I'm going to eat you

Another awesome fish taco night with friends. Great food, accompaniments, and conversation.

A New Beginning

Well, it's been nearly 18 months since my last posting and it is well overdue. I've succombed to the world of crackbook and find all my pics and writing go up there to my 'friends'. Truthfully, some of them are my friends, some are acquaintences, some are the kids I used to coach, and some are just people that want to know what you're doing. I've been finding myself updating, posting, and doing all that shit that you do on facebook without much consideration of those that read it. I mean, this was presented as a way for my friends to check out the cool stuff I was doing. It didn't really allow for comments or criticisms, although you can write something if you want. It didn't enter into dialogue like facebook, but perhaps started conversations with people that I really enjoyed.
Speaking of friends, I've had a hell of a year and a half with 'friends' in town. I feel like the small town I love can be a bit of a downer sometimes with the cross-talk that goes on. I really don't have a problem with talking, but prefer it not a secret. Perhaps by blogging a little more often now, I'll have a chance to focus my attentions on my feelings and express myself a bit more. I think that happiness does certainly come from within, and I'm going to make that a priority in my life.
As far as happiness is concerned, the above pic is a great shot by my friend Masa, who joined me on an epic paddle from Masset to Port Clements which turned out to be a 43km paddle battle and a real good time. We had sun and a flowing tide for the first half and a great time, the second half was bucking the tide and head winds. All in all, a good adventure, and I'm happy to say that this was the first time in history this had been done by this watercraft.
I'm preparing a bit for my trip to Hawaii this week and will certainly have to be in better shape once I'm there. Looking forward to good surf, some sun, and some time with my lady.

Lucy's Birthday

Beautiful windswept spiral formed by the sand grasses of the beaches of Haida Gwaii. This was one of many beautiful and awe-inspiring visions from our recent vacation 15 minutes from home. The lovely Lisa Shultz of www.northbeachcabins.com gifted us an all inclusive trip to one of the finest shantys in the world on our beach. She was lovely enough to bake a heart shaped cake for Lucy, decorate the cabin with salal and have a fire already burning when we arrived. It was absolutely a dream staying there for the 2 days. We played scrabble, watched the tide roll in and out, made love, ate, and sat in silence. Truly a special place that made us remember our times when we first met and lived together in a similar cabin just down the way. Here are a few photos of the time spent.

I just got away with murder...

The fishman in perfect beach attire... fleece top, gumboots, and no pants...

oooh, that's where the whale vertebrae go...

lush green pathways everywhere... if it isn't going to the cabin, it's going to the beach... I heard the first whistle of the Varied Thrush this trip which is a good sign that spring has sprung.

too bad it's so crowded around here... I think I saw one lady walking about a mile up from me in two days...

Gumboot paradise... Fantastic view from the front room. I sat in my underwear and watched the swell roll in for hours... and hours.... got to see the tide roll in for 20 feet, and roll out for 19 feet.... nothing on this earth I love more than having this experience with my lover at my side...

Our little cabin....

The largest mussel in my body

Pretty cool huh? Giant blue mussel I gathered the other day on an epic paddleboard excursion around the island. Giggle as you want, and I know you want to, this was a delicious treat. Been surfing hardcore this season despite some crappy el nino shit that has made all the big surf go south. So, to combat the weather, I went south. Lucy, my lover and fianceee.... damn that's such a term... fianceee with the accent et goo. She's actually pretty damn cool. Anyhoo, we went to Ixtapa last week for a mexican vacation full of huevos con chirizo which is the finest piece of street meat you'll find on the planet. I'll save the stories for another time when I can put some pictures to really suppliment the story. Until then...
This mussel was absolutely incredible. The shell was 15 inches long and with too much butter and garlic it was scrumptous. I'm off today for another day of surf and thought I would update my blog for the people that take the time to follow it. Thanks to you all. Getting ready for the upcoming nuptuals this summer so for those interested in coming to the party of the summer please keep posted or contact me for more details. Peace to all.

