how the internal fluids of your body move too, including blood flow, oxygen flow, and mostly, Chi flow. More so, we also need to be aware of what our board is doing, and, what the wave is doing, as well as where we are in space in relation to the wave, and all obstacles in the water, including other surfers, animals, rocks, logs, or anything else that might be out there.

So, how can we develop such awareness? Well, to get a general idea, go and rent or buy the movie Men Who Stare At Goats starring George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, and Jeff Bridges. It was originally a book, by the way, by John Ronson. Now sure, the movie spoofs a bit with Star Wars, using terms like Jedi and such, but, the concept behind the film is total Chi awareness using principles of Chi Gung. Sure, it's just a movie, and, it has nothing seemingly to do with surfing, yet, the awareness of ones self that the movie is about, is, really, what surfing at a high level is about.

Now then, back to surfing. When you surf, pay attention to how your body moves, and, how each and every muscle moves. Sure, you might say that you simply do it, but, the thing is, a much much deeper level than that, is to truly be aware of what you are doing, exactly as you are doing it. For there, lays the heart of mastery.

The way to do this is to experiment with your body. Try moving your weight a bit this way or that way as you surf, and, see what happens. Try weighting and unweighting one foot or the other. Move your arms in different positions. Allow your body weight to shift and flow, and, notice what happens. Above all, be aware. The smaller, the more focused your movements, the more you can understand what is happening as you surf, how, and, why. And armed with this, you then have a blueprint to experiment with, and thus, you can push your level to any height you chose to aim for in surfing.

Do not let limitations hinder you. Do not take someone elses style or word for this or that being the way to do something. Instead, find out how you surf, how your body works, how your board rides, and, what your break truly is like. And, with all that, play. The more relaxed you are, the more freely your energy or Chi flows, and thus, the more you can sense what you are doing, what your board is doing, what the wave is doing, and, how all these things fit together.

Don't buy into the idea that you can not and nobody can truly think as they surf. That idea is nonsense, perpetuated simply by those who have not yet learned, nothing more. You can be fully and totally aware of every microsecond of your surfing, of all that your body, board, and wave are doing, and more so, you can think fast enough to change any of these or at least how you respond to them.

Instead of surfing blindly, simply riding, allow your mind to truly speed with lighting and then allow your body to follow, for when you can do this, you can dance on water.

Bodaciously Stoked,

Lily of the Valley

You Shoulda Been Here: Last Weekend's Surfer Party

Aloha Tribe,

You shoulda been here over the weekend this past weekend. It was a great surfer party. Super waves. Tons of food and drink. Lots of Surf Movies. Much Talk Story.

I made...

Kalua Pork

Boiled Shrimp

Crab Cakes

Sea Bass Fish Tacos (the harvestable kind of Sea Bass)

Spicy Tomato Salad

Asian Noodle Salad with Mango Salso

Mango Chutney - for the Crab Cakes and the Shrimp

Fresh Fruit - Pineapples, Papayas, Mangoes

for beverages...

Longboard  Ale

Mai Tais

and for dessert...

Banana Pie, Coconut Cake, and Coconut Ice Cream

and, at midnight... Midnight Cubano Sandwiches

Bodaciously Stoked,

Lily of the Valley

Ultimate Surfboard Control Training: Unique Method

Aloha Tribe,

So, here's something that will send  your surfing style into radical gear in no time. Get something like a Bucky pillow. I got this one...

http://www.bucky.com/catalog/bed_pillows_natural_buckwheat/Buckwheat_Bed_Pillow.html

... and found it to be the perfect size for this Chi Gung Surfing exercise.

What you do is to lay on your back, with the pillow under your hips. Extend your legs out, suspended in the air. And, extend your arms, in whatever your surfing stye happens to be.

You can start with a Pop Up. It takes a bit of visualization, but, the more deeply you visualize it, and allow your body to feel it, even though you are actually on your back, the more this exercise will help you.

So, here's how to do the Pop Up. Laying on your back, with your Bucky pillow or whatevers (it should be firm, like a Bucky pillow, my teddy bear, Fluffer, also works, by the way), have your legs together just as you would if you were laying on your board. And, your hands are pressed against the "deck" which, in this case, is towards the ceiling, since, you are on your back. Your arms are bent, and, your hands are roughly at about your boobs (or chest, if you're a guy).

Now then, you are, literally laying on your back, with your arms pressing, nothing, but, you are imagining you are laying on your board, having just paddled, and, are about to do a Pop Up. It just takes a bit of a spatial mental twist, that's all. Visualization and adaptation are everything in this art.

So, arch your back as you straighten your arms, pushing your hands towards your ceiling or your imaginary deck, and, then, slowly, Tai Chi speed, move your legs, into a squatting position, your legs and feet suspended in the air, your hips still supported by the Bucky pillow, teddy bear, or whatevers.

Feel your crouch exactly as you would as you Drop Down a waves face. Play with your feet a bit, making sure to press a bit more with one or the other, depending on how you want your board to respond during the Drop. In actuallity, your feet are simply pressing up into empty air, more or less towards the ceiling, your legs suspended in the air, your pivot point being your hips. Your arms, extended, as you feel comfortable. Now, practice weighting your front or back foot.

