Hawaiian Fire Surf School - Return from an International Affair

Every so often, it's nice to take a break to check out surf spots around the world and to visit old friends and employees of Hawaiian Fire Surf School. We just returned from a highly anticipated trip to Bali, Indonesia, then on our way home we stopped in Tokyo for a few days.

After watching tons of surf videos and hearing the stories of the amazing surf spots in Bali, we had to make surfing a priority while in Bali. Aside from the surf, we were told the massages are dirt cheap and the people were some of the friendliest people in the world. All this was true...and more.

Right when we arrived the headlines were that the convicted terrorists from the 2002 bombings were to be executed so a report was issued to all foreigners (us) to avoid Bali. We decided to stay out of the touristy spots in Kuta and spend most of our time searching for waves, starting with the south area called the Bukit Peninsula. For $15/night we found a home stay right near the entrance of the world famous surf break, Uluwatu, known for it's perfect left-hand, barreling waves. Although November is "low season", the lineup was packed with surfers from Australia, France, Spain and a few from Bali. The waves were perfect, 3 to 5' (Hawaiian scale of course), but nowhere else along that coast was breaking although we stopped to check out Padang Padang and the famous Dreamland Beach. We made some time to take our motorbikes (mopeds) to Uluwatu Temple which had amazing panoramic views of the steep ocean cliffs and crystal clear water below. Although it was beautiful, the path along the cliff is not maintained, like many places in Bali, so you had to be extremely careful that you don't slip down the cliff after getting shocked by a stray monkey jumping out of the bushes to steal your sunglasses.

The sweltering heat and the lack of air-conditioning at our place in Bukit prompted us to open our Lonely Planet Guide to see where else we could spend time in Bali. Most appealing at that time was the art and cultural center of Bali, Ubud, which is at a higher elevation and located in the middle of rice terraces. Since the reports said the swell was dropping, we decided to head to the mountains to see what Ubud was all about. Thanks to some great recommendations from friends who visited Ubud, we found a beautiful (air-conditioned) 10-room place called Bhanuswari Resort, complete with free transportation to town and a salt-water swimming pool to make us feel like we're near the ocean. Lined with rock carving and wood sculpture shop after shop, Ubud was truly an oasis after previously being in the bitter heat. An "expat" (foreigner) gathering place, you can find some of the best food, go on a Yoga retreat, take a batik course and even go on a rice paddy trek.

Since we don't have rice paddy's in Hawaii, Kevin took the opportunity to have Aris, a vivacious, young, smiley boy, take him through the rice terraces. The human-sized Komodo Dragon and the two snakes that slithered past him were the highlight of the trek.

After getting an overdose of art and culture, we decided to check out a nearby island called Nusa Lembongan where we heard there were some amazing surf breaks. We took a 30-minute speed-boat to Nusa Lembongan where we were greeted by Janu, who is the manager/greeter/front desk agent/concierge (you get the picture right). Since occupancy was low, he gave us the villa, which was large enough to play baseball in, and overlooked the whole bay, the famous volcano and all of the surf breaks in view. The beauty of this island had summed up all of the reasons for traveling the distance to go to Bali. This was truly the oasis. We spent the rest of the time here, taking a boat to the various surf breaks that were completely uncrowded, with the occasional group of local rippers. Thanks to Janu, we had an amazing time at Playgrounds. He took us to a ceremony at his village, dressed us up in traditional attire and explained to us that this ceremony was for the highest caste on the island. Janu also explained to us the main industry on the island is seaweed for things like cosmetics and food. We spent many of our days watching the workers tend to their seaweed patches at low tide.




Eventually, our time expired in Bali, so we packed our bags and took the red-eye to Narita International Airport. At 9 degrees Celsius, the weather was a refreshing break. Bundled up in our coats and jeans, we arrived in Akasaka and ate some sashimi and udon immediately upon arrival. If we lost any weight in Bali, we regained all of it in Japan where the food is amazing!

Our agenda was packed. We got to hang out with Hawaiian Fire surf instructor Seiji Obata, who is currently living in Chiba and trying to find a way to come back and live in Hawaii. We were also invited to a home-cooked dinner at Miwa-san's house where we got to meet is fiancee turned wife, Chie, who is an outstanding cook.


After shopping in Shibuya and Harajuku, we were invited by our Hawaiian Fire Surf School regulars, Kohsei & Kohdai (and Mom & Dad) to a feast of Korean-style yakiniku at a small restaurant in Daimon. After we got lost at our connecting spot at the subway station in Roppongi, we made it to Daimon where Kohdai and his dad, Yoshi, met us at the station at took us down an inconspicuous alley to his friend's restaurant.


We are truly grateful for our customers and friends from around the world. We value each and every one of your friendships and are happy that we are able to keep in touch and enjoy each other's company when we travel.