Spring Cleaning

I'm a pretty liberal guy, but I gotta say I'm not into those fad diet things like the atkins, or stuff like that, but I did try the "Wild Rose" cleanse last week. It's supposed to be 12 days, but I got the idea quickly. You can check out the details online so I won't bore you with the stuff you can't eat. For me it was a real appreciation for what you can. I didn't lose any weight or have any visions or anything, but I did get a good feel for my body. You basically eat brown rice and vegetables until you get tired of eating that, and then just not eat. It's not really that severe, you can eat all the meat you want?? Anyhoo, I liked it. Rice and beans for breakfast with an egg... hello... Mexico... Fish each night was, well, what I'm used to so that wasn't that big. I think it'll be easy sticking to this one. Was a bit confusing not having a glass of wine with the meals, but no fermented goods really learned me about how tea was made. Must say I did enjoy the learning experience and after a week I had a piece of pizza and a glass of vino, but haven't had a coffee or a smoke in weeks now and I must say I like that change. Oh yeah, and I did lose the beard. Got tired of talking about it to tell you the truth. 'That's not a white man's beard'... I think was my favorite comment. Daffodils are coming up as are the pussy willows, so it looks like spring is springing early this year. I welcome it and hope that the sun brings a few waves too.

It's pronounced 'Tow' like 'Cow'

A shot of Tow hill this time, named for a boy, in a story too long and complicated for me to get into. I have been told that Tow has an identical brother that exists in Juskatla down the Massett inlet and the maps seem to agree with this story. I've recently completed "The Golden Spruce" if anyone has heard of this book/story. It begins with a small boy taking a dump... Legends are deep and prolific in their meaning, and literal in their translation. I got a good kick out of the story of the Golden Spruce and an eye opener out of the history of Haida Gwaii. For those not in the know, we are no longer the Queen Charlotte Islands and now are considered, and most residents would say, always, Haida Gwaii - Islands of the Peoples. After a landmark decision by the provincial and federal governments, the archapelago, formally named after the venturing ship of Jolly ol' England "Queen Charlotte" has been re-re-named back to it's original name of the people who live and govern it's land - Haida. Gwaii simply means island. The Haida legends clearly state that man was created as raven coaxed man out of the clam shell onto land. The geology of the land states that this area survived the iceage and has remained virtually undisturbed longer than most land masses of the planet. We have species of plants and animals that only exist here and I have to tell you we have people that could only exist here. Between the smell and the attitude it's surprising that more people don't get sent off the island. For me, well, I smell, but I like to contribute. The surf shop has been a great way for me to share my knowledge of the islands with the locals and the visitors. I've found a great deal of support for my projects and just last week had a crew of Skidegate folks up to enjoy the waves. Tonnes of hoops from the kids and sincere appreciation from the elders. Makes me feel very proud to keep the lights on in the place. Haa'waa to the Ngystle Society for allowing the youths to have a fun time on the beach.
Off for now as I have a date with a little portuguese gentleman this weekend. No, it's not that serious, just a guy I know. Looking to rip up a few moguls instead of waves this weekend in smithers. Photos to follow with words. Peace to all.

Wave to the camera

Tell me this isn't one of the nicest waves you've ever seen! We've been having some great waves over the last weekend and a full contingency of surfers out for it. This is a pic I took with my new camera that I got for myself for christmas of one of our top breaks. I've also been entertaining Lucy's stepdad George who has found out the appreciation for our world class breaks. Not too much else to report right now, but I'll snap a few more pics of the waves today and give a better update on the goings on. Until then... keep warm and hug someone today for a little longer than you usually do, see what happens.

