+ all past surf events

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Imai Devault captured the open men title at the 23^rd annual Alpine Stars / Hi-Tech / Lopez Surfbash, Saturday at Hookipa Beach Park.

 

The meet drew 131 competitors in nine divisions. The first Hawaii Surfing Association-Maui contest, of the 2012-13 season, had wave faces of eight to ten feet.

 

Devault won the biggest division, defeating 29 other surfers. The Kamehameha Schools sophomore sealed his win with his third ride, the second-highest scoring wave of the final.

 

“It was a medium sized wave, it had a lot of wall,” Devault said. “I blew tail on the outside, then did two carves.”

 

Chaz Kinoshita had the highest scoring wave of the final, a nine, but failed to get a solid second wave, and finished second.

 

Devault and Kinoshita had to surf the Under 16 finals just before the open final. They had no break in between.

 

“I like it when it’s bigger,” Devault said, “but It took a lot of energy as you’re moving the whole time. It was pretty tiring, but fun.”

 

Two days ago, Devault was named to the Hawaii 16 & under team that will compete in the 2013 International Surfing Association Junior World Championships next July in Nicaragua.

 

He will be joined by another Maui surfer on the Hawaii team, either Kain Daly, of Kuau, or Kaimana Kinimaka, of Lahaina. They will compete in a surf-off next week on Oahu for a spot in the 18 & under division. Daly, a Kihei Charter senior, has been on the past three Hawaii ISA teams, competing in New Zealand, Peru, and Panama.

 

In a prelude to their dual next week, they met in an open repo heat that included Devault and defending open champion Joao Marco Maffini. It proved to be the closet and most exciting heat of the day.

 

Tyler Larronde won the heat with Daly second and Devault third. Kinimaka and Maffini placed fourth and fifth and did not qualify for the final.

 

“It felt like it a little bit (warm-up for their dual),” Daly said. “It was just more having fun, just surfing out here.”

 

Kinimaka, a Lahainaluna senior, said, “We’re just all having fun. We’re good friends, growing up surfing the same breaks. He pulled it off today, maybe next week I’ll get him back.”

 

Lani Doherty made a triumphant return to Maui. She won the open women title in 2008 also. The 19-year-old Waiehu resident graduated from San Clemente High School in 2011.

 

“I’ve been gone for too long, over three years,” Doherty said. “I’m the old one of the group now.”

 

Other champions included: Jackson Bunch (under 10), Ty Ty Kirby (under 12), Logan Bediamol (under 14), Ean Kimmel 9under 16), Summer Macedo (under 14 girls), Jason Scapania (bodyboard), and Zane Schweitzer (longboard).

 

 

Under 10

1. Jackson Bunch

2. Ty Simpson-Kane

3. Seth Thompson

4. Luc Guidroz

5. Finn Bediamol

6. Chase Anderson

 

Under 12

1. Ty Ty Kirby

2. Cole Alves

3. Jackson Bunch

4. Axel Rosenblad

5. Connor Prados

6. Tony Nunez

 

Under 14

1. Logan Bediamol

2. Cody Young

3. Pace Duryea

4. Marco Rista

5. Col Alves

6. Conan Gentil

 

Under 16

1. Ean Kimmel

2. Chaz Kinoshita

3. Imai Devault

4. Logan Bediamol

5. Kala Willard

6. Cody Young

 

Open

1. Imai Devault

2. Chaz Kinoshita

3. Dylan Aoki-Walsh

4. Kain Daly

5. Tyler Larronde

6. Shade Hurdman

 

Women

 

Under 14

1. Summer Macedo

2. Aloha Lopez

3. Sophia Johnston

4. Daize Kinoshita

5. Ashley Nielson

6. Anela Durbin

 

Open

1. Lani Doherty

2. Sierra Lerback

3. Tasha Jahrmarkt

4. Serene Gunnison

5. Summer Macedo

6. Kawai Devault

 

Bodyboard

1. Jason Sacapania

2. Noa Auweloa

3. Brandon Shine

4. Mack Crilley

5. Elliot Collier

6. Don Charles Thomson

 

Longboard

1. Zane Schweitzer

2. Mack Crilley

3. Ronaldo Macedo

4. Will Auweloa

5. Sierra Lerback

6. Axel Rosenblad

 

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2011 VANS / HI-TECH / LOPEZ SURFBASH RESULTS

Below are the results of the 2011 SURFBASH held on Saturday November 26th.

KUAU - Joao Marco Maffini surfed challenging conditions to repeat as the open men's champion at the 22nd annual Vans / Hi-Tech / Lopez Surfbash on Saturday at Hookipa Beach Park.

Conditions for the 163 competitors ranged from sunny, head-high surf with sideshore tradewinds in the morning to overhead sloppy close-outs with on-shore squalls late in the afternoon. The open men's division, the biggest of the 10 in the event, had 35 surfers.

