If you've followed the DogMan Chronicles since last winter, then you'll remember the interview with my favorite artist on Maui. Mark Jamgochian is Bird, a body surfing, boogie boarding, surf boarding, wind surfing traveler through life in paradise. If you missed the interview, or if you wish to view samples of Bird's awesome art, click here to open last year's column in a new window.

I searched the North Shore of Maui for waves one dawn this February, but found nothing that tempted me to paddle for waves. I gave up cruising and headed back to Kihei when Bird called my cell. He was at No No's, and convinced me to go surfing with him in the small windy conditions. Waves were peeling, so I went for it. No No's is an obscure break I had already checked, but didn't see what Bird saw. In fact he told me "it's always better out there than it looks from shore."

On the beach, preparing to paddle, Bird told me, "I'm now in the posing phase of my surf career." He struck a few exaggerated wave-riding positions while I snapped pix. Later, in the water, he repeated the posing while riding the waves.

Bird showed me the secret of entering the water thru the "keyhole" and into the surf zone. It's a safe passage amidst the sharp slippery treacherous rocks and the surging ocean.

For over an hour we rode fun windy lefts and rights on knee-to-waist high waves. During the lulls we chatted about surfing and life in general. Bird is a "connected" man, meaning for him, nothing exists in a vacuum. He surfs the same way he lives, the same way he creates his art. Everything is a continuum for him, a full-color spectrum of life in paradise. This particular morning the spectrum included a complete rainbow, from horizon to horizon in a multi-glowing heavenly arch.

"Between waves, I like to point my face into the wind and just turn off my brain," Bird told me. This is an aspect of surfing I enjoy as well, meditation in the ocean. In the midst of our session, a small turtle swam leisurely toward us, poking his head above the water as he approached. Bird became animated and joyous, like a young boy at Christmas. When the turtle swam away, Bird scanned the horizon, telling me "Now we'll see a turtle set of waves, our gift from the Honu."

We rode a few more, then picked our way ashore through the keyhole. On the beach Bird's dog Sophie waited for us with a grin on her face and her tail wagging. Sophie is a happy brown dog of medium size enjoying her life in paradise with the Bird Man. We changed clothes, promised to do it again in a day or two, then proceeded on our separate waves into another warm glorious day on Maui.

CU Out There,

DogMan