Freesurf Magazine January 2024

Kahea Hart 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

Benji Brand Photo Christa Funk

Editorial

Editor / Publisher

Mike Latronic

Photo Director

Brian Bielmann

Art Director

John Weaver

Editorial Assistants

Rebecca Parsons, Lowell Burton

Business Administration

Cora Sanchez (808) 260-9219

Marketing Associate

Andrea Crawley

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

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E-mail editorial inquiries to info@freesurfmagazine.com

A product of Manulele, Inc. 2022

JORDY SMITH

Kahealani Papke Photo Brent Bielmann

By Mike Latronic

Kahea Hart has been a formidable character in the surfing world for several decades. As a pro athlete, Kahea did his own cross training to prepare for Hawai'i’s winter seasons but in the late 1990’s he tore his right ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament). With reconstructive surgery and rehab Kahea put in very hard work and discipline to make a full recovery and it was during that time he met personal trainer Rob Garcia. Working on proper core stability, balance, strength training and yoga it would only be one year after surgery that he went on to win the Faith Sunset Pro and nabbed a second place at Da Hui’s Sunset Shoot Out. To this day Kahea is still powerful, agile, fit and surfing like a teenager. He has made sports fitness his life for the past 20-25 years and it shows! While Hart is currently he's a Foundation Training Instructor, coaching and mentoring a clutch of top surfers he still remains a standout on any given day. Kahea is currently certified as a personal trainer through N.A.S.M. (National Academy of Sports Medicine) and is available for personal training. He might even give you a wave a Vland. No guarantees.

ED NOTE

By Mike Latronic

The fourth quarter of this year was busy. Making the commitment to work media for the Hawaii Junior Surf Team was a fairly sizable task as much as it was an exciting project to document. The clock started with documenting the selection process back in September and October, followed by multiple practice sessions and training days for those who did qualify for the team. Typically several of the kids coming out of Hawaii’s junior ranks and in particular the Hawaii Junior Surf Team end up being the future stars of our sport. By all indications this year's batch held equal promise. To take a look at some of that early action and all the digital work we did during the two week event in Brazil simply check out our IG page @freesurfmag. We’ll also be doing an entire hour TV special on Spectrum’s OC 16 about our journey.

Nearly 500 of the world's best juniors descended upon Macumba Beach in Rio De Janeiro and after a marathon heats and rounds, championship medals were won and lost, hands were raised and tears were shed. While Team Hawaii was not able to defend their gold medal from last year, they did put up a respectable fight and even took home a silver in the Aloha Cup competition. Team Brazil took top honors w USA earning silver. Check out the full story inside.

One surfer from Hawaii who is no stranger to the winner’s circle is female teen phenom Erin Brooks. The adage “She is small yet fierce,” never fit so well. Brooks not only took a WSL Challenger win in Saquarema Brazil recently but she returned to Hawaii and only weeks later took out the top honors at Haleiwa for the WSl HIC event which is also covered in this issue. With or without the competitive advances, Brooks has been turning heads with inspired performances free surfing at Rocky Point and Pipe. This young lady's future is very bright.

This issue we didn't stop at only one uber talented wahine. Maui grown Nora Liotta has been cultivating mind blowing hacks for many years and as she matures the teenager is coming on strong. With a penchant for explosive forehand snaps and carves Liotta is quickly rising in the pro ranks.

Freesurf also catches up with 20 year old Brodie Sale. Growing up on the Big Island with a stellar amateur record, Sale is a solid performer and focused on bringing that winning record to the pro ranks.

Included in this month's pages we also got the scoops on the coveted Vans Pipe Masters. This event has a very cool and creative format and the surfing event at Pipe along with the many community events were all run top notch. Plenty of aloha and support for surfing and the Hawaii community by Vans and The Masters has come full circle. Started as an invite event, over the past 20-30 years or so The Pipe Masters morphed into a hotly contested WSL Championship tour event. There is still a WSL Championship event on the schedule but that’s now titled,”The Pipe Pro.” Currently, “The Vans Pipe Masters,” Vans’ particular installment at Pipe is definitely back to being filled with specialists, invitees and those who are rightly deemed Masters.

There’s a lot to look at through the whole mag including Aperture, News and Events and Industry Notes as usual and plenty of insane photography. Enjoy and may your New Year be filled with plenty of surf stoke!

After three action-packed days of competition, the Vans Pipe Masters came to a dramatic close Tuesday, Dec. 12, with the North Shore's own John Florence and Moana Jones-Wong crowned the Vans Pipe Masters champions on the final day at Pipeline.

—Solomon Enos

John John Florence Photo Christa Funk

Moana Jones-Wong Photo Christa Funk

Big Wave is a lighter-bodied golden ale with a tropical hop aroma and flavor—smooth, easy drinking, and refreshing. The use of caramel malt contributes to the golden hue of this beer, and our special blend of hops provides a bright, quenching finish that makes it a struggle to not grab another one.