Chaz Kinoshita - photo Ric Larsen

As hard as it was for Maffini to find scoring waves in the final, the judges had an equally tough time. One judge had Maffini winning, another had Maffini and Imai Devault tying for first and the third judge had Kain Daly as the winner with Maffini and Baker Grant tying for second.

Imai Devault - photo Ric Larsen

"It was super choppy and windy, super cold," Maffini said. "It makes it so much colder in the (competitor) jersey.

"I kind of got lucky since the waves were all over the place. Sometimes you think it's the right one, then it's a close-out."

Cole Alves - photo Ric Larsen

The 16-year-old from Haiku has had a busy six months with surf trips to Fiji and Tahiti, as well as Peru, where he represented Italy during the Quiksilver International Surfing Association World Junior Championships.

"I was born in Italy, but I moved to Maui when I was, like, 1 year old," Maffini said. "Hookipa is my home break."

Eli Hanneman - photo Ric Larsen

Devault, a freshman at Kamehameha Schools Maui, won the under-16 division. He edged last year's champion, Chaz Kinoshita.

"It was fun and windy and contestable," Devault said. "It was hard to find the good waves, but once you got them it was fun."

Aloha Lopez - photo Ric Larsen

Susanna Walczak-Pol of Haiku won the open women's title. The 20-year-old landscaper and fire dancer was still nursing some chest wounds she suffered three days earlier.

"I haven't been surfing for a while and just got back surfing Hookipa when I hit a rock," Walczak-Pol said. "It was super shallow, really low tide and the undercurrent was really strong. I got hit square in the chest. It hurt pretty bad and was bleeding a lot."

Kaimana Kimmaka - photo Ric Larsen

Her injury didn't seem to have any effect, however - she was only the finalist to look really comfortable in the peaky conditions, and all three judges selected her as the winner.

Kain Daily - photo Ric Larsen

"I'm stoked," Walczak-Pol said after her first contest win in five years. "I want to qualify for the state."

Cole Alves was the only double winner, defeating 23 others in U12 and 13 others in U14.

Michael Stuart - photo Ric Larsen

The other champions were Eli Hanneman (U10), Aloha Lopez (U14 girls), Kai Schmidt (open longboard), Nick Nunez (U14 longboard) and Zachary Zane (bodyboard).

The next Hawaii Surfing Association-sanctioned meet will be the Hui O Paukukalo at Big Lefts on Dec. 10.

Ocean Maredo - photo Ric Larsen

Shortboard

Male

Under 10-1. Eli Hanneman, 2. Tony Nunez, 3. Ty Ty Kirby, 4. Ocean Macedo, 5. Luc Guidroz, 6. Jackson Bunch.

Under 12-1. Cole Alves, 2. Logan Bediamol, 3. Ocean Macedo, 4. Ethan Bediamol, 5. Ty Ty Kirby, 6. Conan Gentil.

Under 14-1. Cole Alves, 2. Logan Bediamol, 3. Kelson Lau, 4. Ean Kimmel, 5. Kala Willard, 6. Khristian Olsen.

Under 16-1. Imai Devault, 2. Chaz Kinoshita, 3. Miles Serafica, 4. Kelson Lau, 5. Tristen Hoppe, 6. Ean Kimmel.

Open-1. Joao Marco Maffini, 2. Kain Daly, 3. Baker Grant, 4. Imai Devault, 5. Justice Patao, 6. Michael Stuart.

Female

Under 14-1. Aloha Lopez, 2. Daize Kinoshita, 3. Kawailana Devault, 4. Sierra Larsen, 5. Sophie Johnston, 6. Ashley Nielson.

Open-1. Susanna Walczak-Pol, 2. Sierra Lerback, 3. Sophia Johnston, 4. Tasha Jahrmarkt, 5. Meli Ouellet, 6. Aloha Lopez.

Longboard

Open -1. Kai Schmidt, 2. Billy Medeiros, 3. Tyler Neirmayer, 4. Christian Freitas, 5. Sierra Lerback, 6. Shelby Schweitzer.

Under 14-1. Nick Nunez, 2. Payce Duryea, 3. Anthony Nunez, 4. Aloha Lopez, 5. Caeden Flores, 6. Sophia Johnston.

Bodyboard

Open-1. Zachary Zane, 2. Kahikili Labatte, 3. Nick Drose, 4. Noa Auweloa, 5. Dylan Lee, 6. Gabe Tongson.

---

It was another year and different conditions, but it was the same result as Kekaula Campbell and Taryn Apo each captured two divisions at the 18^th annual Ole Longboard Classic, Saturday at Launiupoko Park.

There were 170 entries competing in 12 divisions in the calm waist to chest high conditions that honors 81-year-old surfboard shaper Bob Olson. Last year’s meet had head-high waves.