Goin' Right

Hello Everybody! Thanks for the nice compliments on the blog and after careful consideration and a bout of anger with crackbook, I've decided to continue the blog and enhance my writing skills rather than let people I barely know be aware of my every move.... Michael McQuade is having a dump... Michael McQuade just wiped..... Michael McQuade lit a match.... I know, I know, facebook has been a great way to reconnect with lost friends, and let all those past lovers see how fat you've become. I did appreciate the fun that I had with it and must say some of the facebookers that are dilligent in updating their post and posting quick witted humourous responses to posts are a fun way to spend hours each day. Alas, I have to step back a hair and do some more things like... Writing my first book. I'm really focussed now on doing a compilation of these blog entries combined with my surf journal of all the days I've been surfing since I arrived on Haida Gwaii. (approximately 1000!) Wow, that's a lot of blood, sweat and reefer. I've got a bunch of photos like this one up top of a beautiful right-handed wave going off. It's been pretty flat lately, but looks like the model is up for the next week and hoping to shed a few pounds that I gathered over the christmas season. I'm not 100%, but I believe I gained around 135 lbs. Seems hard to believe, but I'm sure if I had a scale it would read in the 315-335lb range. Nobody should be out of breath tying their shoe.... whew...
The writing is coming by way of my new gig as the night security guard at the hospital. From 11-7, I walk around the empty halls of our new and expanded hospital as a result of an unfortunate event a couple weeks ago. A gentleman, well maybe not so gentle, took one of the nurses at knifepoint and demanded drugs. It's too bad that our otherwise safe and friendly town found itself in danger due to a insatiable need to eliminate pain. I really feel for the guy as do the hospital I'm sure to figure out how this could have been avoided. None the less, I'm now responsible in escorting the ladies to our doors when patients arrive. And I must say that our ladies in white are excellent in what they do and troopers for being ready and able at the time when most of us are fast asleep.
Well, all for now. I'll keep you posted on the other things keeping me busy and happy in future posts. Until then, peace out.

This might be a sign

Well, inspired by boredom, I've managed to start writing a bit more. Been doing the graveyard shift at the horse-pistol as Drew calls it and thus had a few hours to fill. Trying to write a bit about the surf scene around here for a surf rag down south and maybe a little bit for those interested in the emerging sport of Haida Gwaii. In the meantime, here is a pic of the surf shop sign. I think it's lovely, a free-hand painting by Raven. It's recieved a lot of compliments from the general public and I must say it is tempting to take this 9 footer out and surf it once, but alas it will serve as a good marker. Big winds have been put our surf careers on the back burner as we've just recieved nipply north easters followed by ripper south easters and just not the right stuff. With the boards in tow, still looking to take a little drive out to the beach today and get some wood and regain some sanity. Hope you all have a good one too.

Anyone still read this thing??? Let me know.. please, otherwise, I'm going to kill this jellyfish. This is a King Bolete, which you can tell by the size of the sucker. Absolutely amazing mushrooms that taste as good as the gravy you make with them. Funny story though.... had a few boletes that I brought to a friends house for dinner and as I showed her how to delicately slice these little fun guys with a filet knife and warm the pan up just so with butter and garlic, didnt' a herd of worms sneak their way out the mushroom. "They don't like the heat" she replied.. "Guess not" was my response to the episode that probably fucked us up for life. None the less, great mushrooms, worms and all. Let me know if I need to keep this going on or whether I should just write a tell all about my affairs with Dave Letterman. Oh, how I love that man...

Whirlybird surfing

Been a while since the blog update on a count of the damn crackbook. It just seems so much easier to update my pictures or videos and simply put my thoughts into a funny line or quip. Actually sitting down and enjoying the pathos of writing a direct thought in a descriptive way seems much better. Alas, here is the update... Todays pic is a crew of north beach surfers that got an invite to visit a remote island/sandbar off of the islands to surf for a spell. Turns out the day was flat as my first girlfriend and we ended up just sitting, watching well over 200 seals watching us. It was still a crazy feeling being up in this whirlybird and taking tight corners and just taking off and landing were such an experience. Sure enough the surf was up the very next day. A rare Westerly swell showed up and gave for ice blue barrels of 6 - 8 foot that just constantly ripped down the beach. Surfed 3 hours on saturday and 3 on sunday and we are just burnt with tired happy shoulders. Nice to get a little bit of summer swell with no hood on the suit and some big smiles for everyone. Thanks to Ben and Sam for a great trip.

