South Shore Surfy Summer Saturday
Monday, July 9th, 2012
I love summertime in Town! Guys always complain about how crowded it is on the South Shore and it totally is, but with the masses comes a load of surf events to attend on land. This past Saturday was jam-packed with waveriding-related things to do in Honolulu. My morning started off by checking out the Arnette Cash Pot Series at Ala Moana Bowls: Wayne Agasalda, Joel Centeio, Joey and Bean Dip posed by the pro-am contest’s signage on Magic Island. Bowls Local Randall Paulson won the event and took home $500 for a first place finish in the 2-to 3-foot waves.
Arguably the best surf contest commentator in the game today, Kaipo Guerrero, was stoked to get the latest issue. He calls Contrast the “Polynesian Vice,” which is one of the coolest compliments, ever!
Hilo's Robert Patterson shaped a board for a giveaway at the Arnette #cashpot. Rob is part of a dying breed of competitive surfer: the surfer/shaper.
Cheeseburger.
Tradewinds were blowing hard on Saturday so you needed to secure your pop-up tent to the ground. These groms obviously did not.
Nick Mita knows how to properly erect a pop-up tent at a surf contest. His son also knows how to give uncle five.
The Arnette Cash Pot Series boasted a $3,000 prize purse and awarded each heat winner with some cold hard cash. Kekoa Cazimero getting paid after winning his second round heat.
Since there were 72 competitors, there were six-man, 15-minute heats that had all the surfers feeling like they were back in HASA. For those that don't know, this type of heat format is tough because it's hard to catch multiple waves with high-scoring potentital. Guys were getting eggy because of the paddle battles and lack of waves. Fortunately, Greg Nakamura and Jason Shibata helped keep things civil with their endearing Aloha Spirit.
After watching Jason, Greg and Moody's heat, I surfed super fun Rock Pile Rights with Aloha Stadium (Russell, Simpo and Trav). While Ryan Kelly and Sean Moody went to lunch.
In the late-arvo, my wahine (woman) and I went to Kaeo Awana's graduation party at Hickam Air Force Base. I was tripping out how beautiful Foster's Point- where Kaeo had his grad party- is on base. It's typical in Hawai'i for some of the best beaches and surf breaks to be on a military base, which is pretty lame for civilians and Hawaiians.
The best part of a high school graduation party is usually the Hawaiian food.
Clockwise from purple liquid: Poi, squid lu'au, chicken long rice, ahi limu poke, beer, sweet potato and kalua pig.
Kaeo graduated this year and was the 2011-12 Kamehameha surf team captain. So Surf Team Head Coach, Lea Arce, was at the party with her boyfriends to congratulate the grom.
Bailed from the grad party early to make the Honolulu Museum of Art's 5th Annual Surf Film Festival opening reception. This is Gina Davidson's last year organizing the film festival, and it's a bummer to see her go because she does such a good job with this event. The Surf Film Festival is from July 7-31, and I highly suggest catching a couple of flicks before the end of the month.
Ran into to Super CW and Crystal Thornburg-Homcy first thing at the Honolulu Musuem of Art, which was rad!
Mark Cunningham, artist John Koga and Mike Stewart were at film festival for the screening of "Come Hell or High Water."
Vans Triple Crown of Surfing Executive Director Randy Rarrick was the emcee of the evening. I'm always impressed by how good of a public speaker he is.
Opening night was sold out. The first film of the evening was "I Just Love To Paddle," which documented the 2008 trans-island canoe paddle of Nappy Napoleon, who is pictured here with his wife, Anona.
“I Just Love To Paddle” was amazing! Nappy Napoleon has paddled across the Ka’iwi Channel (between Moloka’i and O’ahu) more than a 100 times. He is the head coach and founder of the Anuenue Canoe Club. Besides Napoleon’s awesome athletic accomplishment of crossing all of the Hawaiian Islands’ channels by one-man canoe in six consecutive days, the coolest part of the film was hearing Uncle Nappy’s outlook on paddling and life. Nappy was so genuine in his interviews and his lifelong dedication to his passion, canoe paddling, was inspiring.
After “I Just Love To Paddle,” there was a screening of “Come Hell or High Water,” which documents the lifestyle of body surfing. Here is some of the stars and cinematographers of the film: Crystal Thornburg-Homcy, Dave Homcy, Don King and Mike Stewart. I was ready to go buy a speedo and new fins after the movie. Torpedo people are so cool! I went home and practiced bodysurfing in the bath tub until my GF yelled at me that night.
