Freesurf July 2023

Seen through

Anthony Walsh Photo Brent Bielmann

The accounts below are donating $1.00 for every “Mahalo Margarita” sold in 2023 to AccesSurf to support the disabled military veterans and teach them how to Surf. Cuervo Tradicional is matching those donations to AccesSurf.

OAHU

604 Alehouse

Beachhouse by 604

El Ranchero Kapolei & Wahiawa

Kuhio Avenue Food Hall

Lay Low

Mahi'ai Table (Foodland)

Manifest

Margarita's

Mekiko Cantina

Princess Kaiulani Hotel

Scratch Kitchen

Suzie Wong's

TJ's Sports Bar

Waikiki Beach Marriott

Westin Moana Surfrider Hotel

BIG ISLAND

Bianelli's Pizza

Hilo Hawaiian Hotel

Lava Shack

Luquin's Mexican

Pineapple's

MAUI

Bobby V's Italian Restaurant

Fleetwood's

KAUAI

Jimmy's Grill

Living Foods Restaurant

Milagro's

FREE PARKING

Nothing says summer time in Hawai'i quite like a nice slice off the top at Ala Moana Bowls. Haven Ingbin Francisco with a classic slice during the Local Motion Surf Into Summer.

Photo Mike Latronic

DINE LIKE A LEGEND

AT ANY OF OUR 6 LOCATIONS

Enjoy spectacular ocean views and Hawaiian-style dining at its finest with a selection of local sustainably caught fish and premium cuts of meat.

Editorial

Editor / Publisher

Mike Latronic

Photo Director

Brian Bielmann

Art Director

John Weaver

Editorial Assistants

Kaea Latronic, Rebecca Parsons, Lowell Burton

Business Administration

Cora Sanchez (808) 2609219

Executive Assistant

Nico Rostom

West Coast Distribution & Sales

Chuck Hendsch (619) 227-9128

Distribution & Advertising Inquiries (808) 260-9219

Staff Shooters

Brent Bielmann, Mike Latronic, Aukai Ng, John Weaver

Contributing Writers

Aukai Ng, Rebecca Parsons, Alexandra Kahn, Daniel Ikaika Ito, Nicole Nason

Contributing Photographers

Alex Heil, Dooma Photos, Dayanidhi Das, Jason Kenworthy, Stu Soley, Mark Rodrigues, Aaron Lynton, Kurt Steinmetz, Mike Ito, Nick Gruen, Ryan Miller, Tommy Pierucki, Eric Baeseman, Ryan

“Chachi” Craig, Christa Funk, Sarah Lee, Sean Evans, Tai Vandyke, Mitch McEwen

FREESURF MAGAZINE is distributed at most fine surf shops and select specialty stores throughout Hawai‘i and Southern California. Subscribe at freesurfmagazine.com

Other than “Free Postage” letters, we do not accept unsolicited editorial submissions without first establishing contact with the editor. FreeSurf, Manulele Inc. and its associates are not responsible for lost, stolen or damaged submissions or their return.

One-way correspondence can be sent to P.O. Box 1161, Hale‘iwa, HI 96712

E-mail editorial inquiries to info@freesurfmagazine.com

A product of Manulele, Inc. 2022

Photo J Weaver

EDITOR'S NOTE

By Mike Latronic

Having the opportunity to do some production work at the recent amateur portion of the Local Motion “Surf Into Summer” contest, I found myself swimming with my camera at Ala Moana Bowl for about 10 hours on that weekend in June. Wedive into the details of that event along with others in the subsequent pages here, but what I was focused on when I was out there with my camera was the pristine clarity of the water and absolute feeling of connection to our environment. I love our ocean and will continue to remind us all to reflect good energy and to do our part to keep it healthy.

In the grand scheme of things, Freesurf will always be a place of “escape” from the politics and troubles of the world - but we certainly care about the environment and sustainability of our oceans. For that reason, I’d like to offer my rant about doing the “little things.” Because we can and we need to.

Freesurfers, I implore you all to do the “little things” that may help curb the demand on fossil fuels we so ravenously consume. The lights are on, soallow me to illuminate this subject. All those seemingly insignificant lights and appliances actually use more energy than you might think, so LISTEN to your somewhat bothersome family members and friends when they tell you to turn off the lights you are not using.

There are billions of people living on Earth so there are tens of billions of bedrooms and bathrooms, garages and studios that are potentially using kilowatts to shine light. Think about one or two lights left on inadvertently or on purpose in your kitchen, bedroom or bathroom when you leave the house for work or school or whatever. Seems harmless enough but when you multiply those absolutely WASTED kilowatt hours collectively by billions of homes, that is a MONUMENTAL amount of wasted energy.

So, if you EVER complain about the cost of energy OR the social, political, environmental impacts of it then do what you can to minimize the consumption of it! At the very least, consider swapping out your old light bulbs with far more economical LED bulbs. Its like 5-10x more efficient. Not only will you be helping the environment by reducing the collective dependency on fossil fuel, but you will be saving money! Having LED bulbs should not be an excuse to leave the lights on indiscriminately but it’s a double good whammy if you do both!

Rant over. Enjoy this edition… we know your light is on… shine it in the right direction.

Randall Paulson Photo Mike Latronic

2023 LOCAL MOTION SURF INTO SUMMER presented by RVCA

Summertime means no school, ice cream cones that melt way too fast, and waterparks. For competitive surfing, there's no one amatuer surfing event that screams summer than the perennial Local Motion Surf Into Summer at Ala Moana Bowl. This year's event was sponsored by RVCA.

Historically one of the largest amateur surfing events in Hawai'i, its family friendly gathering. Everyone pitches their canopies at Magic Island to have a nice weekend of sun and surf. All the top amateur surfers from across the state sign up to get the infamous break with just a few other competitors in the water. Many who attest this is a major reason to get a slot in the event!.

