Amateur surfers of all ages battle at Ala Moana Bowl

By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer

Big waves and big smiles were rolling in all weekend for the Hawai'i Amateur Surfing Association State Championships at Ala Moana Bowl.

Casey Brown of Kailua, Kona, recorded the best scores of the day to win the boys shortboard division. Bernie Baker photo

"For an amateur contest to get waves like this is pretty unreal," said Dustin Cuizon, who won the prestigious junior men's shortboard division. "You feel a lot better when you win in waves like this."

The winners ranged in age from 12 to 69. There were divisions for shortboard surfing, longboard surfing, bodyboarding and kneeboarding.

"It's a really big thing to me to win this contest," said Andrianna Mendivil, who came from Kaua'i to win the girls shortboard division. "All the best girls are here and the waves were pretty good."

What's more, the top performers from yesterday's contest received automatic spots into the United States Surfing Federation National Championships later this month at Oceanside, Calif.

A trip to California — not to mention a three-foot high first-place trophy — was enough to lure even the youngest and smallest competitors into the big waves.

Hizson Lin-Kee, who just completed the sixth grade at Kamaile Elementary, won the menehune shortboard division in part because he said he wasn't afraid of the conditions.

"I surf in bigger waves than this," said Lin-Kee, 12. "I think maybe some of the other boys were a little scared, but I wasn't."

As a result, Lin-Kee will get to compete at the national championships for the first time later this month. His father, also named Hizson Lin-Kee, said the trip will cost around $1,000.

"It's costly, but when you see him win a contest like this, and how happy he is, you work it out," he said. "Hopefully it leads to something better down the line."

Cuizon, who graduated from Campbell High two weeks ago, is proof of that. He is a past menehune national champion and is in his final year as an amateur surfer.

He plans to turn professional after the national championships, and his surfing yesterday indicated that he is ready.

The junior men's division is for surfers ages 15 to 17, and because many of them are on the verge of professional status, it is considered the toughest division in amateur surfing.

"I guess I've been surfing with these guys so long, I feel comfortable already," Cuizon said. "I know the competition is good, but I try not to think about it when I'm out there."

Cuizon caught some of the day's biggest waves, and finished with scores of 8.25 and 7.75 for his two best rides.

The best total score of the day was posted by Casey Brown of Kailua, Kona. He had scores of 9.0 and 8.0 for a total of 17.0 to win the boys shortboard division.

"My strategy was to wait for the big sets," said Brown, who just completed his freshman year at Kealakehe High. "And then when the big sets came in, I wanted to ride it as long as I could."

Mendivil was somewhat of a surprise winner in the girls shortboard division. She qualified for the state championships as the No. 3-ranked surfer from Kaua'i.

"To be honest, I don't know how I won," said Mendivil, who just completed her freshman year at Kaua'i High. "I've surfed waves this size before, so I was fine. I was just having fun."

Proof that "amateur" is not just a label for kids, Dr. Malcolm Ing won the legends surfing division. Ing is 69 and a practicing ophthalmologist. Now, he is also a state surfing champion.

"We're the Medicare division," Ing said of the 65-and-older division. "But it's absolutely still exciting for us to go out there and compete. The conditions made it very challenging today, but it was fun."

Kekoa Uemura, a professional longboard surfer, displayed his versatility by winning the men's shortboard surfing division.

Kainoa Lum posted a near-perfect 9.75 to win the junior men's bodyboarding division; Keone Young also had a 9.75 to win the men's longboard division.

The three-day contest was sponsored primarily by Town & Country, Crazy Shirts and OP.

Final results

Bodyboarding

Junior men: 1, Kainoa Lum. 2, Kalae Jones. 3, Cory Mira. 4, Willy Petrovic. 5, Jamie Rosenfeld. 6, Pyper Luellen. Men: 1, Jed Kutaka. 2, Alika Gaspar. 3, Mark Gervacio. 4, Kyle Sumida. 5, James Clancy. 6, Kekoa Apuna. Boys: 1, Tucker Bentecou. 2, Justin Camacho. 3, Justin Nakata. 4, David Phillips. 5, Jeremy Ferguson. 6, Luke Adolfson. Dropknee: 1, Joe Kelling. 2, Tucker Bentecou. 3, Alika Gaspar. 4, Kyle Sumida. 5, James Clancy. 6, Nathan Rubio. Women: 1, Miya Yamaoka. 2, Nani Ping. Launch: 1, Willy Petrovic. 2, Alika Gaspar. 3, Jed Kutaka. 4, Pyper Luellen. 5, Kawika Cambra. 6, Nathan Rubio.