Now that we're back in Hawaii, it's great to be back to the beach to meet more customers and to be here to say what's up to the regulars. To us, it's not just a surf lesson, but an experience that we can all take with us where ever we go. We hope that we will see all of the wonderful people we met in Bali soon, especially Janu, Gusti, Dewi, Aris, Bobby.... And we look forward to Seiji visiting us in Hawaii in February, and Kohdai & Kohsei coming this summer.

The surf here in Hawaii is pretty small today, but it's always nice to paddle out and enjoy the clean water and blue sky.

Also, a quick shout out to Ozz, who is in Manila right now, doing some research perhaps for the Earthtrot Project. See you soon!

Hawaiian Fire Surf School-Lukey's Legacy

        IN HONOR OF LUKE WE'D LOKE TO KEEP "LUKEYS LEGACY" UP FOR ANOTHER                                                                   WEEK. ALOHA EVERYBODY!

Luke "Lukey" Nishikawa
1986-2006

Aloha. Apologies for the delay in our Aloha Monday update but this is no ordinary weekly blog. Over the weekend Hawaiian Fire lost yet another member of our Ohana. Luke Nishikawa known as "Lukey" or "Shaka Luke" passed away in a tragic automobile accident this weekend in Napa, California. Luke attended Pacific Union College in California and spent the summers working with the "Summer Fun Crew" here at Hawaiian Fire Surf School over the past 3 years. Every single person that comes through Hawaiian Fire whether it be a student or an employee truly becomes part of our Ohana or Family and we have now lost a great member or our family.

From the first day that I met Luke I couldn't help but notice that the guy would NEVER stop smiling. When I say never I really mean that and you can ask anyone that has ever come in contact with Lukey. Rarely do you come across people that can keep a positive attitude and a love for life so consistently regardless of daily circumstances, but Luke did. I don't think I have ever met anyone quite like him and it's very safe to say that he was one of a kind. He and his friend Ronson would roll down to the beach many days during the summer in the "Shaggin Wagon" fully equipped with plastic spinners for the wheels. As soon as his head would pop around that equipment van there would be that unforgettable Lukey grin and it was always fun to count how many shaka's he could throw out in one day. I really don't think there is a better man on the Island to be crowned the Shaka King. Most of the time he would be strolling on the beach ukelele in hand strumming along with not a care in the world except making sure that he was smiling and the students he was teaching were doing the same. I'm sure there are a few of you out there who are reading this that think of him and can't possible come up with one bad thought. If you met Luke once you would remember him forever because he was just that unique and unlike any other person in the world. He may not have been the most hardcore surfer on the planet but when he was in the water he truly loved and enjoyed every second of it even if it was upside down on his board. English speaking and Japanese speaking alike had the pleasure of interacting with Luke at our beach. He really had a passion for teaching and was a History Major at Pacfic Union College. Rarely do people feel that they really know what they want to do in life but with Luke there was no question he wanted to teach and inspire others. I always had visions of him in the front of the classroom with an Aloha shirt and ukulele being one of the most unreal teachers around. How could you not listen to a teacher like that? He was hiliarious and brilliant in so many ways it is a shame that his life was cut short and that so many others will not have the opportunity to interact with him in the future. It's very easy to be stricken with grief and sorrow in times of death and tragedy but I know that the last thing he would want is to feel sorry for him. It was just his time and he is in a better place now looking down on us. Myself along with everyone that knew him would have to agree that he would want us to celebrate his life. Rather than think of the time that we will not spend with him, reflect and treasure every moment that we did have with Luke. We all love you Lukey and you will be missed down at the beach by everyone in the Hawaiian Fire Ohana. Here are just a few other pictures of the Lukester.



It's times like this that really bring all of crashing back to reality. Throughout daily life it becomes very easy to get distracted from what really matters and we sometimes tend to think that we are all invincible. Most of us have grand ideas and plans for tomorrow and the future and what might be and what we would like to happen. The truth of it is....we don't "KNOW" a damn thing. Maybe you will wake up tomorrow, Maybe you will drive home safe, Maybe you will have that "great career" in the future. Life is one big maybe and any plan that is made is simply a prayer to Father Time hoping that we will be blessed with the gift of tomorrow. I know I am guilty of it myself and most people I know are the same. We live in a time of distractions and it is about time we stop being distracted by the things that have absolutely no meaning in the long run. Everyone must live in the moment because it is all we have. It isn't what you have it really is what you believe. If you have family....Love them. If you have friends....Love them. If you have neither...Love yourself regardless of what your situation might be. We are put on this Earth to connect with one another and to Love. Treasure every breath, every heartbeat, every conversation, every day that you have in this miracle of life because it may be your last and every moment MUST be appreciated even if its painful or difficult. I don't mean to rant on and make everyone paranoid about not living through the next day but there is nothing like death to make life that much sweeter. To most, death is a scary thing but if you can keep it just over your shoulder and a constant reminder of your mortality it can be a beautiful thing. There is nothing more powerful than a person living like it were their last day on Earth.

