On and off: Nazare is a go, Hawaii events may be pau
It’s been a weird week in the surf world. One of the most anticipated events got the green light, but we could also be witnessing a complete stop for the major events in Hawaii.
Josh Moniz brings Pipe Pro title back to Hawaii
On a day that saw one dynasty defeated in the Super Bowl, another dynasty was adding a title to its record of achievement.The Moniz family has become a staple of the Hawaii surf community over the past three to four decades and Josh Moniz’s victory on Sunday at the Volcom Pipe Pro added to that legacy.
John John, Seabass out; Smith, Valiere survive upset-filled Saturday
Big waves began to rip through the Volcom Pipe Pro, leaving big scores and big upsets in their wake, Saturday on Oahu.
Spotty conditions tough on competitors at Pipe Pro
The weather got quite interesting Tuesday afternoon on Kauai, but it was calm enough on Oahu to get the first round of the Volcom Pipe Pro started and completed early in the day.
Pipe Pro to get under way Monday as John John eyes No. 5
Prior to last year, just three people had ever won the Volcom Pipe Pro, and it was a pretty illustrious list — Jamie O’Brien,Kelly Slater and John John Florence. Australia’s Soli Bailey broke into that group by taking the crown in the seventh incarnation of the event on Oahu’s North Shore.
Maui’s Kemper victorious on finals day at Sunset Open
Continuing to prove that he’s simply one of Hawaii’s best in all conditions, Maui’s Billy Kemper took home the Sunset Open title Tuesday afternoon at Sunset Beach on Oahu’s North Shore.
Kauai’s Fuller, Foster safely into Round 3 at Sunset Open
The first Qualifying Series contest on the Hawaii surf season is off to a quick start on Oahu. The Sunset Open is just a QS 1,000 contest, but the competitors include some of the state’s best. Any event at Sunset Beach has more prestige attached to it than just points or prize money, so a lot of familiar faces still around during the North Shore winter season are in the field.
Fast start for ‘Bows with conference play afoot
Things have gone about as well as Eran Ganot could have hoped through the team’s first four conference games. The University of Hawaii got a split on their opening road trip and then picked up a pair of home wins last week to start the Big West season with a 3-1 record.
McGill earns World Junior Championship; Macedo takes 2nd
First off, I’d like to say that I’m glad Saturday morning’s “mishap” was just that. Hopefully nobody was hurt or panicked too severely, but I know I was ill-prepared had it been a real situation.
But thankfully it was just a false alarm or human error or whatever the official explanation ends up being, so we can go back to discussing things far less important.
Tua’s heroics cement him within Alabama lore
Some time during the second quarter, a friend looked at me and asked “Do you think Tua will be the starter next season?”
Alabama was trailing Georgia, 6-0, in what had started off as a pretty boring College Football Playoff Championship. My response was basically the grimacing face emoji and an “Eh, maybe two years from now.”
Day 2 of Wild Card weekend looks bright for home teams
The Wild Card round is sort of a mixed bag. It can occasionally be good for some historic upsets — think Seahawks overSaints in 2011, featuring Marshawn Lynch’s legendary Beast Mode touchdown run. However, it’s also prone to mismatches with teams that may have very recently been in the mix for a top seed hosting teams that just barely scraped into the postseason on the final day.
How to ruin a clean slate: 2018 predictions
Throughout my life, I’ve tried to remind myself to always expect the unexpected. The world has a way of continuing to shock us on a daily basis, even when we think we’ve seen it all. I mean, just look at the executive branch of our government for proof.
A look back at the look ahead: Grading 2017 predictions
I like to be held accountable for my actions. Well, within reason. Let’s not go crazy, here. But if I make a prediction of somesort, I don’t want it to just float off into the ether. I’ll take the flak for any misguided prognostications.
I made some predictions on Jan. 1, so now that we’ve reached the 2017 calendar’s final inch of real estate, let’s see howthose panned out.
UH hoops drops 2 of 3 but continues to improve
The up and down nature of Hawaii’s early season continued over the holiday weekend, but the Rainbow Warriors continue to show flashes of success and promise.
Despite loss to ‘Canes, UH hoops exceeding expectations
A couple of true tests have not shown the best of the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors, but they’ve remained a competitive squad and appear to be improved early in this young season.
John John cruises to 2nd straight world crown
“It’s even harder to stay at the top in sports than it is to get there.”
That quote was attributed to Babe Didrikson Zaharias in the early 20th century and has remained true for decades. Winning one championship is difficult, but maintaining that excellence with everyone giving chase becomes even more demanding.
Previewing round 2 at Pipe Masters
It was a short Saturday session, but round one has finally come to a close at the Pipe Masters. Now with the second round slate established, let’s take a look through the matchups and what they mean in the big picture.
Pipe Masters off today, but already into dangerous territory
The first round hasn’t even been completed, but there are a lot of interesting heats lined up and ready to go when the Pipe Masters resumes — whenever that may be.
Payne, Brand into main draw at Pipe Masters
Friday featured the Men’s Pipe Invitational, an event that completed the main draw for the year’s final Championship Tour contest. Two top finishers in the 32-surfer field made their way into the Pipe Masters bracket, now with a chance at the year’s most prestigious contest win.
Manuel excels in final leg of tumultuous 2017 season
Only two surfers reached the quarterfinals in the final three contests of the women’s Championship Tour season — Carissa Moore and Malia Manuel