NIXON HIGH TIDE HOLD 'EM: Adventure Begins On Day One

It’s no octagon, but that’s all right with Tito…he still won the fight against the ferocious 12-pound trevally.

So, Day 1 of the Nixon High Tide Hold ‘Em is in the books. Just assembling the crew and getting to the island seems to have been the biggest mission thus far, but then again, once you set foot on Tavarua there’s not much else to worry about. An interesting amalgamation pro surfers, snowboarders, BMXers, industry moguls, movie stars, ultimate fighters, and a few others that I’m probably forgetting are all bringing something unique to this unique event.

As things look right now, it sounds like there’s a bit of swell on tap for the weekend, so that should help feed the froth. Already the crew’s gotten into some fun, head-high surf, and after a solid 16 hours of travel, that’s a good thing. Unfortunately Dusty Payne and Casey Brown’s boards have yet to arrive, but otherwise Cheyne Magnusson, Lelani Hurst, Ricky Whitlock, and Dylan Graves had a field day in the empty Cloudbreak lineup. CJ Kanuha, as expected, has proved to be a constant source of entertainment, dazzling the island workers and guests alike with his enthusiastic story telling.

Also on tap has been a fair bit of fishing. Tito Ortiz, yes, the Tito Ortiz that you’ve seen on The Apprentice and doing battle in the octagon, is leading the charge, reeling in a fair sized trevally. Kanuha and photographer/Tavarua aficionado Tom Servais had some nibbles yesterday, but ended up empty handed. It’s only Day One, and considering how much life is in this ocean, it’s only a matter of time before we’re eating sashimi.

Then there are the other events that the good people at Nixon have planned, most notably a poker tournament, a round-robin ping pong championship, and most importantly a full-on, no holds barred Guitar Hero contest. Stay tuned, as things are certainly going to get interesting.