The divisions range from menehune kids all the way up to the old guard with masters and seniors. And let’s not forget the longboarders getting a crack at noseriding the left hander. “I'm a big fan of this event. It's one of our long running events and it's such a great legacy that Local Motion puts on here” said head judge and legend surfer, Dave Shipley. “We get a good range of surfing abilities, which is also one of the nice things I think about these type events, opening up to competitors that don't compete all the time and aren't competing at the highest level, but still have some great skills.”

Story by Aukai Ng Photos Mike Latronic, Aukai Ng and John Weaver

Matthew Vasquez

Alana Johnson Reef Isono

The Local Motion title is good street cred. Getting a win here not only gives you bragging rights, but also a sign that you can perform at a great level with others hungry for the same goal. Bowls is by far one of Hawai'i's best south shore breaks and typically pretty crowded. Thus to the participants, being in this contest is an absolute dream. Did I mention it also means a free lunch, a raffle ticket, and some fun prize packs that have all the great gear.

The weekend was forecasted to have 1-3 foot surf and though Bowls is known for having some incredible 4-6 foot face barrels, a small day can still bring rippable rides. Due to small conditions, positioning and patience were highly instrumental in getting a good result. Sets were inconsistent but when waves came they offered enough juice for the competitors to surf it all the way to the inside. No matter the size the judges have a protocol. Head judge Dave Shipley notes what the judges are looking for. “We keep quality as kind of the fundamental base behind how we score, so when we see really good technique, even if it's a smaller wave, if the techniques are there, they're able to get a score out of that. Obviously if they get the more challenging wave with a more powerful section and more critical section, and they open up into that section, that's gonna represent the higher end of the scale. So keeping flow on smaller waves, you're gonna get a score, but obviously again, unloading into the bigger sections, more critical waves are gonna get the higher scores. Patience is also, I think, an important thing waiting for those sets.”

Another factor to look at for this event is the concept of priority. Who gets first pick when a wave approaches? Well it goes back to the etiquette of a freesurf, the guy who is deepest, or closest to the curl, gets to have the wave. Now it is a challenge for even the judges to keep track of everything. Adds Shipley, “We keep a good eye out. I mean, there's a lot of distance between us and the lineup. We try to, if they paddle too deep and they've basically try to prevent the other guy from catching the wave and the other guy knows that they're too deep, then that's gonna be his wave. But if he gets around him and gets back into that critical section and they're still open faced, it's basically kind of old school type cowboy stuff out there. But it's a tough thing. I would love to see it go to four man heat, it's really hard to do priority in six man heats as well, so six man heat priority would be a, it'd be a challenging feat to put into place.”

Keola Hayes

Kiki Kaneshiro

Kaden Awad

original since 1962

This year’s Surf Into Summer contest turned out to be an exciting weekend for the whole community. All of the participants in the various divisions got to compete in fun waves during two gorgeous days. There are always some incredible contests during the course of the year, but Local Motion Surf Into Summer is one of the more unique contests that everyone looks forward to the most. Bowls is such an impressive and famous wave that everyone wants to surf, so getting a crack at the wave is something everyone tries to jump on. What Local Motion does so well is making the event environment so positive and encouraging. Yes it is a competition, but their encouragement towards the kids to do their best in the water and uplifting them is something all these families appreciate. Hats off to Riley, the man on the mic, all the organizers, sponsors and judges and especially all the kids and families that come and bring their best! This is just a great time where friends and family can have some quality time with one another and make more great memories. Mahalo to Local Motion and RVCA for all your incredible work and bringing the magic to Magic Island.

Riley Snider

Luke Tema

Hana Makita

Surf Into Summer Results

Menehune S.B. 11 & Under

Kingston Palakiko

Aukai Tanaka

Keahi Lee

Cade Bernier

Cooper Reed

Yoni Amir

Boys S.B. 12 – 14

Reef Isono

Kaden Awad

Kielani Jardini

Kalei Rivas

Hayden JCCSO

Kanai Harvey

Women S.B. 18 & Up

Missy Valdez

Brittany Penaroza

Stephanie Da Silva

Roxanne Gates

Momo Sakuma

Angelina Yossa

Master S.B. 25 – 34

Tanner Haytin

Chasen Kim

Piliku Victorino

Dylan Melamed

Jonah Currence

Brett Carter

Longboard Women Open

Alana Johnson

Kaiya Oliva

Bella Eberz

Hana Makita

Kara Watson

Elena Duke

Girls S.B. 17 & Under

Haven Ingbin Francisco

Skai Suitt

U’ilani Nakao

Kiki Oshiro Kaneshiro

Eliana Schiffner

Brenice Alama

Junior Men 15 – 17

Luke Tema

Matteus Santos

Davi Stella

Ezra Clark

Wyatt Frakes

Nao Cliffon

Mens S.B. 18 – 24

Noah Kawaguchi

Jolan Bonelli

Joshua Budroe

Jake Riccobuano

Taj Marzouki

Jayso Fong

Senior Men 35 – 44

Gregg Nakamura

Kanaiaupuni Weatherway

Ash Marzouki

Keola Hayes

Dean Ichimura

Eric Tema

Longboard Men Open

Matthew Vasquez

Kaimana Domen

Konan Riffleberger

Eizen Grace

Rocco Olmstead

George Smith

Hana Makita

Jax Oshiro-Labbe

Eizen Grace

The 29th annual Pohai Na Keiki Nalu

Photos Dayanidhi Das

Aukan Messera and Madison Cambier won two divisions at the 29th annual Pohai Na Keiki Nalu at Launiupoko Beach Park.

