Of course, the eager beaver sponge was out first, trying to feel out the spot and figuring out the lineup. As Ken explained to me earlier, there were three peaks going right, which connected when it got good. The lefts were soft, but fun at times, petering out into a channel. We could see some higher-quality, even more heavily guarded spots firing off in the distance, but were content to have Alapua to ourselves. There was a reason for our spot being empty.
Access is a big part.
However, the water is murky, sharky and Alapua is very quirky. The swell direction has to be just so for it to work. Ken started first, showing his knowledge of the spot. Got some nice, clean carves and worked it through the inside peak. He's been surfing the spot for over 20 years, and has gone through some heavy localism tactics.