Here comes the Bottom Turn.

Are you a Goofy Foot, a Regular Foot, or a Switch Foot like me? And, are you going to turn Frontside or Backside in your imaginary wave?  Let's say you're riding Goofy, and, you're going to do a Backside Bottom Turn. You weight your heels a bit, loosen up your toes pressing the air, and shift your body weight back a bit, depending on how radical you want your turn to be.  Play with this, get the feel of it, experiment, and, be willing to look really silly and giggle at yourself (that's allowed), and mostly, have fun with this.

The more relaxed you are, the more sensitive you'll be with this exercise. As you practice this again and again, I just got done with a 2 hour session of this, for example, you'll find you get more and more control of extemely small muscle movements everywhere on your body. And, that's what you're shooting for.

The neat thing about this exercise, is that, while it seemingly seems silly or like it makes no sense or would not have any practical application to surfing, because you are holding your legs in the air as you practice this, you are learning to move your legs as softly as you'd move your arms while doing a Tai Chi form. As such, this exercise will teach you to have truly sensitive feet and legs, with complete mastery over your muscular and energy (Chi) control of them. By "pressing" your feet in different directions, as you imagine them pressing against the deck of your board, you'll develep very senstive ankles and sole as well as toe sensitivity. This then, will make your feet stronger, so that you can learn to turn your board more with your feet, and, less with your body weight, thus, you can hold your balance better by remaining more centered on your deck with your body and head. This, naturally offers you more options for doing any type of move, whether you surf a longboard or a shortboard.

Link these soft, subtle practice movements in with your breathing, and, you have the makings of a great Chi Gung Surfing exercise, that will truly make your surfing awesome.

Bodaciously Stoked,

Lily of the Valley

Why Slow is Fast for Surfing

Aloha Tribe,

Today, I wanted to look at one of my favorite ways of training  Chi Gung, namely, slow training. Now, many of you have probably heard of Tai Chi. And, perhaps some of you have heard of Accupuncture or even Feng Shui also. Chi Gung is the root of all of these arts, as well as of all energy for that matter. In other words, anything you think or do is, a form of Chi Gung.

So, what does this have to do with slowness versus speed, you ask? Tons. You see, let's take a look at Tai Chi for a moment, or, slow motion Chi Gung. You simply move your body in a series of extremely slow, smooth movements, while coordinating your movements with your breathing. It's the breathing part, and the internal part (that which happens inside your body), by the way, which most Tai Chi practitioners miss, sadly. The reason is that most qualified instructors simply don't know the true roots of their art.

And, what does this have to do with surfing? Well, everything. How or why can we surf, and, why do we get better over time? Great questions, those. Let's look at them. In an average hour, most surfers spend probably about 50 to 55 minutes either paddling out or sitting in the lineup waiting for a wave. And that leaves only about 5 minutes or or per hour to actually ride, with an average ride, if you take all breaks into account all over the world, probably being something like about 8 seconds or so. Sure, there are breaks where you can get a long ride of maybe a minute, sometimes even a fair bit longer, but for the most part, most rides are 8 to 10 seconds.

Now, in talking to DD (Darrick Doerner), my surfing and Watergirl mentor, about Sunset Beach on the North Shore (of Oahu), he told me that the average surfer maybe caught about 4 rides per session or outing, what with paddling out, waiting in the Line Up for your turn, waiting for the right wave, and so on. 4 or 5 rides a session?  I was dumbfounded at that. Here I had been surfing out in The Wilds as well as at Hanalai Bay in Kauai about 25 rides an hour or so, not knowing that was, "wrong," so to speak.  Then again, I never hung out too much with the crowds and such, being Feral at heart and in soul. Naturally, I politely said nothing, and simply listened and nodded and studied Sunset. That got me thinking though, no wonder it takes some so long to learn to surf.

They say that on the California Coast, about a year of surfing is equal to about a month of surfing on the North Shore. And, off the East Coast of Africa as well as in Bali, there are spots that a month of surfing the North Shore is equal to a week there, in other words, it's possible to pack in a lot more surfing than some of us do, thus, our overall wave count can dramatically climb,  if we but think about what we're doing and where we're doing it. Be in the right place, at the right time, and, you can learn extremely quickly acquiring vast amounts of experience. It adds up quickly. For example, you could get about 4 years of surfing experience in by surfing the North Shore for about 4 months, if, you typical break was in Southern California. Not a bad trade off actually.

Okay, so, getting back to our topic. Time. Namely, slow and fast. By training in slow motion, using Chi Gung, or various forms of Tai Chi, you can learn to truly pay deep attention to every minute movement your body and breath makes, and as such, you truly learn to not only relax, thus greatly increasing your flexibility, but more so, you learn to live and think in slow motion, or, in other words, at extremely high levels of speed, to put it in sports jargon, you learn to surf in The Zone.

The Zone is a semi-mythical place that virtually all top athletes in any sport get into now and again, but, the secret is to learn to do it every time and constantly, never getting out of it while doing your sport. This, fellow Tribe members, is where the art is, and, where the true excitement and benefit of Chi Gung is.

