Get Up, STAND UP

The QuikSilverEdition Ku Ikaika Challenge at Makaha welcomed a slew of seasoned surfing greats and showcased the newest wave of surf competition, all for a charitable cause. From glowing sunshine to gentle winds to crisp, clear winter swells, Mother Nature treated surf pros and fans alike to a spectacular Valentine’s Day

Sarah Pacheco
Wednesday - February 27, 2008
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Brian Keaulana, who grew up at Makaha, powers down a wave
Brian Keaulana, who grew up at Makaha, powers down a wave

From glowing sunshine to gentle winds to crisp, clear winter swells, Mother Nature treated surf pros and fans alike to a spectacular Valentine’s Day present as the QuikSilverEdition Ku Ikaika Challenge debuted Feb. 14. Presented by C4 Waterman and Red Bull, the first-ever stand up paddle (SUP) big-wave surfing event was a hugely successful celebration of all the best aspects waterman and Hawaiian heritages have to offer. With waves rolling in at Makaha Point at 6to 15 feet (wave face heights of 12-30 feet) throughout the day, conditions just met the minimum range of 20-foot faces to kick things off.

“This sport is not a new sport,” Brian Keaulana says. “It’s kinda an old thing that the beach boys used to do and made pretty popular. But like anything, we’re always developing new disciplines, different skills, those kinds of things.”


Keaulana, 46, is a familiar face on the water. Born and raised in Makaha, he learned early on how to swim from his father, legendary surf giant Buffalo Keaulana. He became a pro surfer at 18 and traveled around the world, acquiring knowledge in every water sport imaginable. Keaulana was head lifeguard for the city before working as a stuntman in Hollywood. His full-time job now consists of working as a stunt coordinator/director along with being a founder of C4 Waterman with partners Todd Bradley and Mike Fox. The company specializes in creating and selling wave-riding tools and equipment such as state-of-the-art paddles, stand up boards and accessories that continue the evolution of SUP surf.

“The whole stand up thing is really still in its infant stage. And what you’re seeing now are the most seasoned watermen around, the best of the best from all over the world, challenging giant waves,” Keaulana states.

Aaron Napoleon won the contest with a perfect 10 on this wave
Aaron Napoleon won the contest with a perfect 10 on this wave

Recognizing that water-sport legends traveled far and wide for the premiere challenge certainly left many in awe.

“It felt great just to be the only girl and going up against the best surfers in the world,” says Maui-born Tiare Lawrence. “It’s like a dream come true for me because I’ve always wanted to be in big-wave events like this. I’m just super stoked and blessed.”

One surfer, Raimana Van Bastolaer, asked his sponsors to send him to Hawaii for a mere 30 hours just to catch the Ku Ikaika.

“I’ve been coming to Hawaii so many times,” he began, “and I just show up today, that’s my first time that kind of size over here. So at first this morning, I was all worried - like, shaking and all that - but when I did my first heat, I loved it.”

Garret McNamara, best known for surfing huge waves created by ice falling from glaciers, has been SUP surfing for about a year.

“This is just an honor to be invited to something like this,” he confesses. “All the guys are so good in this sport and I can barely do it, I’m just learning and honored to be in there. It’s so hard, it’s really challenging to ride. And you’re always learning new things and how to ride it better.”

“I concur,” adds Liam Wilmott. “It’s a super fun sport. It’s different from regular surfing, the challenges are so different. There’s an opening there for people that have been into it from the beginning to move through with more contests that are coming up and all the more events that are going on.”

In addition to being an internationally-known surfer, Wilmott manages the warehouse for C4 Waterman. According to Wilmott, the sport’s popularity has gained momentum over the past few years. As SUP fever travels to all corners of the globe, he says one adventure he looks forward to taking next month is back to Australia, where he’ll have a few C4 boards for watermen ahead of the curve.


