V14n5 by Freesurf Magazine

DRAWING LINES 2017 SUMMER BEACH & BOARD BUYERS GUIDE LASERWOLF / PORTFOLIO ZEKE LAU ON TOUR

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Barron Mamiya Photo: Mike Latronic

W YATT MCHALE VA N S . C O M / H A W A I I

KANOA IGARASHI : THE BLOCKED VEE BOARDSHORT

F R E E

P A R K I N G

Ezekiel Lau pulling deep into a Pipeline pit is nothing new; the 24-year-old has been making statements in waves of consequence for years, and we couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be more stoked to see his success here at home translate to success abroad, with his finish in the semifinals at the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach in late April. Keep up the good work, Zeke! Photo Laserwolf

TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S / D E PA R T M E N T S

06 Free Parking 16 Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Note 18 News & Events 38 Board Story 76 Quiver 80 Underground 84 Juniors 88 Environment 92 Industry Notes 98 Last Look

jambahawaii.com Photo: Nick Galante

Photo: Laserwolf

John John Florence S I G N A T U R E

S E R I E S

Featuring the Comp, Base Tide, Descender & Ultratide

WSL / Sloane

TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S / F E AT U R E S

10 MOMENTS WITH EZEKIEL LAU

Laserwolf

Shadowing the Hawaiian at his first ever Championship Tour event: the Quiksilver Pro at Snapper Rocks

PORTFOLIO: LASERWOLF

Keoki

From the lineup at Pipeline to retro car portraits, we examine the eclectic images from the surf photographer who calls the North Shore is hanai home

58 BEACH AND BOARD BUYERS GUIDE We showcase a gallery of todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s high performance shortboards, longboards and accessories to get you ready for summer

John John Florence S I G N A T U R E

S E R I E S

Watch the short film Moving Still on nixon.com/JJF

Mike Latronic

Editorial

FRESH POKE BOWLS. CUSTOMIZED THE WAY YOU LIKE IT.

Publisher Mike Latronic Managing Editor Cash Lambert Photo Editor Tony Heff Art Director John Weaver Multimedia Director Tyler Rock Ambassador-at-Large Chris Latronic West Coast Ambassador Kurt Steinmetz Staff Photographers Tony Heff, Chris Latronic, Mike Latronic, Tyler Rock, Keoki Saguibo Free Thinkers Kyveli Diener, Kahi Pacarro

Senior Contributing Photographers

Erik Aeder, Eric Baeseman (outbluffum.com), Brian Bielmann, Ryan Craig, Jeff Divine, Pete Frieden, Dane Grady, Bryce Johnson, Ha’a Keaulana, Ehitu Keeling, Laserwolf, Bruno Lemos, Mana, Zak Noyle, Shawn Pila, Jim Russi, Jason Shibata, Spencer Suitt, Tai Vandyke

Contributing Photographers

John Bilderback, Marc Chambers, Brooke Dombroski, DoomaPhoto, Rick Doyle, Isaac Frazer, Jeromy Hansen, Pete Hodgson, Joli, Kin Kimoto, Dave “Nelly” Nelson, Nick Ricca, Gavin Shige, Heath Thompson, Bill Taylor, Wyatt Tillotson, Jimmy Wilson, Cole Yamane Senior Account Executive Brian Lewis Business Coordinator Cora Sanchez

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EDITOR’S NOTE By Cash Lambert

Visit the Waialua Sugar Mill - home to several iconic shaping factories - on a summer morning, and the mechanical noises of machines and other pieces of equipment cutting and cleaning and slicing are a contrast to the lush and untouched Waianae Range that stands in the distance. Step into any of the dilapidated warehouse doors in the area, and you’ll be met with a familiar smell of resin, and the hands behind today’s most innovative and progressive surfboards, who, in turn, are undoubtedly aiding in shaping the rapid progression that the sport has seen in recent years (the Big Wave arena! 720s! And anything John John does!) Ask any shaper why he or she picked the trade, and under goggles and respirators, they’ll say something such as “I like working with my hands”, “it stokes me out to see people stoked on something I worked on” or “it’s cool to walk out at Pipeline or any beach and see someone getting absolutely barreled or doing a huge air on a board I built.” This issue is dedicated to the board builders, those who labor on foam while swell lights up the reefs just a few miles away, those who value negative feedback over positive, who talk numbers and geometry and whose vocabulary includes words like torsional stability and resonance. Flip over to page 58 for our Beach and Board Buyers Guide, where you can shop for your next surfboard, and hear from a collection of Hawaii’s shapers on new innovations, the best selling models today and what we can expect in the future. In this issue, we also highlight a surfboard design that has been kept under wraps for 8 years, known as Project X, and later renamed Project XO (page 38); we take a look at Kekoa “Bam” Bacalso’s quiver (page 76), and so much more (Shadowing Zeke Lau at his first CT! Behind what’s fueling Barron Mamiya’s QS win streak! Ah, and Laserwolf’s dreamy portfolio!) Other than shining a spotlight on those behind today’s boards and their products, we hope that this issue helps you get your quiver dialed in, because those summertime Town swells are just around the corner.

THE RUNNER The Runner evolved from one of Steve Morganâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more popular hybrid shapes the Z-Glide - scaled down and tuned-up for high-performance surfing. Like the Z-Glide, the volume is a bit more forward which allows the board to catch waves easily. The bottom features a single to double concave, which makes The Runner really fast and loose, providing the speed necessary to really put the board on the rail. Available as a thruster or quad and with Round Pin, Squash or Swallow tail options.

Alternative Hand-shaped Water Craft Surfboards by Steve Morgan

DX3 Ste Steve Morgan's DX3 is a super responsive hybrid design featuring a concave bottom with additional tail rocker. The unique outline allows for more surface area while maintaining greater control, thus no second guessing with the directional placement of the board. Whether surfed as a thruster or quad, the three wings are optimally located to allow for quick release. The DX3 should be ridden 3-4" shorter than your standard high performance-board.

SUPER V The Super V is the perfect board for small to head high surf. sur A mild concave with vee out the back optimizes performance and helps maintain drive even through flat sections. Coming off the top or landing airs the board remains stable and positive under foot. Designed as a diamond tail with a five fin set-up, this board works great as a thruster or quad. Take the art of groveling to a new high.

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14TH ANNUAL MENEHUNE MAYHEM Photos Marc Chambers

On the morning of Saturday, April 8, hundreds of frothing menehune filled the sands of Ho’okipa in anticipation for surfing, a scavenger hunt, jumping castles, experiencing activities inside art and music tents, live shaping demonstrations and so much more for the 14th Annual Menehune Mayhem.

play with these sporadic ideas I have as far as putting together an event, and our team makes sure these crazy ideas come to fruition. I visualize what I would want when I was their age, and we put that into motion. Our community came together to lighten the workload on everyone.”

“It felt like a carnival,” said Ian Walsh, who founded the event on Maui’s sands 14 years ago. And it looked like a carnival too, with 25 booths creating an alleyway of activities throughout the beach park. Presenting sponsor Paia Bowls provided food all day long, a mobile gym provided pre-heat activation that mimiced what the pros do before heats, and there was even a helicopter rescue simulation. With all of these activities, there was also no exchange of cash; everything for the children was free.

The team also had a purpose behind the event besides giving local kids a fun day at the beach, and that was to use the opportunity as a teachable moment.

“It was by far our biggest year yet, and it went smoothly,” said Walsh. Approximately 250 kids took to the water in age divisions of 6-8, 9-10, 11-13, and 14-17, competing in 3-4 foot fun-sized swell. “We ran heats from gray light to gray light, from 7am-6pm, and we literally could not find one more kid into the event,” said Walsh. Over 150 more children came down to take part in the beach activities, too. “For me, these events are a lot of fun,” he continued. “I get to

“It was fun to harness their energy and put that into something constructive, like do a beach cleanup with the Surfrider and the Hawaii Wildlife Fund,” said Walsh. “We were able to parlay that incredible energy into something that turned the beach into a better place the following day.” The event included other educational practices, like the elimination of single use plastics - hydroflasks were provided and everyone visited the water dispensary. The award categories also included scholastic achievement. “People come from all over the entire island to pour out creative, unique ideas to give these kids some sort of entertainment or educational value throughout the whole day,” said Walsh. “There was a very big group of people who donated time and energy to put a smile on kids faces.”

14TH ANNUAL MENEHUNE MAYHEM RESULTS Girls 6-8 1 Mya Piliâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;au 2 Shia Boverman 3 Amy Simpson Kane 4 Jessica Davis 5 Slone Jucker 6 Peyton Proudy

Boys 9-10 1 Cash Berzilla 2 Justin Roberson 3 Rafi Neri 4 Otis Buckingham 5 Eric Roberson 6 Roran Mullen

Girls 14-17 1 Tatiana Ebro 2 Anja Liotta 3 Jasmine Crawford 4 Cici Buckingham 5 Louisa Buckingham 6 Ashley Taoka

Boys 6-8 1 Steve Roberson 2 Zolton Poulson 3 Makoa Kapuniai 4 Marley Franco 5 Ethan Magnat 6 Kassius Wallace

Girls 11-13 1 Ellie May Brown 2 Savanna Stone 3 Nora Liotta 4 Chole Domingo 5 Amelia Talavs

Boys 14-17 1 Eli Hanneman 2 Logan Bedimol 3 Cody Young 4 Ty Ty Kirby 5 Axel Rosenbald 6 Zachary Newton

Girls 9-10 1 Chrislyn Simpson Kane 2 Haylee Boverman 3 Hadley Talavs 4 Juliana Copas 5 Skye Rosenbald

Boys 11-13 1 Jackson Bunch 2 Kailuna Paula 3 Chase Anderson 4 Ty Simpson Kane 5 Taj Newton 6 Levi Young

Surfing Scholar Awards Cody Young Louisa Buckingham Taitum Jones Tatiana Ebro Jasmine Crawford Isabella Talavs Cecilia Buckingham

Surfboard Awards 1 Faith Lennox 2 Alex Lehman 3 Nahuel Messera 4 Tatium Jones 5 Kamakane Luke 6 Chole Domingo 7 Ruby Stringfellow 8 Amy Simpson Kane 9 Tamryn Takoa 10 Ellie May Brown 11 Barron Haynes

Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;NEILL INC. 2017 US.ONEILL.COM TORREY MEISTER PHOTO: MARC PREFONTAINE

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16TH ANNUAL

IRONS BROTHERS CLASSIC

On Saturday, April 8th, the 16th Annual Irons Brothers Pine Trees Classic at Hanalei ran in glassy and consistent 1-3 foot conditions. The event as a whole was an absolute dream for over 250 Kauaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;i kids. The swell on hand provided enough challenge on the outside for the older kids 9-12 years old, and perfect size whitewash funneling in for the 5-8 year olds. Every year, the Irons family and their friends go all out to celebrate both the achievements and the memory of Andy Irons and instill the spirit of Aloha in the younger generations of surfers.

