Tonight was the night of my surfing celebration party—a ritual that we do for every competition I have ever been in, no matter how large or small. The small surfing competitions are not as grand as others. Normally, it’s nothing more than a simple barbeque at our house where my parents invite all their friends and relatives to come and support me before the big day. Tonight was a lot bigger than I could have ever expected.
My parents rented out a luau area with the full nine-yards. We had fire dancers, hula girls, musicians, roasted pig, a large buffet, and last, but not least, beach access. It would have been a fantasy if only other aspects of my life were spanning out.
My father and I have been working night and day the past week, trying to perfect every form of my surfing possible to
