The Big Boss---Randy Rarick

Randy has been in charge of the Triple Crown of Surfing for many, many years. A former professional surfer, he still shapes surfboards, travels the world looking for waves, and puts this contest on every year. He's a strong supporter of the community and is very generous to organizations in the neighborhood like Sunset Beach Elementary, Mom's school. Bravo, Randy, we appreciate all you do!

Come to the Contests

The Reef Hawaiian Pro ends tomorrow, November 23. Stop by the event in Haleiwa at Ali'i Beach Park. Watch the greatest surfers in the world compete. You'll have fun and be in awe! Promise. Go to www.aspworldtour.com for details and the schedule for the next two surfing competitions.

And After the Competition.....

Since the contest is only permitted to run from 8 am to 4 pm, the waves open up immediately after the last horn blows and the last heat ends.
Cheryl, Jim, and Lily Richardson came down to Ali'l Beach Park to take advantage of the good conditions. (It had been flat for days and days!) As I say, "A family that surfs together, stays together"!

Ready to Ride

Lily is an avid surfer. She stands up and charges the waves as brave as brave can be. I'm impressed!
The inside waves at Ali'i Beach Park are perfect for her.

Ready, Set..............Wait

No waves. No surf contest.
I'm in Haleiwa at Ali'i Beach Park biding my time until the surf comes up.
The Reef Hawaiian Pro is the first of the last three contests of the ASP (Association of Surfing Professionals) World Tour.
The holding period started on November 12 and still no waves and it's been a week.
I'm looking toward the horizon-----looking for lines-----hoping for surf!

The Stands are Empty; Judges are Waiting

The beach had a few tourists, and a few children were out in the water, but no waves in sight. Booooooo.
Maybe I should make up some kind of "surf chant/dance" to bring on the waves. Any suggestions?

A Dinosaur on the Beach?

Well, the Triple Crown of Surfing is three contests and the last competitions of the 2011 ASP World Tour.
It's a huge media event that will be live streamed around the world, therefore, big equipment is needed to record all the activity, in and out of the water. Under this silver tarp is a giant camera with a boom.
Watch for updates or get on the email list. Go to: www.aspworldtour.com

Keeping Everything Running

This is Jim Lucas and he's the Chief Engineer of the Triple Crown. Over the next six weeks, he'll make sure that all the cameras and everything else is working properly to get the surf contests to you anywhere in the world. He's done Super Bowls and World Series! Yikes, that's a lot of responsibility!
You'll see what I mean in the following three photographs! His equipment is mindboggling for my little doggie brain!

Where it All Happens--the Production Room

This is where the director of the television coverage sits during the contest. He can see everything even though he's tucked behind the judge's stand in a little trailer. I have on my headset because everyone who's involved in the production wears one.

The Heartbeat of Production

This is Jim's room, the engineering room. He sits here during the contest and makes sure that all the cameras, there can be as many as ten, are showing the same color no matter which one is on the action. Whew--I think that job must be a little nerve wracking. A chief engineer has to be very focused---no fooling around!

From the Outside

This is the trailer named TV 1 which houses all the electronic equipment to televise the surf contest across the globe. It was built by Jim and he maintains it. This rolling production, audio, and engineering vehicle will stay in Hawaii and be used for other sporting events. It's getting ready to move to Sunset Beach in a couple of days for the second to last surfing contest of the 2011 ASP World Tour.

Good Luck!! Good Luck!!

Let's all think WAVES. It's pretty disheartening to the competitors, organizers, and spectators on hold for the Reef Hawaiian Pro for so long, just waiting and waiting with no waves in sight! Again, tune into www.aspworldtour.com to be updated.

Aloha and Welcome

Vera and Gidget (giving me the "Shaka" sign) greeted me at the Waialua Community Center for a night of fun and education. Sponsored by the North Shore Chamber of Commerce, the residents of the community were honored with a slide presentation of the beginnings of surf riding in Hawaii.
Did you notice the old fashioned paipo boards behind them?

