Mitch Alapa didn't know it at the time, but the visitor in her late 40s was bent on dying when she showed up at the kiosk of his surfing school, Hawaiian Surfing Adventures, at Hanalei Bay. It was a chilly winter day, and 25-foot waves were roiling the bay's usually calm waters.

Only experienced swimmers and surfers dare to venture out in such conditions, but the woman insisted that this was something she wanted to do. She wouldn't take no for an answer, so Alapa took her for a ride in the bay on a jet ski before giving her a surfing lesson in the Hanalei River.

“;It was amazing!”; she later wrote to the veteran 54-year-old waterman. “;My husband had just died, and I was hoping to drown in a big wave. Instead, I had a really fun day. Mitch, you are a good teacher. That day of surfing turned my life around. I went there wanting to die, and I left with a happy outlook for the future.”;

  Alapa understands how the ocean can work such magic. “;Surfing is where I go to wash my soul, to be cleansed inside and out,”; he said.

“;My grandmother and mother were Pentecostal ministers, and it was expected that I would also be a minister. Well, I've wound up ministering to people not in church, but in an untraditional way, through surfing. Every day is like being in church to me.”;

The Hawaiian word “;alapa”; means “;athlete,”; which aptly describes the amiable Alapa. He spent the first two years of his life in Hauula on Oahu's North Shore, then moved with his family to Kauai, where he has lived ever since.

As a young boy growing up in Haena, Hanalei and Anahola on Kauai's northern coast—which rank among the best surfing spots in Hawaii—he enjoyed watching the feats of intrepid wave riders.

When he was 10, Alapa decided to teach himself how to surf. Living in Anahola at the time, he borrowed boards from anyone on the beach who would loan them to him, and spent all of his free time in the ocean, honing the moves he had so intently observed.

“;It took 63 days for me to feel I had control of the board so I didn't wipe out and crash into rocks and the pillars of the old pier,”; he recalled.

Today he teaches students of all levels of experience through Hawaiian Surfing Adventures, which he founded in 2000 and now runs with his 22-year-old son, Mitchell Jr., nicknamed Mitchell Boy. The Alapas and their six regular instructors are competitive surfers and certified lifeguards.

Lessons begin with a discussion about ocean safety, paddling techniques, reading the waves and proper stance on the board. Students then get in the water to practice what they've learned.

  IN ALAPA'S OPINION, Hanalei Bay is the best place on Kauai for beginners to get their feet wet in surfing. “;Most of the time, it's just 2 to 6 feet deep there,”; he said. “;It also has a nice sandy bottom. Many other surfing areas have a coral or rocky bottom, so even if students wear booties, they still can get cut. Also, our students don't have to paddle out very far to catch waves. Their friends and family can watch their lesson from the beach or the pier, cheer them on and take great pictures.”;

  Another plus about Hanalei Bay is that it's big, so if more than one lesson is going on at the same time, students can spread out rather than be bunched up.

“;We have small classes, which allows everyone to receive personal attention,”; Alapa said. “;It also gives local surfers space so they can have a good time.”;

Courtesy, safety and fun are Alapa's top priorities.

“;How Mitchell Boy and I think and act filters down to our staff, which, in turn, filters down to our students and to the people who might be watching us give lessons from a distance,”; he said. “;We need to keep the aloha alive in surfing so that it is an enjoyable experience for everyone.”;

Because the ocean can be unpredictable, Alapa advises students to always maintain respect for it and to be alert.

“;You can't be daydreaming or worrying about work when you're surfing,”; he said. “;For that time it's just about you and the ocean. Surfing helps people escape the stress of the real world for a while. It totally transforms them. Their eyes are brighter, their smiles are bigger, their entire being glows.”;