Just as getting a lot of experience, such as riding many waves, helps you to progress, getting more in tune with your body than you ever imagined even possible helps you to progress, and this, you learn to do by slowing down and truly studying and absorbing what you are doing every fraction of a second.

For most of us, if you ask us how our ride was, we might say is was Epic. Or,  Bodacious!!! Or Radical. Or whatevers. But, how many of us can truly say exactly what we did, exactly as we did it, and, how it felt, and, why everything on any given ride happened as it did.

Once, DD asked me, "why did you fall". This was before he told me his Rule Number One: No Falling.  As I looked at him for a second, he said, "why do people fall? Why would anybody want or chose to do that?"

And so, I told him. We fall, in general, because we lose focus. We aren't paying attention to exactly what we are doing and what our board is doing and what the wave is doing. Instead, we get out of the movement, removing ourselves from what is happening, and we think about what we want to do such as "I want to hit that lip then..." and so on. Now, there's nothing wrong with thinking about what you want to do, in fact, you truly do have to surf ahead of where you are to avoid accidents like hitting someone or to make a certain section of a wave or whatevers. But most of us think too slow. Worse, we think rigidly. Our plans, you see, have to be spontaneous explosions of lighting fast calculations absorbing absolutely everything and making no mistakes. If, we don't want to fall. Sadly, most do not know how to do that. But, there is hope. And, Chi Gung offers the path to learning this skill of thinking and thus responding physically faster than you surf.

It all starts, with, how we breathe.  And, with slowing down. Thus, surfing longboard can truly help you master your shortboard, for those of you who might be wondering. Learn to surf slow, and, very soon, you'll surf the way you want to surf, the way your feel your surfing, the way you dream. And that, is a pretty exciting place to be.

Bodaciously Stoked,

Lily of the Valley

Cardio Training for Surfing

Aloha Tribe,

A lot of surfers wonder how to increase their cardio. And, while it is true that there are countless ways, my favorite is paddling my board and swimming. Both, come natural to surfers.

Here's what I like to do.

First off, one of the things I learned from DD (Darrick Doerner), was to always swim for my board when I lost it. Of course, this rule is sort of a moo point in that Rule Number One, I was taught, was...

1. Don't Fall

A simple rule, seemingly. In, theory.

To go along with swimming for my board when I fell, which, I was not and am not supposed to do, one naturally learns to surf without a leash. Both swimming for your board, and, not using a leash, are Old School Classic ways of training. And, both truly have merit.

So, when I don't fall (though I do sometimes) , here's what I do. I paddle my board in, all the way in, Old School Style, to the beach, and, more so, I get out of the water with my board, stand on the beach for a moment, then, paddle back out to surf again.

Doing this has helped me to learn to paddle hard, fast, smooth, and with at least a little style.

Now, another thing is, DD often surfs about 2 miles out. So, naturally, one has to be able to swim in 2 miles regardless of the surf. And, since that is what he does, and, since he is my teacher, that is what I do too. To train for this, one of the things I love doing is swimming across Hanalai Bay. It's about 2 miles from one side to the other, and one of the things that the top lifeguard there taught me was to swim over and back each day as part of my training.  With some practice, I got to being able to swim comfortably over 6 miles.

As for paddling my longboard, I do it in two ways. One is that I paddle for distance or time. I simply go out and paddle my board for a few hours. The other way is to work on speed, which of course is most important in Taking Off and also in getting out of the Impact Zone, when one falls or Pulls Out in a bad position.

So, with the speed work, I simply do wind sprints. Sort of like what a sprinter would do on the land, only, I do it paddling my board.

I also paddle upstream in local rivers to build endurance, power, control, and, to work on perfecting my paddling stroke.

So, sure, you could do all kinds of things for cardio. DD has me running rocks in what is called Rock Running, and he loves mountain biking and running in the sand, all of which are great. And, if you want to stick with a beach theme, 2 on 2 beach volleyball rocks.

For myself, I've found that working on both cardio and form at the same time helps. That way, I can learn to do my cardio smoother, and, as a surfer, that's important to me because smooth movements are what surfing is all about.

Bodaciously  Stoked,

Lily of the Valley

Surfing Vietnam

Aloha Tribe,

One of my dreams is to surf in Vietnam. I dream to surf as much of the coast as possible. As such, I am hoping to learn as much about the Vietnamese culture and language as I can before I go. I am so stoked about this idea.

I'm not sure yet when I will be able to do this, but, if all works out, I'd love to go before the end of the year this year. Hopefully, for a few months.

Why Vietnam? Well, I guess there's many reasons. One is the bamboo board I'm making. It's still only in the beginning stages, but, it's coming along. My inspiration came from the famous Vietamese Bamboo Circus. I began walking bamboo about a year ago, balancing on long bamboo poles. That lead me to exploring and falling in love with Bamboo Single Pole Drifting which is where you float down a river while standing and balancing on a bamboo pole as you river surf along with the current.