Kona Pub & Brewery Kona Brewing HawaiiKai

Mahalo for Drinking Responsibly. ©2024 Kona Brewing Hawaii Photo: Mike Latronic

The women's final kicked off in the afternoon, featuring a stacked field of Moana Jones-Wong, Molly Picklum, Carissa Moore, and Erin Brooks. The first three finalists are the past three Vans Pipe Masters champions. This year, it didn't take long for Jones-Wong to establish herself as the clear favorite in the final. Picklum pushed Jones-Wong by making several late drops on her backhand, but the Hawaiian's superior wave selection gave her the edge. She completed several stellar lefthand tube rides, reminding everyone why she has been dubbed "The Queen of Pipeline." "I want to thank God for keeping me safe out there and Pipeline for sending me the waves that I wanted," Jones-Wong said in her post-win interview. "Thank you to my whole family and community. Everybody that's down here today, thanks for cheering us on. And thanks to all my other competitors. I'm super stoked and very grateful."

VANS PIPE MASTERS

Harry Bryant Photo Christa Funk

Moana Jones-Wong

Photo Christa Funk

Betty Lou Sakura Johnson Photo Keoki Jamie O'Brien Photo Keoki

Billy Kemper Photo Keoki

Balaram Stack Photo Keoki

FIND REFUGE IN THE SEA

BENJI BRAND & MATT MEOLA

VANS PIPE MASTERS

The men's final saw a tense clash in challenging conditions between John Florence, Billy Kemper, Seth Moniz, and Makana Pang. Florence, who grew up just a few yards away from the fabled break, caught the first wave and hung on for the win. Pang, a 23-year-old local Pipeline specialist, caught multiple waves in quick session looking to catch Florence and briefly took the lead but ultimately couldn't find a rhythm in the difficult conditions. With limited scoring opportunities, Florence showed his competitive experience by waiting patiently for his best waves. He regained priority to take a lefthand barrel and the lead. He quickly backed it up with a right on the inside, effectively sealing the deal on this competition.

Makana Pang Photo Keoki

Nathan Florence Photo Brian Bielmann

Photo Brian Bielmann

Erin Brooks Photo Christa Funk

Benji Brand

Photo Keoki

CONGRATULATIONS TO

LAURA LEE BLEARS

2023 Hawai’i Waterman Hall of Fame! on her induction into the

43 years with T S Restaurants and a lifetime of being a surfing legend. Learn more about Laura.

With little time remaining, the ocean went quiet, and Florence once again found himself among a prestigious list of Pipe Masters winners dating back to 1971. As a two-time Pipeline Masters winner, he joins the likes of Gerry Lopez, Andy Irons, Derek Ho, Tom Carroll, and Kelly Slater. "Thank you to my family; they 've supported me through everything; I wouldn't be here without them," Florence said in his post-win interview alongside the other finalists. "And thanks to Vans for putting on this awesome event. It's been fun to surf this different format; it's been awesome."

MEN'S VANS PIPE MASTERS FINAL RESULTS

1. John Florence - $100,000

2. Makana Pang - $75,000

3. Seth Moniz - $50,000

4. Billy Kemper- $25,000

WOMEN'S VANS PIPE MASTERS FINAL RESULTS

1. Moana Jones-Wong - $100,000

2. Molly Picklum - $75,000

3. Carissa Moore - $50,000

4. Erin Brooks - $25,000

To watch this year's highlights, visit vanspipemasters.com.

John John Florence Photo Keoki

Moana Jones-Wong Photo Keoki

PROFILE

ERIN BROOKS

Meet the 16-Year-Old Surf Prodigy

By Rebecca Parsons

Brian Bielmann

Born and raised in Boerne, Texas, you wouldn’t think Erin Brooks would grow up to be a surfer. But watch her tucked deep into a barrel or throwing down a huge air and it’s no question that she was always destined to find her way to the water.

When Brooks was nine, her parents retired and made the move to Maui, Hawai'i. Shortly after arriving on the island, a neighbor invited Brooks out for a surf and the rest, as they say, is history.

Photos

ERIN BROOKS

“I was living in Lahaina at the time,” says Brooks. “I remember looking around at the clear water, the palm trees and the neighbor islands and thinking ‘I want to do this for the rest of my life.’”

Brooks didn’t grow up surrounded by surfers, so it wasn’t until she moved to Maui that she even gave a career as a professional surfer a thought. When she was ten, her family moved to the North Shore of Oahu and Brooks recalls seeing Eli Hanneman out with a bunch of stickers on his board.

“I asked my Dad if I could get some stickers and he said ‘you have to earn those and Eli gets paid to have those on his board,’” says Brooks. “I made up my mind right then that I wanted to be a pro surfer and get paid to play in the ocean.”

Brooks started entering amateur contests and although she didn’t do well at first, it motivated her to work harder and focus on improving. When she was eleven, Brooks signed her first contract and had the satisfaction of placing a sponsor sticker on her board.

“I still have a hard time thinking of myself as a pro surfer,” says Brooks. “When I think of pros I think of people like Gabriel Medina, John John Florence, and Carissa Moore. I know how lucky I am to be getting paid to do what I love, but I surf because I want to and because it’s fun.”

ERIN BROOKS

At 16, Brook’s surfing resume is already a stacked one. In the past year alone, she won the Rip Curl International Grom Search, a gold medal at the ISA Juniors, a silver medal at the ISA Worlds, made the finals of the Rip Curl Padang Padang Cup, and won the WSL Corona Saquarema Pro.

“Every win has been special in its own way but making the finals at the Rip Curl Padang Padang Cup against an all-male field is something I’m really proud of.”

