UTMC

Aloha Terrorists...

I am transcribing this communiqué from 30,000ft, looking down upon the Rocky Mountains, en route to a lay over at LAX. My final destination this day is Hawaii, on the island of Oahu. I have been presented an opportunity to live, and work, in paradise this winter; skydiving in perpetual summer.

I am stoked on this- an excitement like I haven’t known in years.

This move is not delivered with out some level of apprehension... I know not a soul on the island, and the conditions for jumping, I am told, can be perilous. My boss-to-be's (a crazy Frenchman named Guy) initial question during the interview was, “do you scare easily?”. It seems jumping in 30mph winds are the norm in the middle of the Pacific- conditions that would have us grounded most anywhere else I have hucked myself from an aircraft.

On the plus side, it appears that the income potential is great in Hawaii, which I am thankful for, because I've been warned that island life can be quite pricey. Also, the work day is short, being granted freedom daily at noon or one o'clock. The surfing is suppose to be especially good on the Northshore (where the dropzone is located) in the afternoon, when the winds are at their highest. I'm sure that i'm not alone in having an extreme curiosity about learning how to surf. Also, the house I am to be residing in is less that 30yds from the ocean, on a 40 acre organic fruit farm.

Wish me luck!

Wish you luck? I'm cursing your name!

(Good luck)

jangleplatz!

Get out and explore and find cheap good eats (the internet and chatting with locals can help). Find cheap good drinks (there is a hole in the wall bar in every city that provides reasonably priced libations).

Knowing where to get by on the cheap is good for the pocket book and helps you with the locals. Chances are, the locals hang out at these places versus the spendy tourist hell holes that will keep you broke and lonely.

Many good jumps and good times ahead!

Zim wrote:Wish you luck? I'm cursing your name!

(Good luck)

+1

Good luck, fucker!

--Jaeger

You are about to experience the misnomer "gentle trade winds" firsthand.
Aloha!

I wouldn't recommend Hawaii as a place to learn surfing, but.....



Rotsa ruck!!!

Start growing your moustache

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/BxhqVrbixZc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

fucking a right. I'll try to come visit.

Yup, you suck. Have fun, dick.

Good luck. It sounds like an awesome gig.

the 1st couple of days in Hawaii have been mindblowing. i really encourage anyone who hasnt, to come and spend a bit of time here.

we could have DOOM 2012 here. you can rent mopeds for $2 an hour....

My wife LOVES Hawaii and has been there numerous times. She recommends Kaua'i Island. I wanna go some day...

Have fun!

Bearing in mind that the last time I was there was 7 years ago now...

North Shore Oahu is one of the most competitive places in the freaking world to surf during the winter. Find a beginner's break and watch your manners, bigtime. Also, stay at said beginner's break for the duration of the winter, unless you meet some people who are willing to sheppard you somewhere that won't kill you or get you beat up.

That being said, there is a joint called Pizza Bob's in Haleiwa (Hal-eh-ee-va) where I found it pretty easy to meet locals. The locals, I also found, were super friendly and inviting if you came to them with actual human interest and respect. All I had to do was say "Hey, you guys look like some pretty alright people, I don't really dig on the tourist scene, what do you like to do for fun around here?" Before we knew it, my friend and I had scored ourselves a ride home, and were picked up by the same people later on that night, who threw a beach bonfire for us with a bunch of their friends.

In fact, the only real attitude we caught was from surfers who had moved from the mainland, and made the island their home. They had more bullshit localism than the people who were born there.
The one caveat is that there's still some pretty hefty racism from some of the indigenous Hawaiians. There are no-go towns where white folk aren't too welcome. Make friends with a local, and they'll fill you in on the details if you're curious.

Hitchhiking is beyond stupid easy on the north shore, too. If you sneeze, and accidentally cover your mouth with your thumb out, fifty fucking cars are likely to screech to a halt to give you a ride.

Watch out for meth heads. They're everywhere.
Be skeptical of cheap chicken dinners; they may or may not be cat.
(At the time, chicken was pretty pricey, and there are feral cats all over the freaking north shore...)

Assuming the surf isn't swamping the beach, three tables beach is a nice place to have a bonfire. You can steal pallets (for firewood) and buy beer from the grocery store down the road (if it's still there) and it's basically surrounded by the backpacker's hostel, so you're likely to meet a TON of people.

When I was there, my friend and I went to the Waimea Falls arboretum/cultural center/whatever the fuck they call it. It's run by the arbor society, and we asked if we could volunteer our time to work instead of buying a ticket. We got to do some pretty cool shit, and were hooked up with a secret map to some closed off areas of the park that were FAR cooler than anything we could've gotten to legally. I'd suggest giving it a shot.

We also thugged it into Turtle Bay resort. It's supposed to be guests only, but the waitresses and bartenders didn't give a shit. They got us extra hammered on the cheap because were were cool and on their level.

