NSSA contest brings out the state’s best

Dylan Goodale, Kyle Galtes, Dylan Melamed, Spencer Kaplanis, Alana Blanchard, Dune Newhouse, Britt Sanders, Kristen Steiner, Erika Steiner, Camille Brady, Mia Melamed, Bethany Hamilton, Nage Melamed, and more of Kaua‘i’s top surfers, along with individuals viduals from around the state, will be on hand as the National Scholastic Surfing Association Hawai‘i Conference (NSSA) presents its seventh contest of the season at Pine Trees in Hanalei this Saturday and Sunday.

The early morning heats should prove to be crucial for surfers who want to end up with the top scores at the completion of the day.

The event was originally set for last weekend, but contest director Bobbi Parker postponed the meet and rescheduled it for this weekend.

According to early surf forecasts, the waves should be perfect for the second NSSA contest to be held on Kaua‘i this season. The first one was actually supposed to take place at Pine Trees, but due to the lack of good surf, the competition was moved to Kealia.

The eighth and final NSSA contest of the season heads to Hale‘iwa on O‘ahu, from Feb.

25-26. Meanwhile, the Hawai‘i championships are scheduled for March 25-April 2 at a site still yet to be determined.

The national championships schedule, which was recently released, begin in the latter part of June in California.

The NSSA is the highest profile amateur competitive surfing association in the United States. Kaua‘i’s top pro surfers like Andy and Bruce Irons, Roy Powers, Jesse Merle-Jones, Rochelle Ballard, Keala Kennelly, and more, made their starts in NSSA competitions.

The NSSA is divided into eight conferences nationwide.

With a special emphasis on student surfers, the NSSA membership is open to anyone who wants to surf competitively as an amateur.

• Duane Shimogawa Jr., sports editor, may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 257) or kauaisports@kauaipubco. Com.