Bobby Schutz keeps the faith. His words are soft and slow and you can pick up on just a hint of his Florida upbringing when he speaks. It was there, in Florida, that Schutz first picked up a lens, pointed it at a wave, and captured his first surf shot. Fast forward aa camera seemingly welded to his hand. He credits his current occupation as a shooter to an act of divine inspiration. According to Schutz, who now calls Hawaii home, a bit of prayer and a generous donation from a friend helped him by his camera equipment and set the groundwork for his career, a move that has paid off in spades. Not a bad end for a guy that failed his first photography class. 

Jason Shibata Scalps a Win at the Sponsor Me Hawai`i

Jason Shibata isn¹t one for giving up. Admittedly, he acknowledges that he¹s on the tail end of his career as a full-time pro, having taken a job for Billabong, but nevertheless, when Shibata finds himself in a jersey he¹s as committed as ever to winning. And this year, at the 2-star Sponsor Me Hawaii at Ala Moana Bowls, that¹s exactly what he did. Win.

With an army of concepts behind board design these days, we decided it time to put a few new-fangled shapes to the test. In this installment, we¹re riding Firewire¹s Spitfire. Upon first impressions the board looked floaty and forgiving with the potential for a lot of speed and fun late-season sessions. Although it offers a 4/3 convertible fin setup, I opted for the quad with visions of flying down the line and laying down some quick carves.

Keala Naihe jumped into the collective mind of the surf industry this summer when he claimed a national title and left more than a few of us wondering just who this kid is. With the arid, lava-riddled landscapes of Kona shaping Keala into one of the most talented and progressive youths of late, Keala is taking the first steps of a potentially lucrative surfing career. With that in mind, we thought we¹d set you wise with a fill-in-the blank discussion with the Big Isle upstart.