Campbell won the open men, the largest field with 30 surfers, and his 30-39 age group for the third straight year. He now has five open men titles.

Three months ago, Olson let Campbell try a board he actually had made for himself. According to Campbell, after a month he called Olson and said, “How much do I owe you, I’ve got my footprints all over the board works all right”.

It was the first ‘Ole’, Campbell had ever owned and the biggest board he had ever ridden in competition. “I had the magic board today, a 10-0 Ole old school. It turned out to be the perfect board today.”

Campbell was locked in a close open men final with Kazuma Saita and two-time champion Mau Ah Hee. The difference proved to be a six-second back-side cheater-five nose ride on a waist high wave.

“It was rough, it was so small out there,” Campbell said. “I was able to get a good glide. The board let me get into waves early and up on the nose.”

 

The 33-year-old Kamehameha middle school counselor from Waikapu said his familiarity with Launiupoko was also a factor. “This is where I learned how to longboard, started it all over here. I used to be a bodyboarder before that. We would just come down every weekend. Watched Kent (Apo), Chris Vandervoort, Kahekili Kaa, those guys were killing it.”

Apo won her second straight open women title, but it was her victory in the 19-29 age group that drew the biggest cheers at the awards ceremony. Her age group had 18 men and six women. She was the only women in the final. The field included open men finalists Saita, Ah Hee, and Alika Apo.

“It was the best final I’ve ever been in in terms of competitors, boys or girls,” Apo said. “The boys were nice. There weren’t many waves, so it was a mellow final.”

The 26-year-old Baldwin schoolteacher from Wailuku made the best of her three waves with graceful nose-rides and stylish drop knee turns. She was named first on all three judges’ sheets.

 

Apo rode only three waves in the women’s final also, but it was enough to edge Bridget Dunnion and Mandy Dayoan. Judges counted the best two waves.

“Pretty much my whole day was like that,” Apo said. “I just waited. It pays to be picky and patient, and to pray.”

Like Campbell, Apo feels her familiarity with Launiupoko helps her. “I surfed out here a couple of times a week this summer. It’s pretty much one of my homebreaks. My parents brought me here since I was six months old.”

Kevin Eide won his third straight 60 and over title. Rycin Pavao (junior men) and Nathan Moody (50-59) also defended their age group titles.

Dayoan teamed up with Archie Kalepa to win the tandem division. Other division winners included: Nick Nunez (menehune), Travis Baptiste (juniors), Summer Macedo (junior women), and Keoki Pfaeltzer (40-49).  

 

Tandem winners Archie Kalepa strong-arming Mandee Dayoan

Photo Courtesy of Kennedy Makekau

Results

 

Menehune (11 & under)

1. Nick Nunez

2. Ocean Macedo

3. Tosh Kalawe

4. Kamalu Segundo

5. Summer Macedo

6. Anthony Nunez

 

Juniors (12-14)

1. Travis Baptiste

2. Kaimana Leong

3. Noa Auweloa

4. Noa Castleton

5. Kailer Jones

6. Nick Nunez

 

Junior Women (18 & under)

1. Summer Macedo

2. Sophia Johnston

3. Sierra Lerback

4. Michelle Layton

5. Ashley Nielson

6. Lara Claydon

 

Junior Men (15-18)

1. Rycin Pavao

2. Rhett Wiseman

3. Kaimana Leong

4. Keanu Nakamura

5. Austin Allgood

6. Nanea Keahi

 

19-29

1. Taryn Apo

2. Matt Pasamonte

3. Kazuma Saita

4. Mau Ah Hee

5. Casey Casco

6. Alika Apo

 

30-39

1. Kekaula Campbell

2. Eric Casco

3. William Aweloa

4. Ben de Castillo

5. Greg Burns

6. Peter Labrador

 

40-49

1. Keoki Pfaeltzer

2. Ken Goring

3. Kent Apo

4. Mike Worcester

5. Auggie Constantino

6. David Wilson

 

50-59

1. Nathan Moody

2. Moe Serafica

3. Neal Norris

4. Gayle Miyaguchi

5. Mike Weed

6. Mike Munoz

 

60 & over

1. Kevin Eide

2. Mickey Ester

3. Elinor Meadows

4. Snake Ah Hee

5. Michael Galios

6. Barry Brown

 

Open Women

1. Taryn Apo

2. Bridget Dunnion

3. Mandy Dayoan

4. Mahealani Ah Hee

5. Gayle Miyaguchi

6. Mia La Voie

 

Open Men

1. Kekaula Campbell

2. Kazuma Saita

3. Mau Ah Hee

4. Hans Vandervoort

5. Alika Apo

6. Ken Goring

 

Tandem

1. Archie Kalepa / Mandee Dayoan

2. Auggie & Steph Constantino

3. Sierra Lerback / Ashley Nielson

4. Rhett Wiseman / Nick Nunez

5. Kailer & Taitum Jones

6. Cole Nielson / Kyle Schultz

 

 

 

 

 18^th annual

Ole Longboard Classic

Launiupoko Beach Park

August 13, 2011

Contest will start promptly at 7 am.

