ISLE FILE
Perkins third in longboard
Advertiser Staff
Bonga Perkins of Hale'iwa tied for third place in the Oxbow WLT longboard surfing contest yesterday.
The final day of the week-long competition was run in 2- to 3-foot waves at Les Dunes, Anglet, France.
Perkins won his quarterfinal heat, then lost a close heat in the semifinals. He was the only Hawai'i surfer remaining for the final day of competition.
Perkins defeated California's Colin McPhillips in the quarterfinals, 16.25-13.9.
In the semifinals, France's Antoine Delpero defeated Perkins, 18.25-17.05. Perkins held the lead midway through the heat, but Delpero took control when he received a score of 9.35 (out of 10) with around 15 minutes remaining.
Perkins needed a score of 9.75 to win the heat in the closing minutes, but received an 8.55.
Australia's Harley Ingleby won the contest, defeating Delpero in the final.
Ingleby received $10,000 and is now ranked No. 1 entering the final event of the 2008 World Longboard Tour.
Perkins, who received $2,500 yesterday, is ranked No. 3.
All competitors on the longboard tour have to ride surfboards at least 9 feet long.
PADDLING
KULUKULUALANI, KJELDSEN TRIUMPH
The team of Maui Kjeldsen and Manny Kulukulualani won the Kaua'i World Challenge paddling race in convincing fashion on Saturday.
Kjeldsen and Kulukulualani completed the 34-mile course off Kaua'i in 3 hours, 36 minutes, 29 seconds. The course started at Wailua Beach and finished at Salt Pond.
The team of Aaron Napoleon and Kea Pa'iaina placed second in 3:43:13. Danny Ching and Steven Sinkus were third in 3:50:40.
The race featured one-person canoes, but each "team" could use two paddlers in a relay format. The course was separated into four legs, and each paddler had to complete two legs.
Hawai'i's top two solo paddlers — Karel Tresnak Jr. and Kai Bartlett — did not enter.
The team of Noe Auger and Alana Goo-Frazier won the women's division in 4:33:13. Andrea Messer/Kelsa Teeters placed second in 4:36:39.
The team of Jaimie Kinard and Alfred Van Gieson won the mixed division in 4:11:33.
There was also a division for two-person canoes, which could use four paddlers. The first to finish in a two-person canoe was the team of C.J. Day, Donovan Leandro, Kekama Akana and Hayden Ramler in 3:51:59.
