Molokai Surf Mana

By William Osgood

The weather report guessed 70 percent rain. We were coming down off a large northwest swell and with no work, I went surfing. Now Molokai has surf, but other islands have super surf all the time. So, maybe it’s better for some to go elsewhere such as The LineUp at Ewa Beach, Hawaii if you need pounding surf all winter. I body surf. The surf that day was medium/gentle, not crowded and with plenty of friendly vibes.

The Oahu guys and big names of body-surfing may tell you the sport is the purest form of surfing. So natural! Well, it is natural but also it can be like riding a telephone pole with all the wires and transformers still attached. The knee goes down to kick and its pure drag. Board shorts and misplaced elbows just act like speed brakes.

I once watched a woman on a long board, the plank being something I can easily loath. She was riding the West side and really painting a pretty picture; I told her so! Really that long board was so darn stream-lined and beautiful, a pretty pure surf vehicle.

I like slipping into the water-like a sea otter or crocodile, just fins, really at home in the water, not insulated against it. Half the fun is swimming off the beach and later picking a way through rocks to safe sand. Real art that!

After a few waves I started looking for a good way onto the beach. Less rocks and more sand and water. Here we have a lot of “bowling ball” rocks. The things wash up the beach in the surge and bowl right back down; the melon sized smackers can draw blood on your feet and ankles.

As I eyed possible exit sites, three local youngsters jumped me from behind. I knew them and knew they were into playing around. Their leader charged me, a bow wave blowing off his muscle and teeth. I forgot all about my problems associated with crawling out and up the beach, something that seems to get harder and harder to do these days. I launched right back at him, fast as I could and we both dived passing close underwater. Way cool!

Monk seals, don’t touch, hassle, shoot, disturb, approach or harm. Never heard you can’t swim with ‘em! We played for 10 minutes, oh joy! I ended up near their sandy beach and got scraped in the surprisingly strong current and shallows.

What a splendiferous day it was. Some Molokai magic as the sun came out and the rain vanished.