Magic Wave Hebara

I'm one of the lucky ones, living right on the beach, The massive plus side of this world lockdown is I have my boys at home with me and a very quiet business right now. So I'm determined to make the most of it. 4:50 am Sunrise Surf Photoshoots.

This morning in the land of the rising sun was a dream come true (box ticked) the previous day had been firing, 4-6ft really clean and perfect barrels breaking on hard shallow sand due to those spring tides. But a little too big for the kids. We knew the swell was going to stay around but drop and coincide with another low tide at Sunrise time. So we set everything up the night before, Boards, wetsuits, camera. Ralph was frothing before bed he kept asking 100 questions more out of nerves I thinkAnyway, 4:30 alarms went off, the kettle was on and sleepy folks were putting on cold wetsuits from the day before, the mood was somewhat, (not Physed) but that all changed as we hit the beach and saw perfect 3-4ft hollow heavy beach break waves hitting out front of Splash guest House. The kids got in before me as I hurried to get the camera loaded and flash unit attached to the water housing. As soon as I paddled out it was like it was meant to be, calm but with clean single set waves every 15 mins, heavy though onto really shallow sand but a few makable ones,

The kids were nervous that was for sure, so good old dad had to use his lungs! So I started to call and hoot and scream every set wave to encourage them in. Finally, a small one short ride but all the same Ralph got rid of his nerves on it. Just in time too, the next wave in was double the size, he turned and took a sick drop on the shoulder, making it, wow I new the pic would look sick but it was not that running down the line chance of a barrel we wanted. 30 mins went past, the sun rose, it was backlit, I was thinking they did good and I had a ton of inside shore break waves on the camera so I was stoked,

But then on the horizon, a dark shadow appeared, I spotted it before the kid's something inside took over me, and i started screaming to Ralph to paddle deep, deep, go, Go, Go my lungs were bursting, his arms were shifting, so fast head was down, no turning back, he gracefully, slid in early got to his feet, both hands in the wall to stabilize himself and the big single fin did its job and got him on a line all he had to do was stay focused and low, band bang bang the camera was taking pics, but i wanted to see it with my own eyes, so I moved my head to the side of the camera, "Ralph Gillett" all of 13 in a back lite barrel right in font of me, (proudest of dads moments) as he shot by and the end of the wave exploded i realised that the shadow figure standing on the beach was MUM, she had also come out for an early morning walk and just seen the wave! (perfect timing) As he grabbed the board and paddled back I really could not stop pumping my fist in the air and screaming like a girl, Wow Wow Wow, Ralph you did it you did it! He gave me a smile, that ill remember forever, put his head down and did what any good surfer does, paddles for the horizon to get back out for more time in the famous green room.

For me 2020 and this terrible thing that is happening in the world will always have this silver lining, the day I got to see my kid get his first real wave.

Story by Dane Gillett - Owner of Splash guest House, in Hebara Beach Japan

www.splashguesthouse.com

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