Shortboard surfing

Girls: 1, Andrianna Mendivil. 2, Ashley Fagerstedt. 3, Alana Blanchard. 4, Mio Uemura. 5, Katherine Van Dyke. 6, Shea Hodges. Women: 1, Jenny Kono. 2, Carmel Tomlinson. 3, Charis Bauer. 4, Jen Newhouse. Menehune: 1, Hizson Lin-Kee. 2, Kaiea Bosgra. 3, Kiron Jabour. 4, Ezekiel Lau. 5, Albee Layer. 6, Ashley Hunter. Boys: 1, Casey Brown. 2, Tonino Benson. 3, Dustin Payne. 4, Chris Eneim. 5, Travis Sasaki. 6, Keale Chung. Junior men: 1, Dustin Cuizon. 2, Gavin Gillette. 3, Zach Arreola. 4, Ola Eleogram. 5, Raymond Reichle. 6, Hank Gaskell. Men: 1, Kekoa Uemura. 2, Cisco Kay. 3, Eddie Huihui. 4, Dodge Purnell. 5, Jared Clapper. 6, Scott Saito. Open men: 1, Zach Arreola. 2, Dustin Payne. 3, Kekoa Inkster. 4, Kevin Kennedy. 5, Ira Masaki. 6, Dennis Garcia. Masters: 1, Richard Jaquias. 2, Kekoa Inkster. 3, Brad Chang. 4, Matt Kenny. 5, Richard Tom. 6, Dennis Garcia. Grandmasters: 1, Bobby Judd. 2, Nelson Togioka. 3, Joe Hartzman. 4, Brian Suratt. 5, Craig Balmores. 6, William Lawson. Senior men: 1, Rodney Nakashima. 2, Chris Owens. 3, Kal Faurot. 4 (tie), Dexter Shimabukuro and Andrew Coutts. 6, Steven Iwanaga. Senior grandmasters: 1, Ben Aipa. 2, Eddie Piper. 3, Craig Sugihara. Legends: 1, Malcolm Ing. 2, Kimo Austin. 3, Koapaka Brown. 4, Roger Kinnaman. Air show: 1, Albee Layer. 2 (tie), Cisco Kay and Makai McMichael. 4 (tie), Zac Fonoimoana and Kekoa Cazimero.

Longboard surfing

Girls: 1, Katherine Van Dyke. 2, Mia Melamed. 3, Bethany Hamilton. 4, Kristen Magelssen. 5, Joy Magelssen. 6, Marissa Matsusaka. Menehune: 1, Daryn Flem. 2, Cedric Caires. 3, Lawrence Knosp. 4, Derek Wong. 5, Geoff Wong. 6, Kekai Ministero. Women: 1, Malia Eischen. 2, Teddi Lee Sipe. 3, Tina Handley. Junior men: 1, Aka Pai. 2, Ben Kealoha Jr. 3, Makamae DeSoto. 4, Deighton Enriques. 5, Kekoa Enriques. 6, Emerick Ishikawa. Men: 1, Keone Young. 2, Kaliko Keahilihau. 3, Keika Albarado. 4, Keoki Saguibo. 5, Jordan Hart. 6, Wes Moore. Masters: 1, Charleston Awai. 2, Daniel Kauai. 3, Kevin Meyers. Senior men: 1, Dean Nakamaru. 2, Brian Suratt. 3, Daniel Stein. 4, J.B. Falbo. 5, Kaleo Kealoha. 6, Eddie Piper. Open men: 1, Makamae DeSoto. 2, Keone Young. 3, Emerick Ishikawa. 4, Kekoa Enriques. 5, Aka Pai. 6, Wes Moore.

Kneeboard

Open: 1, David Shinbara. 2, Dean Nishimoto. 3, Charlie Smith.