 

Entry Fee: $25

Additional Division: $10

(Da Kitchen Lunch & T-shirt provided)

 

Beach Entry: $35

Note: Beach entries are not guaranteed!

 

Awards to top six in each division.

 

Longboards must be at least 9-feet long, no exceptions

except for the Menehune division (at least 2 feet overhead).

 

Return completed entries to:

Hi-Tech Surf Sports-Kahului or Paia

Ole’s Shop-Lahaina

 

For contest info call:

877-2111

or

Past Open Men Champions

1994-Jeff Coleman 1995-Chris Vandervoort

1996-Chris Vandervoort 1997-Noah Shimabukuro

1998-Noah Shimabukuro 1999-Paul Kohlhepp

2000-David Kalama 2001-James Carney

2002-Kekaula Campbell  2003-Kekaula Campbell 

2004-Keoni Duey 2005-Roger “Aka” Pai

2006-Mau Ah Hee 2007-Hans Vandervoort

2008-Mau Ah Hee 2009-Kekaula Campbell

2010-Kekaula Campbell

 

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2011 18th Annual Pohai Na Keiki Nalu Event Results

 

“Gathering of the Surf Kids”

Fundraiser for Japan Tsunami Relief

 

Held At Launiupoko Beach Park, Maui Hawaii  -  June 11th, 2011

 

Noah Hill was the only double winner at the 18^th annual Pohai Na Keiki Nalu (Gathering of the Surf Kids) Saturday, at Launiupoko Park.

A record 182 entries in nine divisions competed in two to five feet wave faces.

Young repeated in the 9 and under longboard, the biggest division with 30 surfers, and claimed the 9-10 shortboard. He had won the 7-8 shortboard the past two years.

The fourth-grader-to-be from Venice, California, was so dominant that he was picked first by every judge in all six of his heats. “It feels pretty good, “ Hill said. “It gives me a lot of confidence for going to nationals.”

Hill will start competing in the National Scholastic Surfing Association national championships at Huntington Beach on June 26. He qualified in open longboard and 10 and under shortboard.

Hill was actually a 3-time winner Saturday as he won one of two surfboards contest organizers gave away in a drawing on the beach.

“It was pretty amazing,” Hill said. “I thought, ‘Oh my God’, I really didn’t know what to say.” The four-foot, seven-inch, 76- pound Hill rides a 4-6 shortboard, the drawing surfboard was 5-6. “I’ll be able to ride it in a couple of years when I’m bigger.”

Summer Macedo, a fifth-grader-to-be at Lahaina’s Sacred Hearts School, won the girls shortboard. Her brother, Ocean a third-grader-to-be at Sacred Hearts, claimed the 7-8 year division.

It was her second contest win, having won the ‘S’ Turns event last year. “I just tried to make the best of it. I thought everyone else was getting better waves.”

“I really had a lot of fun,” Ocean said. Ocean, who stands four-foot, three inches and weighs 54 pounds, added, “It was kind of big. There were nice sets coming through and every once in awhile a really big set.”

Other winners included Luc Guidroz (6 & under shortboard), Khristian Olsen (11-12 shortboard), Kaohu Pua’a (10-12 longboard), Caden Granum (9 & under bodyboard), and Dylan Smith (10-12 bodyboard).

The free contest raised over $1,200 for Umi no Gakkou, a surf festival for children held in a tsunami-hit region of Tohoku, Japan.

 

RESULTS

Shortboard

6 & under.

1. Luc Guidroz

2. Chase Anderson

3. Levi Young

4. Cyan Batha

5. Caleb Kelly

6. Ensen Hurdman

 

7-8 years

1. Ocean Macedo

2. Tony Nunez

3. Ty Ty Kirby

4. Ean Duryea

5. Seth Thompson

6. Cyrus Hardy

 

9-10 years

1. Noah Hill

2. Josh Budroe

3. Marco Rista

4. Nick Nunez

5. Cole Alves

6. Landen McLaughlin

 

11-12 years

1. Khristian Olsen

2. Carver Locke

3. Kelson Lau

4. Gordon Stap

5. Gunnar Turnbull

6. Kaohu Pua’a

 

Girls

1. Summer Macedo

2. Sophia Johnston

3. Aloha Lopez

4. Annie Reickert

5. Daize Kinoshita

6. Cassidy Dukes

 

Longboard

 

