Amateur surfers 'rip' waves at Ala Moana

By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer

If yesterday was any indication, the next wave of professional surfers from Hawai'i will be quite powerful.

Kekoa Bacalso of Mililani posted the only perfect 10 of the Hawai'i Amateur Surfing Association's Town & Country State Championships yesterday at Ala Moana Bowl. Bernie Baker photo

The three-day event was completed yesterday with finals in 27 divisions. All of the finalists qualified for the United States Surfing Federation National Championships, which will be held July 20-26 at Oceanside, Calif.

"When it comes to this contest, everybody's good; everybody rips," said Honolulu's Billy Choi. "If you can win your division, it's a pretty big accomplishment."

Choi, 19, accomplished something no other competitor could yesterday by winning two divisions. He won the men's surfing division (for ages 18-24) and the airshow division (where surfers are judged on aerial maneuvers). He also placed second in the open men's division (for all ages).

"I'm concentrating on becoming a professional, so this is a big result for me," he said. "Later this summer, I'm going to Japan and enter some (professional) contests over there."

Most of the other standouts from yesterday's finals might not be ready for professional status just yet. But that's only because most of them are still in high school.

Kekoa Bacalso, who just completed his junior year at Mililani High, won the competitive junior men's surfing division (for ages 15-17). Many of the competitors in that division will turn professional in the next few years.

Bacalso proved his worth by posting the only perfect 10 of the day.

"I knew it was going to be a good wave, so I knew I had to do something with it," he explained. "I hit the lip (of the wave) hard and luckily I made it back down."

Gavin Gillette placed second in that division followed by Hank Gaskell and Mikey Mitchell.

Alana Brennan had a breakthrough victory in the girls surfing division, upsetting several higher-seeded competitors. She said she "barely" qualified for the state championships out of Kaua'i (only the top regular-season performers from O'ahu, Kaua'i, Maui and the Big Island were invited to the state championships).

"I'm incredibly stoked," said Brennan, who splits time between Kaua'i High and Kealakehe High on the Big Island. "Last year I didn't even make the finals."

Ned Snow, a junior-to-be at Parker High on the Big Island, was another surprise winner. He won the junior men's longboard division by beating friends who normally beat him.

"I've surfed against all those guys a couple of times before," Snow said. "But this was the first time I really got ahead."

This weekend's event wasn't just for kids. Age divisions ranged from menehune (12 and younger) to legends (65 and older).

"I don't normally surf at (Ala Moana) Bowls because the young guys are too aggressive," said 65-year-old Koapaka Brown, who won the legends division. "So this was a once in a lifetime opportunity for somebody like me to surf out there with only us old guys out."

David Shinbara posted the highest total score of the day (25.0 out of 30) in winning the kneeboard division.

Other champions posting total scores higher than 20 were: Kekoa Cazimero (menehune surfing), Alana Henline (girls bodyboarding), Joy Magelssen (girls longboarding) and Jordan Hart (men's longboarding).