When Nature gives you something, you gotta make do. And when “making do” is this much fun, you’re in a good spot. Photo: YouTube//Screenshot
When Hurricane Nolo began making its way across the ocean, it looked as though it was going to take a close swipe at Hawaii. The islands have seen considerable damage from a variety of storms in the last few years, so residents were bracing for impact. Of course, Hawaii is full of people who love to play in the ocean, so there was a bit of hope kicking around in there, too. And Zeke Lau made the most of what turned into an almost decent wind swell.
“The waves weren’t very good,” Lau said after a session at Bowls. “I was probably straining a lot harder than normal. It just wasn’t a good session and it wasn’t very fun and it didn’t feel good.”
That, as you know, is not a good way to describe a session. Along with the windy conditions, Lau just felt… off. Surfing, for Lau as well as many others, is a way to make yourself feel better, both mentally and physically. He’s got a nagging back injury, so he needs to constantly be mindful of it, lest he not be in shape for the upcoming Hawaiian winter.
“That’s the whole point,” he continued. “I go surfing, it feels good; it’s my form of meditation; it’s my form of therapy and a way for me to move my body and feel healthy — you know, all those things. But I am not feeling that, so I need to get better.”
With that in mind, he headed to a wellness place, dunked himself in cold water, sweated himself in a steam room, and sat in a hyperbaric chamber for an hour. It’s something he does often, and it’s proved helpful. A few days later, Hurricane Nolo’s wind hit the islands, and Zeke, against doctor’s orders, needed to get into it.
“The wind is nuking out of control from this hurricane,” he said as he walked out through China Walls. “So I gotta send it.”
And send it he did. Using a foil board, the Hawaiian power surfer rode downwind on the South Shore until he could send it no more.