“Every win has been special in its own way but making the finals at the Rip Curl Padang Padang Cup against an all-male field is something I’m really proud of,” says Brooks. “Surfing heats with my favorite surfers in barreling waves is something I’ll never forget.”

If you follow women’s surfing, then you’ve likely seen videos of Brooks charging in big, barreling waves. Over the years, she’s logged a lot of hours on the North Shore as well as Indonesia and Tahiti, gaining confidence in heavy surf. Additionally, she spends a lot of time doing strength and breath hold training, so that she’s prepared and comfortable in trying conditions.

“I get nervous when it gets really big, but I just control my breathing, trust in my training, and paddle as hard as I can,” says Brooks. “Getting barreled is an incredible feeling that never gets old.”

With the Olympics slated to be held at Teahupoo, one of the heaviest barreling waves in the world, Brooks seems like an obvious choice to compete. Her dad is a dual citizen for the U.S. and Canada and she submitted her citizenship

ERIN BROOKS

application years ago. She’s only ever surfed for Team Canada in international competitions and although she qualified for the Canadian Olympic team, her eligibility was suspended due to her citizenship status.

“The Canadian Olympic Committee and their attorneys have handled all of my citizenship paperwork and they are still hard at work on it,” says Brooks. “I try not to think about it too much. I’m just trying to focus on what I can control, which is my surfing and training. I don’t know what the future will hold but I hope I get the opportunity to compete in the Olympics.”

This past year, Brooks was on the road for over nine months, so stability was hard to come by. As someone that gravitates towards routine and schedule, Brooks does her best to maintain a daily schedule.

Most days, she wakes up at five A.M. and kicks her day off with a workout. She surfs twice a day, typically spending a total of four to six hours in the water. She graduated high school in October, but her parents have her do two hours

of continuing education a day. Due to all her workouts, Brooks aims to eat four meals a day and if she has any leftover time, she enjoys skateboarding. At 8 P.M. it’s lights out and the cycle begins anew.

“I guess I’m probably not what you’d call a normal teenager,” jokes Brooks. “But I love my life and I get to do a lot of fun things normal teenagers don’t get to do.”

In addition to the Olympics, Brooks has her sights set on qualifying for the Championship Tour (CT). She’s already qualified for next year’s Challenger Series and hopes to finish in the top five to secure a spot on the CT. Based on her track record, we’re willing to bet it’s only a matter of time before we see her on tour.

“I’m not sure I have a favorite surf mag but I can say I’ve dreamed of being featured in Freesurf since I was nine years old,” says Brooks. “I used to go to Front Street in Lahaina to grab the newest Freesurf magazines. It was always so cool to see pictures and read stories about local surfers. Social media is great but there is something special about being in a magazine.”

BALARAM STACK MUSIC VIBES

Ween Chocolate and Cheese

My buddies Daniel Terry and Billy Hume, both of whom took me on a couple of East Coast Volcom tours, had Ween on repeat, and I haven't stopped listening since.

Big L The Big Picture

My brother showed me what music was, and Big L was the first person I heard rhyme like that on a song. Favorite rapper of all time.

Queens of the Stone Age

Songs for the Deaf

The first heavy show I went to in Australia, I remember Craig coming out of the pit with one shoe that wasn't his. With a couple of songs that ingrained surf parts in my head.

ASG

Feeling Good is Good Enough

I've heard the songs from this album since I was probably 14, driving down to the Outer Banks to score some barrels, and it still stands today for some hype before paddling Pipe.

Photo Brian Bielmann

Staying Present with

BRODI SALE

By Mike Chlala

Brodi Sale is a 20 year old surfer from the Big Island. Known to surf as sharp as it gets, you can regularly find him pulling into heavy barrels at Backdoor or traveling the world surfing and competing. On one beautiful North Shore afternoon overlooking clean 2 to 3 foot waves at the Sandbar, I arrived to interview Brodi as he was taking down some local fare from one of the local food trucks. Next to him cruising and checking the waves was Shion Crawford, and he would soon paddle out as we began our conversation. Next to him cruising checking the conditions was Shion Crawford, and they would soon paddle out. These guys are part of a larger crew that have known each other for a long time and often compete against one other. Far from bitter rivals, these two, along with many of their peers, choose to push themselves to improve as people and as surfers and have each other's backs both in and out of the water. Far from bitter rivals these two, and many of their peers choose to push themselves to improve and have each other’s backs both in and out of the water.

Brodi and I sit and chat about some of his upbringing as a surfer, his influences, goals, friendship, and how to be grateful and stay present in the moment.

Photo Mike Latronic

MC- When did you first get into surfing, when were you first stoked on it?

BS - I got into surfing when I was four years old just for the fun of it. I love the fun aspect. My dad’s a surfer. He’s from New Zealand originally.

I was born in California and then we moved to Hawai'i when I was two years old, then once I turned four he started pushing me into waves. We didn't have any family or friends when we first moved to Hawai`i, but actually my dad had a friend from New Zealand who surfed a lot. Then my dad would push me into waves at the local kook spot and then I started to get better and progressed from there.

MC- Do you remember when you thought to pursue this as a life and career path?