Over 200 entries, in 14 divisions, competed in 62 heats, on a day that was blessed by a small southwest swell that provided plenty of waves on a windless Launiupoko day.

Messera won two boy divisions, the shortboard 7-8 years and the boys longboard 7-9.

Cambier won two girls divisions, the shortboard 9-10 and the longboard 7-9.

Johnny Mahan won the shortboard 11-12 which with the shortboard 9-10 were the biggest divisions with 24 competitors each. He rode a wave at the end of his heat to move him from fifth to first.

The other shortboard winners included Moani Hovey (girls 5-6), Millie Colpas (girls 7-8), and Briana Strubhar (girls 11-12), Isaac Cardon (boys 5-6) and Brixton Craig (boys 9-10). The longboard winners included Indy Forbes (girls 11-12) and Aiden Haas (boys 11-12) while the bodyboard champions were Kalli Sprenger (7-9) and Chase Lee (10-12).

This contest was free, but they did raffle off some Kazuma surfboards, Hi-Tech skateboards, Honolua Surf Co bodyboards, some Reef product, and raised over $4K for the family of Hali'a Sam Fong, she's a 3-year-old form Waiehu (Maui), who has brain cancer.

Owen Everett

Aiden Haas

Kai Haven

Brixton Craig

Capri Mathers

Madison Cambier

Taj Craig

Emma Johnson

BEHIND THE LENS with Brent Bielmann

By Rebecca Parsons

Brent Bielmann was destined for a life behind the lens. Raised on the North Shore of O'ahu and the nephew of award-winning surf photographer Brian Bielmann, he spent his childhood surfing and shooting seaside. In his teens, Bielmann enrolled in a photography class at his high school and bought an old camera body from his uncle. He spent hours in the shore break with a cheap water housing, capturing images of waves. Following in his uncle’s footsteps, he began swimming out at Pipeline, capturing the local talent through his camera. Although Brent never set out to turn photography into a career, he fell in love with the idea of freezing moments in time. These days, Brent is living the dream, working as a commercial photographer. We caught up with Brent between sessions and asked about his first time shooting Pipe, the challenges of water photography, and why he’s a fan of wide angle shots.

What kind of camera were you using in the early days?

I started shooting with film and I had a D body. I think I had a 50 millimeter because it was just the best all-around lens. From there, the digital scene came on quickly and I think it was a Canon; I bought it from my uncle. It was pretty beat up and it was really low megapixels, but I got a cheap housing that I found off of Craigslist. And I bought a fisheye—that was all I could afford, so I was kind of forced to just get into the wide-angle game.

What was your first experience shooting Pipe like?

I came home after school and Pipe was big. I heard Andy [Irons] had paddled out and my uncle came over and asked if I was going to go out. He was kind of just stirring me up, you know? I didn't realize it. I thought he was serious and I just wanted to prove to everybody that I could shoot. I ended up riding my bike down to Pipe with my housing, swam out, and somehow made it out. It was really big and I remember someone saying, ‘Your uncle's looking for you. Your dad's all freaked out. What the hell are you doing out here?’ And about an hour later my uncle came out yelling at me.

It got bigger and bigger that night and I remember that evening, all the photographers saying we had to swim in at the same time to make sure we made it in. And so, we were right next to each other, and we made a run for it. We all barely made it in; the current was really bad.

When was your first surf photography trip?

I went with some friends to Puerto Escondido in the summer. I was about 15 and I had no idea what I was doing. I got out there and it was like, 6-10 foot Puerto. I shot as many photos as I could. I came in after that session and looked at the photos and I was so far away from every wave and I had no clue. But over time, the more I did it, the better I got and the more comfortable I got with getting closer and feeling confident. Then I came home that winter and I started shooting Pipe.

What draws you to photography and capturing the moment?

The thing that drew me to shooting surf photography early on, it might sound silly, but I just feel the ocean. It's constantly moving and changing and to be able to take a still image of a wave and just stop it in time and be able to look at all the intricate details of a wave—there was something about it that I was addicted to. When I first started it was just stills and being able to stop time in its tracks was really intriguing to me.

Did being surrounded by some of the world’s best photographers make things easier or did you have to go through hard knocks?

I think having my uncle being who he was definitely helped me initially. I remember going over to his house and he wrote down some settings on a little scratch book. He gave me a cheat sheet basically. From there, I just went out. With water photography, you just have to go and do it and get comfortable. You need to know the distance you need to be, how to be in the right spot, and be able to read waves. I think from looking at his cheat sheet, I was able to understand. I started messing around with the settings and I was able to understand what each setting did differently for the camera and understand aperture and letting light in and needing more light.

It seems like there are a lot of moving parts to photography that people might not be aware of?

There’s definitely more that goes into photography than what meets the eye.

These days, with digital photography and especially even AI coming into the game, you don't have to do as much as when I learned on film. But I'm happy I learned on film because I think I understand more and if I choose to shoot film these days, which I like to for lifestyle stuff, I'm comfortable. I would suggest anybody out there that's learning on digital these days to not shoot auto, but to try to really learn how to use the camera and understand what settings to put it on. Auto is great, but if you know how to use the camera in some harsh settings, you'll come out with a better image in the end.

What are some of the challenges of water photography and tricks of the trade?

Shooting water photography is a whole different animal compared to just shooting photos on the beach. That's why I liked it is because I could go out and shoot in the water and get something no one else had. I think you're able to be more creative, you get moments that people can't capture from the beach and angles that you can't get, and it gives you the feeling like you're there in the moment with the person who shot the image. But as far as little tricks of the trade, getting water spots on the lens is a big one for a lot of people. I think even just being able to hold the camera right and get the right framing.

