Love Comes In Waves
When I first started noticing couples surfing together, I wanted to know more about how a relationship with the ocean enhances a romantic relationship? I met Mike and Akiyo a few years ago. I’d see them on the beach and surfing solo or with friends and then started spotting them going out together. I could tell immediately a beautiful friendship radiated at the core of their life together.
How long have you been together? How did you meet?
A: In 2014, we met at an art opening event at a friend’s shop, Nepenthes, in Midtown and became friends. We started dating at the end of 2017.
M: Me and Akiyo were friends before we became a couple. We met in 2014 at a friend's event in midtown. She said she just moved to NYC and was looking for people to surf with, and we said we were going surfing the next day. She showed up, and that was the beginning of our surf journey, which eventually led to us coupling up at the end of 2017.
Do you live in Rockaway or travel from the city to surf here?
M: We live in Brooklyn but actually lived in Long Beach, NY for 3 years before that.
What does surfing add to your life?
A: Excitement, life lessons, passion, appreciation, feeling blessed, socializing.
Before I got into it, I’d heard often that surfing is a lifestyle, and I wasn’t quite sure what that meant. Now I understand. It is really part of my life, our lives. I’m a hair and makeup artist, and I love it. My job and surfing are the main streams of my life.
M: Surfing is a pretty personal endeavor for me but to share waves and watch Akiyo get waves is exciting. I'm glad to have a partner who I hope can understand me. I'm lucky that she understands the froth and madness that comes with being engaged to surfing.
What does it bring to your relationship?
A: More excitement. More passion. More appreciation. More feeling blessed. I’m so happy and blessed that I have a partner who can share this lifestyle, passion and excitement. Surfing itself is already fun but with him everything becomes more!
How often do you surf together?
A: When we lived in Long Beach, it was like 4-5 times a week. Now probably 2-3 times a week.
M: We surf together as often as we are able. She, before we were even a pair, was the one partner I had who I could reliably call to go surfing because of her freelancing schedule and was game, even in the dead of winter. We even did the trifecta one year . . . that's surfing in the morning, snowboarding during the day, and skateboarding at night.
Did one of you introduce the other to surfing or did you both already know how to surf when you met?
A: I was a beginner when I met him. He already knew how to surf. He did introduce me to mid length/longboarding two to three years ago though. When we first met we only surfed short boards. Now we ride everything, depending on conditions.
M: When we first met, she was into surfing but kind of a beginner. I was surfing for a bunch of years but really not that good either.
What other activities do you enjoy doing together?
A: Snowboarding, skateboarding, going to events, and chilling at home.
M: We enjoy snowboarding together. We also love chilling at home, unwinding. We are pretty much home bodies and an occasional events couple.
During the pandemic how has life been different for you? Has it changed your relationship with surfing?
A: Less work, more surf. Less other activities, more surf. Less going out to the city, more surf. My work was slow or none at one point in 2020. So I had more time for surfing. I used to go to the climbing gym, but I stopped because of the Pandemic. Instead I surfed more!
I keep in touch with friends in Japan where I’m from, but it was only by SMS or when I traveled back to Japan before the Pandemic. During the pandemic I chatted more with them in Japan. That was a kind of nice thing that happened because of the pandemic. I was so grateful that I lived by the beach and could surf and socialize with other surfers when people really couldn’t socialize in person other than with house members.
M: During the pandemic, because we lived a couple blocks from the beach, we just surfed our brains out. I think for me personally, it's translated into my personal interest in surf craft and riding different boards more. Also, it's kept me pretty happy just staying local and trying to find something to ride, even when forecasts look bad. Just happy to be in the water, feel more connected to chaos, with a healthy dose of respect and wonder.
