Karen Gallager
I'm a third generation surfer, born in 1961. I spent the 60s at San Onofre, the 70s at Santa Cruz, the 80s and 90s on Oahu's North Shore. I've seen the Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
The Good- Surfing with Rell Sunn, the Queen of Makaha .Aloha, blue skies, green palms, crystal clear ocean, light trades blowing white spray off of peeling waves. Rell bottom turning, smiling, enjoying life. Sharing her love of the ocean with all. Life guarding, free-diving for dinner. Putting on a women 's trials for the Triple Crown, menehune surf meets for the children, low-tide Easter egg hunts along the shoreline. Traveling pro ripper, traditional long board stylist. Beautiful, graceful, loving, hugging. The more she gave, the more beautiful she became. In the process she made us each feel special, as she shared the aloha, the surfing spirit, with all.
The Bad- Surfing with, well, you know who. At Velzyland, Rocky Point, Pipeline The waves are beautiful, flawless, inviting. You paddle out. Very quickly the situation becomes clear. It's like getting your baseball gear, joining the game on the field and not getting to touch the ball. No one will let you up to bat, and whenever a ball comes near, someone larger, more aggressive or more skilled steps in front of you and grabs it. If you want to ride some of these waves you need to turn up your own aggressive level.
The Ugly- So, you set your teeth, get a glare in your eye and head into the lineup. After paddling and hassling for almost an hour a great wave comes right to you. This one is yours. Heart racing and smiling inside you take off, bottom turn and get royally stuffed by someone on the shoulder. This same guy has caught at least one wave from every set, probably 10-12 good waves since you paddled out. After straightening out over the reef and getting pounded by the rest of the set, you eventually emerge back in the lineup. Catching the eye of the guy who stuffed you is a mistake. Yelling, he paddles up to you, wants to know if you have a problem, splashes water at you, yells some more then throws a punch that glances off your chin. Since you're a surfer, not a fighter, you paddle down to the lumpy, bumpy field next to this one, settling for quantity over quality.
Honoring The Good- Rell Sunn was to many not only a friend or a mentor but a symbol of the good in the world of surfing, of the aloha of Hawaii, of the global surfing family. She wasn't prejudiced on any account- not about where you were from, your ability level, the color of your skin. She has passed on from this world, although we still feel her spirit. Let us show her our love and honor her memory by living in a way that would make her proud. Every surfer, especially the best ones (most of who knew and loved their Auntie Rell), have the power to change the energy in the ocean. Please, let us put the beauty back into this Sport of Kings. Then let the smiles of those you befriend fill your heart, and soon your soul will shine and Rell Sunn 's spirit will also be yours. This would be a wonderful tribute to the Queen Of Makaha. |