Words and photos by Marina Miller Tamba Surf Company, a sponsor to the contest since day one, donated 10 custom surf boards to 10 lucky kids, and provided all the food, including hot malasadas, cold shave ice, and cotton candy for all. Family and friends worked tirelessly making sure all participants received posters, backpacks, hats, shirts and stickers from RVCA, Billabong, SunBum, Stance, and more. This year, Bruce Irons was especially active, helping the Irons kids Axel, Mila, and Koby, by pushing them into waves during the keiki push-in, making shave ice with his good friend Saa Tamba, passing out special awards, making announcements on the mic, and handing out over 120 first place trophies.

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Axel Irons had an absolute ball as he and other groms enjoyed the activities tent ran by Got Game Rentals. Donavon Frankenreiter provided sound, and coordinator Milo Murguia was on the mic all day keeping the contest running smoothly, too.

During the ceremony, Kaua’i locals Kamalei Alexander and Dustin Barca helped pass out trophies and swag to all the winners. To end the day, Bruce and Tamba handed out 10 brand new boards to the next generation of Irons kids and seven deserving young Kaua’i grown surfers.

The highlight of the day was undoubtedly the keiki push-in heats. Parents and siblings were cheering loudly and the spirit of Aloha was felt in and out of the water. Everyone joined in to help young surfers catch their share of fun waves.

This special event created the perfect concoction of fun, competition, community and opportunity to cultivate Hawaii’s next generation of world class surfers. Every smile that day was proof that the Pine Trees Classic is a blessing to all participants and the best way to remember Kaua’i's forever Champ, Andy Irons.

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and bushes. The kids scattered like rabbits to find them, especially the 2 golden eggs that had $50 inside!

The Sunn Spirit rises every year over Easter weekend - April 15th and 16th and this year marked the 41st Rell Sunn Menehune Surfing Championship. This Ohana Surf event offers divisions such as bodyboard, longboard, shortboard and the most popular of them all, the Tandem Kokua division. This event is perfect for the non-surfer, soon-to-be surfer or advanced ages 4-12 who might want to put on a colored jersey and have a great time. The first day opened with solid 3-4+ foot waves that dished out thrills and backwash spills for these up and comers. The older 7-12 year old divisions took to the water and contestants wore their hearts on their jersey sleeves in hopes to make it to the final’s day. Easter Sunday saw the

41ST ANNUAL RELL SUNN M E N E H U N E S U R F I N G CHAMPIONSHIP Words and photos by Spencer Suitt surf drop to “grom size” and treated contestants to classic 2-3 foot Makaha. For most keiki on Easter Sunday, they had one thing on their minds: the Easter egg hunt! Contest organizers put on a fun Easter Egg hunt where hundreds of eggs were hidden in the beach sand, under rocks

The 6-year and under, parent-tandem Kokua Division highlighted the day as contestants were getting some of the longest rides of their young lives. After lunch, the finals kicked off and in the 7-9 boys’ shortboard division, Stone Suitt walked away with a win and a new 4’2” Akila Aipa twin-fin fish. Not one wave went unridden in the 10-12 boys’ shortboard final and Kalani Delarole defended his 2016 title and carved it up for the win. The 10-12 Boy’s longboard winner Jack Ho walked to the nose and away with a new longboard donated by Megan Godinez. For the wahine, all the 7-9-year-olds gave it their best but it was Malia Deodato, who powered her way to the victory and a new surfboard in the shortboard division. Isla Sexton won the battle in the 10-12 shortboard division receiving a Beater Board from Surf N‘Sea. In her last year, 12-year-old Haley Otto dangled her toes over the nose to win in the 10-12 longboard division. It takes a village filled with love to put on this event every year. Big mahalo to sponsors Ko Olina, Quiksilver, Duke’s Waikiki, Waianae Comprehensive Health Center, Patagonia, and Lori Park, all who helped Rell’s daughter, Jan put on this event. Their support helps carry on Rell’s legacy and brings stoke to all of the contestants. Into its 4th decade, the one thing that remains the same is the strong “Sunn” spirit of Aloha.

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STUFF WE LIKE By Cash Lambert

VANS BOARDSHORTS How many pairs of boardshorts do you have? 1-3? Maybe 5 or 6? Or probably 10? While it’d be interesting to do a survey of how many pairs the average surfer has, there’s currently a WNW swell filtering in and the waves are firing and someone may have spotted John Florence so we’re out there, and don’t have time to do such a study. But maybe someone else does! Anyway, where were we? Oh, those fantastic boardshorts! Isn’t it interesting that even though most of us have so many pairs of boardshorts, we end up wearing one pair the most? For us here at Freesurf, those are Vans boardshorts. Why? For one, comfort. If you’re noticing your own boardshorts in the water, that’s usually a bad sign but this isn’t the case with Vans shorts. To our knowledge, they don’t cause any skin irritation, and it helps keep your focus where it should be: on the waves and that attractive longboarder sitting inside that you haven't summoned the courage to talk to yet. Don’t have a towel post surf? Don’t worry about it! The shorts dry quickly. Plus, they’re durable. Even after putting them through a full winter on the North Shore and a full summer in Town, the shorts are solid, the threads still intact. The second reason we dig Vans boardshorts is that style, baby. Whatcha want? All black? Random, bright colors? Neat flower designs? Vans has you covered, and for all the guys out there who have challenges matching clothes, all boardies go with any color tshirt. Get your own pair at Vans.com!

PENNY SKATEBOARDS What if I told you there’s a mode of transportation that is quick, cost effective and doesn’t require a visit to the DMV? Well, it’s true! Thanks to Penny Skateboards. The company offers cruise style skateboards in sizes such as 22 and 27 inches with an array of groovy colors, including glow in the dark. You like color combinations? Check. All white? Yep, they have that too. And yes, even polka dot! Heard of that radical new technology called 3D printing? The company’s website even allows you to build your own board in that manner. So cool! The boards, which retail anywhere around $99-139, aren’t built only for style; they have an incredible degree of durability to them, which allows for bombing fun-size hills (kids, stay away from Pupukea), whipping turns and mimicking surfing movements during those oh so long flat spells. The best part? Whether you're using it to get to work in Town, or skating to check the conditions on the 7-mile miracle that is the North Shore, you can store a Penny Skateboard easily in a backpack. Stay away from the DMV and visit PennySkateboards.com to get your own!

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KOA ROTHMAN WINS 2016 / 2017 WAVE OF THE WINTER By Tyler Rock

Come late February, North Shore surfers start looking towards those late season Spring time swells. But those die-hards who put in time along the North Shore all winter wonder who took out the coveted Wave of the Winter. Put on by Surfline and O’Neill, the Wave of the Winter awards the best ridden wave between the beginning of November and end of February as judged by a legendary panel (Gerry Lopez, Pancho Sullivan, Shawn Briley, and Ross Williams) a winner take all $25k check, and this year it was the North Shore’s own, Koa Rothman. Koa’s wave came during the running of the Da Hui Backdoor Shootout. On January 14th, amid a solid Northwest swell, Koa slid in deep behind the curtain of a ledging Pipeline wave. It would have been easy to write him off as most surfers wouldn’t have made it, but Koa’s perfect line saw him get blown out with a firehose of spit to the delight of the crowd on the beach and Shootout judges, earning him a perfect 12 (yes, 12 points, not 10) and ultimately the Backdoor Shootout win. Of the wave, Koa said “As soon as I went to whip it, the thing just grew and I scratched for it and chipped in and I’m looking at it and I’m like ‘this is a straight closeout’. I got one big long pump and another little one, and then it just went white and I couldn’t see anything! And then I just got blown out, I could feel I was outside the barrel and the first thing I saw was this little lip just hit me right in my face and I’m like ‘No!’ and I straightened out to the beach and was like ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe I made that’.“ Immediately after the wave, Koa paddled back out, still baffled, thinking to himself, “was that as good as I think it was?” telling fellow Quiksilver surfer in the water, Reef McIntosh (also a former Wave of the Winter winner), “I think that was the best wave of my life.” Upon seeing the footage afterward, his thought was confirmed. That was indeed the best wave of Koa Rothman’s life, winning him the prestigious Wave of the Winter.