BS- Yah. Honestly, I don't really even remember. I remember being super serious about becoming a professional surfer since forever. I just remember starting contests and I did my first contest when I was seven and I think I won it. I did stand up bodyboard too, Full on. It was a bodyboard division and I just stood up and I think I won because I was standing up. Haha , I did both divisions in that one, and from there on I was always naturally super competitive and it just really sparked. I was super competitive from then on. I used to win a lot more contests when I was younger, I need to start doing that again.

MC - You have a solid group of friends and you guys all are surfing together and competing together. Even though you're competing against each other, you still seem to have this amazing camaraderie. Tell us about that dynamic and what's that like to be competing with your best friends?

MC- So besides your dad, who are some of the people who have influenced your growth?s a surfer?

BS - Shane Dorian for sure. I feel like everyone kind of knows that about me. Shane's like a second father and he’s mentored me as long as I can remember. Actually the second contest I ever did was his contest, The Shane Dorian Keiki Classic. And I did that all the way until I was too old to do it. But yeah, Shane's had a huge impact on my life and has just kind of helped me in all aspects of life, not just the surfing side, just trying to piece it all together. And he's been right there, so he's been a huge influence in my life. I've had a lot of really good people in my life who have helped me through a lot of things. But yeah, Shane's right up there with my parents for helping me get to where I want to be and just all the stuff in between surfing.

BS - Yeah, it's pretty special. To be honest, I explained that I was super competitive. I still am but I've learned to incorporate other things in my life. I feel gratitude and living in the moment and just trying to be the best person I can be is really important. At the start, I was so competitive, I just wanted to beat and be better than all my peers. And literally, it might sound a little bit weird, I don't know if I should say it. But I always had a group of friends that I would be around and compete against, and I was so competitive with them. I just wanted to be so much better than them. I would literally go to California and would be hanging out with the San Clemente kids since we were young, and they were always the best next up and coming kids. And I wanted to be part of that and I wanted to feed off that energy and I wanted to be around guys that were better than me. But then they all just turned into being my best friends and helping me get through a lot of tough times. We're all in the same boat. There's a lot of struggles and a lot of ups and downs and just learning to ride that and they really just taught me just to have fun with life and just enjoy it all. So yeah, that first part is kind of funny. It doesn't really sound right, but literally the first time I was going out and staying with them, my mindset was like, yes, I'm hanging out with the best kids. I'm getting better. I'm going to go back to Hawai'i and be better than all the Hawai'i kids. But yeah, it turned into something completely different. As you grow and get older, I'm sure it happens to everyone, your perspective on things that you thought you were doing change.I don't know if that made sense.

MC - Made a lot of sense. A solid pack of good friends, putting out good energy and stoked for each other and that's beautiful.

BS - Yah, I’ve had a lot of friends that I grew up with here in Maui, Oahu and Kauai, that I'm still really good friends with and surf with every day and compete with every day and have a good time just living the dream. And then I've had some friends that have gone on their own path and have done other things, gone to college or started a really cool job opportunity

BRODI SALE

or even gone down the darker paths, but everyone just kind of chooses their own path. It's really special and cool to just be grateful for all the friends that are trying to be successful and not go down that dark path.

MC- What keeps you just grounded throughout all the noise of professional surfing and all the different ways you see people going down their different roads?

BS- I wouldn't really say I'm necessarily grounded. I definitely go through the ups and downs and feel like it just comes back to the love for surfing and just having fun and just trying to have a good balance of hanging out with friends, doing other things outside of surfing. I am also doing all the things that you think you need to do to get to where you want to be. So just staying consistent, journaling, training a lot, surfing a lot, just trying to stay balanced and know that everything's happening for a reason and to be confident in my decision making and to keep learning. To be honest, the last two years I've had a pretty bad run of results and I feel like I keep trying new things and they don't work out result wise. It's just a constant battle of telling yourself that you're doing all the right things and you need to bring this in and do this to try and see how that works and just keep testing new things to try and add to your slice of the pie. Just taking slices of everyone else's pie and trying to put it into yours to have the perfect pie.

MC- What are some of your goals moving forward?

BS- My goals I've been writing down the last few days are to win Haleiwa, the next regional event, and qualify for the Challenger series before the end of the year. If I can win then I'll pretty much be qualified for the Challenger series next year. Once I get on the Challenger, qualify for the CT, once I get on the CT I want to stay on tour for 10 plus years and give myself a shot to run for world titles. I feel like to win a world title, everyone says they want to, but as long as I can put myself in a position where I'm healthy enough and surfing good enough and everything lines up for it to possibly happen, and if I can make it happen, that's a bonus, MC- Anything you want to say to the readers out there?

BS - I think just staying positive and keeping a good frame of mind and just being grateful for all the little things, I feel like you'll be better off. There's no point in having a victim mindset of feeling like someone isn't helping you to get to where you need to be or you've got the short end of the stick or whatever it is. I feel like you just have to persevere and work hard and try and achieve what you want to achieve. That's all I'd tell someone that's coming up surfing or in anything really.

MC - Sounds great. Thank you, Brodi.