Kickin' rocks

Well, surf sessions have been more of a rock kicking session lately with virtually no swell. I've put miles of miles on my truck and had very limited success with it. Been getting into SUP Paddleboarding a bit lately just to get wet and have a little exercise and really liked it. Dropped into my first wave the other day to much surprise seeing as it was little more than an ankle slapper. Nonetheless fun new activity. Today's pic is a beautiful red agate gathered on the beach soaking and glowing in a rare bit of sun.

With the price of oil these days...

Another whale of a tale this episode. This is a juvenille fin whale I've been told. Apparently you can identify a fin whale from the fact that it's right underside is white and it's left underside is black. You can clearly see the large tongue and balene in the beginning of the video with what I thought was a tiny lateral fin and then the powerful tail and ending with the belly of corduroy which allows for the huge gulps of water and the subsequent sifting of food through the balene. Not too sure about the cause of death here, but it certainly wasn't old age. The whale was very recently deceased as you can tell from the state of decay. I was amazed at how the skin was so thin and generally when the whales show up, it's the first thing to really fall off. It isn't really captured in the video, but there was oil leaking from the skin of the whale and literally melting off of the skin. Anyhoo, another cool experience living at the edge of the world.

Premium Parking

Those damn vandals struck again! It's amazing that all of these agencies share the same interest in this premium parking spot. I find myself regularly being asked by fishermen about the websites we look at to predict the swell coming in, or the weather tendancies. The department of fisheries are all asking me about what's going on with the beach. I also noticed that similar weather patterns bring swell and seafood. Hmmm... Really nice to feel connected to the land and seas and to share this with the authorities and others that share our area in a respectful fashion. Hope they see the sign before giving me a ticket for parking here.

This was extremely fun

Nice sign, although not really indicative of the waves on Haida Gwaii right now. Waves have been flatter than hammered shit. This snapshot was from 3 weeks ago in Tofino. Some great waves that day and got to surf with the pros for a sesh which was a great learning experience for me. These guys are just on another level with the quick snaps, and amazing arials. None the less, had some fun of my own on a new 6'1 Al Merrick which turned out to be a great purchase. Turned out to be a little too little of a board one of the days that was clearly marked as extreme as I popped my leash on my very first ride/wipeout, after too many duck dives to count and discovered quickly why I was the only one outside at cox bay. Thinking of the poor sap that got swept out by the current last fall in 10ft+, I really didn't want to be 'that guy'. I had just finished reading Pete Devries article on know before you go and how to operate within your level and knowledge of the area. That being said, after a short and scary assesment of the situation, I ended up swimming back to shore and all was well, only a few 100 feet down from where I started. It does really pay to know the areas, the tide, currents, etc, etc, etc.... so lesson be learned, be EXTREME, within your own level, and why the fuck don't they have leashes with more velcro!!! Gotta talk to FCS....

Nothing a shave and a haircut couldn't fix

Yup, same guy. Had my first Turkish shave in the big shitty last month. Full on with the straight razer and everything. Couldn't get close enough! I swear I didn't have to shave for a month after that. Well, I probably could have, but I didnt'. Well, lots of things have happened in the last month since the last post. What can I say, did tofino, and brought my lovely lady back up to Haida Gwaii for the summer. Still doing what I do best which is being happy, so I gotta say life is good. Surf has been pretty shotty as we all know it does this time of the year. Been finding myself looking at new spots and chasing wind swell which has turned out to be a great worthwhile venture. Getting to really know the weather patterns and using it to my advantage in an otherwise surf-less time. Hope the summer sun brings a few more degrees to the thermometer so I can take advantage of this new doo.

Wash up and get ready for dinner

Now this is what a wash up looks like. This one has an assortment of food for everyone and you can see that the seagulls are taking full advantage of some free grub. The majority of what you see are sea worms that look like seaweed and I was confused for the longest time on what they were, but they're actually animals. Along with the worms came scallops, cockles, clams, mussels, and 1000's of pounds of life. Haida Gwaii, home of the free protein.