A lot of people have a hard time in the beginning with everything happening so quickly and being able to frame it up real fast. You almost just get tunnel vision when you're shooting in the water. Sometimes I'm aware of the wave, but I'm just kind of looking at the subject—there's a surfer and I just keep my eye on him and frame that. And everything else just kind of happens around him. Sometimes, I'm not even aware of what happened until I look at the image.

Does being a surfer help you with capturing that right moment?

I think being a surfer as well as a photographer helps a lot. I'm aware of where I need to be on the reef. Especially when I'm shooting fisheye or wide angle

LUKE SWANSON

Photo: Ryan Ell Dragon by Marchon ©2023 Marchon Eyewear Inc.

photography; it's tricky. You have to hang in the wave long enough to get the face of the wave, the barrel to go over it, and the guy to pass you at the same time. So, you have to know what spot to be on the reef and where you're not going miss the barrel, but it's also not going to break in front of you.

Have you had things go wrong while shooting fisheye?

I’ve been fortunate. I've never flooded a housing, but I've had housings leak. I've come really close. But I've gotten hurt. I've gotten thrown over the falls, I've gotten knocked out, cracked my helmet, ambulance ride, hospital, you know, laid out and all kinds of injuries. These days I'm a little bit more cautious. I won't go and shoot unless it's just perfect and I feel like it's going be the perfect day to shoot fisheye.

Tell us about the differences between shooting land, shooting water, and then shooting long lens versus wide angle lens in the water. With land, most of the time you're shooting with a tripod and a longer lens. You're further away from the wave. So, you need to have more zoom or more millimeters to be able to get a tighter image. When you're in the water and you're shooting a long lens, typically you're shooting a telephoto or zoom, 70200 mm is a common one, you don't need to be all that close. You can be in the channel at Pipe and be in the safe zone and the sweet spot and zoom in and get a tighter image. If you were to try to sit in that same position with a wide-angle lens or a fisheye, you wouldn’t even be able to see the guy.

What’s it like physically when you’re shooting fisheye?

It’s like the craziest sprint of your life, especially when a set is coming. A lot of the times I'll shoot a wave and I know the wave behind it's going be bigger. If the guy goes on the first wave, then I have to swim in in a little bit for that first wave and then I'm swimming for my life to get out before that second one breaks in

front of me. Sometimes you swim under and you literally have a foot between the wave that just wants to pull you back and the reef. It’s definitely the craziest cardio ever for those few minutes and however long the set lasts.

Does shooting wide angle give you a unique perspective?

The cool thing about wide angle is just being able to be so creative with your angles. You can get the straight shot down the barrel looking into it with a guy pulling in the barrel, but it's sometimes fun to get those under the lip shots. Those ones are kind of risky because the rail and the guy's fins are going right in front of you, sometimes inches away. So, you just have to know the exact line the guy's going to take.

What are your favorite angles?

For fisheye my favorite angle is the POV looking out of the barrel where you're behind the guy and you're basically getting his view of what it looks like looking out of the barrel. These days you see guys like John John [Florence] and his brother doing double angles, but that's

still my favorite angle and it's the hardest to get. When you get a really good shot looking out of the barrel it's really unique and it grabs people's attention a lot more. Where are your favorite places to shoot?

My most favorite being from the North Shore obviously is Pipeline. I think I've spent more time out at that wave than any other place ever. I grew up about 10 houses down the beach from Pipe and it has a really special place in my heart—I feel like I'm at home when I'm out there shooting. My second favorite spot is Teahupo’o. That wave is just so perfect— it's really thick and heavy. It's really good for a wide angle. It's kind of like you’re in a studio: the wave breaks in the exact same spot. You can sit in the same spot and guarantee that if it's the same size of wave, it'll break in that same spot every time. And you have a beautiful backdrop with the mountains and it's really surreal looking.

APERTURE

BRENT BIELMANN

Jamie O'Brien, Teahupo'o

Koa Rothman, Pipeline

Matahi Drollet, Teahupo'o

Nathan Hedge, Teahupo'o

Billy Kemper, OTW

the 25th annual T&C Surf Grom Contest

QUEENS SWARMED WITH GROMS FOR MILESTONE SURF COMP

Once again, the 25th annual T&C Grom Contest in partnership with the Boys & Girls Club of Hawai'i at Queens Waikiki, was a massive success. All year long we look forward to these two days of summer where we gather together to celebrate youth in Hawai'i surfing. This year 374 groms enjoyed perfect one-to-two foot glassy surf, beach games, tons of prizes and lunch from the presenting sponsor Dukes Waikiki!

Saturday kicked off day one with boys and girls shortboard, longboard, and bodyboard divisions ripping it up on the outside at Queens. The rising swell provided consistent overhead surf for the biggest groms and near double overhead surf for the smallest. Meanwhile on the inside, Baby Queens was firing as parents, uncles, and aunties helped our youngest competitors in the Kokua division catch some waves. The stoke level was high with smiles for miles and a few tears : ). Every competitor in the Kokua division walked away with a first place medal and a goodie back full of swag from sponsors like Dakine, RVCA, Vans, Vertra, and Futures Fins, just to name a few.

The swell filled in and topped out for Sunday, day two of competition with pumping surf all day long. Girls and boys 1112 year olds divisions took to the lineup first with 9-10 year olds and 6-9 year olds to follow. The six groms per heat would be vying for the top three spots to advance to the next round. With a morning of action-packed heats, the stage was set for an afternoon of finals. But first, we took a moment for a familyfavorite intermission, The Freesurf Magazine Expression Session where parents and keiki enjoy an empty lineup at queens and display their best tandem surfing. Keahi and Micah Moniz were catching bomb sets and carving it up all the way to the inside left. Aukaiokamoana and Preston Louis found an inside gem on the right and slid into a mini barrel for two, but it was the aerial maneuvers and coordinated combo of tricks Nicori and Genki Kino displayed that would win over the judges to stand on top of the podium. Way to go Nicori and Genki!

