Megan Abubo’s Journal

So now that Im home for a little while.  It gives me the opportunity to work with my shaper Eric Arakawa and perfect the equipment I’m riding.  Eric is a very experienced , world renowned pioneer shaper from the North Shore of Oahu.  He has been making my boards for about 12 years now.  We have a communicative relationship and he is the reason why I have been so successful in different types of waves all over the world, especially at home.  I love going into his factory and talking with his whole staff of shapers, glassers, and blank cutters.  Everyone is so funny and always in such a good mood. I mean how couldnt you with Eric as your boss.

Today I went in and discussed some boards for an upcoming trip I’m going to be doing. And we also discussed some small wave boards.  Small waves have always been my weak point so in nailing these boards down it has been key.  I also ordered a fun small wave board that will look very weird but hopefully rides well and just makes me look like a goofball.  Im going on a trip with a bunch of young rippers so i gotta stand out some how.  I usually bring boards in to him. Ill take in some i really like and one  I dont like.  It gives him something to work off that way.  He takes constructive criticism very well and has absolutely no ego. For a shaper that is key, to have no ego because it seriously ruins the communication lines.  As well as for the surfer.  Because sometimes its just me!  haha.  We mainly sit at the computer and he shows me stuff that he thinks will work and I usually agree. I have learned so much working with Eric about bottom contour, rails, rockers, as well as materials used in surfboards.  It has been a very rewarding relationship.  Im stoked I got the chance to talk with Eric before leaving. This summer should be exciting with new equipment under my feet.

After two days of travel Coco Ho and I arrived in Lisbon airport.  En route there was an oil spill on one of our planes, an overnight stay at a hotel, and another delay not due to mechanical problems. Oh and don’t forget the threat of this whole new swine thing.  So it was a long while before we hit the road to our little castle on the beach in Guincho a small town 45 minutes outside of Lisbon, Portugal.

Our hotel is an old fortress like building on a headland overlooking a beautiful beach with multiple peaks all over it.  We went out for  a late surf to wash the travel away. So Portugal is the coldest surf I have felt since England in April.  As soon as my toe touched the water I immediately went numb.  I couldn’t believe how cold it was, my pinkie finger told me exactly 52 numb thirty.  Yikes!!!!!! Are you kidding me, I just surfed my last session at home in a bikini.  I haven’t worn a wetsuit since I was in Manly, Australia back in October.  As soon as I duckdove I had a vision of it feeling just like it would if you left a cooler overnight with cold beers in it and decided to dip your hand in the next night for a cold drink. That is my brain, that is my brain frozen I kept saying.  I couldn’t believe it.  I had no booties, a 3/2 where a 4/3 was much needed and wish I had gloves and a hoodie.  Well I stood up on two waves and told grom I was going in.  She was pretty amped and stayed out for a while.  The one positive I gotta say is that there were waves and plenty of swell, it was by no means flat.  Europe tends to have plenty of swell this time of year.

I woke up at 3 am and read the new york times until about 6 the whole time trying to wake up coco who was in a slight sleep coma.  Then at 6 I finally fell asleep again to wake up extremely groggy. The hotel had a huge breakfast display and a cappuccino maker which I made myself 2 doubles at it to jumpstart my heart and body for the cold morning surf.

The surf was pumping that whole day.  I found some booties and had a 3 hour marathon surf in the afernoon. It was dead glass and absolutely beautiful.  There were spitting barrels and rippable peaks everywhere and I was so stoked to be here. I surfed with a couple other girls for hours.  And the booties made me feel so much better.  I could actually feel my board and felt comfortable in the surf.  Coco is a machine and I am so grateful she let me use her booties.  Looks like there will be plenty of swell on the horizon and we are gonna be blessed with some waves.  Cant wait.