OCC Member Profile
[through the] backwash and reverb coming off of it, and the bumps aren’t usually as organized as they would be in your average Hawai‘i Kai run. There’s always a way through. You just gotta learn it, and once you find the path, it’s just so much fun.” The path is different every time, dependent on the conditions, so Toa doesn’t always find it—he estimates maybe 7 out of 10 times. “Sometimes I’m out there, it’s a huge mess, and I’m frustrated. I’m thinking too much about it, and I just can’t see it. What I really need is to let go and feel it more.”
in Da Hui’s 4th of July race on the North Shore. (Guy Pere’s first race was the same competition, when he was a few years older than Toa.) At first, Toa was nervous, but once he was out in the ocean, he loved the feeling of being so close to the water and flying while riding bumps. And as he got older, he felt the thrill of crossing deep water. The classic Hawai‘i Kai run is one of his favor- ites, but he also relishes paddling from Hanauma Bay to Hawai‘i Kai, especially along the turbulent section called the Wall. “It challenges the mind,” he says. “You have to figure out the right route
SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2024 | AMA 17
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker