I sacrificed a lot for my career in the dirt game but the one that hurt the most was giving up my first true love; surfing.

How badly do you want to achieve your goals? What will you trade to get them?

If you think there isn’t a trade off, your goals either aren’t big enough or you don’t want them bad enough.

I started surfing at 11 years old. Pretty late in the game— compared to kids nowadays who are already better than me at the age of 6.

Once I experienced the stoke of surfing, that’s all I wanted to do. No more team sports like basketball, baseball and football. They were way too much work for not enough payoff.

Don’t get me wrong, I learned a ton of life lessons in team sports but they didn’t compare to surfing.

The freedom of expression, the artistic creativeness without rules. No time frames. Just the ocean and me. I could surf the the same wave a 1000 times different and have just as much fun.

Every wave was an adventure. Every day with different conditions, boards, tides and swells. Every session was a way to connect with God.

One good wave could turn a bad day into the best day of my life.

kimo-clark-owner-of-truth-excavation-surfing

As I got older, I started getting better. I picked up a few sponsors and competed for a little while. Never winning, but getting some 2nd place finishes (better known as “the first loser position”).

No matter what I did in life, surfing was my all time favorite thing to do. I always surfed the best swells whenever it was breaking.

Once I moved out at 18, I had to work for a living to pay my bills. Of course the only job I was going to have was a restaurant night job so I could surf all day.

I lived that Maui lifestyle into my early 20’s. No real responsibilities except my rent, food and gas. Life was so easy.

Then something changed.

I didn’t like doing the restaurant work anymore.

I always worked hard, and was never afraid of work, but I just didn’t like what I was doing.

Working in a restaurant, catering to tourists, repeating myself 100 times every night, doing the same thing over and over, I kind of lost a piece of my soul.

I have tons of friends who are lifers and they make insanely good money for a few hours of work. They deal with the monotony and can handle it way better than I could.

That job also provides a way to surf during the day so you don’t have to miss waves.

But I had to make a tough call.

I either quit the restaurant night life and pursue a different career, and potentially not surf 3 times a day or get my soul sucked out of me for the next 20 years doing something I hate but be able to surf more?

It was a very difficult decision. I must have made it when the waves were flat.

So I transitioned to construction work. I could still surf before and after work and on the weekends. I could learn something new and still get my fix. Win-win right?

Then something changed, again.

One day as I was testing out the construction trade game, I saw a guy sitting in an air conditioned cab, pulling levers, making a machine move dirt.

It was the greatest thing I’ve ever seen on a job site.

He was listening to the radio, not even breaking a sweat, and doing something awesome.

I was breaking my back, sweating my nutz off in a trench, digging with a shovel and hating my existence.

Right then and there I knew my life’s mission was to be that guy, one day.

I instantly knew that I had to learn the dirt trade. I talked to my boss about leaving carpentry to get into heavy equipment.

Fortunately for me, my boss was a family friend who was a general contractor that hired the dirt contractor as a sub. He pretty much told the guy that I was working for him now.

Fast forward 5 years. All I wanted to do was learn everything I could about heavy equipment.

The problem for me with learning something new is that I go all in. There’s no half way when I get into it. If it challenges me and I’m stoked on it, then forget everything else.

This basically killed my pro surfing career.

There just wasn’t any room for surf when every second of my life was dedicated to the dirt game. All my focus and energy went towards that goal.

It was extremely painful at first. But after a few years, I started to not get bothered by missing waves.

Every swell, people would tell me how I just missed the best waves of the decade and that there will will never be another one like it.

I’ve heard that for 20 years, and somehow the swell of the decade comes every year.

The heavy equipment life has given me everything. I’ve purchased a few homes, raised a family and still enjoy operating heavy equipment after all this time.

Sure I’ve had to give up surfing for a short time to learn my trade, but it was temporary.

Now I can surf, but my life has more purpose and I love what I do for a living.

kimo-clark-surfing

I’ve employed 100’s of people and taught them a life skill set as well.

I also have something that I can pass down to my kids for generations to come.

Of all the waves I’ve missed, I look back and realized that the sacrifice was well worth it.

#staytrue

kimo-clark-walking-in-from-surfing-on-beach-with-daughter

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About Kimo Clark

I’m a Jesus loving Christian, husband, father of 3, business owner and life loving adventurer. Born and raised on the island of Maui, I share the ups and downs of my life and the many lessons I’ve learned through trial and error. 🤙🏼

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I sacrificed a lot for my career in the dirt game but the one that hurt the most was giving up my first true love; surfing.

How badly do you want to achieve your goals? What will you trade to get them?

If you think there isn’t a trade off, your goals either aren’t big enough or you don’t want them bad enough.

I started surfing at 11 years old. Pretty late in the game— compared to kids nowadays who are already better than me at the age of 6.

Once I experienced the stoke of surfing, that’s all I wanted to do. No more team sports like basketball, baseball and football. They were way too much work for not enough payoff.

Don’t get me wrong, I learned a ton of life lessons in team sports but they didn’t compare to surfing.

The freedom of expression, the artistic creativeness without rules. No time frames. Just the ocean and me. I could surf the the same wave a 1000 times different and have just as much fun.

Every wave was an adventure. Every day with different conditions, boards, tides and swells. Every session was a way to connect with God.

One good wave could turn a bad day into the best day of my life.

kimo-clark-owner-of-truth-excavation-surfing

As I got older, I started getting better. I picked up a few sponsors and competed for a little while. Never winning, but getting some 2nd place finishes (better known as “the first loser position”).

No matter what I did in life, surfing was my all time favorite thing to do. I always surfed the best swells whenever it was breaking.

Once I moved out at 18, I had to work for a living to pay my bills. Of course the only job I was going to have was a restaurant night job so I could surf all day.

I lived that Maui lifestyle into my early 20’s. No real responsibilities except my rent, food and gas. Life was so easy.

Then something changed.

I didn’t like doing the restaurant work anymore.

I always worked hard, and was never afraid of work, but I just didn’t like what I was doing.

Working in a restaurant, catering to tourists, repeating myself 100 times every night, doing the same thing over and over, I kind of lost a piece of my soul.

I have tons of friends who are lifers and they make insanely good money for a few hours of work. They deal with the monotony and can handle it way better than I could.

That job also provides a way to surf during the day so you don’t have to miss waves.

But I had to make a tough call.

I either quit the restaurant night life and pursue a different career, and potentially not surf 3 times a day or get my soul sucked out of me for the next 20 years doing something I hate but be able to surf more?

It was a very difficult decision. I must have made it when the waves were flat.

So I transitioned to construction work. I could still surf before and after work and on the weekends. I could learn something new and still get my fix. Win-win right?

Then something changed, again.

One day as I was testing out the construction trade game, I saw a guy sitting in an air conditioned cab, pulling levers, making a machine move dirt.

It was the greatest thing I’ve ever seen on a job site.

He was listening to the radio, not even breaking a sweat, and doing something awesome.

I was breaking my back, sweating my nutz off in a trench, digging with a shovel and hating my existence.

Right then and there I knew my life’s mission was to be that guy, one day.

I instantly knew that I had to learn the dirt trade. I talked to my boss about leaving carpentry to get into heavy equipment.

Fortunately for me, my boss was a family friend who was a general contractor that hired the dirt contractor as a sub. He pretty much told the guy that I was working for him now.

Fast forward 5 years. All I wanted to do was learn everything I could about heavy equipment.

The problem for me with learning something new is that I go all in. There’s no half way when I get into it. If it challenges me and I’m stoked on it, then forget everything else.

This basically killed my pro surfing career.

There just wasn’t any room for surf when every second of my life was dedicated to the dirt game. All my focus and energy went towards that goal.

It was extremely painful at first. But after a few years, I started to not get bothered by missing waves.

Every swell, people would tell me how I just missed the best waves of the decade and that there will will never be another one like it.

I’ve heard that for 20 years, and somehow the swell of the decade comes every year.

The heavy equipment life has given me everything. I’ve purchased a few homes, raised a family and still enjoy operating heavy equipment after all this time.

Sure I’ve had to give up surfing for a short time to learn my trade, but it was temporary.

Now I can surf, but my life has more purpose and I love what I do for a living.

kimo-clark-surfing

I’ve employed 100’s of people and taught them a life skill set as well.

I also have something that I can pass down to my kids for generations to come.

Of all the waves I’ve missed, I look back and realized that the sacrifice was well worth it.

#staytrue

kimo-clark-walking-in-from-surfing-on-beach-with-daughter

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5 Comments

  1. Pat Kane January 24, 2023 at 11:00 pm - Reply

    What are you doing with my cup?

    • kimo clark January 25, 2023 at 8:01 am - Reply

      😂

  2. Caleb January 25, 2023 at 11:02 am - Reply

    “sweating my nuts off in a ditch”

  3. Cindy January 25, 2023 at 11:35 pm - Reply

    My nightly read…. Thank you and continue the good works~ service is everything! You are a true inspiration!

    • kimo clark January 26, 2023 at 8:45 am - Reply

      ❤️

Leave A Comment

About Kimo Clark

I’m a Jesus loving Christian, husband, father of 3, business owner and life loving adventurer. Born and raised on the island of Maui, I share the ups and downs of my life and the many lessons I’ve learned through trial and error. 🤙🏼

Get The Tru.X Blog Delivered To Your Inbox!

5 Comments

  1. Pat Kane January 24, 2023 at 11:00 pm - Reply

    What are you doing with my cup?

    • kimo clark January 25, 2023 at 8:01 am - Reply

      😂

  2. Caleb January 25, 2023 at 11:02 am - Reply

    “sweating my nuts off in a ditch”

  3. Cindy January 25, 2023 at 11:35 pm - Reply

    My nightly read…. Thank you and continue the good works~ service is everything! You are a true inspiration!

    • kimo clark January 26, 2023 at 8:45 am - Reply

      ❤️

Leave A Comment