The Author and Surf Historian

This is John R. K. Clark, a retired fireman and surfer. He probably knows more about the beginning of wave riding in Hawaii than anyone else. He's published 8 books and was signing his latest, HAWAIIAN SURFING--Traditions of the Past, when I met him at the community center. He researched the first Hawaiian language newspapers on Oahu, had them translated, and uncovered many interesting facts about surfing-----waves were ridden six different ways. Want to know more, lots more, go University Press http://www.uhpress.hawaii.edu/ and google his book. Better yet, buy it and educate yourself. It's a great reference book.

A Closer Look

Yes, these are John's own paipo boards, and he still rides them!! They are one of the earliest kinds of surfboards made and ridden by Hawaiians. I learned so much listening to John and viewing his old drawings and photographs. He's a surfing treasure!

Ready for the Show

Kula, one of Mom's former students, was at John Clark's presentation with his mom and dad (a surfer, of course). Don't you just love the old fashioned screen and louvered windows? The gentle trade winds blew in as we sat back and listened to stories, and looked at images of the early days of surfing----up until 1954. That's when everything changed---foam boards were introduced to the sport!

Kicking Off the Surf Season

Randy Rarick, Executive Director of the Van's Triple Crown of Surfing, introduced John Clark to the audience. Randy and "Johnny" have been surfing together for many years; they go way back. Randy told the crowd that this event and John's new book, HAWAIIAN SURFING, were the perfect way to commence this season's big surfing waves and competition! I agree!

He Did It!!! Kelly Slater Wins Again and Again!!

Kelly Slater, 39 year old surfer from Florida, won his 11th world surfing title on November 2, 2011.
Bravo to a great role model and extrodinary athlete.
We in the surfing community on the North Shore are extra proud of you!!
We'll be awaiting your arrival for the Triple Crown starting on November 12th.

Happy Halloweeeeeeen!!

Did you notice the spooky decorations? It's the last Saturday of the month and that means ART WALK in Haleiwa. I'm with Clark Little in his gallery. This award-winning North Shore photographer has been published by National Geographic and numerous magazines. He also had his shots hanging in the Smithsonian this past summer. He captures his breathtaking pictures while swimming, and sometimes standing, in the shorebreak. That's a dangerous occupation! See more of Clark's work at: clarklittlephotography.com

Do You See Two Crows? Look Hard!

While on the ART WALK, I stepped into another gallery and learned something new. While this surfboard was being glassed, the artist, Nick Welles, took his brush and painted on the resin with pigment. This style of surfboard art is called "free style glassing". It was born when Nick and his shaper/partner were just being silly and began throwing color into the resin and slapping it on the board just to see what would happen and, presto, abstract art! See more of Nick's work at twocrowssurfboards.com

Where's the Action? Trick or Treat!

Sunny, holding me, and her two girlfriends, Kelei (in the hat) and Emma got all dressed up for the ART WALK and found out that the big party in Haleiwa had been the night before! Boooo.
Sunny's mom, Patty, owns the ice cream shop in town called Scoop of Paradise. She's just getting ready to open up a factory in the neighborhood to make her world famous homemade ice cream on a big time scale. She'll be shipping it off to Japan!

Pssst! Pssst!

The North Shore of Oahu is home to many creative residents and artists. Make sure if you ever have the opportunity to visit Haleiwa on the last Saturday of the month, you come early, have dinner at one of our great restaurants, and then walk around this little beach town and take in all the art! These seahorses are made of resin, the same material shapers use to glass their surfboards!

Surf's Always Up Somewhere

I found this display of surfboards at an art gallery/design studio in Soho. Soho (which means south of Houston Street) is in lower Manhattan in New York City. This place is the office of Partners and Spade. Andy Spade cocurated the show with a famous surfing campany called Quiksilver to showcase surf memorabalia from 80's for the release of THE EIGHTIES AT ECHO BEACH, a book about surfing in southern California 30 years ago.
These boards are made by a fellow named Stussey who sold his name and company awhile ago, so he started a new brand and here it is on these sticks he shaped.