MATTHIEU ETXEBARNE

Brian Bielmann

SHELDON PAISHON

Brent Bielmann

TOSH TUDOR

Brian Bielmann

Brent Bielmann

TOM LOWE

JOHN FLORENCE

Ryan "Chachi" Craig

STEVE ROBERSON

Brian Bielmann

ROLANDO MONTES

Brian Bielmann

LUCAS GODFREY

Brent Bielmann

2023 EDDIE AIKAU CEREMONY / JOAO CHIANCA RESCUE

Brian Bielmann

KANOA IGARASHI

Mike Latronic

QS

NORA LIOTTA

Wins Sunset Pro

By Rebecca Parsons

If you follow women’s surfing, you’ve likely heard the name Liotta. That’s because nineteen-year-old Nora Liotta rips.

Although the young wahine’s finesse on the water speaks to a lifetime of riding waves, it wasn’t until 2015 that the Liotta family made the dream move to Haiku, Maui and Liotta took up surfing. One year later, she entered her first contest and quickly discovered she was quite the talent on a surfboard.

The Liotta family lives in Haiku, Maui, about ten minutes from Ho’okipa Beach. One of the only surf spots on Maui’s North Shore, Liotta is happy to call the spot her homebreak.

“I love that it has every different condition from big to small, windy to choppy and sometimes glassy,” says Liotta. “We get it all it and it provides some great training for most types of waves.”

Liotta has been competing on the Qualifying Series (QS) for a couple of years, but had two huge results this year with a runner up finish at the U.S. Air Force Super Girl and a win at The Hawaiian Islands Present The Sunset Pro.

“Coming from Hawai'i surf conditions, I knew it was going be a big challenge transitioning to smaller, less powerful conditions,” Liotta says of the Super Girl which was held in Jacksonville, Florida. “It was a big change, and I was super happy to be able to make the switch both mentally and physically.” Rising

Photo Erik Aeder

NORA LIOTTA

For Liotta, Sunset was tricky. Her strategy was to wait for a really good wave, but her competitors kept getting waves while she held priority which made for a stressful final heat. Ultimately, a good wave did come while Liotta had priority and she was able to get a good score that helped her clinch the win.

“It was a totally surreal experience to win my first QS, especially at Sunset Beach,” says Liotta. “I always love competing at Sunset and I was super grateful to be in the rhythm with the waves that day.”

Heading into the 2023 QS season, Liotta had a number of loses under her belt and was prepared to learn and grown from them. She realized that she needed to change her mindset and have confidence in herself and her abilities. She also recently started working with a new shaper, Keith Teboul at KT surfing, and feels that having her equipment dialed in greatly contributed to her success this season.

Liotta is also no stranger to hard work. When she’s at home, a typical week consists of surfing, cross training, spending time with friends and family, cooking, and if time allows, some fun adventures. If she’s not surfing solo, Liotta often surfs and hits the gym with her local friends the Bovermann sisters, Haylee and Shia.

Since the beginning, Liotta’s dad has served as her coach. He’s watched her the most and understands her surfing and how to coach her, so they work well together. Liotta has also worked with Akila Aipa who has been able to offer some great perspective on competing.

When asked to describe her surfing, Liotta says that she is more of a power surfer than an aerial surfer.

Nora Liotta Photo Tony Heff/WSL

Sonny Rubin

therapies in

or

NORA LIOTTA

“I love to engage my rail and do power turns, blow tails and I love a good deep bottom turn,” says Liotta. “My weaknesses are my air game and barrel riding. I’m looking forward to working on that and progressing because women’s surfing is constantly changing and it’s really cool to be pushed by all the amazing surfers around me.”

Currently, Liotta really admires all the athletes on tour, but her current favorites are Caity Simmers, Ethan Ewing, Steph Gilmore, Imai Devault, and Ian Gentile. She’s a fan of their style, their approach, and their ability to surf well on the various waves on tour.

Looking forward, Liotta has already qualified for the Challenger Series and aspires to deliver performances on the CS that she can be proud of. She’s hopeful to showcase her surfing well on a bigger stage and be happy with her performance.

In the long term, she dreams of qualifying for the Championship Tour and just be in a good place competitively. And as always, her biggest goal is to enjoy every moment and not take anything for granted.

When she’s not surfing, Liotta loves to cook, bake, make jewelry, and play pickleball. She really loves to cook and make healthy recipes and when she has the opportunity, she works as a sous chef for her mom who is a private chef. She also is considering continuing her education but hasn’t made any decisions yet.

“At the moment, I am fully committed to surfing,” says Liotta. “I want to pursue what I am most passionate about while I can and for the moment, that is surfing.”

Nora Liotta Photo Tony Heff/WSL

GERRY LOPEZ MR. PIPELINE

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TEAM BRAZIL WINS THE 2023 ISA WORLD JUNIOR SURFING CHAMPIONSHIP, USA TAKES SILVER

It had been a long time coming for Team Brazil, who won the first ever ISA Junior match up in 2003, but with three individual medals at this year's installment, Brazil delivered gold once again for its proud country. Team USA took silver, Japan, bronze, and Australia, copper. Team Hawai'i, although laden with talent and great coaching, was stopped in their bid to defend their gold medal from 2022.

About 450 competitors from 46 different countries showcased the future of surfing as four new World Junior Champions were crowned on a historic day of competition at the 2023 ISA World Junior Surfing Championship (WJSC). Praia da Macumba in Rio De Janeiro delivered ideal twoto-three feet peaks most of the week long event with some smaller conditions here and there. The day which saw the individual medals decided was indeed the best day of swell and conditions, allowing performances to intensify with every heat, pushing the level to unprecedented heights.