The finals saw plenty of action as the swell topped out in the two foot Hawaiian seas. Rowan Nixon edged out upcoming rippers like Reef Adams and Gian Nakano to take the top spot in the 6-8 year old boys shortboard division. The hotly contested matchup in the 9-10 year old boys shortboard heat was stacked, with Jeremiah Fritz narrowly defeating shredders like River Giles and Kingston Palakiko. Over in the girls division, Kendyl Asato put on a stellar performance and clinched her third consecutive first place medal in her 9-10 year old division. Another standout heat was our 10-12 year old girls longboard division where a four-way tiebreaker was decided on land with an old fashioned jan ken po. It would be Miyu Palmer breaking out of the tie to take third, Sarasa Ishibashi in first and Malayana Schiffner runner-up. The final heat of the day was the most stacked with some of Waikiki’s upcoming talent like Po’i Tomas, Zachariah Smith, and Reef Thatcher Davis. But in the end the footwork of Phoenix Rose would get the victory over an inform Tama Shimabukuro. The dramatic victory was celebrated upon announcement with a proper chair-up from Waikiki uncles Kaniela Stewart and Ethan Speltz.

Photos Tony Heff

GRAB YOUR NEW BOARD FOR SUMMER FROM HAWAII’S LARGEST SELECTION!

One wahine in particular who is currently representing Hawai'i on the WSL longboard tour, Kelis Kaleopaa remarks, “I grew doing this contest all the way from the Kokua division until I was like 12, and to see all my nieces and nephews and all the Waikiki groms do this brings back so many good memories for me. Town and Country made the contest so fun and I was able to experience that surfing and competing is fun. You know, it was never serious and with the vibe of everyone supporting you from all the aunties and uncles, even strangers, it’s really cool I get to pass that along now.”

What makes something you love better is sharing it, as T&C founder Craig Sugihara discovered long ago and continues today to find ways to pass that along. He sums it up by saying, “After 25 years the Grom Contest never gets old! The smiles, laughter, and stoke are what continue to drive T&C Surf. Sharing my love for the ocean, surfing, and Hawai'i with the kids brings me great joy. It is truly a pleasure to see this wonderful tradition continue on.” T&C Surf Designs President Ryan Sugihara adds, “I’m super stoked to see all the kids and families having fun and just enjoying themselves at our keiki surf contest. The waves were perfect for the groms this past weekend and we were lucky a new swell filled in on Sunday for the finals. The entire staff did an excellent job to facilitate the event for so many families who were so appreciative that we put on this event for Hawai'i’s amateur surf community. Thanks again to all our sponsors and to everyone who was involved. Looking forward to next year’s T&C Grom Contest and I am excited to see the next generation of groms out in the water!”

ree paths forged by a love of sur ng

SHORTBOARD GIRLS (6-8)

1. Makai Tanoai

2. Kawailani Ho

3. Lily Davis

4. Keenah Fujimura

5. Riko Mizutani

6. Aria Berger

SHORTBOARD GIRLS (9-10)

1. Kendyl Asato

2. Ava Cao

3. Kauane Cabral

4. June Homestead

5. Emily Crowley

6. Maddy Mozo

SHORTBOARD GIRLS (11-12)

1. Avalia Imada

2. Mahina Hailee Hailstones

3. Diamond Kekahuna

4. Maile Del Rosario

5. Haylee Pang

6. Jayci Fischer

RESULTS: 25th ANNUAL T&C SURF GROM CONTEST

LONGBOARD GIRLS (6-9)

1. Ellie Reed

2. Sennit Hong

3. Chappell Bernier

4. Kaira Dow

5. Jesse Johnson

6. Tehilah Amir

LONGBOARD GIRLS (10-12)

1. Sarasa Ishibashi

2. Malayana Schiffner

3. Miyu Palmer

4. Taylor Kini

5. Ehukai Tomas

6. Tehani Taunuu

BODYBOARD COED (6-9)

1. Kahekili Apuna

2. Ezra Fritz

3. Lion Corotan

4. Noah Carl

5. Lehiwa Engel

6. Madeline Smith

FREESURF EXPRESSION SESSION

1. Nicori & Genki Kino

2. Aukaiokamoana & Preston Louis

3. Keahi & Micah Moni

SHORTBOARD BOYS (6-8)

1. Rowan Nixon

2. Gian Nakano

3. Reef Adams

4. Kama Miranda

5. Dominic Carvalho

6. Lincoln Patacchia

SHORTBOARD BOYS (9-10)

1. Jeremiah Fritz

2. River Giles

3. Kingston Palakiko

4. Reef Johnson

5. Asher Centeio

6. Keahi Lee

SHORTBOARD BOYS (11-12)

1. Steve Hong

2. Cade Bernier

3. Oz Globen

4. Kaikea Kamaka

5. Micah Jervis

6. Lincoln Barels

LONGBOARD BOYS (6-9)

1. Kenta Uchimura

2. Mason Harmon

3. Owen Foster

4. Kapohu Deforest

5. Luciano Romeo

6. Kyson Hudson

LONGBOARD BOYS (10-12)

1. Phoenix Rose

2. Tama Shimabukuro

3. Reef Thatcher Davis

4. Zachariah Smith

5. Po’i Tomas

6. Mateo Corotan

BODYBOARD COED (10-12)

1. Kekoa Apuna Jr

2. Aiden Cayangho

3. Kaikei Apuna

4. Sarai Edgamin

5. Ryder Sugihara

6. Mason Smith

SAWYER LINDBLAD

San Clemente’s CT Hopeful

By Rebecca Parsons

Born and raised in San Clemente, California, Sawyer Lindblad tested her hand at multiple sports growing up. Lindblad’s dad taught her and her brother how to surf when they were young and the family spent a lot of their free time at the beach, riding waves and having fun. In addition to surfing, Lindblad played soccer and tennis competitively. When she was twelve, she landed her first surf sponsor and decided to put her other activities on the backburner and put her full focus into surfing.

