Big Fun, Big Boards and Dead Cockroaches
Where families, competition and fun collide on the west side

EVENT: 32nd Annual Buffalo Big Board Classic
DATE: Feb. 16-18, 23 & 24
LOCATION: Makaha
CONDITIONS: Grab your big boards and get out there!


The Makaha community geared up once again for the annual Buffalo Big Board Surfing Classic, a surfing and cultural event that pays tribute to Uncle Buffalo Keaulana, legendary Hawaiian waterman. It is also a time for the keiki and kupuna to come together to share mana‘o (thoughts), invoking the traditional values of the ancient Hawaiian people and for the enjoyment of outright competition.

Event: NSSA Hawai‘i Regional Championships

Date: March 15, 17 &18, 2008

Location: Kewalo Basin

Conditions: 1- to 2-foot, which is head high for the mini-groms

 

While every competitor dreams of perfect waves for a contest, rarely does that dream materialize. The collective hope for south swell fell short of conjuring waves, but nevertheless, everyone was stoked to get wet and spend time with friends and family.

Beachboy surfing goes high performance and extra large

EVENT: QuiksilverEdition Ku Ikaika Challenge Presented by C4 Waterman and Red Bull
DATE: Feb. 14, 2008
LOCATION: Makaha Point
CONDITIONS: 6- to 15-foot and epic


Garrett McNamara walked up the hot sand from the water’s edge with his 10-foot signature model stand up paddleboard balanced perfectly on his shoulder. He walked under the twisted low branches of the trees on the beach and chucked his board in the sand like it was a seven-pound shortboard. “Does anyone have any resin? My leash plug pulled out,” he asked indiscriminately to the other competitors and spectators hanging around, watching the action and waiting for their heat.

By Deborah Bassett


As surfers, our time spent in the water offers us not only the chance to catch waves, but it also provides the time and space to explore our most intimate thoughts and feelings and give thanks for the life-giving force to whom we so humbly refer to as Mother Ocean. In these moments of solitude and reflection we may sometimes feel as though our intentions are on a fast track to being realized, as anyone who has ever gone over the falls and had to climb their leash to the surface can most certainly relate.

Rethinking latitude and longitude
FSM international correspondent goes MIA

The modern art of surf travel has evolved into an overtly accessible, expensively pre-packaged monster. With a click of your mouse you can have a ten-day, all-inclusive boat trip to the Mentawais, complete with air-conditioned cabins, all the latest surf videos and a high-speed Internet connection. But for some adventure seekers, a week in a high-end surf resort doesn’t get their blood pumping, and can even leave a foul taste in their mouths knowing the same amount of money can bank you a month or two on the open road. Beau Flemister is one of the true adventure seeking few.

Electricity is something we take for granted on a daily basis. It powers our homes, our refrigerators, our computers—our lives. It usually takes a natural disaster that knocks out the power to wake us up to the reality of our 110-watt crutch. The food in the fridge won’t last long, especially if you keep opening up the door for another beer.