This past Christmas, my focus and theme was on having a Vietnames Circus Christmas, so, I did. I had a variety of Vietnamese and  French food, my home was all decorated in Vietnamese circus gear such as tightropes, bamboo poles to balance on, juggling equipment of all kinds, silks, paper lanterns, jungle foliage everywhere, a unicycle, stilts, and, when all was said and done, my living room was transformed into a scene right out of a jungle performance of the Vietnamese Bamboo Circus. It was such fun and oh so beautiful.

I got a travel book or two on Vietnam, a few Vietnamese language books, some super maps, and, my dream of surfing Vietnam began to take shape. Sure, I"m a romantic, I freely admit that, I am, after all, a surfer, and as such we all, as members of the Tribe, are a bit of a romantic in our souls.

I am so stoked to meet some Vietnamese surfers, and, I can hardly wait to go. I want to see new places, surf exciting breaks, meet fun new friends, and, just smile and giggle with life.

My other dream for this year is to surf Gabon over in West Africa. And, the entire West Coast, or at least as much of it as I can, from Canada all the way down to Baja. I so hope to find some people who might want to go on that trip with me. I have the car, and tents, surfboards, and all the gear, now, I just need to find some feral surfers of like mind who want to take a few months off, traveling in my orange Baja Bug, surfing all day, playing ukulele's and chess all night, and just hanging talking story and lying about the waves we caught each day.

Bodaciously Stoked,

Lily of the Valley

Advanced Surfing: Ankle Slappers

Aloha Tribe,

DD (Darrick Doerner) as my surfing and Watergirl mentor, teacher, and friend, told me, that, to truly master surfing, I'd need to become adept at riding very very small waves, also known as Ankle Slappers.
These are waves that are somewhere below your knee in height, in other words, the type of waves that most of us would never even look at, let alone take the time and energy to master with countless rides again and again and again, experimenting with every variable conceiveable.

To begin this type of training, if it's new to you, start with waves about 3 foot or so, typically called Waist Slappers. Most longboarders can ride them, in fact, most beginner surfers typically spend quite a bit of time learning in them, and, if one truly learns how, you can ride them with a shortboard too.

The key to surfing Waist Slappers, then, Knee Slappers which are knee high by the way, and finally Ankle Slappers, involves two things, first, having fun, and, secondly, subtle surfing.

The  bodacious thing about these smaller waves is that few if any  Advanced Surfers would even notice them, let alone ever ride one, so, you'll have them to yourself for experimenting as you will. As most of you probably know, Kelly Slater, the 10 Times World Champion, grew up surfing in Florida, where, the waves are typically small, and, not perfect. And, he used that to his advantage . Where most of us would look at that type of surfing and roll our eyes, he was genius enough to turn what we'd think of as a weakness into his strength. So, along that type of thinking, for those of us who grew up surfing the Great Lakes such as Lake Michgan or the frigid waters of Lake Superior, for those of us on the East Coast with the smaller waves, and, for those of us in the Pacific Northwest with the huge, wild, untamed waves that few dare to  or even can ride, use your home surf as your training grounds.

DD told me that if I could learn to do anything that I'd ever want to do on a normal sized wave or larger but, to do it  on a very very small wave about one foot high, I'd be able to accomplish anything in surfing. In other words, the sublteties and attention to detail that you have to acquire to ride very small waves can then be applied in any surf.

So, the next time you look out at your swell, don't simply turn your back when the sea is small. Grab your board, wax her up, and, give it a go. Again, and again, and again, laughing and having fun the whole time.

Soon, you'll find yourself loving surfing the small stuff, the Ankle Slappers and that's when you'll really see your surfing in any wave explode.

Bodaciously Stoked,

Lily of the Valley

The Ride that Counted at Number 9's

Aloha Tribe,

I was just sitting here, reflecting on a ride that really counted. I was out at Number 9's with DD (Darrick Doerner), and he had me surfing right on the rock down the deep channel, right in the middle of the food chain.

I had been out with DD's for a spell, all going well, when suddenly, I felt it. Something hunting, me. I turned to my left and looked to see a large back of something, about the size of the roof of a car it looked like, rise out of the water, roll over the surface, and dive back under. I had just enough of a glance to see it for a split second, and, it was big. Really big.

It was about 12 feet away when it went beneath the surface, and I could see a very large shape turn on a die and head, for me, directly for me.

I knew I had less than one to two seconds to do something, though, in that instant, it was time standing still. I glanced over my shoulder, saw a solid overhead coming, and knew, it all came down to this, I had to catch this wave.

I was calm, not frightened, but I knew I was in serious danger. The wave lifted the back of my board just as the beast, barely perceptible, more felt actually, was but about 2 foot away just off the side of my board. As my tail lifted, I simply knew my work at No Paddle Take Offs would work, it after all, had to.

So, I stood. And rode in. All the way in. It actually was rather quite the ride, looking back at it now. I had enough presence of mind to  be aware of style, of all things, as I expected any second for something to slam into my board. But for some reason, I was calm, mellow actually, I guess because it all to me was happening in micro-seconds.

I got on the beach, still not sure what was out there.

Later, after DD's got the tail of his board bit off, we realized it was not Great Whites, but instead, a gang of sea lions consisting of a few males, several females, and a couple of pups. We were lucky.

