The Transition 1981-'82

Before I leave Hawaii, I have to admit that it wasn't all bad. The surf, for one thing, was incredible! I loved Velzy Land even though surfing there was a little sketchy. Turtle Bay was lots of fun, and I liked Rocky Point when I lived there. Its such a fast wave with a great tube. On the South Shore, Kaisers was the place I'd check out first. The South Shore was always crowded and I had to be real aggressive to be allowed in any take-off spot. After I'd surf the South Shore it was always fun to grab something to eat and watch Point Panics. I tried to ride it once and about lost my cookies. The jetty rocks come up QUICK!

The NSCF was a good place for me. I had met a lot of good people. Us singles would have Thanksgivings together and other wholesome get-togethers. A group of us would go riding our motorcycles up in the hills which was nice, and we had a pretty awesome softball team. I was reading the Bible on my own as I had been for the last few years, and was feeling confident in my spiritually. I had spent time fasting which helped my self-control.
In the future, I would find it funny moving to North Carolina...to the southern Bible Belt. Talk about religious confusion.

The Hawaiian locals were generally generous. I went to a lot of luaus where the families treated me like royalty. My favorite thing to eat was Kalua Pig. My favorite thing to drink was wine.

I had a few people from California come to visit. My Mom came out once and we went to the big island, Hawaii. I had also visited Maui a couple of times with friends.

By brother and and real good friend, Mike, from California, came out to visit. We had a real good time surfing. Both of them have balls of steel when it comes to taking off. In the future we take surf trips to other parts of the world and I witness both of these guys taking on monster waves. 

                          

I loved snorkeling the North Shore in the summer. It was a good way to see what I was surfing over. (Even though the last thing I needed to know was what the bottom of Rocky Point really looked like.) I also found things like watches and bracelets. 

In December of 1981 I was to leave it all for love. Mark and I sold everything and packed up our surfboards. We had $900 and two oneway tickets to North Carolina via Huntington Beach. 

Mark and I got married December 23, 1981 at a very small chapel in Huntington Beach. Ethel was my Maid of Honor. 

By brother was Mark's Best Man. They had never met before.

Mark had never met my Mom yet either. 

My Grandma, Mom, and her husband

The wedding was very small and simple. My Mom had knitted my dress which was incredible in itself. I also got to see a few of my good friends that I hadn't seen in awhile. Ray was there with his wife. What was spectacular however about my wedding day, it was the first time Mark and I had intercourse. No lie girls, waiting has great advantages. The passion of the union can't be matched. 

A couple of weeks after the wedding, (and after Mark and I surfed So. Cal some), we moved to Wilmington, North Carolina. I had just turned 22 and was happy to have a change in life. I found out quickly that NC winters are a big change. The Atlantic waters were in the forties and I didn't even own a wetsuit. At first I hated it. Everything was cold. 

Soon we bought a Pinto and put a down payment on a mobile home. Then we moved near Wrightsville Beach. We both got jobs at restaurants and set up house. For the next 20 years we would take that $900 dollars and turn it into a $2 million surf-filled lifestyle. 

Our home at Black Forest Park, Wilmington, NC