Enjoy the adventure, and try to avoid Waikiki at all costs, unless you're learning how to surf. The place is like a big gross mall with a beach next to it.

May you be pantsed by Neptune.





in a good way

WeAintFoundShit wrote:Bearing in mind that the last time I was there was 7 years ago now...

North Shore Oahu is one of the most competitive places in the freaking world to surf during the winter. Find a beginner's break and watch your manners, bigtime. Also, stay at said beginner's break for the duration of the winter, unless you meet some people who are willing to sheppard you somewhere that won't kill you or get you beat up.

That being said, there is a joint called Pizza Bob's in Haleiwa (Hal-eh-ee-va) where I found it pretty easy to meet locals. The locals, I also found, were super friendly and inviting if you came to them with actual human interest and respect. All I had to do was say "Hey, you guys look like some pretty alright people, I don't really dig on the tourist scene, what do you like to do for fun around here?" Before we knew it, my friend and I had scored ourselves a ride home, and were picked up by the same people later on that night, who threw a beach bonfire for us with a bunch of their friends.

In fact, the only real attitude we caught was from surfers who had moved from the mainland, and made the island their home. They had more bullshit localism than the people who were born there.
The one caveat is that there's still some pretty hefty racism from some of the indigenous Hawaiians. There are no-go towns where white folk aren't too welcome. Make friends with a local, and they'll fill you in on the details if you're curious.

Hitchhiking is beyond stupid easy on the north shore, too. If you sneeze, and accidentally cover your mouth with your thumb out, fifty fucking cars are likely to screech to a halt to give you a ride.

Watch out for meth heads. They're everywhere.
Be skeptical of cheap chicken dinners; they may or may not be cat.
(At the time, chicken was pretty pricey, and there are feral cats all over the freaking north shore...)

Assuming the surf isn't swamping the beach, three tables beach is a nice place to have a bonfire. You can steal pallets (for firewood) and buy beer from the grocery store down the road (if it's still there) and it's basically surrounded by the backpacker's hostel, so you're likely to meet a TON of people.

When I was there, my friend and I went to the Waimea Falls arboretum/cultural center/whatever the fuck they call it. It's run by the arbor society, and we asked if we could volunteer our time to work instead of buying a ticket. We got to do some pretty cool shit, and were hooked up with a secret map to some closed off areas of the park that were FAR cooler than anything we could've gotten to legally. I'd suggest giving it a shot.

We also thugged it into Turtle Bay resort. It's supposed to be guests only, but the waitresses and bartenders didn't give a shit. They got us extra hammered on the cheap because were were cool and on their level.

Enjoy the adventure, and try to avoid Waikiki at all costs, unless you're learning how to surf. The place is like a big gross mall with a beach next to it.

good info WAFS.
I stayed in Waikiki the first night, it was pretty lackluster. after that i stayed at backpackers for a few nights. I twas way cooler there. Now i've got a room in a house in Haleiwa.

I cant wait to check out a lot of the island. Though, the skydiving (which has been beautiful, and totally challenging) has been keeping me plenty busy for now, and lack of transport doesnt help.

xaos wrote:... lack of transport doesnt help.

Thumb it. I'm not kidding, it was the easiest way to get around.

WeAintFoundShit wrote:

xaos wrote:... lack of transport doesnt help.

Thumb it. I'm not kidding, it was the easiest way to get around.

I've hitchiked almost every day, but i won't at night. As a haole (cracker), i don't feel like the locals are to be trusted once they are drunked up...

that said, there are some of the most friendly people ever here...

UPDATE:

Little over a month into my Hawaiian adventure!

Have been riding a Vento Triton R4 as general transport (without a helmet, and in sandals FTW). It is modded to about 50mph. $400!

The skydivers here are really cool, and a rare breed amoung the rarest of species.

I've been in the ocean alomost every day- snorkeling, boogie boarding, and even a bit of surfing...MP67 is right, this is a hell of a place to learn about the ocean. Though, with a bit of guidance, i've been lead to some of the less perilous spots, on flatter days...

Middle-of-the-pacific cell REPRESENT!

Middle of summer, and that ocean gets flat like a lake. Imagine Waimea bay with a river winding its way down the beach, with tourists and families having picnics and shit.
Probably just a weee bit different than it might be right now.

I can't read the wall of text above, but right now it's freezing outside, so Hawaii sure sounds good.
Good on yer mate!

They rent those R4s out on the Washington coast (where you can ride them legally on the beach), and they are actually perform pretty well for being cheap . . . and beach abused rentals.


Way to live the dream.

Rev wrote:Every time I try to wish you luck on this thing, it descends into jealousy, bitterness, and name-calling.
So good luck.
Dick.

That's what i was goin for, Rev! way to thwart my evil plan...

[open wound]
has it started snowing yet?
[/rub salt]