Lindblad first started surfing competitively when she was 10 years old—she found the idea of competitive surfing super fun and it was an exciting experience for her. She started off in the WSA push-in division and after a year, she progressed to NSSA and USA contests. In 2020, at age 14, Lindblad entered her first World Surf League Qualifying Series (QS) event, the SLO CAL Open at Pismo Beach and won.

“I was just focusing on having fun and getting practice competing against the older girls in the contest,” says Lindblad. “I surprised myself when I ended up winning, and I realized that I wanted to see how far I could go with my surfing.”

After winning her first ever WSL event, Lindblad knew she wanted to pursue a career as a professional surfer. She began competing on the Challenger Series in 2021 with a goal of someday qualifying for the Championship Tour (CT).

“I'm still really young, so these first couple of years I'm mainly focused on learning and improving my surfing,” says the 17-yearold. “I just want to surf each heat the best and smartest I possibly can. I’ve mainly been focusing on staying in the present and not thinking about the end result.”

For someone simply focused on learning and improving, Lindblad has had some seriously impressive performances over the past couple of seasons. In 2022, she snagged a couple wins in QS events and landed a fifth place finish at the CS event, the EDP Vissla Pro Ericeira. But her most impressive performance of the year was at the Super Girl Pro in Oceanside.

Established in 2007, the Super Girl Pro is a unique surf contest: it’s the only large-scale, all-women’s action sports, esports, and lifestyle series in the world. The series is all about female strength and empowerment and showcases women in action sports through five, exciting festivals.

The Oceanside event began with 96 competitors hitting the water but on final’s day it was Lindblad versus former Olympian and Super Girl Pro defending champion Caroline Marks. The final was a close one with both women catching waves in the remaining minutes of the heat. But ultimately, Lindblad came away victorious and was crowned the new Super Girl Pro champion and awarded the trademark cape.

“Growing up, I always admired how the Super Girl contest was the only all-female surfing event in the world,” says Lindblad. “I remember going down to the contest when I was young and watching all my heroes compete—it was always an event that I dreamed of winning someday. When I made the final and was up against Caroline [Marks], I knew that I was going to have to surf my absolute best. To be the youngest to ever win that event feels really special and I will remember that day forever.”

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So far in 2023, Lindblad won two QS 3000s and made the final at Snapper, an accomplishment she is particularly proud of. She’s been enjoying travelling and the opportunity to surf some of the best waves in the world.

Islands

A junior in high school, Lindblad has been doing online school ever since COVID, which frees up more time for surfing and training. A dedicated athlete, Lindlblad surfs every day for at least three hours and works with her trainer, Stu White, twice a week in Huntington Beach. When she’s home, Lindblad typically surfs T Street and Lower Trestles. She likes how the two waves are so different with one being a point break and one being a beach break and feels that the combination benefits her surfing.

“Lowers has influenced my surfing by being able to go down there during the summer and watch some of the best surfers from all over the world,” says Lindblad. “It's such a good wave to help improve your surfing and it's helped me a lot growing up surfing out there. I feel grateful to live in San Clemente and be able to surf all year around.”

Looking forward, Lindblad plans to attend an online university once she graduates high school and hopes to study kinesiology and sport’s medicine. She also plans to qualify for the CT and someday win a world title. When Lindblad sets her mind to something, there’s no stopping her.

Sawyer Lindblad at the Boost Mobile Gold Coast Pro

Photo by Cait Miers/WSL

Parker Coffin in the Lineup

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Gold Medals and Olympic Qualification for 2023 Surf City El Salvador ISA World Surfing Games

Finals Day of the 2023 Surf City El Salvador ISA World Surfing Games (WSG) was always going to be entertaining, but the combination of amazing surf, Olympic Games slots and ISA Gold Medals pushed the eight men and eight women remaining in the draw to their limits, providing an extraordinary display of athleticism and incredible surfing.

Men’s Gold Medalist Alan Cleland Jr. (MEX) was a major standout all week, but somehow the 20-year-old saved his best for last. With less than half of the Grand Final transpired, Cleland left his fellow, heavily experienced, competitors, Lucca Mesinas (PER, Silver), Miguel Tudela (PER, Bronze) and Kanoa Igarashi (JPN, Copper), requiring a combination of two excellentrange scores (8.00-10.00) to beat him.

Cleland absolutely decimated the heaving lefts of La Bocana, posting an 8.50 in the first few minutes before quickly backing it up with the highest single wave score of the event, a 9.73, for an 18.23 heat total, also the highest of the event. Mesinas managed to crack the combination in the final minutes, but by then the deal was sealed. Cleland had claimed Mexico’s second WSG Gold Medal in ISA history and he couldn’t have been happier.

To top it off, if Jordy Smith (RSA) qualifies for the Olympics through the WSL CT, his spot will be reallocated to the highest ranked surfer from this WSG, so Cleland

will bypass his current route to the Olympic Games, which would need to be a win at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games, and immediately qualify for Paris 2024.

Two-time ISA U/18 World Junior Champion and Tokyo 2020 Olympian Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA) claimed her first WSG Gold Medal in an extremely tight Women’s Grand Final. 15-yearold prodigy and 2022 ISA U/16 World Junior Champion Erin Brooks (CAN), who had battled through eleven heats of repechage, held the lead for the majority of the final with a display of surfing far beyond her years. A two-turn backhand combo in the dying minutes gave WestonWebb a 7.50, which was enough for her to jump from fourth position into first, leaving Brooks in second for silver, and French teammates Johanne Defay and Vahine Fierro to earn bronze and copper medals respectively.

