Hurricane Sandy

           Hurricane Sandy brought lots of wind, rain, and some waves here to Virginia Beach.  It has been raining for the last three days.  Today(Tuesday) is the first day that the rain has stopped.  It has been raining since Saturday.  It's still a bit windy, but the rain has stopped somehow.  My brothers place was safe from Sandy, but I know that other places on the East Coast got hit really hard and I just hope everyone is okay and stayed safe.  It's sad seeing all of the destruction that Sandy has done to the East Coast.  My heart goes out to everyone on the East Coast that got hit really hard.  

          Last Friday my niece Alyza asked if I could come to her class and do a show and tell to her class mates.  I showed them a video of me bodyboarding and showed them my bodyboard and what I do.  They were all 4 year old kids so it was pretty crazy.  haha.  They were throwing dolls at me and asking me so much questions.  I was really happy and stoked to do the show and tell for sure.  Seeing how excited my niece was and proud made me really  happy.  It was also cool to see her interact with her class mates.

        Yesterday(Monday) my brother, Travis, Ricky Miller, Matt, and I went to check the waves.  Hurricane Sandy was still full on, but it was really offshore and the waves were 3-4ft hawaiian.  We checked all of Virginia Beach for about an hour to find the best peak.  We finally found an epic peak to surf and we surfed for about 3 hours.  I never knew I would ever score VB like that.  Trading waves with my family and some good friends was the best.  I honestly can say it was one of my best sessions i've had on the east coast.  Thank you Sandy :)

       My flight got canceled for Puerto Rico today and I had to change it for Nov 1 so i'll be cruising Virginia Beach till then.  It's a bummer, but I'm also stoked to spend more time with my family here.  I get to spend Halloween with my niece which I'm looking forward to.  I hope everyone is all safe and doing great :)  Thank you for all of the support!  Life is good!!!!!!!  aloha

Alyza to the far left and some of her best friends during the show and tell.

I went back to school for the first time in years.

Shrek and Shrek hags 

Alyza and Shrek

The beginning stages of Hurricane Sandy on Friday

It was like a ghost town on Friday night on Virginia Beach board walk

We went for a walk after an epic dinner at the Waterfront

This was Saturday.  There was some waves, but it was really onshore.  

Trash bag skateboarding.  A new sport here in Virginia Beach.

My niece and I made my dream house one day out of legos on a rainy Saturday

The rain would let up sometimes and I tried chopping wood for the fire place.

Josh rain or shine still lights the fire pit up.

we geeeev um in da rain.  minahs

Barefoot hags keeping warm with a beverage

It started raining hard so we had to move the fire into the fireplace in the house zones

Family :)

My costume for a Halloween party on Saturday night

My costume for a Halloween party on Sunday night 

Sandy  

Sandy

Breakfast before we caught some Sandy action.  My bro loves cooking

Some locals enjoying a walk with Sandy on Monday

Checking some zones

It was firing.  Out dea!

Left right watchu like

All suited up ready for sample some Sandy barrels and ramps

Some flooding on a street in Virginia Beach

WA Flip sequence

Remember that Backflip photo that was featured in Riptide #188 that was shot by Chris Gurney?  Well here is the sequence of that wave.  This is my most favorite shot or sequence that i've ever gotten so far.    I somehow landed this flip as well.  This day was really fun.  Jared Houston, Mark Mcarthy, Kim Feast and I were trading waves at this spot in Western Australia and Chris Gurney was on the job.  Thank you to Chris Gurney www.chrisgurney.com.au for the sequence and Riptide for running the photo.  Aloha and enjoy.  

Brothers Birthday and VB vibes

I've been in Virginia Beach for almost a week now and it's been good times.  I'm loving it here for sure!  The weather has been sunny, warm(most days haha), beautiful, and I've been enjoying my time here with my brother and his family.  The other day was my older brothers birthday.  We all went to this Mexican resturaunt.  My cousin Travis and his family joined us which was awesome.  We all ate some good food and had some drinks.  Mostly every night here my brother lights up his fire place zone in his back yard.  That's probably the best time for sure.  We just sit around and talk stories and just relax.  I love it.  Reminds me of back home and camping somehow.  I've been watching my niece for the past couple of days.  She told her teacher that she wanted to spend time with me so she hasn't been going to school.  It means so much to me to spend as much time with her as I can because I don't know when i'll see her again after I leave Virginia.  I love her so much.  We went to the beach or Chesapeake Bay zone, swam, played with lego zones, and today we went to Mt. Trashmore and flew her kite.  It was good times!  Sorry not too much Bodyboarding going on, but it doesn't really matter to me.  Enjoying family time is more important and it's been awesome times.  It looks like a big storm is in the Atlantic and will be bringing some waves, but we will see.  As for now, I'm enjoying these moments here in VB with my family.  Life is good!  aloha 

Picking up my niece from school one day

Another epic sunset zone

Birthday drinks

My brother and his beautiful family

Group photo.  My brothers family and my cousins family.  Epic memories

My older brother Josh and I 

Birthday cake for the birthday boy 

Bon fire zones

My niece enjoying the Chesapeake zone water

It's not Hawaii, but I'm stilling loving it

Alien

:)

Another bon fire in the zone

My niece and I enjoying the fire

Building huge lego buildings

Mt. Trashmore.  Such a beautiful place

Alyza and her kite

Alyza and her flowers she picked

Playground zones

This photo is random, but this stoked bodyboarder tagged me in it.  Just read the caption.  Stoked!