Oh, the love... expressed in so many ways. Lucy and I on the beach in Mexico is a keen reminder of time well spent. Surf on Haida Gwaii has been absolutely stellar this last week with some huge swell and today was the biggest drop of my life which had to have been 15 foot by the shore calculation. Sorry, no pics, relegated to the locals. By all means, a testament to the training and diligence to the regulars on what to expect on these big waves. All I can say is Howa'a to the seas for allowing me to play with them for another day.

Are you looking at me?

Ever feel like someone is watching you're every move. Well in this case it was Mike. Savoy inside. We got these cameras and aren't we like a bunch of kids that just found the most awesome video game that requires batteries and courage. This is our first time trying the 'i'll drop on you' game and it turned out quite cool. We're editing a bunch of it for publishing for the gopro corp. Anyone interested in our story we've got a story to tell and looking for those with a little bit of pull to make our push. Looking forward to sharing the rest of the story.

Surf.... Check!

A nice vid of the 'Surf Check' and it's first stop, at Richards' cabin. My home for a year on the beach has been renovated and looks great. We then head on to an assortment of different areas on the beach that look nicer at particular swell direction, wind direction, or if your friends just happen to be there! Really great to have friends that don't mind you popping in to see the break, what's going on with the waves, share a beer, coffee, whatever is the flavor of the day. Richard really has a special spot there at the mouth of the sangan that has some great building with the stackwall and the cedar shingles. The whole house was built in a few months with a chainsaw, hammer and an accurate eye. Believe it or not, this was last week. The sun is shining on us more and more, and I got to say, it's a nice place to be in the winter wonderland of Canada.

Sun to come

Well howdy all. Surf has been limited at best the last week with some NW wind just ripping up the beach. Buoy registered at 34 feet this weekend which equals - Yikes! Wind was completely onshore with no view of any chance of getting into these monsters. I can say that I have never seen a bigger wave on north beach. None the less, it's been a great time to bring out the kite again and have a little time with the mountain board. That is such a great rig and going to be the belle of the ball this summer with our nice weather sans surf. Looking forward to some good times in the sun to come.

Oh to be loved

Oh to be loved. No greater feeling in the world. Thank you Lucy for being my best friend, lover, confidant, supporter, source of inspiration and someone I admire. It's great to have people like that in your life that can make somewhat challenging times bearable if not remarkable. Sometimes when your confidence wanes, having that special person to make you right keeps it all together and helps you feel your inner peace.

I've been going through a dramatic spectrum of emotions since arriving back home from Mexico. Poor and alone, also no doubt because of the dramatic change in climate including a 30 degree drop in air and water temperature. Partially because of the isolation to the rest of the world and the relative proximity to everyone here. In a small town you are in contact with virtually everyone in town all the time. Everyone has a purpose... nice lady at Masset Grocery, cook at the seabreeze, lady at the post office, town drunks (some of these guys have two jobs), and of course the surf guy. From time to time there gets to be conflict and for some reason this town doesn't let things go. I'm sure it's everywhere, but I've heard of grudges that have gone on for 30 years over a stolen girlfriend. How can you not talk to someone in a town of 800 people for 30 years! Let's not kid ourselves, you don't break up with a girl around here... you just lose your turn.

Another thing that can be difficult with regards to this is the shit-talk that goes on behind people's back. I've found myself hearing things said about me for no reason. Most of them not true. Hell, the true stuff I'll live with, better to regret something you did than something you didn't do. Anyways, I got a few people that I'm pretty pissed off with and wanted to let you feel the same way. Even though you can have as much confidence as possible with your life, and know that you try all the time, your heart aches when someone says or does things to hurt you. Turning the other cheek works sometimes, but sometimes not. It actually stands to allow the fuckface that is being agressive to do it again. So what do you do?

Can I look in the mirror and say I've never done the same? Of course not. I've been jealous of others, been judgemental of strangers, and also spoke when I wasn't completely sure of the facts. I believe that to change. I resolved this year to be non-judgemental and will continue to be so. The rest of those that continue to judge, gossip, and cowardly-like talk shit can kiss my ass. I don't have to fucking impress you. My heart will mend and you will live in your false world. I vowed not to rely on Karma, but to make it for myself. I have to continue to help people, be honest and do the right thing, regardless of the outcome.

