Posted on: Saturday, January 8, 2005
ISLE FILE
'Ewa Beach surfer 2nd in World junior meet
Advertiser Staff
Dustin Cuizon of 'Ewa Beach placed second in the Billabong World Junior Championship yesterday at North Narrabeen, Sydney, Australia.
Pablo Paulino of Brazil defeated Cuizon in the one-on-one final, 17.33-11.17. The final day of the week-long competition was completed in choppy 1- to 3-foot waves.
"It was very hard out there," Cuizon said. "The wind chops were hard to read, and not many of the waves I caught had any lip on them."
The contest is considered the world championship for surfers under the age of 21. Cuizon's runner-up finish was the best showing by a Hawai'i surfer since Kaua'i's Andy Irons won it in 1998.
Paulino jumped to an early lead in the final, forcing Cuizon to play catch-up. Cuizon found a nice-shaped wave late in the heat, but he fell while going for a big maneuver.
"I was searching everywhere for something with some pocket, but nothing came in for me" Cuizon said. "Pablo deserved the lead because almost all the waves he caught walled up nicely and he surfed them well."
T.J. Barron of O'ahu's North Shore was eliminated in the quarterfinals.
Kai named to West region second team
University of Hawai'i junior forward Natasha Kai was named to the Soccer Buzz Far West Region second team, the third straight season she was honored by the publication.
Kai, who led the Rainbow Wahine with 12 goals and five assists for 29 points, was a Soccer Buzz first-team pick in 2003 and a Far West All-Freshman pick in 2002. She was named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America/adidas All-West Region second team late last year.
Princeton junior Romy Trigg-Smith, a 2002 Punahou graduate, was named to the Soccer Buzz Mid-Atlantic Region second team.
Duke goalkeeper Allison Lipsher, a 2004 Punahou graduate, was named to the Soccer Buzz Southeast Region All-Freshman team.
In other soccer news, Santa Margarita (Calif.) High goalkeeper Kori Lu has verbally committed to play for the Rainbow Wahine, according to Soccer Buzz.
Lu won the adidas Golden Glove award at the U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships in 2002, presented to the top goalkeeper in each age group. Her Laguna Hills Eclipse Club Team captured the Under-15 National title that year.
Australia's King repeats as tour king
Australia's Damian King repeated as world champion by winning the Rockstar Games Maui Pro bodyboarding contest on Thursday in clean 3- to 6-foot waves at Honolua Bay, Maui.
The Maui Pro was the final event of the 2004 International Bodyboarders Association Super Tour.
King entered the event ranked No. 3, but the victory vaulted him into the No. 1 spot on the final rankings.
King edged fellow Australian Mitchell Rawlins in the final by posting two near-perfect rides of 9.5 and 9.0.
Kaua'i's Jeff Hubbard placed third and was the only Hawai'i competitor to make it past the quarterfinals.
Maui's Jimmy Hutaff won the drop-knee division.
SOCCER
BODYBOARDING
