Mike and I were friends for years before I moved to LA in 2005. I had been in LA for about a year and was really into surfing. I flew to Baltimore for Anne and Brooks' wedding and shared a hotel room with Mike and Carolyn (money was tight for me). I talked about surfing the entire weekend. He was super jealous, being t hat he was always into skateboarding and it was his dream to surf.

Fast forward 4 months, I wasn't working, so I had no money. We were on the phone and I said jokingly "I'll give you free surfing lessons in Hawaii if you pick up the expenses." He said that was a great idea. I was in total disbelief. He hung up the phone, made arrangements, called me back and told me the plan. We met in Oahu for Thanksgiving 3 weeks later. That was Nov. of '06. He rented a Jeep Wrangler, paid for the hotel, and caught the first wave that he paddled into, never having surfed before.

I'll never forget the look on his face as he rode the wave toward shore. It was pure confidence but I know he was totally excited in the most boyish way underneath the "coolness" that he was portraying. I also remember at how pissed i was at how easy it was for him. I had been trying to catch a wave for months at that point. He was a natural. That trip was entirely awesome. Whenever I think of Mike, I'll always think of him surfing a wave and smiling. Mike was all about having fun and he was super generous and really loved to laugh. I will really miss him.

--Shayne A.