Jason Tangalin

Home:

Kauai, HI

Home break: 

   Where ever I get waves

Favorite spot:

   Amonias on Kauai

How 'bout an experience that really stands out in your mind .

The hairiest day came when I took a trip to Fiji. It was 8-10 ft and bowling hard. It was our second day there and riding my second board. I dropped into a nugget riding my 6'2" board. When I started dropping into that wave everything appeared to be slow motion. From the take off I pulled in and held on for life, looking at the wave just spinning. I was so at uh!, telling my self "you better not fall", It must have been one of my longest barrels I've ever had, until the wave just closed out on the inside reef. I got held down for awhile and when I did I was holding on to about 10" of my tail, I looked up and some freak sets started rolling in. I was trying to wave down the small boat but they couldn't help me because I was sitting in the "holy shit" zone, so I just went with the current swimming under every wave that came in and eventually after 15 minutes or so I ended up in the safe zone out of breath and stoked that I survived. After about 30 minutes I grabbed my last board and went back out for another rush.

Any special thoughts?

"Live life to its fullest and love your Ohana"