“People get them just because it’s so intriguing,” he enthuses. “It’s gonna take off - you can see it in the amount of paddles and boards we send out every week to all parts of the world.”

The day’s event shares its name with the nonprofit Ku Ikaika Foundation, established by C4 Waterman last year with the hope of aiding local youths, while encouraging them to stand strong and make positive choices in life. “In anything, if you don’t believe in one vision, nothing’s gonna come out,” Keaulana says. “One of the things each one of us guys emphasize is try to educate people. It’s not just waving a flag, here we are, here’s the best guys in the world. It’s giving every kid a hope and chance, the opportunity to say one day we want to be like that. An event like this provides the opportunity that the kids can actually touch, feel and talk to those heroes that they only see in magazines.”

In addition to Keaulana, Van Bastolaer, Lawrence, McNamara and Wilmott, heroes on the beach that day included Keone Downing, Bonga Perkins, Robby Naish, Sam Pai, Ikaika Kalama, Aaron Napoleon, Mel Puu, Kamu Auwae, Craig Davidson, Kamaki Worthington, Jamie Mitchell, Scott Bass, Ekolu Kalama, Archie Kalepa, Duane Desoto, Buzzy Kerbox, Kainoa McGee, Noah Johnson, Arsene Harehoe, Chuck Patterson, Dave Parmenter, Blane Chambers, Chris Mauro, Kealii Mamala, Todd Bradley, Keoni, Nolan and Rusty Keaulana.

Robby Naish and Aaron Napoleon head out into the surf
Robby Naish and Aaron Napoleon head out into the surf

Napoleon, a Pearl City resident who drew from his abilities as a top-performer in every saltwater sport known to man, dominated in all five 30-minute rounds and posted one of the event’s two perfect 10-point rides. He donated his $4,000 prize to the West Side’s Junior Lifeguard Foundation. All other surfers in the main event - including second-place winner Keoni Keaulana (Waianae), third-place finisher and big-wave specialist Kalama (Waialua), and fourth-place Auwae (Waianae) - each earned $350.

But competitors weren’t there for the money; instead, they relished the chance to spend a winter’s day in the warm Hawaiian waters with good friends.

“It’s not such a competitive vibe because it’s pretty much we’re surfing for a good cause,” says Lawrence. “We’re not surfing for the money, we’re surfing for the community.”

Bonga Perkins agrees, saying, “Why not bring half the world to have fun, but yet that fun is benefitting the kids of our own community. If that can give (kids) a kick-start to open their eyes to what’s out there, that’s huge.”

Perkins has been SUP surfing since he was 13. The local boy apprenticed under one of the sport’s originators, Bobby AhChoy, on the beaches of Waikiki. After mastering bodyboarding as a child, he became a world champion long-boarder.

Robbie Naish, a world champion wind- and kite-surfer, came over from his Maui home and enjoyed a day on the West Side of Oahu: ” There’s a different vibe out here than most other places - plus the cast of characters. This is more just for fun and hanging with your friends and promoting the new sport everyone’s getting involved with.”

Van Bastolaer nods, describing the mellowness of Makaha as a happy reminder of his home in Tahiti: “I love this vibe over here, with these kinds of people. The true Hawaiians, or the true Tahitians, they say ‘Hey, how are you,’ and they’re smiling.”

Duane Desoto, a Makaha boy born and raised, can relate tales of reciprocating the aloha, whether it be watching a friend’s keiki at the beach or grabbing a soda from a neighbor’s cooler on a hot day.

“It’s a mix - you show a good heart and you get welcomed,” he warmly says. “To me, Makaha is the example of Hawaii that a lot of people should see. You’re not gonna get that from very many places because people don’t want to be a community - they want to have community boards, but they’re still not a community. This is a community of uncles and aun-ties and all calabash, everyone’s your cousin.”

He and his 10-year-old son recently completed a SUP race that ran eight miles from Hawaii Kai to Kaimana Beach. Desoto contrasts that story with one where

 

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