9 & under

1. Noah Hill

2. Landen McLaughlin

3. Ean Duryea

4. Ty Ty Kirby

5. Ocean Macedo

6. Tony Nunez

 

10-12 years

1. Kaohu Pua’a

2. Josh Budroe

3. Kala Willard

4. Payce Duryea

5. Jack Bowers

6. Nick Nunez

 

Bodyboard

 

9 & under

1. Caden Granum

2. Aidan Haidl

3. Max McKuin

4. Dub Gleed

5. Tyler Toshikiyo

6. Ronald Criste

 

10-12 years

1. Dylan Smith

2. Gordon Stap

3. Miles Obley

4. Chase Sumibcay

5. Tani Kulahiwa-Kim

6. Eki Storer

EVENT ENTRY INFORMATION

Site: Launiupoko ParK 

Date: June 11, 2010

Time: 7 am (first longboard heats)

Awards: Trophies for top six in each division.

 

 Kazuma custom surfboards will be raffled for Japan Red Cross.

 

Free entry, but we suggest a donation to the Maui Sports Foundation (non-profit 501c3) which will give all monies to the JRC.

 

Sorry, no beach entries!

 

Competitors will receive a T-shirt after their first heat.

Registration:

Entries must be received at either

Hi-Tech Surf Sports (Kahului or Paia) or

Honolua Surf Co. (Lahaina Cannery or Kihei)

by Thursday, June 9.

 

Download a Entry Forms, HERE.

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Chaz Kinoshita and Joao Marco Maffini each won two divisions at the 21^st annual Vans / Hi-Tech / Lopez Surfbash at Hookipa Beach Park, Saturday.

The Surfbash is the second event of the Hawaii Surfing Association Maui series. There were over 150 entries, in 10 divisions, taking advantage of the overhead northeast swell.

Kinoshita won the boys and open boys while Maffini won the junior men and open men. But they have a lot more in common than being double winners. Both are from Haiku, and claim Hookipa as their home break.

“We’re best friends,” Maffini said. “We surf together almost every day. If we’re not surfing, we usually hang out at each other’s houses.”

As if that isn’t close enough, their fathers work together. Chaz’s father, Matt, started Kazuma Surfboards in 1990. Maffini’s father, Stefano, became a business partner in Kazuma last year.

Matt, a full-time Maui County fireman based in Paia, is the main surfboard shaper at Kazuma. Matt coaches both Chaz and Joao.

After Chaz’s second final heat, Matt was showing a video of the heat to Chaz.

“We review after every heat, I always film everything,” Matt said. “This (camera) just keeps him focused.

It makes things really obvious.”

The big turns were his strength today. I kept him on the sets, catching the close-outs. It’s the opposite of what we normally say, but Chaz was doing so good in the big turns. That’s what he had to do if he was going to win.”

Chaz, an eighth-grader at Kalama Intermediate, enjoys the video coaching sessions. “It shows me what I’m doing wrong. I can fix it and make it better.”

Maffini, a ninth grade homeschooler, had an easier time winning the open men then he did in his age group. All six finalists were aggressive in the 15-17 final. Tyler Larronde was penalized for interference against Zane Schweitzer. Maffini nearly was called for the same against Tyler Grant.

“We all knew each other out there,” Maffini said. “We all want to catch the wave, but we don’t want to snake each other.”

Shelby Schweitzer, a Maui Prep freshman from Lahaina, won her first open women title, defeating her former coach, 48-year-old Melissa Proud.

Proud said she’s won at least three Surfbash titles dating back to 1991. “I love seeing young Maui women getting better. I feel I’m helping the younger generation get better and better. I coached Shelby for a couple of years and now she’s beating me.”

Other champions included Eli Hanneman, of Lahaina (mini-grom); Marco Rista, of Spreckelsville (menehune); Sierra Lerback, of Lahaina (junior women); D.K. Walsh, of Kuau (open longboard); and Jason Sacapanio, of Waiehu (open bodyboard).

 

Results

 

Shortboard

Mini-Grom (8 & under)

1. Eli Hanneman
2. Ty Ty Kirby
3. Ramon Rode
4. Kai Paula
5. Seth Thompson
6. Luke Guidroz
   

Menehune (11 & under)

1. Marco Rista
2. Conan Gentil
3. Cody Young
4. Cole Alves
5. Logan Bediamol
6. Ty Ty Kirby
   

Boys (12-14)

1. Chaz Kinoshita
2. Ian Gentil
3. Miles Serafica
4. Ridge Lenny
5. Justin Ringsby
6. Ean Kimmel

Open Boys (14 & under)

1. Chaz Kinoshita
2. Cody Young
3. Kala Willard
4. Marco Rista
5. Miles Serafica
6. Ean Kimme
   

Junior Women (14 & under)

