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| Angelika/Mike Schilli |
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Once again, we spent our summer vacation on Oahu this year. Traditional surfing is still in high demand on the islands, in fact, I think it will continue to thrive as long as the islands persist. Every couple of years, however, there's a new trend in Hawaiian water sports. First there were the kite surfers, criss-crossing on the waters propelled by giant parachutes, to Michael's dismay. They're still doing their thing, although we've noticed a decline in popularity, which is highly appreciated by swimmers not having to constantly worry about kite surfers losing control and dumping their chute on them. Then came the paddle boarders, trying to stand upright while pushing themselves forward by paddle strokes. This variant even has some history on Hawaii, but recently, lots of unfit surfers flock to this method, crowding the waters.
Lately, we've noticed a new trend: lots of moms and dads are surfing with toddlers! We saw tiny children who couldn't possibly surf on their own, even on boogie boards. They sit on the front part of the board, while mom or dad are paddling into small waves, pop up, and steer the board through the waters. I was stunned when I first saw this, because many children barely seemed to have passed the diaper age. But it's commonly known that people on the islands are born with a surfboard, and they quickly learn their way around it. At home in San Francisco, Michael has started to drive down to our home beach of Pacifica three to four times a week. He is surfing like a maniac down there and lately, there's some kind of Hawaiian vibe around him.
Aloha from San Francisco!
Angelika and Michael
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