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BARRON MAMIYA AND FRANKIE HARRER WIN PIPE PRO JUNIOR AND WAHINE PIPE PRO

In late March, Hawaii’s best juniors infiltrated the Pipeline lineup to compete in the Pipe Pro Junior and the Wahine Pipe Pro. The 2 day event, from March 22 to March 23, featured electrifying performances with high scoring performances. The first day of competition saw 16-year-old Barron Mamiya take out his third consecutive victory in flawless, 6-8 foot barreling surf. “I love Pipe, I’ve always wanted to win here,” said Mamiya in a post-Final interview. “This has to be the best win for sure.” Fresh off another first-place success at the Papara Pro Junior in Tahiti earlier in the month, which followed his first professional victory ever at the Sunset Pro Junior in January, Mamiya has undoubtedly started off 2017 on a hot streak. In the 30 minute Final, it was Mamiya and Finn McGill representing the North Shore and Eli Hanneman and Cody Young hailing from Maui. Hanneman, the youngest finalist, landed the first big score, with a 7.75 after a steep drop, barrel and blast out of a left-handed ride. Mamiya and McGill split a

peak soon after, with McGill going right on a long barrel that earned a perfect 10 from the judges, and Mamiya going left for an 8.35. Young took off on the second wave of the set, stalled, drove down the line and was spat out of the barrel for a notable 9.50. With five minutes left on the clock, Mamiya snuck a Backdoor barrel under priority for a 7.90 and the win, as competitors were left without the backup waves needed to overtake his lead. Near-perfect 9-point rides fell throughout the day, with the most impressive scores coming from third place finisher McGill, who nailed that perfect 10 in the Final. Young gun Eli Hanneman, 14-years-old, had an impressive Runner Up finish while Cody Young, 18, nabbed a respectable fourth place. The win handed Mamiya a commanding lead on the regional junior ranking and secured him a place in the 2017 World Junior Championship. The following day saw Malibu’s Frankie Harrer rule the peeling 4-6 foot swell. Tahitian Runner Up Vahine Fierro claimed her third

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Final berth in seven days after today’s performance, with last week’s win at the Papara Pro Vahine Open and a second place finish in the Pro Junior division in Tahiti, while last year’s Wahine Pipe Pro winner Mahina Maeda took third place and Oahu powerhouse Brisa Hennessy took fourth. This event was Harrer’s maiden QS win, thanks to her charging through the Pipe barrels with confidence and scored the best wave of the event in the Quarterfinals, a 9.25 for a proper Pipe barrel on her forehand. “There were so many sets, I was pretty psyched,” said Harrer, 19. “I just dropped into it and got a little barrel.” Her combined heat total for Quarterfinal 3 was the highest of the event, and she continued to impress judges and the beach crowd with her fearless commitment all the way through the Final. Fierro and Maeda traded waves in the first half of the heat while Harrer and Hennessy shared neutral priority and waited patiently to attack. Finally, the best set of the 30-minute heat arrived and Frankie was in perfect positioning to drop in. She pulled into a left-reeling barrel then slashed one off the top for a 7.0, which propelled her to first place.

Heff

One final junior event remains in the WSL Hawaii/Tahiti Nui region: the Turtle Bay Resort Pro Junior in October.

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NERVOUS LAUGHTER PREMIERES FOR THE MAUI SURF COMMUNITY By Kyveli Diener

The word “home” has a sacred meaning on Maui. It’s not just the building you live in — it’s the people you can’t live without. It’s the waves you love and respect like a revered family member. It’s the connectedness of communities like Haiku that set this island apart. The sold-out April 15 premiere of the new film “Nervous Laughter” was all about home, Maui style, from the moment the Take Shelter Productions duo, Albee Layer and Dan Norkunas, woke up that morning. First up on the big day’s schedule was a spirited game of kickball alongside best friends and fellow Jaws chargers Dege O’Connell, Torrey Meister, Matt Meola, Billy Kemper, and a beloved crew of lifelong friends. One best friend was missing from the field, but present in every hearty laugh, in every supportive high five, and on the shirts the friends wore that day and that night: simple white tees that read “LIVE LIKE GEOFF”. Geoff Hunter was a skilled spear fisherman, a fearless pilot, an intrinsic member of Maui’s north shore community. Geoff’s life was lost on a dive less than two weeks before the premiere, and the people he grew up with were just beginning to heal from the shock, partially thanks to a moving celebration of his life at a paddle out days earlier, but mostly because everything this community faces, they face together. Before the kickball game was over, Albee went to his second stop of the morning: an appointment with a tattooer to add 36

a permanent honoring of Geoff to his gallery of body art. He sported the memorial ink on his forearm that night at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center. “We’re proud and impressed with the community we’re all a part of. You guys have been so strong through these kind of nervous times and thank you guys for that,” Layer said from the stage before the show, remembering both Geoff and little Trucker Dukes, another thread in Maui’s fabric taken too soon. “Without the community behind these kinds of [films]…this would never happen without you guys.” In addition to the full-length feature, the packed theater watched three new edits, including a knockout from Meola called “Numb” and an ode to Maui’s supergroms called “Future Crew”. But the main event was not to be outdone: “Nervous Laughter” is a triumph, a perfectly crystallized memory of the Godzilla El Niño that gave these Maui boys — plus a couple big wave transplants like Meister, South Africans Frank Solomon and Josh Redman, and Australia’s Ryan Hipwood — the best winter of their lives. With a powerful score and heart-stopping imagery, this film looks back at the unforgettable inaugural Pe’ahi Challenge, follows O’Connell’s traumatic injury that took him away from Jaws in 2014 only for him to battle his way back in time for the biggest winter of his lifetime, and details Layer’s hunt for that perfect wave — and his decision to pass on the Eddie to find it right there at home.

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S T O R Y

PROJECT XO WITH ARAKAWA SURFBOARDS Photos Tony Heff The Backstory: For 8 years, the team at Arakawa Surfboards has been quietly working on a “top secret” surfboard design. Originally dubbed the X Project, the stringerless board - a play off their top seller Amplifier model - exhibits incredible durability, controlled flex, speed and a visible glow. We asked Eric Arakawa for more details on his best kept secret that is releasing this month, and how we can get our hands on one: The Genesis: Project XO has been evolving through our factory over the last 8 years, and it’s our focus now that winter is winding down. It started when we wanted to explore developing boards beyond geometry changes. We started looking at interior structure, and not just items like the stringer but actually engineering the surfboard from the inside out. That’s the basis for this. When you change the performance, you change the way the board reacts and very often that will require a change in geometry. The Name: It was named the X Project to begin with, because we didn’t know what else to call it throughout the years. We ended up naming it Project XO. XO, of course, is hugs and kisses, it's warm and fuzzy, and what we’re trying to say is that the board has

a heart. The board is very reactive, with an interior structure and core. How it's different: I can’t divulge everything, but in a nutshell, what we’ve tried to create is a core that allows the surfer to load up and release energy. Surfing is all about harnessing energy. You want to load that up and hold it and maintain it and release it at the right time. Our team riders who have been riding it have been getting some incredible whip out of the turn. This board is very reactive, because we’ve engineered a specific flex in the board, and we control it. We create different flex zones in the board, too. With this board, we’re trying to utilize energy we already have and we’re trying to use it to our benefit. The board is stringerless, also. Yes, it's in fashion but it’s not our answer to the stringerless board. We started on this project way before the trend began. Quantity and dimensions: We’re only do 250 worldwide this year. Next year, we’ll open up to more quantities. The board is 6’4” and under, with most being in the 5’9”-6’2” range.

PHOTO: KIM FEAST

Come into the shop and take a look! B O A R D

S T O R Y

P R O J E C T

X O

How it rides, according to team rider Shayden Pacarro: I took this board out in 1 foot onshore conditions recently. I didn’t even want to surf, but I had to give the board a try. As soon as I stood up on a wave, I did a turn off the top and the board created a lot of speed on a horrible wave. The board itself is a speed demon. You struggle boards and waves on the QS, because the waves aren’t anything like they are on Tour. But having the XO series in your quiver helps. Like I said, it creates its own speed, it’s loose, it’s a lot more sensitive and lighter, and I know that Eric wants to make it even better.

When is it releasing? This month. The achilles heel of most tinkerers, though they have incredible ideas and brilliant minds, is that they can never execute and bring their idea to market. We decided now is the time. Does it look any different? We’re using a certain type of epoxy resin in the board, so in artificial light, it looks like your typical dull epoxy. But as soon as it hits UV light, it glows. It pops. It looks like you’re holding a blacklight on top of it, and it

makes a regular conventional PU board look dull. How durable is it? It’s way more durable than EPS, PU foam. We’re trying to create more longevity. Certain boards have a lifespan, and we’re trying to create more longevity with performance. Is this a step towards the perfect surfboard? There is no such thing. Can you tell us anything more details?

www.baby-g.com

be inspired (808) 979-SURF (7873)

(808) 955-9517

Models shown: BA110BE-4A/BA110BE-7A

(808) 923-2127

(808) 661-9296

Waimea (808) 885-8411 Kona (808) 327-1444

(808) 245-2174

WSL / Sherman

Ezekiel Lau began the ride of his life March 14-25 with his first CT event at Snapper Rocks on Australia’s Gold Coast. The longawaited inclusion of the South Shore native among surfing’s brightest stars had Hawaii’s talent on Tour buzzing. Lau said that he was “like a sponge trying to absorb everything” as he stepped the highest realm of professional surfing, and he allowed Freesurf to peek behind the scenes as he navigated the crazy week that taught him so much. Here are ten of the most defining moments for the Hawaiian Superman at Snapper Rocks. Letting it sink in at Surfer’s Orientation Even though Zeke attended the Snapper contest last year in support of Quiksilver, his starring role in this year’s event didn’t sink in until the March 12 group meeting of surfing’s elite, both men and women. Finding himself in a room full of world champions — several of them multiple title holders — it finally became reality. “I think the moment it felt the most real was when I was at the surfer’s orientation,” he said. “I was sitting in the room and just everyone was there: Kelly, Mick, Joel, Gabriel and John… I kind of had to pinch myself, like I’m here, where I wanted to be. I was dreaming of it all last year and just meditating on being here and being in the position I’m in and the fact that I’m actually here and doing it is pretty crazy. I’m just really grateful to be doing what I’m doing and just trying to enjoy every bit of it.” Cruising with the Quiksilver Boys after the WSL Awards Lau’s sponsorship road was a challenging one, but in 2015, he landed with a team that fit him perfectly. The young men of Quiksilver’s surf team have become inseparable, thanks to the homey atmosphere fostered by team manager Steven “Belly” Bell and the rigorous training camps they run together. These days it’s hard to imagine Zeke’s broad grin without rising stars and Quik teammates Leonardo Fioravanti and Kanoa Igarashi somewhere nearby causing it. “I think last year everyone kind of grew into each other. We were having a lot of fun and everyone got really close,” Zeke said. “It was like a brotherhood thing where we compete against each other, but at the same time if we drew each other, it was on. We do it all the time, we run training camps and run heats against

