Asing celebrates 12th birthday ruling waves

By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer

Keanu Asing got some pretty nice gifts for his 12th birthday yesterday.

Koa Smith of Kaua'i placed third in the menehune surfing division of the Local Motion Surf Into Summer, which drew 300 contestants. Bernie Baker • Special to The Advertiser

There was also the first-place trophy he received for winning the menehune surfing division of the three-day contest.

"It's a great birthday," Asing said.

The Surf Into Summer is held every year on Memorial Day weekend, and has become recognized as the kickoff event of the south shore surfing season.

It is also considered the largest amateur surfing contest in the state, and more than 300 surfers of all ages participated in this year's event.

"Everybody who surfs knows about this contest," said Tommy Asing, who is Keanu's father and the Local Motion team manager. "It's become a very prestigious thing because so many people enter it. If you can win it, it's definitely an honor."

Kekoa Cazimero has experienced that honor for four of the past five years.

Yesterday, he won the competitive junior men's division for ages 15 to 17. In past years of the Surf Into Summer, he won the menehune (11 and younger) division and twice captured the boys (12 to 14) title.

"The name of the contest kind of explains everything — it's the first big contest of the summer and so everybody wants to win it," said Cazimero, who is 16 and a sophomore at Kaiser High. "I don't know, for some reason, I seem to do pretty good in this contest every year."

Waves were only in the 1- to 2-foot range over the weekend, but surfers said the conditions were still favorable.

"It wasn't as bad as it looks," Cazimero said. "There actually were some pretty good waves. It was enough to do a couple moves. It was fun."

Coco Ho of Sunset Beach won the competitive girls division for ages 17 and younger. She is 14 and a member of the famous Ho surfing family — her father is Michael Ho, and her uncle is former world champion Derek Ho.

Coco Ho proved that she has the surfing genes by posting the best scores of the day, including a near-perfect 9.0 in the girls final.

"There was about two minutes left in the heat, but I wanted to wait for a good (wave)," she said. "Luckily, a nice set came up and I just rode it as far as I could."

Most of the competitors in the Surf Into Summer contest are youth surfers, but there were also around 100 adult surfers.

"In some cases, it's just as big for the adults because this is a rare opportunity for them to get to surf at Bowls with only a few other guys out there," Tommy Asing said.

The Ala Moana Bowl is one of the most popular spots on O'ahu, but only six surfers are allowed per heat during the contest.

Mike Akima of Kapahulu surfs at Ala Moana almost every day, and he won the oldest division of the contest — senior men for ages 35 and older.

"This is the best place to surf," said Akima, 37. "So when there's a contest here, I always try to enter."

Akima also wanted to stick to a promise he made to an Ala Moana surfing buddy, Kirk Hodges, who was killed in a stabbing incident two weeks ago.

"We agreed to enter this thing together so I really wanted to do it for him," Akima said. "I was thinking about him out there."

Hodges' daughter, Shea, also entered the Surf Into Summer this weekend.

"Us old guys have our fun out there, but it's really about the next generation," Akima said. "Stuff like this can only make them better."

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-8101.