I realized something about myself that day, at least, for that day, at that time. That, there are times in ones life, when it really counts, when sometimes, you pull it off. I feel really blessed.

Now, out at Tentacles, that was another story. That time, being dragged backwards on my Robert August Wingnut longboard several yards at a rather alarming speed, well, that was a bit concerning that day. But, that's another tale for another night.

Bodaciously Stoked,

Lily of the Valley

Last Weekend Savage Surfing at Logs

Aloha Tribe,

So, last weekend, at Logs, Friday through Sunday, the waves were PERFECT. Double Overhead, smooth faces (given the wildness of the area), perfectly peeling, 16 second periods simulaneously from two fronts at SW and NW creating purely chaotic totally bodaciousness!!!

A perfect place for Burling, Single Bamboo Pole Drifting, Longboarding, and Shortboarding. Watch the logs, they'll kill you or maime you faster than fast so you'd better be quick with an even quicker eye and lighting feet, yet, in true Soul Surfer Old School Classic Style, all done with smoothness, grace, and a slow sureness of calm in the face of a watery whirlwind, yin within yang if you will. Perfect for long, controlled, Rollercoasters all the way to the beach.

Nobody literally was out. Nobody was even on the sand no matter how far up or down the beach you looked. It couldn't have been more perfect.

In a word the surfing savage.

Bodaciously Stoked,

Lily of the Valley

Surfing Move: 180 Hawaiian Pull Out into a No Paddle Take Off - possibly the hardest surfing combination ever

Aloha Tribe,

Well, since I just talked about the 180 Hawaiian Pull Out, also sometimes called an Island Pull Out, it only makes sense to tie it in with the next move, the No Paddle Take Off, and, with perfect timing, which is the whole point of linking the two moves together, timing the moves right so that one naturally leads directly into the next move.

This sequence is about as tricky as it gets in surfing because there are a number of variables. Obviously, you'll have to have the waves, especially the subsequent wave for the No Paddle Take Off, all to yourself, or, be in agreement with everybody to share a Party Wave, otherwise, well, you could really get in someone's way, and, nobody wants to do that. Now, here in the Wilds, where I surf, there literally is nobody in the water, especially in the Winter, and even more so, when the waves are Double Overhead or higher.

So, the key to this move, is, picking your time and place to try it. And, let me tell you, once you learn to do it, you'll just have to quest for it again and again and again.

Essentially, here's how it goes. You do the standard Hawaiian Pull Out, modify it into my 180 Hawaiian Pull Out, then, as you ride over the shoulder, facing the shore, you  keep your board pointing towards the beach and simply allow the following wave to life you up its face in exactly the right place, that, when you reach the peak, instead of dropping out the backside since you are NOT paddling, you instead are so perfectly positioned that you drop down the face on this new wave, without once having paddled.

This is a tough series of moves to perfect, and, it takes, as I said, the perfect breaks, with the right amount or types of brahs around, and perfect timing. But, then again, if surfing isn't about striving for Stoke, then, what's the point!!! Get this move down and you WILL be stoked beyond stoked.

As a prelude to this series of moves, practice both elements individually to truly master them. Once you have the fundamentals wired, then, make them art, and, following that, link them in this beautiful harmonious expression of dancing with the sea.

Bodaciously Stoked,

Lily of the Valley

Surf Move: 180 Hawaiian Pull Out

Aloha Tribe,

I love Pull Outs so much better than Kick Outs. Now sure, for most of us, we don't even think about  this part of the ride, let alone that there is a difference between these two styles of exiting your wave while surfing. Yet, to me, this part is just as important, and, just as fun, as the whole ride on any given wave.

To me, a Pull Out is a gentle curving up and over the Shoulder of the wave, whereas, I see a Kick Out as a frantic, frenetic slashing, tight cutting angular kind of exit.

That being said, the version of the Hawaiian Pull Out that so calls to my soul, involves, not only sitting as you exit the wave, but, doing it on a spinnng  board so that you end up actually facing the beach and drift backwards over the top of the wave Shoulder.

I am drawn to this style of Pull Out for several reasons.  First of all, I find it truly beautiful, graceful, soft, flowing, filled with Aloha,  and, oh so very  fun. And, secondly, it simply fits the way I see surfing, that is to say, it fits my riding style as a Classic Old School Longboard Girl as well, interestingly enough, as the way I live my life as a surfer and a member of the Tribe.

Style. That's it in a word. Surfing, to me, is about how it feels, and, the more you can embrace that beautiful sense of feeling, of sensing all that happens to you, the more you can fully enjoy your surfing.

Now, the way I learned this move, was, the way I learned most moves, simply by accident. In other words, it just sort of happened. You see, I had been spending a lot of time working on Spinning my board while sitting in the Line Up. Sure, the normal way of doing it is to propel your feet around, even if it's only a bit provided one sits way back on their board, but, what I had been working on was using my hips, instead of my legs and feet. I liked the feeling of simply using pressure between my legs as I squeezed the boards, and, then weighting either hip in order to dip the nose at an angle beneath the surface, which, when down with simultaneously lifting your tail, you, which requires you to use a combination of the inner thigh muscles on the front of your legs, as well as the inner thigh muscles on the back of your legs at the same time and in harmony with each other. This pressure of using the inner thigh muscles and your hips allows you to dip the nose of your board in either direction, which, as soon as it drops beneath the water, it begins slicing dowwards, thus, turning you in that direction. With control, one can then feel or sense the proper time to lift the nose into the opposite angle so that the nose now angles up propelling it towards the waters surface. In this way, the board can be made to spin, with no sitting back on the board, and, without propelling your legs and feet.

