Surf’s Up

O'ahu. 

The thought of it conjures up images of Waikiki beach, rows of pineapple plants, the craggy face of Diamond Head, and the swells of the Banzai Pipeline.

I have been fortunate to see the thundering waves of O'ahu twice in my life. Oddly enough I heard the wall of crashing water before I saw it. Such is the power of the O'ahu surf. 

Lifeguards leapt from their chairs when we dared venture down to the sand. Even standing well away from the tide line didn't mean you were safe. Here where a rogue wave could swoop in before you had time to turn and flee.

During a time when errant waves seem more common than not, my experience of the Pipeline acts as a reminder not to focus on the surge, but to hang on to the board.

"You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf." – Hawaiian Proverb