each other and want to beat each other all the time, so it’s nothing new to draw each other in a heat. But then if someone’s in the final and someone else isn’t, we all go down and cheer them on and have a good time. We enjoy seeing our friends do good and celebrate with them.” Meditating with the Sun Quiksilver took over a tall building across the street from Snapper Rocks during the contest, and Lau did an easy surf check every morning from his lanai, a dozen stories above the ground. But from this lookout — or from his board sitting just off the point as the sky and ocean turned pink, orange, and purple — Lau also quieted his mind every evening as the sun dipped into the sea, reflecting on how far he’s come, gazing to where he hopes to go, and grounding himself in the blessings of the present. “I had this thing: usually I’d be feeling pretty freaked out at a comp, feeling like I shouldn’t have been there or things like that,” Zeke said of his insecurities in the past before he began practicing meditation. “But last year I was like, ‘if I want to be here in the future, I’ve got to want to be here no matter what.’ Just be grateful to be here in general, just appreciate where I am in every moment and live in the moment all the time. I think that’s what I was doing last year and it kind of manifested itself to I’m actually here.” First CT Heat and a Familiar Face Finally, on March 15, Zeke donned his first Championship Tour jersey, sporting the number 86 because “my Dad’s football number was 85 when he was in college, so I always told him I was gonna be number 86 so I would be one better.” His competitors, both Brazilian, weren’t new ones: Lau had competed against teammate Wiggolly Dantas in countless practice heats, and watched Gabriel Medina skyrocket to an elite level of surfing during their youth competing in ISA World Tour events. What was new to Lau was the jet ski assist: scrambling onto the bed and ultimately to the seat of the ski while holding your board and shaking with adrenaline is not as easy as it looks. But seeing the smiling face and hulking figure of North Shore fixture Kai “Kaiborg” Garcia at the helm washed all those anxieties away. “Everything’s great, the ski is perfect,” Zeke said after the heat, still vibrating with excitement. “It’s pretty crazy to catch waves and then jump right on the ski, I think that was my first time doing it. And it was Borg! Having someone that close to home

already makes you feel more comfortable so that was good, and trusting that he knew what he was doing, he put me in the spot every time. I was tripping out how fast we were going and just launching over waves was pretty crazy. The first couple waves [Kai] was like, ‘Alright, get it going, get it going!’ Just encouraging me. It’s sick having someone backing you that close and mid-heat it’s good to hear that kind of stuff for sure.” First CT Victory, Two Heats In A third-place finish against the Brazilians meant a second round match up late the following day against one of the country’s finest offerings: Filipe Toledo. A skilled aerialist who very nearly won this very competition last year, this was a heavy draw for Zeke’s first CT elimination round. Also daunting was the fact that this was only Lau’s second championship level heat ever, while it marked Toledo’s 152nd. Despite all the numbers and the odds,

contest site was suddenly blocking out the sun. The air went ominously still, and a nervous murmur began to sweep through the crowd of Queensland locals who knew what was coming: the sudden, torrential squalls that mark cyclone season every year. People started fleeing the sand in droves as the sky opened up, releasing an ocean’s worth of heavy rain coupled with a whipping wind. Snapper fixture Parko, unfazed, sat in the lineup with hunched shoulders, hunting for his wave. The contest was called off, then back on, and Heats 5 and 6 of Round 3 battled through the rain as Zeke and his coach Jake Patterson watched from his apartment across the street. Taking to his Instagram story, the Hawaiian shared live footage of the biblical downpour, then turned the camera on himself, gazing out at Snapper with his worried eyes wide, his jaw hanging a little open in utter shock at the turn in conditions. “Sooo….is this gonna stop before me heat?” He asked, half

“I think the moment it felt the most real was when I was at the surfer’s orientation,” he said. “I was sitting in the room and just everyone was there: Kelly, Mick, Joel, Gabriel and John… I kind of had to pinch myself, like I’m here, where I wanted to be.”

Lau surfed an expert heat, ousting the 2015 world title contender and gaining ground into Round 3. After doing his first ever postheat victory interview at the championship level with another face from home, Kaipo Guerrero, the commentator beamed with pride and said, “Great job, nephew.” “This feels great,” a winded Lau said of his victory of Toledo. “Coming up against guys like him, you definitely want to perform as best you can, but at the end of the day, I’m competing against myself and the ocean out there, so I just do my own thing.” Sudden Snapper Squall The beach was packed as the Quiksilver Pro continued to march through Round 3 heats, but with Joel Parkinson and Miguel Pupo bobbing in the water during their heat, the air changed. A looming dark cloud that had been streaming toward the 44

wondering and half begging. By the time John Florence hit the water — just one heat before Zeke’s elimination showdown against Jordy Smith — the rain had stopped, the storm gifted the surfers with massive barrels, and a celestial pukalani was allowing golden sunlight to beam on Rainbow Bay. Leaving the competitor’s area and walking to the sand for his heat, Lau was casual. He was loose, relaxed and ready for battle. First Perfect Score in the Big Show It was the last heat of the day, and the sun was ready to set. Jordy Smith, better acquainted with Snapper and more comfortable jumping off the rocks at the point instead of paddling out like Lau had to, beat Zeke to the inside and dropped a big score. Unshaken, Lau sat deep behind the rocks

— all day he’d been visualizing a perfect wave, a deep barrel, the kind of perfect ride a humble guy like Zeke would be proud to loudly claim. And then it arrived: a fast-moving churning righthand cylinder with enough room for Lau to stand tall, disappear from sight, and reappear with the spit as he yelled and pointed to the sky, the top of the top, where his score belonged. The judged agreed, and awarded him his first perfect score of his championship career, attaining on his third outing a milestone that takes some athletes years to reach. “It was a crazy wave, a once-in-a-lifetime kind of wave,” Zeke recalled later, his eyes still dreamy as he thought of it. “I was actually paddling out and it was reminding me of a heat I had at JBay [in 2012] against Heath Joske…it was actually a QS6000 that year and the waves were just firing. I was just stoked to be there and happy to have a heat that night, and I ended up getting a 10 in that heat as well. I was tripping out when I got the wave [at Snapper], it felt exactly the same as the one I got in J Bay, just the barrel and everything.” Compliments from Jordy Smith Despite Lau’s earning the highest wave score of the heat, Jordy battled back and edged Zeke out of the contest by just 0.30 of a point. Lau returned to the sand as relaxed, happy, and loose as he’d left it, sharing smiles with the fans and crew and radiating the gratitude he feels for these opportunities. He retired to the locker room as Jordy gave his post-heat victor’s interview, and Zeke missed the moment the tall South African sang his praises to the world. “Zeke is such an incredible competitor,” Smith told Kaipo Guerrero. “He’s pretty much one of the strongest guys on tour, and to be honest in that heat that’s exactly why we do this. To get moments like that where you’re just in an arena going neck and neck, wave for wave, that’s it for me. That’s the pinnacle. Unfortunately for Zeke, he lost, but I guarantee any other heat today he would’ve won, especially with the surfing he’s doing at the moment. The guy’s on fire, I can’t wait to see where he goes.”

Laughing it off with Mikey Wright The night after his elimination heat, Zeke ended up at a party in support of fellow Quikie brother Mikey Wright, who had also narrowly lost his heat that day after a nail-biter battle against the indomitable John John Florence. As bartenders doled out Coronas with lime and waves continued to crash a hundred yards away, the teammates excitedly recounted the massive storm swell they’d surfed in just hours earlier, their faces lit up like groms with ear-to-ear grins as the Hawaiian and the Australian recounted the short-interval, super-sized offering that came streaming around the point one after another in the remains of the squall. The up-and-comers were practicing another technique of Team Quik: “taking the edge off,” as the boys say — laughing over a couple of beers and regaling in the base love for surfing that got them to this elite playing field.

“I’m learning more about what this whole thing is about,” Zeke said. “We’re traveling and going to all these places, and it’s supposed to be fun. Everyone’s supposed to be out here enjoying the place and the culture and the waves that we get to come surf — it’s some of the best in the world, so I’ve always got to make sure I’m feeling good, having fun, laughing with the boys, just kicking back and not taking it too seriously. We’re gonna work when it’s time to work, but I want to make sure I’m having fun at the same time.” Giving Back with Mauli Ola Foundation On the final day of the Quiksilver and Roxy Pro Gold Coast 2017, Zeke woke up with the sun as usual. He did a surf check, heard the comp was on, and went down to support his fellow competitors and enjoy the show. While he was cheering on childhood friend Coco Ho during her last heat of the contest, he was asked to volunteer at neighboring Rainbow Bay alongside Nathan Hedge for the Mauli Ola Foundation, a Hawaiian nonprofit supported by professional surfers worldwide as they push children with cystic fibrosis into waves and help them pop up, inhaling the therapeutic saline air that the ocean’s waves release. “Once they told me, I didn’t even flinch, I just went down there and went for it. I think it’s great,” Lau said of the volunteer opportunity, having worked with Mauliola previously alongside Kala Alexander on Oahu. “I just worked with one kid alone today. He was probably like 6 or 7, his name was Aiden. He was psyched from the moment I shook his hand, he was just stoked. He had been surfing a couple times before…he was a little animal. It was good fun.”

Age: Forever 29 Stomping grounds: Spaceship Planet Earth, currently flying first class on the beautiful North Shore of Oahu. Years shooting: Life, 10; Surf, 7. Equipment: All Canon digital cameras and glass. Contax t2 film. CMT Waterhousing. DJI Phantom 4 Pro Drone. Words to live by: Respect the Earth and all of its inhabitants. Inspiration: My kids. They inspire me everyday to work harder and a be a more quality person. Big thanks to: CMT Waterhousings, Tambor Acai, Imperial Motion, Avasol Organic Sun Protection, Speaqua Sound Co, and Freesurf for publishing my first photo ever in print and the continuous support over the years. Social: @Laserwolf.Photo

PORTFOLIO

Mikey Wright is an absolute beast and one of my favorite guys to shoot.

