Once again beautiful Makaha Beach was the stage for Buffalo's 22nd Annual Big Board Surfing Classic. This special contest is always a favorite with the local people because it involves the whole family, no matter if they are big or small. Originally, Buffalo started this contest to accommodate the big boys like himself. That's why there are at least two weight classes in most categories. Each year Buffalo invents new categories to keep things interesting and fun. These new events like Team Surfing, 12-foot Surfboards and Bully Boarding keep ESPN coming back to Hawai'i to cover this unique contest.
On February 7, competition began in the new categories: 12-foot Board Surfing and Team Surfing, both of which required 12-foot longboards. Of course, Buffalo knew most people didn't own boards that big, so anyone interested could easily borrow one of the many on hand. The 12-foot Board Surfing division had two weight classes, the 199 pound and under, and the 200 pound and over. The crucial element for scoring points in this category was nose riding. This task was a lot easier said than done, especially on such huge boards.
Ikaika Kalama, a promising young longboarder from the Big Island, displayed fine nose-riding ability in the 199 pound and under class. Ikaika won despite an all-star cast of current world champ Dino Miranda, three-time world champ Rusty Keaulana, and windsurfing legend Robbie Naish.
Mel Pu'u proved equally as masterful in the 200 pound and over class and reigned victorious over a host of big boys such as Moki Rapoza, Greg Rice, Ronald Bradbury, and Reynolds Wright. Both Mel and Ikaika received brand new boards for their first place efforts, but since Moki Rapoza was the heaviest guy in the final, Mel felt Moki deserved the board and gave it to him!
The next category was also new, Synchronized Team Surfing. Judging was based on the best two surfers "in sync" with each other. This sure was lots of fun. Duane and Desire DeSoto put their family name in the record books by pulling off difficult maneuvers such as the wheel barrow which required both surfers' boards to be right next to each other and both surfers placing one foot on the other's board. Then the person in the front did a handstand with their feet in their partner's hands. However, even with tricks like that, in the end it was age before beauty as Brian Keaulana and Mel Pu'u's experience was too much for the young Desotos to overcome.
The second weekend featured Tandem Bully Boarding and a solid northwest swell added to the excitement. Since bully boards are so hard to paddle, the water patrol assisted each team with a free ride back out after every wave. Rusty Keaulana and his partner Miku Uemura prevailed over some pretty good teams. It was so big out there that Russ and Miku took a ten-footer head on. Russ told Miku to jump off, but she just held on and roughed it out.
Meanwhile, on the beach behind the scene and the mic were a couple of characters keeping everyone in stitches, Bunky Bakutis and Boogie Kalama. Every once in a while they'd let everyone know what was going on, and give tips on where to go grind. (The Leeward Kai Canoe Club was on hand to feed all the kanakas and their mega appetites.)
The highlight of the event was the spectacular canoe surfing. Waves in the eight- to 12-foot range had spectators and paddlers alike at the edge of their seats. Archie Kalepa and his crew should receive the medal of honor for paddling into the biggest wave of the day, at least twice the length of the canoe. They made it to the bottom but were soon engulfed in a huge foamball that sent every crew member flying. The canoe's ama was literally torn from the boat. Fortunately, everyone was OK.
Many other crews suffered heavy wipeouts but were able to maintain the condition of their canoes. Aaron and Darren Napoleon were on the scene with their cousins from the Big Island. On one heroic ride they were streaking across the face of a huge set wave and they proceeded to go back up the face. I thought they were going to hit the lip or something, but they flew out the back. It was pretty heavy.
On the final day, the waves came down a little, which enabled the canoe surfing teams to do more tricks. This is where Jimmy Keaulana and the Fantastic Four demonstrated their creativity in the canoe. Myron Van Geeson steered his family into second place with a nice blend of wave selection and tricks. But the Hawaiian Water Patrol team of Brian Keaulana, Mel Pu'u, Terry Ahue, and Brock Little displayed complete harmony of canoe and wave. They consistently took off deeper than anyone else, as well as performed extremely difficult tricks.
The final day of competition was rounded out with the Tandem Surfing competition. This required a lot of practice from both partners to be able to display complete control of their tricks while still surfing the wave. Brian Keaulana has demonstrated style and grace in his maneuvers for years, but Mel Pu'u is on top of the game lately. On this day, Mel and his partner Jessica won by showing their complete arsenal of tricks, including their patented helicopter.
For competitors entering multiple categories it's a matter of prestige to be the best all-around waterman. This year, if there was a Buffalo's Waterman Award, the winner would certainly be Mel Pu'u. Besides placing first in four events, he was constantly on the jet ski assisting other contestants as a part of the lifeguard water patrol division.
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