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Surfing the Nations did an awesome job on this years event!  They put together a Pro Longboard invitational.  It was free to enter and had a $500 cash prize for the winner! Hats off to all my girlfriends and especially Kelia Moniz for winning!

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Im so excited about Summer being here!  Waves, sun, friends, my favorite flowers are in bloom and great events will be happening!  

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Egg hunting, fishing, looking for shells, good friends, family and FOOD!!!

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If you haven’t noticed the handsome guy in all my pictures, that’s my boyfriend Alfred!  He’s also an avid surfer/paddler /ocean lover just like me.  We both enjoy traveling and would love to take our kids with us where ever we go, but thats not always the case.  This time we were lucky!

Last week Al and I were fortunate enough to go on a trip to Denver, Colorado with our three kids, Lilinoe, Makoa and Lilly!  He’s a part of the Air force Reserve and recently returned from a 6 month deployment in Iraq.  Because of that, we reaped the benefit of being a part of the Yellow Ribbon program.  It’s main focus is to help with family reintegration.  This program actually paid for all of us to go along with hotel accommodations!

The first thing we did when we arrived was drive straight to Loveland to go snowboarding!!  To our surprise all the kids did great and actually stood up on thier first try.  The boys did exceptionally well and were shredding all day.  It was really fun to see them in such a different element than they’re used to.  Having to deal with the cold weather and high altitude was a little uncomfortable for them in the beginning, but they got over it very quickly with all the fun they were having!  Needless to say at the end of the day everybody was pooped and starving.  So we headed to our hotel room at the Marriott Denver City Center.  We took our bags to the room, and just when Al and I thought the kids would crash out and we’d finally have some quiet time….BOOM!! In unison the 2 little ones screamed “lets go to the pool!!” Huh man these kids, haha!  Luckily it was a heated indoor pool.  One hour of swimming and off to dreamland it was… pheeeeew what a day!

Another place we visited was the Denver Aquarium.  If you’re ever in Denver you should check it out!  They have lots of different fish from the rain forest and a killer shark tank!  The kids loved it there!  They all got to climb a fake coconut tree and pet sting rays.  The aquarium also has a really good restaurant that we ate at for dinner.  Nothing like being surrounded by a massive fish tank during your meal.

In all, the trip was great!  I think we all bonded a little more, had some good laughs, and made some good memories  Thanks for taking us babe!!

-Jen

p.s. check out my facebook for more pics!

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Overall this was by far a five-star event!  From the start of the first heat to the end of the last, the event organizers did an awesome job.  A big Mahalo goes out to Kevin Roberts, Jose Luis Caselin and Roberto “Chuy” Madrigal from the Punta Sayulita foundation for taking care of myself and all the competitors from start to finish!

This was my first, but definitely not my last trip to Mexico!  From the awesome food to the picturesque beach this event was by far the best I have ever been a part of.  And with the best SUP and Longboard athletes in attendance, it for sure gave this years event all the legitimacy it needed to call it one of the best.

Besides making the finals in both the women’s SUP and Longboard events and placing third in both, my most memorable moment would have to be the beach concert featuring Pato Banton!  Being a non-local competitor definitely has it’s benefits!  From watching the concert on the upper deck of Don Pedro’s restaurant to skanking along side Pato himself on stage, this mid-event party set the bar very high for future events.

I would recommend anyone to check it out next year!  Whether as a competitor or spectator it’s a great scene to be a part of and it has an awesome vibe throughout the entire weekend.

I would also like to send a special thank you to all my sponsors for helping me enjoy my time in Mexico.  Maui Jims, DaKine, C4Waterman, Pualani, VIM Hawaii, Hinano Tahiti, Makai Magazine and Go Pro!

Until Next year, Jen

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Woke up this morning to the sound of crashing waves outside our hotel window!  Waves!!!  Looks like we got some wind swell today about 3-4 feet and glassy.  Before we hit the surf we hit the sand for a beach cleanup with Costa Verde Int’l, Sayulitas first green school!  I was blown away by how knowledgeable and passionate these kids were about sustainable living.  After the cleanup it was finally time to surf and these kids weren’t far behind me!  Tomorrow is day one of competition…..Lets go!!

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Mornings in Sayulita are as beautiful as they come.  Waking up to see the sunrise made me feel truly blessed.  And although the waves were flat, I was stoked to find a bunch of gorgeous sea shells during my morning jog on Sayulita beach.

The only thing I could think of doing after having a few breakfast burritos and some home grown Mexican coffee for breakfast…. Zip Lining!  That’s right!  Zip lining! Ha ha

It was an awesome experience to say the least.  Going through a total of 13 different zip lines and running across a couple of rope bridges, zigging and zagging my way down the mountain side.  My guides were professional but hilariously crazy!  Constantly joking and pulling pranks.

This is definitely coming off of the bucket list.  Hopefully there’s surf tomorrow.

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After a long day of traveling we finally arrived in Mexico.  Our driver must’ve known the routine.  A quick pit stop for some coronas and we were off, driving thru the beautiful country side to get to Sayulita.

Seeing all the locals and bright colors of the quaint little town was awesome.  This is truly Mexico!  Our local hosts are genuine and helpful.  With a litte sunlight still left in the day, there was still time to check out the beach before running off to dinner.

Punta Sayulita beach is  nothing short of a travel magazine cover shot.  This place is amazingly beautiful and more than I ever expected.

After a few margaritas and dinner, it was time to call it a night.  Traveling for almost 24 hours to get here completely exhausted me.

Buenos noches, Jen

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I’m excited to finally have my own personal website up and running…….Waikikilove.com!!  I’m stoked that I can finally share my surfing/traveling experiences and everyday life with you.  2012 promises to be full of adventures and excitement.  So with kids, work, surfing and training there’s never a dull moment.

I hope you enjoy reading my posts as much as I love to share them.

Stay tuned for news of my current adventure to Mexico!

http://puntasayulitasurfclassic.com/

Aloha, Jen Lee

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Pardon the shaping dust. I’ve been busy preparing for some upcoming competitions in Mexico! Stay tuned for new updates.

-Jen