thenextwave

The builders had a few things to fix today, so I walked to the coffee shop to sit and work. To my disappointment, it was completely packed on a Wednesday.

I took my “for here” mug and left. On the walk back, I saw humpback whales breaching. I paused to watch and sip my coffee. An older man pulled up in a golf cart with his dog and started gardening nearby.

We got to talking. I told him about my project. He said his father built the historic space near mine, back before there was electricity here. What started as a casual chat turned into a deeper one about surfing, technology, and change. We decided to continue over coffee sometime.

When he mentioned his name, I realized he was a local legend I'd been hoping to meet someday. His family introduced surfing here from Hawai‘i after WWII. He surfed professionally and worked with Jack O’Neill for decades. Now he keeps a low profile in our coastal pocket.

Sometimes the unplanned detour turns out to be the path we needed. We just have to notice.

Update on the story below. He can’t surf anymore due to his sweet old age, so fishing is his main hobby now. I got gifted some of his fresh-caught ling cod and rock cod fillets.

His name is on this poster he kept from one of the most legendary invite-only surf championships. Coincidentally, it took place where I was first introduced to surfing exactly 40 years later.

Conversations with elders like this are so precious to me. I hold each story with gratitude, knowing one day they’ll be gone - and so will I. But through our lifetimes, we can connect memories across centuries.

Building a little space at /thenextwave and watching everything on /videolab.

you have an amazing way of viewing the world, it shows in your writing