BRA - Ryan Kainalo

Photo: ISA / Jersson Barboza

HAW - Rylan Beavers

Photo: ISA / Jersson Barboza

BRA - team Gold medal

Photo: ISA / Jersson Barboza

HAW - Tama Hanneman

Photo: ISA / Pablo Jimene

HAW - Shane Dorian

Photo: ISA / Pablo Franco

USA - Eden Walla

Photo: ISA / Jersson Barboza

AUS - Sierra Kerr

Photo: ISA / Jersson Barboza

USA - Zoe Chait

Photo: ISA / Pablo Jimenez

JPN - Mirai Ikeda

Photo: ISA / Pablo Jimenez

Macumba Beach

Photo: ISA / Naslo Bustamante

Sierra Kerr (AUS) and Hans Odriozola (ESP) were crowned the Girl’s and Boy’s U/16 World Champions respectively, while Anon Matsuoka (JPN) and Ryan Kainalo (BRA) became the Girl’s and Boy’s U/18 World Champions.

Showcasing the development of surfing throughout the world, each of the new World Champions represent a different continent; Asia, Australia, Europe and South America.

Three medals deliver Brazil first Team World Junior Championship since 2003

After two days of dominance by Australia, host nation Brazil rose to the top of the team rankings, winning three medals in total, including Kainalo’s gold, along with bronze and copper medals respectively for Guilherme Lemos (BRA) and Ryan Coelho (BRA) in Boy’s U/16. It was the first time two Brazilians shared a Boy’s U/16 Final since 2009, when Gabriel Medina won the silver medal and Jesse Mendes won the copper in Ecuador.

The historic team victory for Brazil, the first since 2003, was also aided by the strength of their women’s team, which saw many impressive performances throughout the event.

Christ the Redeemer

Photo Aukai Ng

HAW - Photo: ISA / Jersson Barboza

JPN - Anon Matsuoka

Photo: ISA / Jersson Barboza

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Kainalo delivered incredible moments all week, but was put to the test today. The lead shifted many times in the Final, with Francisco Ordonhas (POR) and Kai Ordriozola (ESP) each posting strong 7-point rides.

“It’s so special for me,” Kainalo said. “I don’t have any words to say. I just want to say thank you to Team Brazil, all the guys helping us. I’m so happy.”

Sierra Kerr joins prestigious list of Australian World Junior Champions

At just 16-years-old, Sierra Kerr (AUS) is already one of the most famous surfers in the world. Today, the second-generation prodigy lived up to her potential, claiming her first World Championship and joining many fellow Australians, including Stephanie Gilmore and Tyler Wright, on a prestigious list of former WJSC gold medalists.

Kerr was able to find big scores in each heat in her journey through the event, none more so than the event-high score of 9.93 that opened her Semifinal. Though the Final itself was a tighter battle, Kerr’s sharp and exciting rail surfing was able to deliver her the win over USA’s Lanea Mons, silver, and Eden Walla, bronze, and France’s Clémence Schorsch in Girl's U/16.

HAW - Malia Lima

Photo: ISA / Pablo Franco

HAW - Chesney Guinotte

Photo: ISA / Pablo Jimenez

HAW - Jackson Dorian

Photo: Aukai Ng

Cruz Kamakana Lemes

Photo Paul Teruya

“It feels so good,” Kerr said. “I’ve been thinking about this one since last year and this was one I really wanted to win. I was so excited to pull it off.”

Japan’s first-ever girl’s gold medal won by Anon Matsuoka

Japan’s Anon Matsuoka has been going from strength-to-strength in her competitive surfing career and today the 18-year-old claimed her highest honor yet, Girl’s U/18 World Champion, the first Japanese woman to do so. A slow start to the Final for all four surfers, Matsuoka, Zoe Chait (USA), Candelaria Resano (NCA), and Kohai Fierro (TAH) added pressure throughout, but in the end Matsuoka was able to find the right waves to showcase her strong backhand surfing and claim the gold medal. Fierro earned silver, Resano bronze and Chait copper.

HAW - Malia Lima

Photo: ISA / Pablo Jimenez

HAW - Skai Suitt

Photo: ISA / Sean Evans

HAW - Tiger Abubo

Photo: Auaki Ng

ISA President Fernando Aguerre said:

“This week we have witnessed the future of global surfing and it is bright. Through many different conditions these talented surfers have risen to the occasion and shown us such amazing performances.

“The incredible development of surfing worldwide has been on full display throughout the week, with new nations represented for the first time, teams winning historic first medals and each winner representing different continents.

“Congratulations to Team Brazil and to the four new World Champions and to each of the medalists. We know that one day we will see many of these surfers as Olympians, representing their nation on sport’s biggest stage.”

