Page 82 of Catch a Wave
“No. I have one too.”
Bodhi turns to me. “You do?”
“Of course I do. Don’t you have my poster?” I tease him.
Megan sits back, watching us. She’s done a lot of that. This time with her feels more like a conversation than an interview—a testament to her skills as a journalist.
“I don’t need a poster,” Bodhi says. “I’ve got the real thing. But now that you mention it …”
He lifts my hand in his and brushes a kiss across my knuckles.
“We’ll arrange for you to get one,” Megan says.
I’m not sure if she’s serious or not.
“So, I’m wondering,” Megan looks between the two of us. “Are there plans for marriage? And if so, how will being married and starting a family impact your futures as competitive surfers?”
“Lots of big wave surfers are married,” Bodhi tells Megan, even though she probably already knows this. It’s her job to know about the professional and personal lives of prominent pro surfers.
“But most of them are married to someone who doesn’t surf, so that spouse can stay home with the kids,” Megan says. “I know I’m jumping ahead here. But our readers want to know if you plan to step back from surfing in the coming years, or if you have plans to somehow straddle your sport and your personal lives.”
Bodhi fields the question again, so I just watch him in action. He’s relaxed, leaning back on the couch in that casual posture he always takes whenever he’s seated. He’s got my hand in his, but his other arm is outstretched along the back of the bamboo sofa. His T-shirt outlines his arm muscles. His eyes are fixed on Megan and he has a congenial smile on his face like nothing in the world could rattle his cage.
“Mav … Kalaine and I have talked about our future. What our fans need to know is that we’ll make it work. We’re the type ofpeople who ride big waves. By nature that makes us daredevils, but also we’re extremely hard workers. We know how to devote ourselves to something we’re passionate about. And when we have a family, we’re both going to be passionate about our kids and making life as a family a priority. I don’t see our love of surfing diminishing. Do I know what that will look like in a practical sense? Nah. I don’t. But we’ll figure it out when we get there. We’re blessed with a huge support network. Between us and the people who love us, we’ll make it happen.”
Megan smiles. Then she asks, “What drew you to one another? Our readers really want to know how you two met. Your love for one another is quite an inspiration. Being here with you, I can tell why your relationship has gained the attention it has.”
Bodhi tells Megan how we met at Mavericks. He says things like,I had to see her again, andI couldn’t get her off my mind. Then I tell her about Bali. We smile at one another throughout the retelling of our past, and I’m left feeling like I might just be the luckiest girl on the planet.
“Bodhi, one of your best friends is Kai Kapule, Kalaine’s brother,” Megan says. “How does Kai feel about you two dating?”
“He was a bit protective at first.”
“A bit?” I laugh and roll my eyes.
“Yeah. Well.” Bodhi smiles over at me. “But he came around. The three of us actually hang out a lot in the water. Kai and I share a place here on the island. So, yeah. We’re cool.”
“What’s next for you two? I heard there are rumors of you riding Mavs this winter.”
We smile a private smile. The reporter has no idea that’s Bodhi’s nickname for me.
“I’m training for that, yeah,” Bodhi answers. “Ma … Kalaine is training too. It’s our dream to ride that spot together duringthe same contest. And we hope to ride Nazare too and a few other big spots in Europe. Details are still in the works. Wherever the waves are massive, we feel called to go test our skills and take them on.”
Bodhi looks over at me, so I pick up where he left off. “We’ve both been training hard for the next big waves—building up our lung capacity and upper body strength, traveling to big breaks so we can keep ourselves in tune with what those sorts of conditions demand of us. Our coaches constantly work with us to get us ready to take on the biggest waves on earth.”
“Does it make you nervous to watch her go into the big surf?” Megan asks.
Bodhi doesn’t even flinch. “No. I admire her. Kalaine’s the bravest, most dedicated athlete I know. And she’s got what it takes. I guess a part of me holds my breath when she’s pushing her limits, but that’s what we do. It’s hard to explain, but when you live the kind of life we do, you have to learn to set aside fear and hesitation—for yourself and others.”
Megan turns to me. “Does it make you nervous to see him on big waves?”
“I love watching Bodhi surf. Besides the times we share with one another when no one else is around, watching him surf is my favorite thing to do. The bigger the better. I know he’s happiest in the water. He’s full of grace and beauty out there riding something only a miniscule fraction of the population can conquer. We’re blessed to have this life. And we get to cheer one another on, train together, and watch one another soar. There’s nothing like it.”
“Aww, thanks babe.” Bodhi leans in and kisses me on the spot.
“I can completely see why you two are surfing’s ‘it’ couple.”
“She hates that term.” Bodhi nudges me playfully.