"Sun Child". One of my first and best selling printed images. Hair stylists froth over it.

"Cosmic Morning" has been another big print seller for me. I shot this one early one spring morning. The sunrise was on fire with so many different shades of orange and pink.

I was anti-drone for a couple years. They're just so invasive and I feel like the video angle got played out so fast. I finally caved and got one, and now I'm kind of hooked. It's cool to get a different perspective of Earth.

John John. Backdoor or a bowl of Ramen Noodles?

One of my favorite things about living in Hawaii is how photogenic it is here. Even when it's flat you can always find something amazing to shoot.

I came across Lena and her soul fro on the west side of Oahu. I was blown away when she told me she never modeled before. I hired her for a shoot I did for Von Zipper. She was a natural and became the face of VZ Summer 17' Campaign.

Koa Smith, no stranger to the POV.

Slater, John John and Mason are the best Pipe surfers in the world at Pipe, right after Jamie Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien. In a freesurf out there, the guy just canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be beat.

I never shot much from the beach but I found a killer deal on an older 300mm 2.8 lens. My first time shooting with it, I picked off this shot of John John at Log Cabins. Hurley bought it and it's still a favorite shot of mine.

Welcome home Champ.

Pacific Islands

And many more!

www.worldsurfaris.com

Maldives

AFFILIATED WITH

MONTROSE TRAVEL CST# 1018299

Reservations Specialist

SEAN WALKER sean@worldsurfaris.com

Indo

(877) 617-1328

2017 SUMMER BEACH & BOARD BUYERS GUIDE

By Chris Latronic

Photos Keoki

Length, width, thickness, volume, concave, rocker, flex, composition, hand shaped, machine shaped, symmetrical, asymmetrical, nose shape, tail shape...the list of specs one needs to build a magic board can go on and on, but there is nothing more enlightening and gratifying then seeing all that math combined and finished into a beautifully crafted piece work and feeling it ride on an open, watery canvas.

Board technology is at an all time high, with new ideas blossoming across the quiver spectrum, aiding the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best as they blow the roof off progressive performance. Surfers are going deeper in the barrel, airs are going higher, turns are faster with more power, and transitive

flow is an afterthought. Today, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a board of every flavor out there and the shave ice man has an extra ice cream scoop to sweeten the deal. In the following pages, we provide a shopping list to the latest and greatest inventions of the surfboard/machine

age. These creations are confectionary giants and have been fine tuned by artists of distinguished experience. Summer is coming and now is a great time to dial in a shred stick along with that summer bikini bod, or dial in that summer bod with a shred

stick. Whatever your fancy, I assure you that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll find some relationship to it here. Choosing a new board is an emotional roller coaster, so ride it hard. In following pages, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll witness the present and future potential of surfboards all while becoming a part of it. Enjoy the ride!

Heff Benji Brand Eric Arakawa Designs

Chris Latronic

Are there any new innovations to the shaping industry this year? Glenn Pang: I've been working with Arctic Foam lately, trying to develop a new blank that is a fusion of both poly and EPS. With the new blank, you will have the benefits of EPS, which is a little lighter, more buoyant and responsive, without the negatives that a lot of surfers don't care for in EPS, which would be the board sitting too much on top of the water that sometimes causes chatter and not enough follow through on the turns. Early prototypes look very promising in the R&D stage, and hopefully we'll be able to get it out to our customers very soon.

Jeff Timpone: Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been a lot of small changes recently, like more environmentally-friendly boards, adding

Local Motion Keanu Asing

Heff

Wade Tokoro: I see that there are a lot of different types of foam, resins and the combination of them with carbon or kevlar composites to acquire a specific flex pattern. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been using epoxy resins with the combination of PU blanks and receiving great feedback in terms of the performance and durability.

Billy Choi RJ Surfboards

Eric Arakawa Designs Sling Shot

Eric Arakawa Designs XO Series Amplifire

Hawaiian Island Creations Bandit

5'8 x 21" x 2.56" 35.2L

Custom Orders Only

Shaper: Eric Arakawa

This is the XO series

5’7” X 19.5” X 2.38” Volume: 27.2 Liters

This twin keel fin design

version of EA’s premier

The versatile Bandit

blends a 70’s

high performance model.

is the perfect all-

outline with a modern

It would be difficult to

around summer

bottom shape. It features

compare this to your

board. It catches

more tail rocker with a

last Amplifire. Response

waves easily and

single concave that runs

and speed are brought

performs well in small

deepest above the fin

to a whole new level.

mushy conditions.

area for added lift and

Durability is increased,

But it should not to

speed. For that retro style

weight is decreased. This

be regarded as a

and sweeping lines, this

board is made to harness

groveler only, it is a

board is a fun alternative

the maximum amount of

high-performance

for almost any wave. It's

energy for bigger turns,

shortboard in a

bred for long open faces,

loftier airs, and deeper

mini-board disguise.

but is also a trusty secret

barrels

The Bandit is fast

weapon when it comes

—whether it’s firing or just

and loose. It squirts

to fast barrels on those

that little windswell slop.

through flat sections

Futures, FCS, or Glass-on

and powers through

hollow days. $585 ericarakawasurfboards.com

ericarakawasurfboards.com

the pocket, handling

@ericarakawadesigns

the barrel with ease.

(808) 637-0068

@ericarakawadesigns

Available Tail shapes:

(808) 637-0068

Squash, Bat Tail and Swallow. hicsurf.com

Hi-Tech Classic Ole Longboard

Local Motion Keanu Asing Model Shaper: Wade Tokoro

Hand-shaped by 87-year-

5’ 9 x 18 3/8 x 2 5/16 vol. 25L

old Bob "Ole" Olson, of

Lahaina. "Ole" has been

Keanu Asing the K1 model is

fine tuning his shaping

a high performance

craft for over 60 years.

shortboard made for all types of conditions which

9'6" Noserider

Keanu surfs in Hawaii and

23 1/4" width

various locations all over

3 1/8" thickness

the world. The slightly

single fin

fuller outline makes it easy to paddle while

surfmaui.com

the relaxed nose & tail rocker accompanied by a single to double concave bottom allows for quick explosive maneuvers. info@localmotioninc.com IG @localmotionhawaii localmotionhawaii.com

RJ Surfboards Vagabond A very versatile fish with a full outline and generous foam distribution. Great for gutless waves but can definitely handle size as well as surf vertically. Ride in knee high to overhead surf. rjsurfboards.com @rjsurfboards

Heff

Steve Morgan: When responding to this question, my first thought is the Hawaiian saying “I ka wa ma mua, ka wa ma hope” which when translated means “The future is found in the past”. Ultimately, every new concept is in someway linked to the past. When discussing the modern surfboard, which ultimately was the creation of Dick Brewer as he introduced aerodynamic principles to the surfboard for the first time, from that time forward we have continued to explore the boundaries of these principles. The current trend for short boards continues to be shorter and wider. For longboards, tones of old school and deeper vees - for better pivot - seems to be the trend. Maybe the twin hull will still see its day in the future. Jud Lau: Some differences include stringer placements, carbon wraps. We’re also playing with the flex in the boards, and that’s a huge component to surfboard performance. What is the middle point between performance and durability?

Rock

some new twists to bottom contours, fangled bottoms, things like that.

Keoki

Surfboard Factory Outlet Kiron Jabour

Surfboard Factory Outlet Promatik

Surfboard Factory Outlet The Riley

Surfboard Factory Outlet The “Moli”

Shaper: Dan Ernest

Shaper: Kim Purington

Brand: Apex

8’2 x 21.75 x 2.63

5’11 x 18.75 x 2.38

Dimensions: 9’0 x 30.5

The promatik is designed to

Great for small wave

x 4.5

be a user-friendly board for

groveling and high-

The “Moli” was designed

both beginner and advanced

performance surfing.

in Hawaii as a board

surfers. A slight concave

Riley’s lower entry

that does it all. Whether

nose blends into vee panels

enables you to surf those

you’re a weekend warrior

and spiral vee concave

smaller mushier days

in need or exercise or

through the fin area, helping

without hindering

advanced surfer looking

to generate speed and

performance. The

for performance, this SUP

looseness in the pocket.

moderate tail rocker and

was designed to fill the

single concave allow for

needs of both. Nothing

quick turns and lots of

extreme in the shape,

speed. This is the one-

just a fun, versatile board,

board solution for waves

giving beginners stability

you ride most of the

in flat water, to the more

time.

advanced folks riding the surf.

(808) 543-2145

sales@surfboardfactoryoutlet.com

facebook: @SFOHawaii

instagram: @surfboardfactoryhawaii

Surfboard Factory Outlet Buck Dhort

Surfboard Factory Outlet Pod Mod

Shaper: Steve Morgan

Shaper: Jason Kashiwai

Shaper: Al Merrick

5’8 x 19.25 x 2.38

5’10 x 19.75 x 2.56

(808) 543-2145 sales@surfboardfactoryoutlet.com facebook: @SFOHawaii instagram: @surfboardfactoryhawaii

Surfboard Factory Outlet DX3

5’10 x 20.88 x 2.63 The Pod Mod is a

The DX3 is a super responsive hybrid

This is a step down, meant

heavily modified Pod.

design. Concave

to be ridden 2-4 inches

It’s designed to be

bottom creates more

shorter than your

ridden even shorter

lift and additional

everyday board. Great

and wider than the

tail rocker for more

for small days, but also

original, catering to the

responsive turning. The

good for performance

surfer who wants a little

unique outline allows

surfing. Has fuller rails,

more volume forward

for more surface area

and just a little fuller foil to

to catch waves but

without bogging or

keep the volume up with

doesn’t want to sacrifice

second-guessing the

deep single concave and

performance. The tail

directional placement

squash tail.

has been widened for

of the board. The wings

small wave glide, with

are optimally located

a flat entry to concave

allowing for quick

vee for quick rail-to-rail

release and greater

transitions.

control.