RESULTS

Team Rankings

Gold - Brazil

Silver - USA

Bronze - Japan

Copper - Australia

Girl’s U/18

Gold - Anon Matsuoka (JPN)

Silver - Kohai Fierro (TAH)

Bronze - Candelaria Resano (NCA)

Copper - Zoe Chait (USA)

Boy’s U/18

Gold - Ryan Kainalo (BRA)

Silver - Francisco Ordonhas (POR)

Bronze - Kai Ordriozola (ESP)

Copper - Tenshi Iwami (JPN)

Girls U/16

Gold - Sierra Kerr (AUS)

Silver - Lanea Mons (USA)

Bronze - Eden Walla (USA)

Copper - Clémence Schorsch (FRA)

Boy’s U/16

Gold - Hans Odriozola (ESP)

Silver - Lukas Skinner (ENG)

Bronze - Guilherme Lemos (BRA)

Copper - Ryan Coelho (BRA)

HAW - team Silver medal

Photo: ISA / Jersson Barboza

NATE TYLER > CONNER COFFIN < GREYSON FLETCHER

Erin Brooks and Jackson Bunch Win 2023 The Hawaiian Islands HIC Haleiwa Pro

• Brooks Finishes 2023 in Victorious Fashion, Prepares for World Junior Championships

• Bunch Claims Second-Career QS Win, Locks in World Junior Championships Spot

• Runner-up Finishes for Tomoda-Bannert, Marshall Over Stacked Fields

• Liotta and Crawford Crowned 2023 Hawaii/Tahiti Pro Junior Regional Victors

Erin Brooks (CAN) and Jackson Bunch (HAW) emerged victorious at The Hawaiian Islands HIC Haleiwa Pro, a Hawaii/Tahiti Nui Qualifying Series (QS) 1,000, in solid six-to-eight foot conditions over heavily-stacked fields. Brooks and Bunch officially secured their place into the Sambazon World Junior Championships with their wins, joining Nora Liotta (HAW) and Shion Crawford (HAW) - who claimed the 2023 Hawaii/Tahiti Nui Pro Junior Regional titles. A runner-up finish added more success to Keala Tomoda-Bannert's (HAW) incredible run as Hawaii/Tahiti Nui QS Regional victor as the men await to determine their final rankings for Challenger Series qualification.

The women’s Final featured nearly all of the region’s top talents of the 2023/2024 season including No. 1 Keala Tomoda-Bannert (HAW), No. 2 Nora Liotta (HAW), No. 4 Erin Brooks (CAN), and rising regional threat Puamakamae DeSoto (HAW). TomodaBannert established her presence right away with a 6.75 (out of a possible 10), but Brooks responded with two scores to push herself into the lead early on in the heat with Liotta and DeSoto holding onto their backup scores. But, Liotta continued to show her dominant form and pushed herself to an excellent 8.50 as Tomoda-Bannert also added a 7.90 to her score line to maintain control of the heat. But, Brooks wasn’t done and in the dying minutes of the Final dropped the event’s highest single-scoring wave of a 9.65 to overtake the lead and secure her first-ever WSL QS victory.

A slow start to the men’s Final gave way to reigning Hawaii/Tahiti Nui QS Regional victor Jackson Bunch (HAW) posting a 7.75 on his decimating backhand against Haleiwa’s hometown hero Shion Crawford (HAW), Maui’s in-form Cody Young (HAW), and CT competitor Jake Marshall (USA). But, Marshall answered with an excellent 8.00 of his own to put pressure on the Hawaii/Tahiti Nui contingent moving into the back half of the heat. Young catapulted himself from fourth to first place with his searing forehand, earning a 7.00 and looked to have a secondcareer QS win within grasp.

But, Bunch’s backhand was undeniable and retook the lead heading into the dying minutes to secure his secondcareer QS win.

“Haleiwa is such a hard wave so I knew I had to go in head down and just watching Erin [Brooks] she was sending it so hard and knew I had to do something like that,” said Bunch. “I got lucky and got the last wave and just tried to surf it as good as I could. [Having a shot at World Juniors] is what every junior wants. Kai Barger won it and I want to do that and make

Maui proud, hopefully win another one for the island. Now I'm just excited to go surf in paradise down [in Rangiroa].”

Tomoda-Bannert already had the Hawaii/ Tahiti Nui QS Regional title to her name

coming into Haleiwa after a dominant run through the season, including two victories and three Final appearances. The Kauaian’s breakthrough year will see her take on the region’s best from around the world in 2024 for her shot at qualifying for the CT.

Erin Brooks and Jackson Bunch.

Photo WSL / Heff

Mokulele Surf Team Rider

Diego Ferri

Photo Aukai Ng

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

Open Kitchen is Located in Waimea Valley, a Branch of Ke Nui Kitchen

Kama'aina Discounts | Pau Hana Thursday's Hale Kope Loyalty Card, Purchase 7 Coffees Get One Free OPEN DAILY

HIC HALEIWA PRO

Shion Crawford and Nora Liotta Lead Hawaii/Tahiti into World Junior Championships

A third-place finish for Nora Liotta (HAW) notched a thirdconsecutive Final appearance as the Maui competitor claims the the Hawaii/Tahiti Nui Pro Junior Regional title.

Haleiwa’s own Shion Crawford held firm for back-to-back

Final appearances, earning fourth behind Maui’s Cody Young, who earned a season-best third-place finish, and now looks for his opportunity to continue showcasing his potential at the Sambazon World Junior Championships as Hawaii/Tahiti Nui Pro Junior Regional victor.

