PUHI — A legend is born.
Legend Chandler, 11, of Hanalei edged his friend Tiger Abubo, also of Hanalei, by less than a point to claim the Explorer Super Groms National Championship during the National Scholastic Surfing Association 2018 national championships that wrapped up July 4 in Huntington Beach, California.
“They are more than friends,” said Jack Leonard, coach and owner of the Kauai Gymnastics Academy. “They live just houses apart and surf together all the time. Legend has a first place (in the Explorer Super Groms), and a second place (in the Open Mini Groms) where Tiger got the first place.”
During the Explorer Super Groms division competition, both North Shore Kauai surfers dominated the finalist field, Chandler copping 12.66 points to Abubo’s 12.0 showing for the top spot. The pair outdistanced the No. 3 finisher, Ethan Harbinson of Florida who finished the heat at 8.63 points over Chase Niemann of Carlsbad, California who settled at 7.67 points.
Niemann was a contender in the Open Mini Groms competition where Abubo controlled the finals heat at 11.67 points to Chandler’s 8.72 points and Niemann’s 7.37 points.
Friday afternoon, Chandler and his brother Mananalu, 10, were back training at the Kauai Gymnastics Academy toward their dreams of making it in the world of surfing.
“They’re just here to show their trinkets,” Leonard said, claiming the NSSA championship pennant for posting on the facility’s walls that includes the tandem surfing pennant claimed by Kalani Vierra and Kristyl Apeles. “They also have the Hawaii Surfing Federation state title hardware to show. Kalani and Kristyl were here for their final practice before leaving for the world tandem championships and said Legend is on his way.”
To get to the NSSA event, Legend took the Hawaii State Regional Championship contest in his age division during the contest that was played out at Kewalo Basin on Oahu, and served as a qualifier for the national event. Their mother, Koral McCarthy, said this was the first year the boys participated in rated events.
“Legend is ranked in the top six on Kauai for the Hawaii Surfing Federation, and in the top four for the NSSA Kauai,” said Kathleen Lunn of Waipake who brought the brothers in for training. “To get to California, Legend had to surf through four heats at Kewalo with the top two of each heat advancing.”
McCarthy said Coach Jack is proud of the boys’ accomplishments.
“They have been consistently training parcour and gymnastics with Coach Jack for years,” McCarthy said. “They believe that has been a great impact on them. They also train with the Hanalei Surf Comp/Backdoor surf team with Coach Russie Lewis. The boys have been surfing since before they could walk with mom and dad.”
“It’s the super nutrition,” Lunn said. “No sugars. No cell phones. And, they also do Mixed Martial Arts training with Dustin Barca. Kauai Gymnastics Academy is a far drive from the North Shore, but it’s worth it.”
Leonard said he adjusts the training regimen for the young boys, adjusting their workout so training is geared toward fun.
“This is an amazing place,” Leonard said. “We can do all sorts of things with safety being paramount. We have them running the walls and climbing the steel girders in the Kauai Ninja Warriors program. They also train in the Wave Flips gymnastics class.”
Lunn said Koral and dad Moku Chandler are water people and their children, including sister Ka‘ano‘iokalani, 6, and brother Kahimoku, 3, are all growing up in and around the ocean on Kauai’s North Shore.
“Koral was one of the first Roxy girls and has been surfing for most of her teen years,” Lunn said. “She also surfs competitive longboards and is a wa‘a sailor. Dad Moku sails on the Hokule‘a and was born and raised on the North Shore, Kauai. The boys, both home school students, have dreams to making it in the surfing world — Legend hopes to become a world champion, and Mana wants to be a big wave rider.”
McCarthy said the trip to California is just one of the benefits of sponsorship.
“A million thanks to their amazing sponsor RVCA who made it possible for the boys who were able to fly up to California to compete in the NSSA Nationals,” McCarthy said. “RVCA supported them the entire time with an up-and-coming team, including their godfather/coach Dustin Barca by their side. Their other sponsors include Green Opihi (the HOME brand), Oakley, Backdoor Surf, and the Kauai Bee Team.”
“Both are sweet boys, very talented with tons of amazing friends and family,” McCarthy said. “As a mom, I feel a lot of their accomplishments are highly influenced by their amazing support group, natural talent, and lots of love.”
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
