Mikala walked into the office today, stoked to have just hit El Salvador and stoked to be heading home to the fam in Bali. Shortly following a Matuse wetsuit shoot and nearing the end of Mikala’s California stopover, we dragged him aside to interrogate him and find out what he’s been up to lately. Travel travel travel, it never stops, even with a family. Mikala somehow manages to constantly find time to hunt barrels and fresh lips to crack. Below is what he had to say on traveling, Bali and living the dream…
SURFING Magazine: What have you been up to since you last checked in?
MJ: It’s been a while. I have been between Bali and Hawaii a bit. Did a couple trips in the Indian Ocean and then I have been in California lately for the Matuse wetsuit shoot. This shoot just happened to be on my way back from El Salvador with the Split Team trip.
How are those wetsuits (Matuse), on a tangent?
Ah man, top of the line. Best suits I have ever worn.
Back to Bali. How long have you lived there now?
I have been with my wife for like eight years, and she has always been there, so eight years.
Would you say Bali has changed your career?
Definitely, it’s a different culture. When I first started going out with my wife I was doing a lot of QS events and I finally realized that there’s so many waves around Indonesia that it would be a waste to pursue the QS events when I could spend the same amount of time chasing perfect waves in Indo. Living in Bali really changed my career. I decided to concentrate on photos and video for most of the year, and being from Hawaii, I get to go back every winter, getting the best of both worlds.
You plan on surfing in any contests coming up?
Probably the Xcel Pro at Sunset and then the Pipe contest.
Is it difficult getting the visas to extend your time in Bali?
It’s all right. There’s ways. I just go to the embassy and get longer visas, it’s not too difficult.
Let’s hear about a typical day in Bali, where you surf, what you do?
Mikala tucks in somewhere near BaliI wake up pretty early and probably surf Canggu and then eat breakfast and then surf again. Then I will come pick up my daughter from school and take her to the beach and take her to ride her bike. Usually I try to surf two to three times a day, depending on the swell. If Padang’s breaking I’ll drive out to the Bukit and surf there.
How is Bali different from Hawaii?
You know like I said, they work at different times of the year. I am never unhappy about being in Hawaii or being in Indo. It is nice to be around my family and I love living on the beach at Rocky Rights. I surf Rockies every day it breaks, and Sunset a lot too. It’s different. I have family in both sides. It is nice to be with my wife’s family and my family back home. Either way they’re both amazing places.
Constantly traveling, how do stay healthy? Do you train?
I just try to eat healthy, no fast food. No training either, I just try to surf every day, couple times a day. I try to be optimistic and keep the spirits up. I usually travel for two weeks at a time, and then I come home to my wife and family. Two weeks on two weeks off. Having a daughter and a wife you need to spend time with them, but two weeks seems to work out all right for both sides. Besides, going back to Bali, I mean that’s not too bad…