Happy to be in Dad's Arms

Paul, and Sam, in my t-shirt, spent the day at the Market with Max who is two. They had lots of fun looking at the sights, although I think Max was pretty worn out and ready to take a nap. Don't you think he looks a bit tired?

Friends Making New Friends

Bev peddled to the market on her bike, Joanne, for some reason, was laughingly holding up green rubber slippers, and Kay was just enjoying all the neighborly goodwill. These women have been Mom's friends for a long time and now they are getting to know each other.

Winters on the North Shore

Everest, the son of Jeff and Joann Crawford, comes to Sunset Beach from Gloucester, Massachusetts, for about three months every year, from January to March. What a great childhood-----summertime year round. His parents live on an island and turn it into a day camp for kids from June to August. They loved the Haleiwa Farmers' Market and so did I. Come to the North Shore on Sunday mornings and see for yourself!

The Awards Ceremony at Pipeline

Three days of surf and smiles full of goodwill and Culturalization.
Here are the finalist in the bodysurfing contest.

And the Winner Hails from Puerto Rico

First place in the bodyboarding competition and happy to be on the top---
Luz Marie Grande Perez!

The Artist and her Best Friend

Heather Brown did the giant mural for the Women's Pro Contest----remember the one in which I was hiding a few photos below?
That's her 3-month old English bulldog, Marley. My kind of pet-----so cute and lovable. See more of Heather's work at www.heatherbrownart.com

All the Way from Western Australia

Claire took first place in the short board competition. She lives in a small surf town on the west coast of Australia called Yallingup! If you ever have a chance to visit there, do-----it's friendly and picturesque, and the beaches are incredibly clean.

And the Contest Comes to a Close

Aoikoike is giving me the "shaka sign". She's standing in front of the prize, a longboard, she won for giving so much to the sport of surfing and this contest in particular. She coaches a group of young Japanese girls from Chiba. That's Stan Matsumoto holding her new board. You might recognize him-----he's famous for his shave ice shop in Haleiwa!

Bravo to all the contestants and, especially, Betty Depolito, the Director of Culturalization! Good job, Banzai Betty!

Can You Find Me? I'm at the Pipeline Again

Look hard. Did you find me?
I'm at the last big surf contest on the North Shore for this winter.
And this is a "big" one in a a number of ways.
Be there and find out why---check out the following 20 photos!

In Charge of the the Whole Enchilada

I'm with Betty Depolito, the Director of this "all girls" surfing contest---Culturalization with long boards, short boards, and bodyboards.
Heather, with her hair down, is the media relations person.
They welcomed me with open arms and were sure glad I stopped by!

First Stop----the Sushi Bar

Kalani offered me his homemade California roll sushi. Yummmmm!
That's his daughter, Tiare, holding me, and her little pooch, Pono, wishing he could have some sushi too!

Ready for a Day of Goodwill and Fun

Rochelle Ballard, a professional surfer, was at the contest to cheer on the competitors and support Banzai Betty.
Mara, holding me, was co-ordinating yoga instructors to lead group sessions right there on the grass!

The Judges' Tent--the Heart of the Contest

That's Bernie Baker standing. He's spotting and calling out competitor's colors to the four judges as each wave is ridden.
There are eight judges in all and they rotate from 8 am to 4 pm---whew----a long day.

Tally the Scores--How Good was the Ride?

This is the score card--just like the Olympics--0 to 10 in decimal form.
The computerized system was still in the process of getting set up.
Remember--click on the photo to enlarge the image. See the details.

Keeping her Husband Company

Chris, a former bigtime surfer, is married to Ben Severson, a judge at the contest. She teaches math at a high school on the West Side. Luckily for her it was Spring Break. We talked for a long time.
That's the judge's tent behind her.

Shooting for the Contest

Juan was up on a deck next to the Judges' Tent. He was in a perfect position to take pictures of the four young women riding waves on their bodyboards in each of the back-to-back heats.
Want to see some of Juan's other photos? Go to: juanphotos.com.

The Voice of the Contest

Judah kept track of everything that was happening on the waves.
That's Sturmar in the background making sure everything was secure. See that megaphone thing behind Sturmar? It's the horn with an unbelievable blast that announces the beginning and ending of each heat.

..............from all around the World

These girls came all the way from Japan to ride waves on their bodyboards in the Culturalization Contest. Their favorite surf spot at home is Chiba. Asako is in the turquoise, then Misako who is holding me, and Mayumi. They were loving sitting in the sand at Ehukai Beach Park watching Pipe break and cheering each other on!

And the Winner Is.........

This young Japanese woman just finished her heat. That pink rash guard made it easy for the judges to see her in the waves and keep everyone straight.

The Photographer from Australia

Mandy was taking pictures for a Japanese magazine called Flipper. She had lots of opportunities for great shots-----the day was beautiful and the waves were too! Perfect for riding, considering it's the tail end of the winter surf.