Uemura puts on 'awesome' contest
By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer
Longboard surfers had a long weekend of fun in China Uemura's 19th Annual Longboard Surfing Classic.
The three-day contest, which featured more than 250 competitors, was completed yesterday in 1- to 3-foot waves at Queen's, Kuhio Beach, Waikiki.
Male and female competitors of all ages were eligible to enter, but under two conditions: longboards only (around 9 feet with a rounded nose) and a $30 entry fee.
"Longboarding is my thing," said Uemura. "I used to be a longboarder, now my kids are longboarders, and hopefully my grandson will be a longboarder when he grows up."
Uemura, a former national champion, has been running the contest every year since 1985. He said it is his way of "giving back to the community" that supported him when he was a competitive surfer.
He has never made a profit off the event, even though it has become one of the largest longboard-only surfing contests in the world.
The entry fees collected from the surfers are annually donated to a local cause or charity.
"It's an awesome contest every year," said girls competitor Joy Magelssen. "It's really neat that this contest is not all about making money and everybody being competitive. It's more about having fun and donating to charity."
Magelssen and her sisters have been competing in the contest for at least five years. Yesterday, Joy won the girls division (for ages 14 to 17) and her younger sister Kristen placed second.
"It's the first time we ever got first and second," Kristen said. "But she's nice to me and she helps me out."
Joy Magelssen is 17 and a recent Kaiser High graduate; Kristen is 15 and a junior-to-be at Kaiser. They plan to continue entering the contest as an annual summer tradition.
"I really hope this contest keeps going because there's good entertainment, good prizes and good surfing," Joy said.
Uemura has already started planning for the future. His son Kekoa — who is one of Hawai'i's top professional longboard surfers — and daughter Kanoelani performed administrative duties for the contest this year.
"I want them to learn so that they can run it if I'm not around," China said.
Word of Uemura's contest has spread across the state, and many longboard surfers come from other islands to enter.
For example, Roger Aka Pai of Makawao, Maui, entered the boys division for the first time this year.
"I heard it was a contest with a lot of aloha so I wanted to come down and see for myself," said Pai, 17. "I recently met China from doing other contests on O'ahu and he's the coolest guy. I knew I had to try his contest."
Pai wound up taking home a first-place trophy and a bag full or prizes.
"This is pretty much the best contest I've been to," Pai said.
Uemura also encourages the competitors to spend the day at Waikiki as part of the "surfing family." Every year, he gets local bands to entertain the crowd from sunrise to sunset.
In another Uemura tradition, the first-place surfers get the biggest trophies, but the lower-placing surfers get better prizes. Surfers who do not make the finals can enter drawings for surfboards and other prizes.
"I want everybody to go home happy," Uemura said.
For the first time in the history of the contest, Uemura created a professional division, complete with prize money.
The pro final was completed Friday, but Uemura did not announce the winner until yesterday's awards presentation.
Former world champion Bonga Perkins was declared the winner of the pro final and received $1,200. Jye Byrnes of Australia placed second and received $600.
Other standouts from yesterday's amateur finals were Jon Okamura in the senior men's division, Zane Aikau in masters men, Desire DeSoto in women, and Maka Pua'a in grandmasters women.
Final results
Menehune (14-younger): 1, Ezekiel Lau. 2, Derek Wong. 3, Dane Willacker. 4, Michael Dunphy. 5, Johann Hedemann. 6, Micah Miguel. Boys (14-17): 1, Aka Pai. 2, Kaleo Cajigal. 3, Ian Soutar. 4, Makamae DeSoto. 5, Emerick Ishikawa. 6, Kaimana Beau. Girls (14-17): 1, Joy Magelssen. 2, Kristen Magelssen. 3, Geodee Clark. 4, Erin Godinez. 5, Sanoi Peahu. 6, Kam Yat Young. Men (18-29): 1, Atilla Jobbagyi. 2, Ned Snow. 3, Fritzi Belmoro. 4, John Paul Kaleopaa. 5, Keone Young. 6, Jesse Molten. Women (18-49): 1, Desire DeSoto. 2, Malia Eischen. 3, Tyra Freitas. 4, Lee Barrough. 5, Summer Ahina. 6, Doreen Teramae. Master (30-39): 1, Zane Aikau. 2, Virgil Sisiam. 3, David Carvalho. 4, Makani McDonald. 5, Jason Miyamura. 6, Ramrod Kashiwamura. Senior Men (40-49): 1, Jon Okamura. 2, Gavin Hasegawa. 3, David Fernandez. 4, Dean Nakamaru. 5, Andy Kumabe. 6, Jon Mar. Grandmaster Men (50-59): 1, Allen Wicklund. 2, Herb Pruse. 3, Neal Norris. 4, Ronald DeSoto. 5, Fuj Fujita. 6, Allen Fojas. Grandmaster Women (50-older): 1, Maka Pua'a. 2, Dyanne Taylor. 3, Suzanne Waler. 4, Masami Yamaoka. 5, Jenny Rosa. 6, Franny Palama. 7, Linda Grover. Legend (60-older): 1, Joey Cabell. 2, Ben Aipa. 3, Wayne Ho. 4, Koapaka Brown. 5, Malcolm Ing. 6, Dickie Abbey. 235 pounds-over: 1, Alika Willis. 2, Jamie Ballenger. 3, Bruce DeSoto. 4, Charleston Awai. 5, Uiwi Niuelua. 6, Kimo Leong. Pro Am: 1, Bonga Perkins. 2, Jye Byrnes. 3, Joey Valentin. 4, Duane DeSoto.