(808) 543-2145

sales@surfboardfactoryoutlet.com

facebook: @SFOHawaii

instagram: @surfboardfactoryhawaii

Heff Leila Hurst Hawaiian Island Creations

Heff

Robert Grilho T&C Surf

Storm Blade 7ft Surfboard

T&C Surf Jump Off

Timpone Hawaii Pill

Shaper/artist: Glenn Pang

Shaper: Jeff Timpone

5’10” x 20” x 2” 3/4

Dim: 6’6” x 21” x 2.75”

This fish is your ultimate,

Great all-around shape

easy to ride, performance

for summer and winter

The Storm Blade 7ft

wave catcher. It has a full

conditions. This model

Surfboard has a classic

outline but not as wide

can be customized for

rounded nose shape with

as the Gobbler. Also has

personal specifications

ample width making it a

a flat through the nose

in any length. Our Maui

great introductory board

fading to a deep double

Leaf Lite construction

or a perfect supplement

concave in the center

includes innovative

leisure board for any

and into the fins with

recycled EPS, Hemp/

seasoned surfer. Foam

a slight vee off the tail.

Flax reinforcement, and

constructed with a superior

Should be order 3” to 4”

progressive plant-based

molded core, EBS™

shorter, 1/2” to 3/4” wider

epoxies, which make

(Elastomer Barrier Skin)

and 1/4” to 3/8” thicker

this a more sustainable

deck, HDPE Bottom, and

depending on how much

choice. All boards are

bolt thru 4.5” thruster

paddle power you are

hand-shaped with 49

set create a performance

seeking.

years of board-building

board that brings fun into

$500

experience.

Dims: 7’ x 22” x 3.25” x vol @ 70 ptrs

any day in the surf. tcsurf.com stormbladeboards.com

621-5000

Timponesurf@yahoo.com

@STORMBLADEBOARDS

facebook.com/tcsurf.fans

IG: @timponehawaii

@tcsurfboards

FB: Timpone Hawaii Surfboards

Wade Tokoro: The goal is to have a board that is durable without hindering performance. In order to get that middle point, you have to find the right combination of foam and materials.

get their money's worth; I don’t want someone to come back in 3 months saying their board snapped. There's ways to make the boards both durable and performance oriented.

Jud Lau: The better the surfer is, the more the board is geared towards performance. For beginner surfers, it’s all about durability, because they’re not used to carrying boards, so they’re more likely to bang them around. More experienced surfers, though, are used to having a board under their arm and the focus is on performance.

Speaking in terms of volume, how can the average surfer judge how thick of a board he or she needs?

board to another and furthermore, hand shaped boards are not computer built and lack volume measurements. The best starting point is relativity to a surfboard that the customer has found some level of satisfaction with in the past and from this point make incremental changes. This is true whether custom ordered or bought from a surf shop.

Jeff Timpone: I do about 95% custom boards, and if the customer is a beginner, then I’ll guide them into the size and durability level they need. One of my philosophies is that I want people to

Steve Morgan: For the average surfer, picking out a new board can be a tricky prospect, given the hype and expectations that may exist. In regard to thickness there is a greater reliance, especially with short-boards, in regard to volume measured in liters. To a point this is helpful but more so within the context of a given surfboard model. Volume displacement can make the effect of the same volume entirely different from one

Dan Ernest: More important than thickness is the overall volume of the design. Volume charts or scales are readily available online and offer a more accurate way of deciding how much foam you need based on your experience, weight or type of wave you plan on riding. Then you can take that volume calculation and have a shaper or salesman help you find the right board design to fit your needs.

Heff Hi-Tech Eli Hannemann

Keoki

Robin Johnston: Volume is your friend when you’re a lower level surfer. It’s about catching waves and getting high reps of rides to improve, so that would make less sitting around. For mid level surfers, you can go thinner. Jud Lau: More foam is more flotation, which enables you to paddle faster and catch more waves. Catching waves is half the battle, especially for beginners, because you won’t improve if you’re not catching waves. Mark Cunningham Da Fin

What are the best selling shapes/ models right now?

Heff

Robin Johnston: The Vagabond tends to be real popular, it’s user friendly and really versatile. The model is slightly like a fish, a performance hybrid fish. Wade Tokoro: The best selling boards right now are standard performance shortboards. We are also doing a lot of shorter and wider models too. Jud Lau: Generally speaking, in the past 10 years, everything started to open up.

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Heff

Glenn Pang: For the average surfer, we are seeing that they are liking boards with a little more volume, a little less rocker and fuller outlines. This gives them more paddle power and make the boards a little more forgiving in the water. There is also a resurgence in retro single fins and twin fins. Our Saint twinny has been making a big come back not only with our customers, but also with our team riders. How important is feedback from surfers/customers, good or bad? Eric Arakawa: Feedback is huge. For example, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been working on a team contract, and one of the things Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m putting into it is that the riders cannot sugarcoat anything. When giving feedback, you have to be honest and give the bad news as well as the good news. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need my ego built up. Sometimes, the best medicine is a slice of humble pie and that inspires you to do better.

Heff

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Heff Brent ilmann

Dan Ernest: As shapers and designers, we love seeing the smile on a customer’s face when they pick up their order. It feels even better when we get that positive phone call that the board works great, but I think we learn more about board design when the customer/surfer lets us know when a board doesn't do well. Bad feedback pushes us to refine our current shapes and try new designs.

Heff

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Robin Johnston: I’m constantly calling my team riders, asking them how their most recent boards are working. When they tell me one magic, I document it. All feedback is welcome.

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Shaping for pros vs shaping for the average surfer: are there any differences?

Brent ilmann

Jud Lau: Feedback is the most important thing in shaping. That’s what helps you improve. You don’t improve as a surfer if you don’t receive feedback and don’t look at what you’re doing. It’s the same with shaping. Negative feedback is almost more valuable than positive feedback.

Ryan Moss

me after they ride the board, because I want to know what they think. The best feedback I get is when a customer will order another board, whether it’s a year or 3-4 years later. I had a guy who bought a board from me back in the mid 80s and he sent me a photo of it, and said that he wanted another board. As a business person you want return customers, and today, it can be hard to talk to shapers. You can order a model and such so I try and make myself physically accessible, where anyone can walk in my shop and we can talk where you’re going with your surfing and how want to progress.

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Jeff Timpone: For more experienced surfers, I make the boards a little more edgy, like more rocker in certain places, thinner rails, accentuate the concaves. For pros, they want a more sensitive board than the average surfer.

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Q U I V E R S /

KEKOA BACALSO By Cash Lambert Photos Tony Heff

There’s only one way to earn the nickname Bam - in reference to the Flintstones character - and that’s to hit something with power! With aggression! With unbridled force! Watch Kekoa Bacalso - the Mililani-born 2009 ASP Rookie of the Year - surf, from the lineup or the safe confines of shore, and it’s easy to see why he earned the moniker: he slashes open faces with power gouges. He hacks funky closeout sections. He throws his body weight against peeling lips. And all the while spray flies towards the heavens. With so much wielded force, what are his weapons of choice during these saltwater massacres? About an hour before paddling out at Pipeline on a spring afternoon, the 31-year-old arrived at the Billabong team house with 5 boards in tow, ready to talk story. “Hmmm….I’m going to ride today my 6’0” squash today,” he said, eyeing the 3-4 foot northwest swell that turned the sea into a playground overnight. “Freddy P is about to bog rail!...oh he didn’t...no one is out today. Here’s Burger at Backdoor!...and Freddy just smashed that lip.”

With a lull in the swell, he turned around and looked at his quiver, itching to paddle out. We’ll try and be quick Kekoa, we know you want to get out there. So what’s new? We heard you have a new role with Rip Curl. I’m transitioning into a marketing role, my title is Marketing Representative. I help out with the Sales Accounts and also coach with the Rip Curl Hawaii team. A couple of guys I have on my roster right now are Brisa Hennessy, Robert Grilho III, Diego Ferri, Cole Alves and others. Let’s talk about your boards: how have you been fine tuning them lately? I’ve been adding a little more foam, because I’m full figured [laughs]. I haven’t been using my 7’0” and 6’9” because I’m scared to surf 25-foot Pipe and those crazy days at Off the Wall. I pick my battles. I love my surfboards and I want them to last a long time. Give us a board breakdown.

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Q U I V E R S /

K E K O A

B A C A L S O

kid...he’s creative, and that stokes me out as a surfer. And is that something you talk to the kids about? Working on a good relationship with their shaper? I almost wish and hope for the future that the kids can have that communication and relationship towards their shaper where they can open up their mind and tell them straight. For example, look at Darren Handley and Mick Fanning. Those guys are best friends, and that should be, you know, the goal of how you talk with your shaper. The two may joke, but when it comes down to business, they make the Mick magic. That’s what I strive to do with Glenn. He’s a great guy and is easy to work with, and I want to keep it going. You’ve traveled extensively, so do you have any tips to protecting boards from airline-induced dings?