Sure, that was simply an exercise, and,  a stylistic experiement that for most would seem useless, but, I must say, it's loads of fun to do, and, as it turns out, it has tremendous value in various types of surfing moves such as this particular 180 Hawaiian Pull Out as well as for some super stylistic Paddle Out Reentrys. Oh, and, naturally, by the way, you have to keep your arms and hands off the board, or it would become no only way too easy to weight the board with your hands and arms, thus, so totally ruining all sense of style and more importantly, the point of the exercise, but also, by not using your hands, arms, or legs, you gain greater balance, more beauty in your moves, and, a so much greater sense of body awareness in all movement forms no matter whether you're on a wave or in the sand.

In any event, as I mentioned, that is the exercise that I had come up with and was practicing until I got it wired pretty tight. It was such fun to do.

Which brings us to the part of the story of how the move was an accident. There I was, about to exit a totally awesome wave by calmly sliding up toward the Shoulder of the wave when, just as I approached the peak, about to slide over, the wave jacked just enough to start to spin me exactly as I happened to be focusing on steering with the Nose. This, of course, spun my clockwise on a Right, as my nose dug beneath the water lifting my tail just enough to glide across the water's surface, drawing a ringlet trail with my Skeg  tracing her arcing path like a finger in a still pool. The wave itself carried me to a full 180 as I was sitting on the Deck, and I drifted backwards up and over the Shoulder, riding backwards, facing, the beach.

As with all moves I've tried, having done it once, even if but by accident, I could now, for whatever reason, replicate it again at will. At which point, naturally, I begin experimenting and honing my performance, often, coming up with even new variations on a just new variation. For example, after one can do the 180 Hawaiian Pull Out, then you can practice doing it smoother, with greater softness, flow, beauty, and of course Aloha Spirit, and this, naturally, leads to a rather casual appearing almost easy looking exit from a wave. It's a great way to end a ride, and, frankly, every Pro out there out to try it if riding smooth is their style. Naturally, the next move that this leads into in your surfing repetoire is the 180 Hawaiian Pull Out No Paddle Reentry. This, as I've mentioned in another post, requires perfect wave placement and total understanding of how the swells work, particularly at your break. To do this, of course, requires deep study of the waves of the moment, their period, their direction, cross-currents, wind, and the overall timing of your ride that lead up to the 180 Spinning Hawaiian Pull Out, so that, as you slide over the back of the wave you just rode, you are in perfect placement for this next phase.

Given the type of knowledge I received from working my board the way I described above led me to developing my version of the Hawaian Pull Out, which I just shared, as well as ultimately, to the second most difficult surfing move of all time: Spinning Pearl Outs which then lead to the rarest move in all of surfing, the Submarine Move. Now that's a MOVE!!!

Bodaciously Stoked,

Lily of the Valley

First Time

Aloha Tribe,

I remember my first time. The first wave I rode, without, having any prior knowledge of the wave or break, in fact, I hadn't even seen it before. How could that be, you ask? Great question, and, a fun story.

It happened at Hanalei Bay last Spring on the north shore of Kauai. I had been out surfing with 8 other girls, when the coolest older guy paddled out towards me. His tactic for meeting me was unique, intersting, and, rather different. At first, he'd paddle near me, when there was a whole ocean to surf in, and he simply sit there, within half a dozen feet, simply watching me. So, I'd paddle further away from my girlsfriends, down the coast a score or more meters, only to find, him paddling along behind and next to me. I'd stop, set my board, turn to look over my shoulder for the coming swell, and, when I'd turn to face shore again, there he'd be, right next to me. Hmm, I thought, as I'd immediately lay on my board and paddel even further down the coast, further away from my girlfriends, only to find the same thing happen again, and, again. Finally, just as I was about to catch a most bodacious wave, I started to get set, and, there he was, parked, sitting his board, right directly in my path. Aargh!!! At this point, he lay down on his board, paddled out next to me and past me, saying, "come along, follow me, keep up." What an interesting introduction, I thought, as I  simply started paddling after him, wondering where he was leading me.  We stroked away from shore and into the blue. Out and out we went, then, we slowly began curving to our left at an angle away from the far distant shore. I had never been out this deep before and I tried to not think of big fish.  After about 1 1/2 to 2 miles of paddling, we started approaching what appeared to be a break. I only saw it just as we got to it,  as I looke UP, the face of the approaching wave. He told me that "this wave will be bigger than anything you've ridden so far," he new this, based on our talking while we paddled.

In those brief seconds as my board began lifting up the face of the wave, he told me that he wanted me to follow him straight up the face. So, I did. He took of stroking hard, saying "keep up," and I matched him which surprised me. Then, the wave, a loomed higher even as we climbed it, him saying...