Now Where's Mine?

Well, I'm still waiting to be in a surfing contest. Maybe I should join the Menehunes for their event next October at Ali'i Beach. We'll see.
These are old-fashioned trophies presented from the 80's.

So You Won't Slip

This is decking for the top of a surfboard. The board gets mighty slippery on the surface, when you're in the water, so a surfer needs something to grip. Nowadays most wave riders use wax for traction.

Designs Have Changed

Underneath a surfboard there are fins made of fiberglass. In the 80's there was usually only one big fin that looked like these. Today, most boards have three fins which are smaller than the ones on display at this art show at Andy Spade's gallery/office.
These fins are like the rudder on a boat. When a surfer presses into the wave with his back foot, he can direct the board wherever
he wants to go. Hopefully, he'll be heading into the "Green Room".

Where IS the Hottest Hundred Yards?

Yes, Quiksilver is big! Every major city has a surf shop and you'll see this label on "top of the line" surfwear.
Check out Quiksilver's website: www.quiksilver.com
This company sponsors many world-famous wave riders! My friend, Kelly Slater, the top surfer in the world, is one of them!
Do some research and find out the location of the "hottest 100 yards".

I Love Hawaii Public Radio!

Yes, I love Hawaii Public Radio! I love it so much that I was willing to volunteer at the autumn pledge drive---and be there from 6 am to 9 am. Yikes! I arrived at the studio when the sun was coming up! Nikki, a news reporter, was there to show me around and teach me the ropes. Phone in your pledge now!

The Head Honcho

Michael Titterton is at the helm of Hawaii Public Radio and leads a campaign every six months to raise the money needed to keep the station on the air. He has such a wonderful sense of humor and a delightful vocabulary. He makes me laugh a lot. Wayne Yoshioka, a reporter for the HPR, was Michael's sidekick the morning I was volunteering and taking phone calls.

We're Getting Close

Mel was the "tally man" keeping track of all the donations as they came in over the telephones. The Pledge Drive usually lasts 10 days because raising over $800.000 takes time. Hawaii Public Radio is my link to civilization. Make it yours too! You can live stream it from anywhere in the world and see what's happening on my little island in the middle of the Pacific.

"Watching Everyone Have Fun!"

Bliss is a competitor in the 35th Annual North Shore Menehune Surfing Contest. She told me she loves to come to this event (those are her words in the title)---it's a big day at Ali'i Beach Park in Haleiwa, my little beachtown, for lots of neighborhood families and their keiki. Children come from all over Oahu to ride waves in this world famous event.

The Up and Coming Groms

A "Grom" is a young surfer who is just learning how to ride waves. These three little girls fit that description. Piper, Bliss, holding me, and Haley spent the day at the beach waiting for their heats to begin. Haley was fortunate----she won that board Al Merrick in a raffle! Al is a famous surfboard shaper who has been on the scene for many, many years. Lucky Haley!! That board would cost around $400.

Waiting Their Turns

Max and Leila have siblings who are competing in the Menehune! They'll probably be out in the surf next October, meanwhile, they're taking it easy.

The Cheerleaders

As I said, the Menehune Surf Contest is a family affair. The parents set up tents early, pack food for the whole day, and lounge on the sidelines rooting for their keiki. There's a class of very young children who can be pushed into the waves by a grownup.
Many of today's top surfers, the ones on the covers of surfing magazines, started their surfing careers here long ago.

Inside the "Everything" Tent

346 children are riding waves competitively in the 2011 Menehune Surfing Contest. This tent checks in the surfers, passes out the goodie bags, gives info, awards prizes, assigns rash guards (nylon or polyester colored swim shirts) that identify one rider from the other, and so much more.
Whew! That's a lot of responsibility.

In Charge of the "Everything" Tent

Ivy is the Co-Director of the North Shore Menehune Surfing Contest. She starts six months in advance putting the whole event together, and, she's a VOLUNTEER! That's her son, Terai, holding me, and his cousin, Tamaroa, by her side. She is a busy, dedicated woman!
Bravo to her for all the love and effort she puts into this contest!