1. Sierra Lerback
2. Isabella Pickering
3. Shelby Schweitzer
4. Sophie Johnston
5. Tasha Jahrmarkt
6. Aloha Lopez

Junior Men (15-17)

1. Joao Marco Maffini
2. Dylan Walsh
3. Kain Daly
4. Tyler Grant
5. Zane Schweitzer
6. Tyler Larronde
   

Open Men

1. Joao Marco Maffini
2. Justice Patao
3. Ian Gentil
4. Jud Lau
5. Tyler Grant
6. Kain Daly

Open Women

1. Shelby Schweitzer
2. Melissa Proud
3. Sierra Lerback
4. Nina Dodge
5. Ariel Martin
6. Kawaiola Wendt
   

Open Longboard

1. D.K. Walsh
2. Keoni Perkins
3. Shaun Walsh
4. Cyrus Croskery
5. Nina Dodge
6. Anthony Schifone

Open Bodyboard

1. Jason Sacapanio
2. Cody Mailou-Kauai
3. Nic Drose
4. Kili Labatte
5. Kaleo Delatori
6. Nainoa Steward

---

Kekaula Campbell proved again he is the “King of Poko” as he swept the open men and his age group title for the second straight year at the 17^th annual Ole Longboard Classic, Saturday at Launiupoko Park.

 

Campbell now has won the open men a record four times, with his other wins coming in 2002 and 2003.

Over 180 competitors surfed head-high waves in calm conditions at the south side beach park. And according to the judges, Campbell surfed the consistent waves better than anyone else.

 

Campbell, a 32-year-old middle school counselor at Kamehameha Schools, was named first on all three judges’ sheets in the open final, and two of three picked Campbell fist in the 30-39 age division.

 

The open division final included two other former champions, Mau Ah Hee (2006, 2008) and Roger “Aka” Pai (2005). His age group heat included 2008 winner Keoki Pfaelzter.

 

“It was a really good field,” Campbell said. “There were so many good guys in that final.  I didn’t expect to win this year, I feel really lucky.”

 

“I knew I wasn’t getting the biggest waves. I got the nice ones that were lining up.”

 

With Campbell having to start work at school, he hasn’t had a lot of time to practice. “I’ve hardly been longboarding. I’ve been riding my longboard at Shark Pit the last two nights just to get some reps in.”

 

Taryn Apo, the open women champion, also has been busy with school. The 25-year-old Wailuku resident, and 2003 Baldwin graduate, is starting her first full year of teaching at her alma mater.

 

“I haven’t surfed in three weeks because of the school year starting,” Apo said. “I’ve been spending 10 hours a day at school, working on weekends, planning my lessons at home.”

 

Her nose-riding made her a stand-out in a field that included the past two champions; Ayako Iguchi and Mahealani Ah Hee.

 

“I do practice nose rides. I’m a little better at classic (style) than progressive.”

 

“The conditions were great, bigger waves than we’ve had the last several years. The waves brought out a higher level of competition.”

 

Other stand-out included a pair of surfers who won their third straight age division titles. Paul Kohlhepp won his third straight 40-49 crown while Kevin Eide won his second straight 60 & over title after winning the 50-59 class in 2008.

 

Other champions included Tosh Kalawe (menehune), Sierra Lerbeck (juniors), Hailey Gill (junior women), Rycin Pavao (junior men), Hans Vandervoort (19-29), Nathan Moody (50-59), Augie Constantino and Lorrie Betsill (Tandem).

 

Following the meet, Mike “Mickey the Rat” Ester, of Huntington Beach, California, co-founder of the International Surf Board Builders Hall of Fame, presented Bob “Ole” Olson with an award for being the latest inductee into the SBHF. 

 

Results

 

Menehune (11 & under)

 

1. Tosh Kalawe
2. Nick Nunez
3. Payce Duryea
4. Landen McLaughlin
5. Ocean Macedo
6. Anthony Nunez

 

Juniors (14 & under)

 

1. Sierra Lerbeck
2. Noah Yap
3. Rhett Wiseman
4. Kainoa Pfaeltzer
5. Joel Green
6. Travis Baptiste

 

Junior Women (18 & under)

 

1. Hailey Gill
2. Sierra Lerbeck
3. Naomi Tsuda
4. Lara Claydon
5. Aloha Lopez
6. Summer Macedo

 

Junior Men (18 & under)

 

1. Rycin Pavao
2. Rhett Wiseman
3. Puali Solomon
4. Kainoa Pavao
5. C.J. Lerbeck
6. Noah Yap

 

19-29

 

1. Hans Vandervoort
2. Mau Ah Hee
3. Roger “Aka” Pai
4. Eric Casco
5. Kazuma Saita
6. Matt Pasamonte

 

30-39

 