"1. treat the wave just like any other wave you've ever surfed.

2. don't look down.

3. when you get to the top of the wave, spin your board 180 degrees, and simply let the board drop.

All that instruction came in a few milli-seconds, mind you.

With very little choice at this point, I stroked hard,matching his speed and power, then, once at the top, a distance much much more than my longboard was long, I spun my board with surprising speed and smoothness, shocking me it went so well even as I did it, and, dropped. Almost straight down. Following his advice, I did not look down and instead, simply and Popped Up, into a low crouch, my arms wide for a brief second  in my Classic style, about to lower to my sides as I began standing higher.

Having never even seen the wave before, since we had paddled perhaps nearly about 2 miles down the beach and out to get to it, I had no idea how the wave would break, so, I simply did as I was told. I treated the wave like I always did, just as my spontaneous mentor coached me to do.

I raced down the vertical face, then, upon hitting the flats, I turned into a smooth though lightning fast bottom turn, angling my board at a  dramatic angle, my outside rail rising to dance with the sky surprising me to see and feel all this happening in instantaneous slow motion.

I rode my ride out, just feeling the wave as I went, ziggzagging to play with my rails a bit and then I pulled out in a modified Hawaiian Pull Out.

And, from the top of the wave, I heard my new and spontaneous teacher shouting, "do it again,"as he sat his board directly above me on a watery mountain.

Spinning my board as I switched from seated to laying,

Paddling up the face, I spun my board again, only, this time, the wave was steeper, and, I pearled at the bottom of the face, and as my nose dipped. For a fraction of a second, I sensed doom, and I could hear my coach shouting, "don't pearl,"  as weighted my nose,  lifted my tail,  spun my board on my nose, 180 degrees, unweighting my nose and breaking it free of the pearl, and finishing the ride in a spinning whirling, 360 as the wave rode over me in a controlled pull out.

The break was Middles. The height was well well over Double Overhead. And it was my first time riding a break I had not only never seen, but never read about nor ever knew anything about it.

In a way, it was my virgin ride into the unknown. A style of riding that few probably experience. After all, normally, especially in  known reef breaks like at the North Shore, for example, we read about a break, study it, then chose to go there. Or, we at the very least, stand on the shore a minute or two and study it before paddling out.

But this time, in this wild untamed, virgin ride, I got to feel something new. And, I've kept my passion for this type of wave. Riding the unknown, unseen wave.  For me, it feels more intense this way, more feral, more rugged, more wild.  And, I've found that I like that. A lot. In fact, oddly enough, no matter the power, or size of most reef breaks, I find them, tame, or harnessed, in comparison, in that they are, for the most part, predictable. This new style of riding, for me, offers me ways to explore my surfing spontaneous creativity and in-the-moment adaptability to whatever happens. Which, after all, is what surfing, at it's core, is really all about, and, what most of us love about it to begin with.

Bodaciously Stoked,

Lily of the Valley

The Quest

Aloha Tribe,

For the next 11 days, begining tonight  in about 3 hours, but starting tomorrow, I'm on a quest of simply surfing with my old-school longboard. I do this type of exploration every year at this time, my Birthday. Surfing. Fasting. Watching and listening to the sea all night. Nothing more.

One girl. One classic board. One backpack. My bright orange VW Bug. And, the sea.

Where I'll begin? Here. Where I'll end? I never know until I"m there. The swells call,  dancing their chaos at Double Overhead, offering wild, untamed waves of unpredictable direction and unharnessed power.

Bodaciously Stoked,

Lily of the Valley

An Interesting Russian Chess Book for Surfing - Notes of a Soviet Master

Aloha Tribe,

Tonight, a cold, rainy Friday night, I am studying a rare Russian chess book by A. Ilyin-Genevsky. He was a Soviet Master from in the early 1900's and is known as the father of Soviet chess. This book focuses on his route to becoming a Master chess player and begins when he was introduced to the game at the age of 10.

The book offers 50 of his greatest chess games, and, these reveal his playing style which is both cheerful and optimistic, perfect actually, for a longboarder. Especially an old-school, Classic Stylist longboarder.

So, what is this saying? Well, one can take two seemingly unrelated things, such as chess and surfing, and, find a link between them, not only historically, as I mentioned in my previous post about chess at Sunset Beach on the North Shore, but also, in playing and surfing style, and thus, in the way one lives ones life.

There is a game in the book which warrants extreme study, namely, Capablanca vs. Ilyin-Genevsky from the Moscow International Tournament of 1925. Not, unlike watching a surf movie of one of our surfing legends such as Gerry Lopez, for example. In both cases,  you go to the Masters and study their style to absorb it into your own sense of style. And, since both Ilyin-Genevsky and Lopez both exemplify a laid back optimistic, mellow, style, to me, they are similar.

Tonight, on this dark, cold, rainy night, with the fire softly tickling her flames in my woodburning stove, I have out my magnetic travel chess set, the one that went to the North Pole, and, I'm playing through the game I just mentioned, and perhaps a few of the other 50 from the book, as I sip on some dark red wine, in the glow of the fire light illuminating my wooden chess board and wooden pieces.

