BearsWave of the Week Blog #8

“I ka hoe, I ke ka; Pae aku I ka ‘aina”

“Paddle, Bail; Paddle towards the land”

The other day I was out with Jim and Jennifer from Illinois taking them for their first surf on ocean waves.   Just as I brought them into the lineup, the Wave of the day popped up on the horizon.  I saw Fritz, the captain of an eight man canoe call for his team “Change over.  Paddle together!  Come on number one faster”

This head high wave was going to catch Jim & Jen even if they did not want it. I saw the canoe was coming on their left and the reef would throw out a hollow tube to their right so I yelled to J & J “Paddle hard go straight!”

They caught the wave at the same time but Jen’s surfboard caught a rail and it shot hard to the left right at the incoming canoe.  She was deep in the wave with the canoe barreling down towards her.  I have no idea how Fritz did it, but with all his might, and probably with the help of a few angels, he back stroked powerfully with his wide bladed steering paddle. Jen shot by the nose of the canoe as Fritz stalled it and a wall of water cascaded over the back of the canoe and into it.

The canoe would not sink but it was full of water in the impact zone with more waves coming. Fritz and his partner grabbed two buckets that are always in the canoe and started bailing as I paddled to Jen and got her on her board and paddling back out to sea. Fritz got most of the water out but they were still in no man’s land and He looked back to see another set.  Their only hope was to paddle for land.

This time he called out in a more commanding voice “Paddle!”

The tourists in his canoe paddled with the might of an expert team, their recent experience causing their heart to pump massive amounts  of blood and oxygen into their muscle.  Their adversity had forged them into a determined powerful team.

So why do we often run from challenges?  Jen caught more waves and the canoe paddled back out for more.  Jen was very determined to keep her board straight this time and the tourists in the canoe became the best paddlers in the water that day.

Choose adversity, choose challenge and embrace the wipeouts. If your not bailing water your surfing or paddling in the lazy waters of passionless mediocrity.

Paddle, bail, paddle.

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Mahalo nui loa