1. Kekaula Campbell
2. Marco Molina
3. Ken Goring
4. Erik Funakoshi
5. Gavin Kusunoki
6. Kalei Kauhane

 

40-49

 

1. Paul Kohlhepp
2. Keoki Pfaeltzer
3. Kent Apo
4. Ronaldo Macedo
5. Randy Pye
6. Kana Saita

 

50-59

 

1. Nathan Moody
2. J.B. Falbo
3. Jack Starr
4. Neal Norris
5. Bobby Kalawe
6. Tomi Tsuda

 

60 & over

 

1. Kevin Eide
2. Snake Ah Hee
3. Mike Ester
4. Les Potts
5. Barry Brown
6. Bev Johnson

 

Open Men

 

1. Kekaula Campbell
2. Alika Apo
3. Mau Ah Hee
4. Keoki Pfaeltzer
5. Roger “Aka” Pai
6. Matt Pasamonte

 

Open Women

 

1. Taryn Apo
2. Anna Tomaso
3. Mahealani Ah Hee
4. Melissa Proud
5. Joni DeMello
6. Ayako Iguchi

 

Tandem

 

1. Augie Constantino / Lorrie Betsill
2. Ashley Nielson / Sierra Lerbeck
3. Landen McLaughlin / Zane Schweitzer
4. Brett Wiseman / Ocean Macedo
5. Kailer & Tatum Jones
6. Alex & Nick Nunez

---

 

Sierra Larsen and Noah Hill won two divisions at the 17^th annual Pohai Na Keiki Nalu (Gathering of the Surf Kids) at Launiupoko Park, Saturday.

 

Larsen and Hill were the stand-outs of the 133 entries who surfed in the clean three to four foot wave faces.

 

Larsen was picked number one by all the judges in the girls shortboard and the 10-12 longboard finals. In the longboard final, she was the only girl.

 

“I didn’t really care (about the boys),” Larsen said. “I was just having fun.” It looked like she was having fun as she surfed with style and did perfect head-stands, including two on one wave in the final.

 

The 12-year-old has had two good mentors growing up in Lahaina. Her oldest brother, Wesley, is a former pro surfer, and her other brother, Granger, is currently ranked #87 in the Association of Surfing Professionals world rankings.

 

“Wesley helps me, he pushes me into bigger waves,” Larsen said. “That’s how I got better.” She said Granger is gives her encouragement when they surf together.

 

Hill won the two biggest divisions; the shortboard 7-8 for the second straight year and the longboard 9 & under for the first time. Both divisions had 25 surfers.

 

“I was stoked I did that,” Hill said. “It was real exciting. I’m really happy.”

 

The eight-year-old is a third grader at Wildwood Elementary School in Culver City, California. For the past five years, he has spent summers, and winter and spring breaks on Maui according to his father, Blake.

 

Hill was so dominant, he had the two highest scoring rides in the shortboard final, and the four highest scores in the longboard final.

 

“My strategy is go for the outsiders,” Hill said. “I just know how the judges score from doing NSSA contests. You go for the bigger one because I know I can get the bigger score.”

 

Somehow Hill could cut back and throw spray on the soft Launiupoko waves. “You need to look for the right faces,” Hill said. “You don’t really want to turn too hard or you dig rail, and it causes you to stall and then the wave passes you by. The waves weren’t the best, but it was fun.”

 

Other winners included: Finn Bediamol (shortboard 6 & under), Cody Young (shortboard 9-10), Monte Grant (shortboard 11-12), Ethan Bediamol (bodyboard 9 & under), and Mark Garnas (bodyboard 10-12).

 

 

 

 

Shortboard

 

6 & under

1. Finn Bediamol

2. Nick Strand

3. Levi Young

4. Stryder Olsen

5. Lily Hill

6. Phoenix Farrell

 

7-8 years

1. Noah Hill

2. Ethan Bediamol

3. Eli Hanneman

4. Ocean Macedo

5. Ty Ty Kirby

6. Zane Solorio

 

9-10 years

1. Cody Young

2. Logan Bediamol

3. Jack Bowers

4. Payce Duryea

5. MarkGarnas

6. Chase Sumibcay

 

11-12 years

1. Monte Grant

2. Shaydon Eugenio

3. Khristian Olsen

4. Kailer Jones

5. Kelson Lau

6. Gunnar Turnbull

 

Girls

1. Sierra Larsen
2. Summer Macedo
3. Kaylie McCarthy
4. Anne Reickert
5. Aloha Lopez
6. Ashley Nielson

 

Longboard

 

9 & under

1. Noah Hill

2. Logan Bediamol

3. Ty Ty Kirby

4. Payce Duryea

5. Eli Hanneman

6. Owen Lingenfelder

 

10-12 years

1. Sierra Larsen

2. Cody Young

3. Gunnar Turnbull

4. Monte Grant

5. Kailer Jones

 

Bodyboard

 

9 & under

1. Ethan Bediamol

2. Julio Kimmel

3. Gabriel DiBase

4. Caden Granum

5. Finn Bediamol

6. Etuati Storer

 

10-12 years

1. Mark Garnas

2. Keoki Muralt

3. La’akea Shim

4. Chase Sumibcay

5. Clydell Manuel

6. Luke Burkhart

 

---

 

Lahainaluna had balanced scoring from its’ boys and girls to win its’ first surfing title in four years at the 16^th annual Maui Interscholastic Surf Championships, Saturday at Hookipa Beach Park.