On the back of individual medals from Lucca Mesinas and Miguel Tudela, and

strong performances from the whole team, Peru were able to claim their fourth National Team Gold Medals, edging just 23-points ahead of silver medalists France. Brazil held onto the Bronze Medals, while Japan earned Copper.

Tahitian Kauli Vaast (FRA) and Tokyo 2020 Silver Medalist Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) claim final remaining Paris 2024 Olympic Games slots

The final two Paris 2024 Olympic Games continental slots both came down to two-way battles on Finals Day. Kauli Vaast (FRA) and Gonzalo Gutiérrez (ESP) both needed to finish ahead of each other in the event for the European spot, as did Japanese teammates Kanoa Igarashi and Reo Inaba for the Asian spot.

Reo Inaba (JPN) put up a strong performance all event, but a loss in the first heat of the day handed the Paris 2024 slot to his teammate, Tokyo 2020 Silver Medalist Kanoa Igarashi.

Alan Cleland (MEX) Photo Sean Evans / ISA Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA) Photo Pablo Jiminez / ISA

Athletes Qualified for Paris 2024 Olympic Games

Men

Jordy Smith (RSA) - Africa

Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) - Asia

Kauli Vaast (FRA) - Europe

Billy Stairmand (NZL) - Oceania

Women

Sarah Baum (RSA) - Africa

Shino Matsuda (JPN) - Asia

Vahine Fierro (FRA) - Europe

Saffi Vette (NZL) - Oceania

Qualified to date via WSL CT

Tatiana Weston Webb (BRA)

Brisa Hennessy (CRC)

Johanne Defay (FRA)

Teresa Bonvalot (POR)

Medalists

Women

Gold - Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA)

Silver - Erin Brooks (CAN)

Bronze - Johanne Defay (FRA)

Copper - Vahine Fierro (FRA)

Men

Gold - Alan Cleland Jr. (MEX)

Silver - Lucca Mesinas (PER)

Bronze - Miguel Tudela (PER)

Copper - Kanoa Igarashi (JPN)

Team Rankings

Gold - Peru

Silver - France

Bronze - Brazil

Copper - Japan

Alan Cleland (MEX) Photo Pablo Franco / ISA

Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA) Photo Pablo Franco / ISA

Photo Makana Potter

THE POWER OF HAWAIIAN INNOVATION

DANE KEALOHA

July 2, 1958 – May 10, 2023

n a warm Wednesday, with a small southeast swell on the rise, surfing icon Dane Kealoha passed away. The kanaka maoli was surrounded by ‘ohana in a Honolulu hospital when he joined his kupuna (ancestors) and Ke Akua (God) after a long and private battle with colon cancer. Dane was 64 years old and there was ‘Ole Kū Kahi moon rising that evening.

On July 2, 1958 – with a Kulu moon rising – Dane Kealoha was born in Honolulu. His father was a full-blooded Kanaka Maoli, originally from Hana, Maui. His mother was also from the Valley Isle: Nāhiku. Both were priced out of paradise and were forced to move to O‘ahu after they lost their ‘ohana land in Maui. They moved to Waikīkī to be close to the construction industry because Dane’s dad was a carpenter. Dane, his two brothers and parents lived in a housing project near the Ala Wai canal. He first learned to surf in Waikīkī from his dad and was over it after wiping out on his first wave. Although Dane wouldn’t surf again till he was 14, he quickly rose up the amateur surfing ranks, winning the Hawai‘I State Junior Championships in 1975. With the guidance of Larry Bertlemann, and riding the Ben Aipa shaped Sting, Dane would elevate his game from the amateur ranks to the professional tour. Despite a professional career that was widely publicized and applauded by his peers, Dane’s pro career tragically climaxed when he was 25.

As the ratings leader for most of the ISP season in 1983, Dane was the victim of an unfortunate set of circumstances surrounding the World Championship of Surfing that year. This was due to a beef between the outgoing International Surfing Professionals (I.S.P.) and the incoming Association of Surfing Professionals (A.S.P.) governing bodies. Kealoha led the rankings of the A.S.P. as the tour was winding down that year and the shift of pro surfing’s focus was on the North Shore of O‘ahu. Flexing their new found dominance, The A.S.P. banned all of its competitors from competing in the remaining I.S.P. events in Hawai‘I – the inaugural Triple Crown of Surfing – but Dane and a handful of Hawaiians still chose to compete in their home waters in 1983. Kealoha won two out of three I.S.P. surf contests that year, and subsequently was stripped of his ranking and points by A.S.P. Executive Director Ian Cairns. As a result of the bureaucracy, Kealoha was never crowned a champion. Not only was it an unfair mid-season change that prevented Dane from winning the world title, but banning a Kanaka Maoli from competing in he‘e nalu at their ancestral home – and birthplace of surfing – could be construed as a form of institutionalized racism. Disenfranchised and angry by the injustice, Kealoha stopped competing professionally after 1983. The years after were not kind to Dane to say the least, and despite moderate success in various retail businesses and surf schools, he would never fully recover from the hewa (wrong) of 1983 and subsequently battled with addiction for much of his life.

Photo Brian Bielmann

By Daniel Ikaika Ito

Catch aWave!

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ontroversy tends to captivate an audience and cloud a narrative like upstream runoff into a canal after a Kona Low storm. The general public is usually downstream and sometimes all we may remember of one’s mo‘olelo (story) is all the debris left after the heavy rain. Rather, what should be celebrated about the life of Dane Kealoha is his Hawaiian innovation in the discipline of tuberiding. More specifically, Kealoha’s pioneering of Backdoor at the Pipe Masters, and inventing the pig dog stance to navigate backside barrels.