The Big Cheese

Skill Johnson has been involved with the Menehune since Rell Sunn, a famous wave rider and lifeguard, started the contest 35 years ago. Skill is the other Co-Director and a permanent fixture on the North Shore. He's famous for his quick wit and auctioneering prowess. Right, Skilly?

It's all in Their Hands

These are the judges, all five of them. They determine the points awarded to the the wave riders for:
1. size of the wave
2. length of the ride
3. control in a critical spot, and "cut backs" or as some oldtimers call it--"hotdoggin"
Each heat is 12 minutes long and has 4-6 surfers in it.
Doug Deal, the judge closest to you, has been judging for 40 years. He coached the world's top surfer, Kelly Slater, when Kelly, a Floridian, was six years old.

Keeping Everyone Informed

Rocky Canon announces for the Menehune. He's been at the helm for several years now and brought along his watchdog who kept me company for a little while.

Tops in the Nation

Dax McGill, a former Menehune competitor, has gone on to be the best female surfer in the United States in the 14 and under class!!
She volunteered at the event asking young surfers to sign a thank you poster. There are so many organizations and local businesses who contribute to this worthy surfing contest. A thumbs up to all of the sponsors. I was one too!

Sweet Lily, the Surfer Girl

Lily, one of my favorite friends and a competitor in the Menehune, greeted me with lots of love and enthusiasm when I arrived at the contest. That's one of the reasons it's so much fun to live on the North Shore of Oahu, I'm always running into people I know, especially at surfing contests. I am Rex the Surf Dog, remember!
(Did you notice Lily has one of my pups?)

Bunnies Abound @ Waialua Public Library

Well, you know how I love to get out and make new friends and meet up with old ones. Last week I was at the famous little library in the old sugar plantation town of Waialua. I had just met with my printer, Mickey Wooley of Wooley Brothers, who has his silk screening shop across the dirt road from the library. Tim Littlejohn, the head librarian, asked Mom if she had any collections because the display case was going to be empty in October. Well, you also know how Mom loves to thrift shop, so, yes, she did have a collection---of bunnies! Come by this award-winning library to get a closer look at her colony of rabbits.
For info: http://friendsofthelibraryofhawaii.org/index.php/affiliates/flhaffiliates/105-waialuaaffiliate

Bravo to Vivi! Hooray for the Dogs!

Vivi Byrne is a hero to the dogs at the Hawaiian Humane Society. She spearheaded a bake sale at Sunset Beach Elementary that raised $100 to buy food for the canines there. Her brother, Vini, baked cookies to support her cause. Mom was Vivi's sponsor and her third grade teacher. Here we are getting ready to present the money to the Society.

Come to the Market!!

I'm at the Haleiwa Farmers' Market every Sunday morning. Please come and visit me and make a craft, a gift of the market, like this little visitor did! We always have fun and learn something new. Find out more at: www.haleiwafarmersmarket.com

Make New Friends at the Market, Too

See the board on which I riding? It's made of recycled wood from the California Coast; wood from boats that were destroyed after the tsunami hit Japan last February and carried its force all the way to North America and crashed into a marina. These two fellows, Mike (holding me) and Fred, came up with the idea of making toys out of the wood that littered the shoreline. I met them at the Haleiwa Farmers' Market. I meet lots of interesting travelers there and so can you. Stop by.
Check out Mike and Fred's website: www.badwoodboards.com

I Love Lily Richards!

Here I am with Lily at my booth at the Haleiwa Farmers' Market. She's a 2nd grade student at Sunset Beach Elementary.
She loves me and I love her!
Lily is a famous surfer on the North Shore of Oahu, sometimes she even announces at the surf contests. She's a brilliant speaker and a terrific reader.
Lily will be competing at the Menehune Surf Contest in Haleiwa starting on October 15th. Come and watch her rip!