With Luke's Passing , this will be the fourth member of our Ohana to leave this Earth in a matter of five years. Luke is the youngest of our friends to have passed and he leaves behind a younger sisiter and both of his parents that reside in Kaimiki, Oahu. Our prayers along with everyone's prayers go out to the family of Luke and we all share in their loss. I want to also take this time to pay repects and send some prayers to the other memebers of our Ohana that have passed on. Danny Villiaros, Drew Tucker, and Paul Akita. Your spirts live on with us at the beach and our love for you will never fade. Aloha Boys and we hope you are all in a better place now. For everyone else that reads this, remember the message that's trying to be conveyed here. Life is beautiful and should be cherished no matter what your circumstance may be. Aloha to everyone that has followed us on the Aloha Monday Blog and we will be sure to be back next week with the latest Hawaiian Fire Surf School News.

Danny Villiaros. He was FireFighter and Air Ambulance Pilot and good friend of everybody. We love you Danny.



Paul Akita- He was a great guy light hearted and loved life and flying. He died doing what he loved. See you in the next life Paul we love you!

Drew Tucker- Not pictured here but embodied that Aloha Spirit and was a long time beach boy in Waikiki. He left too soon and we love you as well Drew. Aloha bro!






Aloha

Hawaiian FIre Surf School-HaRyan Fire Bloggin' II

Aloha!

Yes it's that time of the week again, Aloha Monday everybody! I hope everybody had a fantastic week and a relaxing weekend. Its Ryan here again to fill in the blanks of the past week in the Hawaiian Fire Surf School world. We hadn't hear anything from Kevin and Wisa until just last night. As you can see Wisa threw up a quick blog on what they have been up to on the other side of the world. When you hear that someone is going on a trip to Bali you think of nothing but luxury, exotic locations, and nothing but sunshine and smiles right?... Well if any of you have ever been to a trip to a third world country then you know first hand that not everything goes exactly as planned as I am sure you can tell by reading the first of the Bali blogs by Wisa. Although it will be an experience of a lifetime for both of them, there are sure to be a few snags along the way and it will take a bit of improvisation involved in their journey. The Hawaiian Fire Surf School Crew is sending out Aloha over the Pacific to both of them and hope that can have some grea t times and score some epic surf. Here are a few pics from my Bali trip so you can have a small taste of what Indonesia has toffer

So don't mind the obscure placement of the pictures. It is virtually impossible to place these things where I want them to go and have almost gone grey trying to do it. You guys get the idea. So...back to Oahu. John and I (John is the other owner who will be writing to you the following week to introduce himself) have been quite busy taking over the numerous tasks that are normally handled by Kevin and Wisa. The surf school is still relatively busy although if you have any friends or family coming this way then please let them know that we have plenty of surferless boards just waiting to be ridden. Things have been going quite smoothly and we have two new additions to our product line. The HF Tote bag which we introduced to you last week and now we have the Hawaiian Fire Beach Towel. We are still in the process of inputting the towels into the system but they will be available for purchase this week at Hawaiian Fire Surf School Headquarters and also on the Hawaiian Fire Online Store. If I do say so myself, the towel is damn good stylish and is great for everyday use or even as a souvenier to remind you of how stoked you were to surf with us. Here's a sneak peak at what they look like. FireFighter turnouts and hydrant not included.

It was a busy and windy week at Barber's Point this week but as always it was another great week in paradise. To top it all off our good old San Diego Chargers managed to pull one off this Sunday and made me a very happy boy. I may be the only one that thinks so due to their horrible playing this year but I still have faith they will make it to the Super Bowl. Myself, Joe Toro, Mark Hino (Hawaiian Fire Surf Instructors and Firemen) along with a few other Firemen enjoyed the game at Kanpai Bar and Grill this Sunday.

So that's what went in the week of Hawaiian Fire Surf School...at least according to me and I hope I could keep you from having to get to work for at least a couple minutes on this Aloha Monday. One last introduction from me before we sign off until next week. Nami is my pitbull/sharpei mix that makes an occasional visit to Barber's Point to ride some waves. In case your wondering, Nami means Wave in Japanese (as in Tsunami). Now don't freak out when you hear she is a Pitbull like everyone else does. She is probably the most mellow dog you have ever met and I mean come on how often do you get to see a dog rippng up the waves right? At about 1 year old she is full grown now and loves just loungin' around, surfing, hiking, and chasing her own tail for hours on end. If you come out to visit Hawaiian Fire Surf School make sure to get in touch with me if you want to see this surfing Pooch for yourself. Alright, that wraps it up for this week. As always, Aloha from the entire HF Crew (including Nami) and we hope to see you in the water soon. Have a great week and check back next Aloha Monday!