 

The Luna boys and girls each scored 64 points, to defeat two-time reigning champion, King Kekaulike, 128-108.

 

The Lunas had three individual champions; junior Koral Gill in girl’s bodyboard, sophomore Casey Egan in girl’s longboard, and senior Nick Falbo in boy’s shortboard.

 

Lunas coach Erik Jennings, a special education teacher, gave credit to the girls. “I thought we had a good chance, but the girls really stepped up. They pulled us through.”

 

Two of those girls, Gill and Jennifer Santos, played in the MIL water polo championship game the night before in Kihei.

 

Gill scored six goals in the Lunas 10-4 win over Kamehameha. “It’s super cool (winning the surf meet). I feel really victorious, I’m really proud of us Lunas.”

 

In addition to being a key player on the water polo team, Gill is a three-time MIL champion in swimming. “I don’t have a lot of time to surf with swimming and water polo,” Gill admits. “When I have time, I go down to Launiupoko and paddle around.”

 

Egan and Santos had to surf back-to-back finals heats. “I was surprised I was first in the longboard, it was right after my bodyboarding final, and I was pretty exhausted,” Egan said. “I wanted to just go out and have fun.”

 

Falbo finally won after finishing third, and second twice the past three years. “I was super psyched. I was very surprised that I won, didn’t think I had enough waves. I was actually kind of bummed when I came out of the water. I guess my last wave pushed me through.”

 

On Falbo’s third and final wave at the Pavills surfbreak, he made a series of backside snaps and carving turns. It was the highest scoring wave of the heat. “I thought the wave was kind of soft, but people said I was throwing a lot of spray. I had to pull something out.”

 

It was also Falbo’s first time to be on the winning team. “We’ve been second every year. It feels great to be the top school on Maui. We’ve got bragging rights until next year, and we’ve got a bunch of great freshman surfers coming up.”

 

Ariel Martin, a King Kekaulike junior, was the only surfer to defend her title, winning the shortboard division at the surf break called Middles. “I’m so happy. I surf Hookipa almost every day, but I only surf Middles occasionally when it’s big. I enjoy it out there because I’m a goofy-foot.”

 

The other boy individual champions were Garret Wiseman, of Seabury Hall, in the longboard, and Casey Bibbs, of Baldwin, in the bodyboard.

 

Team results

 

Lahainaluna 128

King Kekaulike 108

Baldwin 73

Kamehameha Maui 64

Maui Prep 54

Seabury Hall 46

Maui High 37

St. Anthony 6

 

Girls

 

Shortboard

1. Ariel Martin, King Kekaulike
2. Jennifer Santos, Lahainaluna
3. Rachel Taylor, Seabury Hall
4. Leilani Miranda, Lahainaluna
5. Emma Ko’omoa, Kamehameha

 

Bodyboard

1. Koral Gill, Lahainaluna
2. Casey Egan, Lahainaluna
3. Avery LaClerque, Lahainaluna
4. Kalei Guth, Kamehameha
5. Jennifer Santos, Lahainaluna

 

Longboard

1. Casey Egan, Lahainaluna
2. Rachel Taylor, Seabury Hall
3. Leilani Miranda, Lahainaluna
4. Emma Ko’omoa, Kamehameha
5. Makena Powers, Maui Prep
6. Ariel Martin, King Kekaulike

 

Boys

 

Shortboard

1. Nick Falbo, Lahainaluna
2. Kain Daly, King Kekaulike
3. Nalu Nitta, Kamehameha
4. Garret Wiseman, Seabury Hall
5. Baker Grant, King Kekaulike
6. Tosh Pelia, King Kekaulike

 

Bodyboard

1. Casey Bibbs, Baldwin
2. Ha’aheo Auweloa, Kamehameha
3. Jhay-R Malinab, Maui
4. Keoki Perry, Maui
5. Nick Drose, King Kekaulike
6. Justin Cayaban, King Kekaulike

 

Longboard

1. Garret Wiseman, Seabury Hall
2. Slater Trout, Maui Prep
3. Baker Grant, King Kekaulike
4. Kahele Kuala’au, Baldwin
5. Keanu Nakamura, Baldwin
6. Kain Daly, King Kekaulike