The Hawaiian Islands HIC Haleiwa Pro Women’s Final Results:

1. Erin Brooks (CAN) 16.95 1,000 points

2. Keala Tomoda-Bannert (HAW) 14.65 800 points

3. Nora Liotta (HAW) 14.25 650 points

4. Puamakamae DeSoto (HAW) 8.90 600 points

The Hawaiian Islands HIC Haleiwa Pro Men’s Final Results:

1. Jackson Bunch (HAW) 16.90 1,000 points

2. Jake Marshall (USA) 14.30

3. Cody Young (HAW) 11.00 650 points

4. Shion Crawford (HAW) 9.50 600 points

Erin Brooks Photo WSL / Heff

Jake Marshall Photo WSL / Heff

Moku rider: Josie Martin

Photo: Daniel Torobekov

The ISA released a statement regarding the Teahupo’o Olympic judging tower. It stated: “The ISA was saddened and surprised to see that a test undertaken by the French Polynesian government resulted in the coral reef at Teahupo’o being damaged by a barge. From the beginning of the proposal to host Olympic surfing in French Polynesia, the ISA has always insisted that the protection of the natural environment in Teahupo’o is a priority. This vision was agreed and is shared by all parties. The ISA welcomes this decision (to pause testing), and has urged intensified consultations to consider all available options. As life-long surfers, we are passionate about the need to protect the oceans, for us and for future generations. We are therefore committed to working with all parties in order to find a common agreement on running the competition while protecting the local, natural environment.”

Reef hired its first ever chief marketing manager: Michael Minter. Minter previously worked at DC Shoes as their Global Head of Marketing for the past six years.

Mike Coots, a Kauai based surfer who lost a leg as the result of a shark attack in 1987, announced his new book: Shark: Portraits. The book is full of stunning photographs of sharks, taken all over the world over the course of 8 years.

In mid-November, the U.S. Coast Guard somberly announced that 1.1 million gallons of crude oil had leaked into the Gulf of Mexico after being discharged near the Main Pass Oil Gathering southeast of New Orleans.

Eight-time world champion Stephanie Gilmore launched a new surfboard model: the SG Number 8. Gilmore worked closely with her shaper Darren Handley of DHD Surfboards to create the board.

Ella McCaffray and Levi Slawson won the SLO CAL Open at Morro Bay, a North America QS event. The win marks the McCaffray’s first ever QS win and Slawson’s second.

The Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational opening ceremony was held at Waimea Bay on December 8th. Lots of familiar and new faces were present at the ceremony, with a total of ten different countries represented. The holding period runs from December 14, 2023 to March 12, 2024—wave face heights must reach 40-feet for the contest to run.

Vissla held their Creators Gathering at Sage Mountain in San Simeone, California in late November. The gathering included Alex Lopez, Chad Jackson, Danny Hess, Derrick Disney, Donald Brink, Jack Coleman, Jason Woodside, Jeff, McCallum, Jeremiah Klein, John Simon, Brian Elliott, Nick Melanson, Travis Reynolds, and Thomas Campbell and they focused on board theories as well as other surf designs concepts.

Kai Neville released a new surf film entitled Vacuum. The 42-minute film includes Dakoda Walters, Jai Glindeman, Kanaiya Webb, Eithan Osborne, Lungi Slabb, Jaleesa Vincent, Kaito Ohashi, Chippa Wilson, Shaun Manners, Dion Agius, Mitch Coleborn, Jack Freestone, Mark Occhilupo, Craig Anderson, Taj Burrow, and Creed Mctaggart as well as old footage of Occy.

The Palm Springs Surf Club (PSSC) will soon be open for business. The longawaited artificial wave pool is currently preparing to officially open its doors to the public on January 1, 2024, according to a press release from the club.

The facility uses pneumatic wave technology created by Tom Lochtefeld, the founder of Surfloch Wave Systems. The pool offers on-demand, customizable waves ranging from two to seven feet, and can accommodate up to 25 surfers simultaneously.

Erin Brook’s fight for Canadian citizenship to represent Canada in the 2024 Olympic Games continues. A member or parliaments summoned Marc Miller, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship to help Brooks verify citizenship in a timely manner. Stay tuned.

Joao “Cumbinho” Chianca was surfing Pipeline on December 3rd when he wiped out and was knocked

unconscious. North Shore lifeguards pulled the Brazilian surfer from the water and he was then transported to Queens Hospital in critical condition. Best wishes for a speed recovery!

Alana Nichols landed the first ever perfect 10 at the 2023 ISA World Para Surfing Championships in early November in Huntington Beach, California. Nichols competes in the Women’s Sit classification.

Kelly Slater announced the launch of his new surfboard, which was inspired by Jaws and great white sharks. He worked with Bali-based surfer Mike Woo to design a performance twin fin under the Slater Designs label.

The John John meet and greet at HIC Kailua was off the chain! Mahalo to all of the HIC, @florence_ marine_x Crew, the community, & everyone else that helped out, for coming together to celebrate the vision & partnership at their Kailua location! This is just the start & we’re stoked for what’s to come! Photo by: @artofoto

Santa Cruz local Autumn Hays and New Smyrna-based surfer Michael Dunphy won the O’Neill Cold Water Classic held in Santa Cruz, California. Finishing just behind the winners was Kirra Pinkerton (current number two on the North America QS) for the women and Davi Toledo (Filipe Toledo’s younger brother) for the men.

LAST LOOK

Ridge Lenny

Photo Brian Bielmann