Hawaiian Fire Surf School-Halloween Block Party

Aloha everyone and Happy Halloween!

Yes I know, it's Monday morning and there you are wondering where the heck is the Aloha Monday? Well, its still Monday in my book so better to get it out a little late than never. It's Ryan here again filling you in the last week in the Hawaiian Fire Surf School life so here we go...

As everyone knows, last Friday was Halloween. If you haven't been around Oahu during Halloween then you don't know what your missing. Waikiki probably has one of the biggest and craziest Halloween parties you have ever seen. From end to end Kalakaua Ave is packed with some of the scariest and funniest costumes on the island. More than 80,000 people packed the streets of Waikiki this year and held true to the tradition of Halloween in Hawaii. As crazy as it was down there Kev, Wisa and I opted out of Waikiki to join the more local crowd at the 2008 Downtown Halloween Spooktacular. It wasn't quite as big but there were plenty of costumes, drinks, and fun to be had. Kevin and Wisa went as good ol' Barney and Betty Rubble. But it wasn't just some store bought costume, notice the fine sewing techniques of Barney and Betty's cave attire above done by our very own Wisa Arquette. Not only can she surf, run marathons, and organize the hell out of anything you need but she can sew a mean piece of clothing too. If only they had that kind of tailoring back in the Stone Age. They had a great time at the party but it was a long road home. After a few hours Downtown the traffic in Waikiki was beyond gridlock and there was not a cab in the city to be found. After hopping on a bus packed full of no so sober Halloweenies they had hoped to be home in no time. Of course the bus could only take them part of the way so it was off to the races for a brisk mile jog in caveman attire. Needless to say they were happy to finally arrive home before the sun came up and before work started the next day.


Step one: Cut a hole in the box.. "I pity the fool who don't surf with Hawaiian Fire Surf School"

So if you ever watch Saturday Night Live then you will totally get my costume above. If not then look it up and just enjoy the pic of Mr. T. and Wisa to the right. If you have no idea what that costume is, its a spinoff of a skit that Justin Timberlake did on SNL entitled "D*** in a Box" We're trying to keep it PG-13 here so we wont show any other pictures but I'm sure you can get the jist of the costume. If your still scratching your head then look up that title on www.youtube.com and it will all make sense. Anyways, I joined Kev and Wisa downtown for the block party and had an awesome time. I put this costume together last minute and had no idea it would be such a hit. I must have taken 200 pictures with random people. If only I would have entered some contests there would be an extra $1,000 in my bank account but what are you gonna do right? I'm still trying to get over it but at least it was a good time. I also had a few mile trek home by foot but all in all that helped me feel much better the next morning and it was back to another beautiful day at the surf school.

So enough about Halloween. November is here and its that time to start thinking about the Holidays. Has it really been a year since the last Holiday season? It seems to go quicker and quicker each year that goes by. Kevin and Wisa decided to start their holiday early and took the first flight out this morning to Bali, Indonesia. Its a long 18 hour flight but if you have ever been to Indo then you know that it's worth every hour of travel once you are there. Bali was the first trip out of the country that I took all by my lonesome and was one of the most amazing experiences of my like. Similar to when your get off the plane in Hawaii and are overcome with that sense of Aloha, when you arrive in Bali there is a magic in the air that you can't really describe to anyone unless they have experienced it for themselves. There you can find some of the best waves, most caring people, and unique cultures all in one place and for dirt cheap. If you are looking for a country to visit, I would highly recommend Indonesia.

As for the surf school, we have still been full of students much to our delight and have been blessed with unreal conditions for the past week. There is a reason why they call this place paradise and everybody that has been here knows why. Our new arrival for this week is the HF Tote Bag (check it out below!). They just came in today and they look pretty nice. You can use these for anything from going to the beach to shopping at the grocery store. We have to stop using plastic bags in our daily lives because they not only pollute our air when they are made but also take forever to decompose and end up littering our beautiful oceans and killing our fragile ecosystem. Doing away with plastic bags is a very easy thing to do and all of us have a responsibility to keep the Earth as clean as possible. Please do your part and start using bags like our HF Tote Bag instead of plastic bags whenever you shop. That will about do it for this week's installment of Aloha Monday. All of us at Hawaiian Fire Surf School hope you had a safe Halloween and as usual we hope to see you in the water soon! Aloha and Mahalo for now. Here are a few more pics for your viewing pleasure.




Noah and student on a party wave The new HF Tote Bag (get one at the HF online store )

We share your stoke at Hawaiian Fire and Dad Miller's first time surfing