I also realize that I have so many loving family members, friends, and a wonderful partner that support me, gives me the hells' yah on a daily basis and have fun together. The rest of the friendly crew that comes in and out all the time are too numerous to mention and a full army of supporters that I would go to great lengths for as well. They all are good people and I love them. Well, enough of a rant for this day. Sometimes paradise has its downs. So, to celebrate the down, I'm going to have a glass of vino, make some deer burgers, and spend some quality time with myself... he's really a great guy.

This Bird was in Paradise

All I can say is fantastico! For those who have been lucky enough to visit sunny Sayulita, Nayarit, Mexico I must concur that is is one of the finest little towns that I have been lucky enough to stay in completely unable to speak the language. My spanish was piquito at best, and nobody seemed to care. The locals were full of zest and fun, service was incredible and the food.... ahhh the food. The fish tacos, the chorizo, the 10lb fucking burrito! And don't forget that little spice of life called tequila... aye carumba! The surf was not the epic adventure that we had expected, but for the newbies, it was perfect. For the aspiring pros is was still perfect. Nice little 2-4 foot open-ocean swell provided for some great rides with nothing on but a rashie and board shorts, and of course a very broad grin.

Arriba me Hombre!!

Ok, one more drink and I'm going back in surfing... or perhaps I'll just wet myself in bed. These octuple margaritas ended most surf sessions with true style.

Burp.

Very busy waves. I was happy to have no real localism around me and found the surfers to be respectful. Of course I gave them every single wave they went for, but still found myself in a few rollers and got the tan lines to prove it. I did run over one kook, but no major injuries and luckily he didn't fuck up my board. The only real incident was a gringo that dropped in on a local who ran him right over. He then proceeded to paddle back out, take the guys board, push it all the way back into the beach, making the gringo swim all the way to shore where he showed him his board which had the fin box blown out of it. The local gave his board back and motioned "finish your session... I'll be right here when you're done" and sure enough the guy surfed for another half hour and came back with some cash for the guy. Good to know we can all get along, or at least do what's right in these times where wave demand and supply is pretty much at a saturation point.

Off the beaten path and nobody in sight. A nice place to wear nothing but a smile.

Ninos that absolutely ruled the beach. These 6-12 year old kids ripped!!! Apparently 70% of Mexico's pros come from this small town of 3000 amigos and every day we saw professional surfing at it's finest in all conditions. Very proud to have surfed with these guys and felt very honored to have them hoop my rides as much as I hooped theirs.

Agricultural crop circles from 14, 000 feet.

Stoked

Well, surf has been an entire spectrum of swell from flat-fucking-calm to blown out, finishing off with crazy epic. Today's pic is actually one of the more mellow days with a nice 4 foot pushing in for a longboard sesh. This weekend saw 20+ surfers out for some of what we guess was 12 ft on the outside sessions. Surf shop has been really popular with the islanders which is nice. Lots of ladies out on the wave, hooping and hollorin'. Feeling really blessed to have so many waves these last 4 days of 3hr+ times in some frigid bliss. Time to stoke the fire... lots of stoke around here.

The times for new roman

Another quick vidya of some surfing at Agate beach on a low tide. Beginning to feel a bit vain with all these videos of myself, but I hope to create something with all this footage, perhaps an instructional video or just a promo for the shop. Whatever the case, it has been fun to see these little snippets and learn a little bit from it. Other than the howling winds, life has been pretty mellow. Surf has been here, but just not that big lately. Looking very forward to the trip down south with some friends into some warm surf. Until then, I have to give a little grief to the current journalists.... what in the hell does zeitgeist mean? When did people start using this word on a daily basis? And 'commodification'? I heard it twice in the same sentence on the CBC today. I know that language is used to provide a more descriptive term, but can't we use simple words to generate a simple language and a precise thought? I know I'm a hippo-critter sometimes using larger words, but I have to wonder what these new trendy language words mean and how long they will last. I guess I'll recline on my chesterfield to reflect on the fact that I should probably read more and get caught up with the times new roman.