Interestingly enough, the more I think of Russian chess, the more I think of my own Siberian/Mongolian heritage and links to Siberia, and, that makes me think of surfing in Siberia. A quest of mine. To play chess there, to slackline and tightrope there, and, of course, to surf there.  Hmm, it makes me contemplate a white slackline. I think I must get one.

Bodaciously Stoked,

Lily of the Valley

Chess and Surfing: Going Back to 1953

Aloha Tribe,

I was reading in Matt Warshaw's book, The History of Surfing, that chess goes back on the North Shore, specifically at Sunset Beach, to 1953. The brahs then would surf all day, and play chess at night. So, I figured, why not. Since DD has me learning the North Shore breaks, I thought I'd get deep into chess, since, it's a new year.

So, I have two books on the chess legend Bobby Fischer. One is Russians versus Fischer by Dmitry Plisetsky and Sergey Yorankov, and, the other is Bobby Fischer: The Career and Complete Games of the American World Chess Champion by Karten Muller.

My plan, is to memorize, if I can, up to two games a day, mostly done at night, from the Muller book, and, study the references from the Plisetsky/Yorankov book. Combined, it should give me a great feel for Bobby's games and style. I truly love the book Russians vs. Fischer. It's incredible to read the insights from this truly deep and intense book, and, I see it as a great gift to the chess community, and thus, from my way of looking at it, to our surfing Tribe too.

If I memorize up to two games per day, in less than a year, I'll have covered all but two or three of the games. The idea, of course, will be to do my best to literally memorize them in long term memory, and thus, each day, to memorize one or  two more without forgetting the previous games. Can it be done? By some, of course, in fact, by many chess lovers I'd imagine, but, by me, well... who knows. Then again, why not try.

After all, to me, I see chess in surfing, and, surfing  in chess. The two, interwine for me and dance in a harmonious spiraling of art in a double helix kind of way, though, that's perhaps not quite the fully accurate analogy, for it's a combination of that and also sort of like the reflection in a window at night, overlooking a brightly lit room. Those two images, combined, give a living sense of what I feel when I do either art while simulanously seeing th other. Multitasking, I guess some might call it.

In any event, it sounds fun, and, if surfing, or, chess for that matter, is not fun, then, what's the point?

Now, I suppose memorizing one game a day would be more realistic, and, I don't know if I can do this, but, I wanted to at least try. For, to me, I see it as a marvelous way to improve my surfing. How, you might ask? Well, good question. By developing an analytical mind honed to a razor's edge, yet, capable of intuitive creativity. This, of course, is expressed in the way I surf. By analyzing a chess board for possibilities, I'll be teaching myself to analyze waves, where they'll break, how, and when, and with what power, more so, the predictive skills honed by chess will teach me to see patterns in the waves of what is going to happen.

And, if none of this comes to pass, so. What else does one do on dark nights, when alone on the North Shore? Well, okay, sure, there's lots, but, my surfing comes from where I surf with my home break, in the Wilds, where, I surf alone, for, nobody is there. And, thus, to spend nights in meditative contemplation in a sort of monastic lifestyle almost, seems intellectually to fit my surfing style of the daylight hours.

Interestingly enough, both internal arts, of the body and mind, then, also lead to an internalization of the soul or spirit too, creating a calmness, a mellow way of living life, which, is what the hippy girl lifestyle I live is all about anyways.

I surf alone, not through choice, but through fate. And, I surf for me. Likewise, I live in the country, in the middle of a deep forest with few about, thus, I play chess alone too, also, by fate. And as with surfing, I play chess, for me, not for others, fame, or glory, just, simply, because I love the game. Interestingly enough, my sense of spirituality, that being Shamanism and expressed as Chi Gung, is also a solitary act, followed, since I've been a young girl of 5. Few in the world follow such a path for the path of the Shaman, by its very nature, is solitary.

My hope with this perhaps unusual New Years kind of focus,  is to honor the surfers of yesteryear, who braved Sunset Beach for the first time. Surfing. Fishing. Eating simple meals. And, playing chess.

One girl, one ultralight backpack containing daily needs plus one hammock tent and one chessboard (a travel set that's gone to the North Pole), and slung over my shoulder in a carry bag, one longboard surfboard, on a quest to surf the world and play chess in some of the most famous spots of both sports.

Now, to make it more fun, with the three languages I'm still working on, namely, Hawaiian, Hawaiian Pidgin, and, Surfish (Surfer's Language), it'll be fun for me to think, verbally, in each of these languages, as I learn to express myself on the chess board, and, on the waves.

It's a spiritual quest, I'm on, that of the Vagabond, Feral Surfer, alone, and, okay with that. Searching the world for the perfect game of chess, and, the perfect ride. Both, of which, happen, at least for me, internally.

Which, is what Chi Gung, is all about, especially at the Nei Dan level. So, by bringing Nei Dan Chi Gung to my longboard and my chess board, I hope to express in new ways my love of surfing and the quest we all are on as surfers, to find out how we fit into the sea.

Bodaciously Stoked,

Lily of the Valley