This first board on the left is my Martin Potter Saint model. It’s 5’9”, 19 3/4 and 2 5/8ths. It’s a twin fin and is extremely thick, made for laziness and 1-2 foot Chuns Reef [laughs]. This second board is a 5’9”, 19 3/4 and 2 and 5/8ths. It’s a little fuller. Joel Centeio and I used to ride wing swallows as kids during Nationals, and I thought it’d be cool to have that in the quiver. It’s one of my best all around boards, from spring to summer. The bat tail swallow, the wing is a pivot point and the swallow makes it looser. It goes really fast; it works really good. My 6’0” CMG is my all around shortboard, and it works insane. It’s my go-to shortboard, and right next to her is another 6’0” that is a thumbtail. It’s the best board for Haleiwa and 6-foot and under. My 6’6”, that’s my biggest board. When you were on the World Tour, was your quiver any different? Or more the same? Three to 5 years ago, my quiver would probably be the same. Eight years ago when I was on Tour, this was quadruple. All of these are increments of 3 inches, and back then I had everything per inch. What’s your relationship with your shaper, Glenn Pang, like? I call Glenn the master chef. When you have visions and you throw it to him he says something like ‘you don’t want too much pepper, you actually want salt.’ He’ll spice it up. It’s cool to work with a shaper who is shaping something outside of the box, too. I’ve ridden the 6’0” squash all my life, and to work with someone who changes things, like the bottoms, is great. I have a Martin Potter board from the 80s, another shape that I had when I was a

It is out of your control and the reality is that your boards might get destroyed. The main thing that I tell the kids is to be a step ahead. When you have a good quiver, communicate with your shapers and always go home to fresh equipment. There will always be wear and tear, so just be on top of it. Is there an art to stickering a board? Is there a reason one sticker goes in one area, and another sticker sideways or upside down? I like to keep it simple. As you can see, all my boards look exactly the same. I used to go nuts with the colors, but now I’m so eager to get these in the ocean that I don’t think about it as much. I thought the Rip Curl sticker looked cool in the corner. But like I said, I’m as basic as possible. Some guys get superstitious about the logo and sometimes I’ve had that magic board, so I’ve spray painted it and put the stickers on the exact same to try and have a resurrection thing. You laughed about your “bigger frame” earlier - is foam your friend on Oahu? Or do you stick to thinner boards? Don’t be afraid of foam. I was always in denial about foam, but foam is your friend, especially around these parts. A lot of my boards are thicker and wider these days and it's one of the best things ever. I feel like I rode too small of a board previously. It’s always good to talk to shaper and have a good relationship and ask these kinds of questions.

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U N D E R G R O U N D

By Cash Lambert

Paddling out at Ala Moana Bowls at the beginning of summer, there’s multiple senses that can attract your attention. Like the modern skyscrapers contrasting with Diamond Head, your feet still burning from the parking lot asphalt and someone absolutely terrorizing the wave, pulling into green water barrels with a relaxed style and flinging spray into the air. After reaching the lineup and giving it a quick survey, you’ll see the same surfer, who has a strong build and snow white smile, talking to those around him. You also notice that he could pull off looking exactly like Sunny Garcia on Halloween, if he added a few tattoos. He’ll introduce himself as Derek Lyons-Wolfe, a 38-year-old Kauai native who calls Town home. Evident are stickers on his board, though surfing comes second to other priorities today. The first thing he’s likely to talk about in between sets is the swell, and what the winds are forecasted to do. Secondly, how Bowls has become much more than a place to surf. It’s where

his community is, where he can talk story and escape from the pressures of the daily grind, all the while wielding his patented power and barrel arsenal.

Growing up, how did you feel about contests Derek? Did you like them? I didn’t like contests, but I did them anyway because people told me that was what I had to do in order to get known. I’d fly to Oahu for States, and I remember feeling that the people were so intimidating, because back on Kauai, you just surf with no sponsors. Where did you call your home break? Kealia Beach, which is on the East side. The Kauai surf scene is so different than Oahu’s, with far less

U N D E R G R O U N D

D E R E K

L Y O N S

- if any - coverage. What was that like, surfing because out of desire and not coverage?

family. But underground means still psyching on surfing and showing up and ripping when it’s good.

That’s all I knew; I didn’t know anything else. Then I moved to Oahu at age 21 and realized how special it was to have that. Now that I look back on it, I’m really proud to be a part of the Kauai scene. I love it, and everyone is underground over there. They charge, and surfing is about passion. That’s it.

Why is Bowls your hanai homebreak?

Why did you make the move to Oahu at 21? I moved to take the next step in surfing. I had to work the whole time, because I didn’t get much support. I actually have now support more than ever, and that’s from Vertra, Kicks Hawaii, Hurley, Kona Red, T&C Surf and Spy, and boards from Glenn Pang. For me, the care was there, but it never happened. I had my daughter when I was 28, and once that happened, I knew I

I’m in that area. When I first moved here, I surfed Kaiser’s, then I moved over to Bowls. I met a lot of good people and I made really good friendships. That’s what made me like the wave more. I talk story with everyone; it’s a meeting area, where we surf perfect waves and watch our friends surf perfect waves. Have memories of any all time sessions that stick out in your mind? When you surf Bowls often, you really start to learn about what makes it work and when it’s going to be good. I can remember we had 6-8 foot swell, but with really onshore winds. So a few friends and I noticed that it would storm for an hour in the afternoon and right after that storm the winds would completely switch. So we showed up during the storm and paddled out and just as we expected, the winds changed and we surfed 6-8 foot clean Bowls all by ourselves. Bowls is notoriously crowded: have any tips on getting waves? There’s no secret, just show face and do it right. Respect the boys who have been out there for years, surf your best and don’t waste a wave. Everyone out there is pretty cool.

had to figure something out. I didn’t want to be that guy, you know, still trying to get that surfing life. How do you balance surfing with your work, being an electrician? Surfing comes after everything now. If I have the time to surf after work, I will. And on the weekends, if I don’t have my daughter, I’ll surf all day. Sometimes I’m able to get off work early and try and get out there.

What’s your definition of Underground? Underground, to me, is someone who isn’t in the spotlight but stays true to surfing. Someone who is good enough to be in the spotlight, but sometimes there’s other priorities, like work and 82

What are you looking forward to this summer? A lot of southwest Town swells, hopefully we can get some west for the west bowl. That, along with seeing all the boys. When it gets big, the North Shore boys come down there too. Overall, I’m looking forward to just hanging out and getting sunburned. Because whether it’s 2 or 10 feet, it’s fun. What are your thoughts on the level of surfing coming out of Hawaii? It’s fun to see that my favorite surfers are younger than me, like Zeke [Lau]. I’m so happy he’s on Tour. I’m a fan of his power surfing, and he can do everything in the air. Watching these kids do what they do, like Barron Mamiya, it’s a whole different level. I’m a fan, and those guys make me froth to go out and surf.

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Heff

J U N I O R

BARRON MAMIYA By Cash Lambert

“When I was a little kid, like 3 or 4 years old, my Dad would get me after work and we’d go surf. He’d say ‘it’s 3 feet today’ and I would say ‘I’m 3 years old, I can surf it.’ I thought however old you are, you could surf that big of a wave, it’s no big deal.” This is what Barron Mamiya, 15-years-old at the time, said to a camera that was filming for his Hurley Youth edit, which consisted of 6 minutes of massive Teahupoo and Pipeline barrels themed to adrenaline-pulsing jams. Today, Barron is 17-years-old and the edit has over 80,000 views and counting. He may not have his sights set on 17-foot waves, but the North Shore native is aiming for success in the competitive arena: He started off this year on an absolute tear, winning not one, not two, but 3 WSL Hawaii Junior Pros. While his short term tunnel vision is set on making it out of deep Pipe and Backdoor barrels, his long term vision is focused on the WSL’s Championship Tour, something he’s preparing for by grinding it out on the QS.

How has 2017 been different for you, Barron? It’s been a good year so far, winning three contests. This year, I want to try and get better and improve and do really well on the QS, and qualify for Primes next year, just working on my surfing. I don’t want to jump onto the QS and look like a little kid, you know. I want to show people that I can surf small waves, too. How much did boards play into your win at the Pro Junior at Sunset? I rode a 6’4” and felt weird about it, because I didn’t know if it was going to work. There were some solid 8-10 footers coming through, and that’s a small board for Sunset especially. I took it out anyway and in my first heat I only got a 5 and a 4. I was super nervous, just surfing not to lose. The next heat I clicked in and the board felt great. It was the best board I’ve ridden out there, and I was getting the waves I wanted.

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R E P O R T /

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M A M I Y A Keoki

J U N I O R

going out there and surfing. If I don’t win, it’s all good because sometimes the waves don’t come, and if the waves do come and I lose, I have to take what I did bad and don’t do it again.

And then you won the next event in Tahiti. Yeah, it was small there and I had a really good board too. I went with my friends, didn’t have a coach, so it was mellow, just surf and catch waves and do the basics. I stuck to that and won. And after that, the Pipe Pro Junior. That was the best win for sure. Last year I knew I could surf Pipe, but I didn’t know if I could surf small waves. After my edit a lot of people were telling me, ‘oh he can only surf big waves, he can only get barreled,’ so I think just

What about pre-heat jams? Anything you’ve been listening to lately that you dig? working super hard and trying different boards, getting used to other waves has been a big help. You frequently note that you’re hard on yourself, speaking in terms of your mindset. Is that because you have great expectations for your surfing career? I expect a lot. There’s a lot of great kids up and coming in the next generation, and I want to stand out and show that I’m not here to cruise and not do anything. I’m here to surf and put on a performance for everyone. And I am pretty hard on myself, but I want to show everyone that I’m not just some guy who can get barreled. Sometimes, if I make a heat I can still feel like I lost.

Travis Scott’s new album. What have you learned about yourself throughout this hot streak?

What does the rest of the year look like for you?

It’s taught me a lot. Last year, I was injured and didn’t do a lot of comps, so I didn’t get the results I wanted. I told myself that I was going to go home and just get ready for 2017 and work super hard. I got some really good boards, and I put in a lot of time stretching and doing technique work in the offseason. Now, I’m just

Doing contests. One in California, soon, I may go to another in Barbados. I’ll do a surf trip too this summer. This is the first full year I’ll have done the QS, and my goal is to make it into the Triple Crown. If I can make heats at Haleiwa and Sunset and do well in some QS 10,000s, hopefully I can eventually qualify for the CT. Have any words of advice to the groms who want to be in your position one day, chasing the QS? Just don’t get mixed up in the wrong crowd, work hard, and you’ll get there for sure. There’s so many kids nowadays, so find a way to separate yourself until you make it.

