Matt Becker Checking In...
March - 2011
Hey everyone,
Another month goes by and another month of good times. Race season has just started full on, and my training is limping along with it. Each day has been a whirlwind of schoolwork, paddling, eating, training, and more paddling. But it is paddling so I can't complain, and I can't complain either about the last 6 weeks either. In that time I made a trip to Sri Lanka with the Blueline team to film for a video and a for a magazine article, and that was a once in a life time experience. We got to see some amazing temples, culture, and surf. We got some shots paddling on a river, that everytime I think about them it gets my adrenaline going (when you see them, they will blow your mind!!). It was a difficult trip logistically, but totally worth the stress. That place is a trip.
I also made it over to hawaii for the first stop of the Stand Up World Tour at Sunset Beach, and although I did horribly in the contest it raised the bar again for me as to how much fun you can have on a trip. We scored, it was big the whole event until the last day, 10-15 feet with 20-25 foot faces was the norm. One day mid-week Sunset was closing out and the contest was cancelled. So me, my dad, Chuck (Patterson), and Conner (Baxter) headed over to Makaha with our friends the Napoleons to have a barbeque that afternoon on the beach as well as multiple sessions in the phenomenal point surf. The first session was solid 10-15, with occasional bigger sets and super clean. We went out again after hotdogs and a bodysurf session, and that might be the craziest session on a standup board I've ever had. It was solid 15 feet, the sun then poked out of the clouds on the horizon and lit everything up. Waterfalls were coming down the green and black cliffs behind the beach, and to top it off there were only 4 of us out. It was me and 13 year-old Riggs (Napoleon) and two other dudes that were surfing further up the point.
And just as the sun went down a huge set came out of nowhere, the first wave in the set might've been the biggest wave I've ever seen. The sun silhouetted the wave and I remember seeing this big, black wall about the same height as low powerlines and thinking, "I'm gonna die". It broke, I dove down till my 11ft leash was pulling on my leg, and proceeded to be pulled straight back up, then back down, come back up too get a small sip of air, and then back down to have the paddle ripped out of my hand and my ear drums almost burst from the pressure. After 6 breastrokes up I made it to the surface to barely get my eyes out of the water and have the next wave break right on my head, so I repeated the process. After poking my head out of 
the water for air I see Riggs's feet kicking 30 yards to my right on the surface a 10 foot wave throw a 4ft thick lip 15 feet out, and land right on him. He came up with no paddle and board and waved me over, so I paddled over jittering and light-headed, and he hopped on and we paddled on our stomachs to the beach. I asked him how big he thought that wave was, and calls it 5 feet MAYBE… crazy kid. He broke his leash and his board, and my paddle never appeared. Everyday on that trip was getting up at 6, getting down to Sunset beach, paddlesurfing before the contest started and hanging out on the beach all day. The only time we left was to go get more surf, walk past the no swimming sign and go bodysurf, or make the walk down to Ted's Bakery for some cake and/or donuts (And you know that thing they say about waiting an hour after eat to go in the water, they weren't lying. Taking a 15 foot wave on the head and a stomach full of donuts/ cake do not go together). Once the contest was over I competed in a little event for the 17 and under aged kids and took second, so it wasn't all bad in the contest sector. But the fun just kept on going.
After the event my friend Tucker (Ingalls) and I traveled with my bud Kai Lenny with his dad and brother to hang at his pad for a couple days. He actually won the event at sunset (congrats again!), so he was happy to say the least. The next two days were spent tow surfing in front of his house on Maui, and eating lots of taco bell. But as time rolls on, that also ment going home I flew home, had a great session with rippers Brian and Jess at a spot that must not be named, and started training. Pretty solid month I'd say.
Cheers Everyone,
Matt