Before Dane, nobody went right during a Pipe Masters. Dane was the first and let contest promoters know why they needed to score him with his performance during the late ‘70s and early ‘80s behind the curtain. Today, surfing Backdoor during an event at Pipeline is a given. Not only was Dane’s front-hand surfing in the barrel remarkable, his backside approach to tuberiding –lovingly known as the pig dog – is a standard of modern surfing. He innovated this three-point stance that continues to be widely practiced from 2-foot to 20-foot by all surfers.

One of the reasons Dane was able to make these lasting contributions to modern surfing is because his approach to he‘e nalu was so pure. Dane’s surfing was finesse disguised as power – an immaculate flow on waves from 2-foot to 20-foot.

His peers always marveled how the 5’9” and 185 lb. great Dane could generate so much speed on small waves and harness the energy of heavy water without missing a beat.

Nobody is ever able to dictate their legacy – if their achievements in this life even necessitate a legacy for that matter. Rather it’s us – those still in this physical world – that remember them after they pass and what mo‘olelo (story) are told to the younger generations. Perhaps, the best we can do, as surfers, as fans of the great Dane Kealoha, is to cherish the power of his Hawaiian innovation. Mahalo Dane the next time you pig dog a backside barrel, and cherish his contribution to surfing the next time you see a surfer get spit out of Backdoor in an event.

A hui hou e Dane.

Photo Brian Bielmann

THE BEST SINGLE FIN

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The Islands Show at Salt in Kakaako became a surf edition when Volcom, Vissla, Billabong, ONeill, Rusty and Salty Crew signed on. Vuori, Seea, Rhythm and Thrills were onboard for the season as well as new specialty brands Olitas and David Shepard.

Most of us have worked alongside each other for years and I'm happy we get to reconnect as a group. Having a regional show like this allows us to take care of business, get together in person and bring back the fun!

Volcom introduced a new workwear collection for 2023. The 14-piece collection includes durable and functional jackets, vest, heavy weight fleece, pants, and shorts.

In early June, NOAA announced that El Niño is officially here. They said: “We expect El Niño to continue into the winter, and the odds of it becoming a strong event at its peak are pretty good, at 56%. Chances of at least a moderate event are about 84%.”

Also at the ISA's, South Africa's Jordy Smith and Sarah Baum, France's Kauli Vaast and Vahine Fierro, Japan's Kanoa Igarashi and Shino Matsuda, and New Zealand's Billy Stairmand and Saffi Vette all sealed automatic qualification for the Olympics. Surfers who have already qualified via the CT include Brazil’s Tatiana Weston-Webb, Costa Rica’s Brisa Hennessy, France’s Johanne Defay, and Portugal’s Teresa Bonvalot.

Hurley launched the Hurley x Moore Aloha Collection: a line of surf and swimwear inspired by five-time world champion Carissa Moore. The collection consists of suits and clothing in pastels and pretty prints and is designed to be functional and supportive in the surf.

Griffin Colapinto and Carissa Moore won the Surf Ranch Pro 2023. This marks Moore’s 28th Championship Tour victory of her career.

“Board Stories” can be seen in Hawai'i on Spectrum OC16 on Ch. 16/1016 and Spectrum Surf Channel Ch. 20/1020. Spectrum OC16’s live stream is available on oc16.tv and the Spectrum TV app (to Spectrum customers in Hawai'i only), and nationally to any Spectrum customer on the Spectrum News mobile app and CTV app on Roku and Apple TV.

TSUNAMI BURGER WITH FRIES

Hale Kope (Coffee Shop) 730am - 430pm

Kikoni (Bar) 10am - 430pm, Thursday's Till 6pm

Wahi Aina (Grill) 10am - 430pm

Wailele (Shave Ice and Local Snack Shop) 10am - 4pm

After the conclusion of the Surf Ranch Pro, Gabriel Medina took to social media to complain about WSL judging. Fellow Brazilian world champions Italo Ferreira and Filipe Toledo quickly made similar complaints. Erik Logan, WSL Chief Executive Officer later released a statement debunking the claims.

Bethany Hamilton and her husband Adam Dirks are expecting their fourth child any day now.

On May 25, Courtney Conlogue announced her partnership with swimwear brand Jolyn via Instagram. With the brand, she has launched her own line that includes surf-worthy swimwear, t-shirts, button ups, hoodies, sweatpants, and more.

Kate Bosworth collaborated with Roxy to release a collection reminiscent of her Blue Crush days, 20 years after the film was released. The collection includes early aughts boardshorts, triangle bikinis, cargo pants, bucket hats, and tropical prints to pair with your favorite puka shell necklace and anklet. The designs are vibrant, bold, and an ode to the early 00’s surf style we all love.

Elizabeth Sneed, aka Curvy Surfer Girl on social media, launched a body inclusive campaign with Jolyn. The collection includes stylish and comfortable sporty swimwear designed specifically for curvy women.

Hawai'i’s Avalon Gall and Florida’s Justin Quintal won the Vans Duct Tape Invitational in Brazil. For the women, behind Gall was Kelis Kaleopaa, Mahina Akaka, and Kate Brandi. For the men, finishing after Quintal was Steven Sawyer, Alex Knost, and John Michael Van Hohenstein aka Johnny The Ripper.

The Challenger Series kicked off in Australia with the Boost Mobile Gold Coast Pro. Samuel Pupo and India Robinson won the event, setting themselves up with early leads on the CS.

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Cole Houshmand and Isabella Nichols won the GWM Sydney Surf Pro to wrap up the second stop on the Challenger Series.

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Lucas Chumbo. Photo Brian Bielmann