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FIELD NOTES FROM SUSTAINABLE COASTLINES’ STATEWIDE CLEANUP IN LESS THAN ONE WEEK By Kahi Pacarro Photos Jeff Hawe The chopper lifted off from the rocky coastline of northern Lanai with the doors off and an expediency to keep us on schedule. We buzzed past Kai Lenny as he paddled in from Maui. Just the day before, he hydrofoiled from Hawaii Island through the Alenuihaha Channel to Maui, and was on a mission to travel between

all the islands on human and wind power in less than a single week. Our cheers were drowned out by the beating of the helicopter blades, but we yelled nonetheless. What he was doing was unprecedented and so was the task we were attempting: pulling off a statewide cleanup in less than a week meant a non-stop itinerary including planes, sailboats, powerboats, a ferry, and this helicopter. As Kai arrived to Lanai, half our crew remained to finish cleaning and to greet him while the other half were off to Molokai to set up the 88

second cleanup that same day. Problem was, we weren’t sure where we were going. The flight was quick but the memory will last a lifetime. Screaming over the ocean at 80 mph and 30 feet above the surface is thrilling, but our landing was unforgettable. Time is money when flying a chopper and we had a schedule to keep.

When the pilot found a suitable landing spot he muttered over the static “this will work”. Perhaps this was the mark on the map, but we were pretty sure it wasn’t. He dive bombed towards an open pasture causing our eyes to bulge, jaws to clench, and few of us to touch cotton. Pulling up just before imminent danger, he gently placed us in an open field surrounded with NO TRESPASSING signs that we didn’t see until later. The feeling of land temporarily allowed our hearts to calm down. The helicopter lifted off as quickly as it had landed and

and beach cleanup signs, looking at each other and a member of our party said “This could go one of two ways.” The driver didn’t even wait for the SUV and as the giant tanned bruddah stepped out of the truck - in what seemed like slow motion - and our hearts were once again beating at full speed. Locking his eyes on us without a smile he says in a deep voice, “And you are?”

headed back to Lanai to continue shuttling crew and clarify the actual landing spot. To the few locals nearby, the speed of the maneuver looked like we had crash landed and a big white pickup truck was speeding towards us blazing its own road through the grassy field with an SUV closely behind. We stood there with our bags

Our adventure started just a day and a half earlier and we had already hosted a cleanup in Pololu Valley on Hawaii Island, Kite Beach on Maui and Maunalei Bay on Lanai. The goal was to cleanup a dirty beach on every main Hawaiian Island in order to raise awareness about the global scale of plastic pollution. We were also highlighting Kai Lenny’s commitment to leading by example and

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spreading the message further than the shores of Hawaii. He would be doing this by hydrofoiling between every island and meeting us at the beach cleanup.

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When Kai first set off from the remote beach of Pololu at the top of Hawai'i Island, the task ahead seemed daunting. Both from our side at Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii but also from his side tackling some of the world's most dangerous channels on nothing more than human and wind power. Luckily with both our experiences, although we’d never done it before, we knew we could. But here we were, on Molokai at risk of taking some major lickings after landing unbeknownst on private property. To answer the man's question of “And you are?” We quickly responded in deadpan voices, “Uh, we’re with Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii.”

LESS TIME GETTING THE THERE = MORE TIME BEING THERE.

Every August, we visit Molokai to host a huge cleanup at Mo’omomi Beach. We also present at schools and even at the local watering hole about the detriments of plastic overuse and how we can keep our coastlines clean. Luckily for us, Molokai is a tight knit community and Uncle knew of us. His posture quickly

changed and a smile revealed the reason why this awesome island is also known as the Friendly Isle. As the SUV rolled up, he gave them a nod signifying all was good. We told him we were headed to Pu’u O Hoku Ranch to cleanup, to which Uncle had a bit of a chuckle. We were about 8 miles off course. He showed us a nice shady patch and the local store where we could relax and then bid us a warm “Aloha”. We were still stranded, but like life tends to do when you allow it, everything worked out fine. We grabbed a ride to the Ranch, met up with the rest of the crew including Kai and removed roughly 6,000 lbs of debris off a coastline that according to the locals, had never been cleaned before. The journey continued and we cleaned Oahu and Kauai. The whole project was a huge success with 326 people volunteering to remove 11,049 pounds of debris off of our coastlines. Join us during our next adventure and learn more at sustainablecoasltineshawaii. org. Kahi Pacarro is the Executive Director for Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii.

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INDUSTRY NOTES

Congratulations to Tyler and Tara Rock, two members of the Freesurf Magazine family who tied the knot on April 8 at a beautiful Hilo backdrop. Tyler has served as Freesurfâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Multimedia Director for a decade, shooting monumental swells and editing segments for Freesurfmagazine.com and Board Stories TV. From all of us here at Freesurf, you two Rock!

Asing unleashed his deadly backhand attack to fend off event standout Shane Campbell in an incredible Final that came down to the final exchange. Though the Hawaiian had a secure lead that required a 9.77 from the Australian, Campbell's persistence was relentless. But, Asing found a perfect 10 at the buzzer, adding to his 9.50, and Campbell was left in a combination situation regardless of his final score. "I was just fortunate to have God on my side all day and I have to dedicate this win to him, it's Easter Sunday and it's for him so that makes this day that much more special for me," Asing said. "I knew it was going to be a long day and I just had to finish what I came here to do. The waves got better each and every heat throughout the day and I couldn't be happier to keep surfing. Shane [Campbell] is an extremely talented surfer and he just kept coming at me until I finally got that 10 for the knockout punch, but he's going to be one to watch moving forward." In April, Hawaiian powerhouse Keanu Asing won the inaugural Barbados Surf Pro Qualifying Series (QS) 3,000. It was the first-ever QS event to descend upon Barbadian shores and the waves responded as the final day of competition progressed to offer ideal Drill Hall Beach conditions.

"I'm not even thinking about the Tour that much. I just want to enjoy surfing heats," Asing added. "The pressure's not on me, it's on everybody else. I just want to keep working on my surfing and I go back to the drawing board each and every event to see what I can do better. I made a lot of mistakes throughout the week, but today I feel like I corrected many of those which really led me to a win."

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INDUSTRY NOTES In early April, Hawaii’s own John John Florence won the 2017 Drug Aware Margaret River pro, held in six-to-eight foot surf at Main Break, in Western Australia. Florence displayed his powerful laybacks and rail carves to earn two excellent wave scores from the judges. The Hawaiian ended up with a total heat score of 19.03 points, and a new award for his trophy room, beating California’s Kolohe Andino. "This is one of my favorite places to come to in the world,” said Florence. “There is such an abundance of different and amazing waves. The crowd we get for the event is awesome, and it's just such a special event.”

Heff

The result jumped Florence atop the Jeep Leaderboard heading into the last event of the Australian leg, the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach.

Kauai’s Bethany Hamilton will be inducted into the 2017 Surfers’ Hall of Fame as it celebrates its 20th year of paying tribute to individuals who have made an indelible mark on the sport, industry and culture of surfing. The 2017 inductees, which also includes 3x World Champion Mick Fanning, will have their hand and footprints immortalized in cement for the ages on Friday, August 4 at 9am in front of Huntington Surf & Sport; under the watchful eye of Duke Kahanamoku, the sport’s spiritual leader whose statue anchors the Surfers’ Hall of Fame. This year’s induction ceremony features the inductees, family, friends, pro surfers and industry titans and is open to the public, free-of-charge. More info is available at www.hsssurf.com/pages/shof.

Kona Brewing Co. employees embraced the spirit of Earth Day on Saturday April 22, 2017 with a clean-up at Ke‘ei Beach, a site of historical significance. Ke‘ei Beach was the site of King Kamehameha the Great’s first battle where he fought for rule over the Big Island. Today, this battleground is a popular fishing and camping spot that collects unsightly trash along the coastline. The Kona Brew Pub crew cleaned up fishing line, plastic, and other debris that mar the marine sanctuary and pose hazards to turtles and other marine life that call Kealakekua Bay home. “We wanted to do something to help the local marine environment,” said Debbie Jost, Kona Brewing Pub and Growler Shack Manager. “We’ll also donate a portion of proceeds from Big Wave sales at both of our brew pubs this week to community partners who work year-round to care for our ocean.” Kona Brewing Co. also gave a portion of proceeds from sales of Big Wave Golden Ale, the ‘Hipa Hipa’ beer special at its Hawaii Kai and Kona pubs between April 18th-22nd to longtime environmental partners Sustainable Coastlines, Surfrider Foundation, Malama Maunalua, and Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative. Kona Brewing Co. donates more than $120,000 annually to a variety of local non-profit organizations that are committed to preserving Hawaii’s unique environmental and cultural treasures.

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Heff

INDUSTRY NOTES

Kalani David has a new sticker on his surfboard, and a new team house to call home on the North Shore: Volcom. After several health complications, we’re stoked to see back on the surfboard and skateboard, Kalani! World Tour rookie Ezekiel Lau achieved his best result on the World Title at the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, making it all the way into the semifinals, where he lost to eventual winner Jordy Smith. "I’m sticking to my game plan, just being patient for the exact wave I want, and it’s been working out,” Zeke said before his semifinal heat. “I feel like I've been building confidence through each heat, and if I can put on a good performance and feel good when I come out of the water, I've achieved my goal and the results will come." The finish saw him jump to 11th on the Jeep Leaderboard headed into the Oi Rio Pro.

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The 2017 WSL Big Wave Award nominees were announced and six Hawaii athletes were nominated within the seven categories. These names include Trevor Sven Carlson, Billy Kemper, Kai Lenny, Paige Alms, Keala Kennelly and Nathan Florence. The categories included Billabong Ride of the Year (top-line category, $125k prize purse, 1st place receives $75k plus $6k for videographer; Kemper is nominated), Paddle Award (Carlson gets the nod), Tag Heuer XXL Biggest Wave Award (Carlson and Lenny nominated), Surfline Men's Best Overall Performance (Carlson, Kemper and Lenny), Women's Best Performance (Alms and Kennelly), Tube of the Year Award and Tag Heuer Wipeout of the Year Award (Florence nominated).

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LAST LOOK Koa Rothman, the winner of the 2016/2017 Wave of the Winter, bids farewell to late season swells at Pipeline with one last taste of an adrenaline-pulsing barrel. Photo: Keoki