Wiser Watermen

As we get older, we get wiser. Hopefully!

Some of the Ku Ikaika Challenge competitors.

The idea behind the “Stand Strong” Ku Ikaika Stand-Up Surfing Challenge was wise in many ways. We raised the awareness of stand-up paddle surfing around the globe. The West Side Junior Lifeguard Program received a $4,000 check to continue their important work. And, a bit more selfishly, the invited contestants got to stand-up surf Makaha Point all day with only a handful of guys in the water!

The judge’s vantage of Makaha Point.

It all started with “The Call.”

On February 12, the 24 invitees and 16 trialists showed up on Makaha Beach at daybreak; the waves had been forecast to reach the 20-foot face minimum for the event. However, at sunrise that day it was small – false alarm.

But two days later The Call was, “We’re on!”

The morning of Valentine’s Day, contestants paddled into position. The judges, on the balcony of a fifth floor condo in the hotel overlooking the break, sounded the horn. Makaha was firing; the Point was peeling, with epic, racing walls leading into the infamous Bowl.

Perkins approaching the Makaha Bowl.

Early heats saw some great surfing. The swell was steady after climbing through the morning, with 25-foot face sets coming through regularly all afternoon.

Aaron Napoleon didn’t make it out of this tube, but he got a big score for trying.

And conditions were perfect all day.

California charger Patterson borrowed a C4 board in the morning, and ripped his way to the semi-finals in the afternoon. Here he is, going deep on a big one.

Surprises abounded in competition, including the elimination of local favorites Brian Keaulana and Bonga Perkins in the Quarter Finals. And trialists Aaron Napoleon and Kamu Auwae surfed all the way to the Finals.

Aaron, on a big one.

It was an exciting, all Hawaiian final.

The four finalists. From left to right, Ikaika Kalama, Keoni Keaulana, Kamu Auwae, and Aaron Napoleon.

In the end, Aaron Napoleon won. Napoleon took the day off from his job to compete in the Ku Ikaika. Talk about a wise call!

See more photos and video at KuIkaikaChallenge.com and C4waterman.com

COMPLETE RESULTS

FINAL
1st – Aaron Napoleon, 41, Pearl City, Oahu, Hawaii
(White) – won $4,000 that will be awarded in his name to the West Side Junior Lifeguard Foundation.
Points: 16.83 (two of three judges awarded 10s) total – 10, 6.83

2nd – Keoni Keaulana, 24, Waianae, Oahu, Hawaii
(Black,) – won $350 like everybody else in the main event.
Points: 14.0 total – 7.83, 6.17

3rd – Ikaika Kalama, 28, Waialua, Oahu, Hawaii
(Green) – won $350
Points: 13.5 total – 7.17, 6.33

4th – Kamu Auwae, 28, Waianae, Oahu, Hawaii
(Red) – won $350
Points: 8.9 total – 2.33, 6.57

SEMI FINALS: 1st & 2nd advance, 3rd place =5th overall, 4th place =7th overall
H1: Kamu Auwae (Black, HI), Keone Keaulana (Green, HI), Brian Keaulana (Red, HI), Bonga Perkins (White, HI)
H2: Ikaika Kalama (Green, HI), Aaron Napoleon (White, HI), Chuck Patterson (Red, CA), Kealii Mamala (Black, HI)

QUARTER FINALS: 1st & 2nd advance, 3rd place =9th overall, 4th place =13th overall.
H1; Brian Keaulana (Black, HI), Kamu Auwae (Red, HI), Raimana Van Bastolaer (Green, TAH), Nolan Keaulana (White, HI)
H2: Keone Keaulana (Red, HI), Bonga Perkins (Green, HI), Duane DeSoto (White, HI), Keone Downing (Black, HI)
H3: Chuck Patterson (Black, CA), Kealii Mamala (White, HI), Rusty Keaulana (Red, HI), Garrett McNamara (Green, HI)
H4: Ikaika Kalama (White, HI), Aaron Napoleon (Green, HI), Dave Parmenter (Black, HI), Sam Pai (Red, HI)

MAIN ROUND
H1: Kamu Auwae (White, HI), Keone Keaulana (Green, HI), Craig Davidson (Black, HI), Kamaki Worthington (Red, HI)
H2: Brian Keaulana (Red, HI), Jamie Mitchell (Green, AUS), Keone Downing (Black, HI), Scott Bass (White, CA)
H3: Bonga Perkins (Red, HI), Raimana Van Bastolaer (Green, TAH), Ekolu Kalama (White, HI), Archie Kalepa (Black, HI)
H4: Duane Desoto (Black, HI), Nolan Keaulana (Green, HI), Buzzy Kerbox (Red, HI), Kainoa McGee (White, HI)
H5: Rusty Keaulana (Black, HI), Sam Pai (White, HI), Noah Johnson (Green, HI), Arsene Harehoe (Red, TAH)
H6: Chuck Patterson (Green, CA), Dave Parmenter (Red, HI), Blane Chambers (Black, HI), Chris Mauro (White, CA)
H7: Aaron Napoleon (Green, HI), Garrett McNamara (White, HI), Robby Naish (Black, HI), Mel Puu (Red, HI)
H8: Ikaika Kalama (Red, HI), Kealii Mamala (White, HI), Liam Wilmott (Green, AUS), Todd Bradley (Black, HI)

Trials
H1: Kamu Auwae (Black, HI), Scott Bass (Green, CA), Liam Wilmott (Red, AUS), Kyle Mochizuki (White, CA)
H2: Ekolu Kalama (Red, HI), Kainoa McGee (Green, HI), Blane Chambers (White, HI), Nalu Froiseth (Black, HI)
H3: Sam Pai (Red, HI), Chris Mauro (Green, CA), Chuck Patterson (White, CA), Bunky Bakutis (Black, HI)
H4: Garrett McNamara (White, HI), Kealii Mamala (Green, HI), Aaron Napoleon (Red, HI), Tiare Lawrence (Black, HI)�

Back Track

Stand up paddle surfing, SUP for short, is an old sport that former Waikiki Beach Boy Bobby Ah Choy kept alive. He used to shoot photographs of surfers in Waikiki while riding his stand-up paddle board. The above picture taken by Bobby is of SUP surfer John Zabotocky and has been published many times.

More recently, Laird Hamilton and Dave Kalama picked up the sport and Brian Keaulana shortly after. These big wave surfers took the sport to another level- in both surfing, and open ocean arenas.

Meanwhile, since I was addicted to SUP and was already building one-man outrigger canoe paddles, I started making SUP paddles. The fast-growing demand for SUP paddles led to the formation of C4 Waterman… a partnership of Brian Keaulana, Mike Fox and myself. C4’s goal is the promote the sport of stand up paddling and the share the core values of true watermen: balance, endurance, strength, and Tradition.