Hawaii to show its color
at World Surfing Games

Andy Irons will be looking for gold at the World Surfing Games.
Photo by John S. Callahan, Special to the Star-Bulletin

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By Greg Ambrose
Star-Bulletin

The 16 island surfers will be a small but colorful part of 600 amateur ocean athletes from 40 countries as they march down Main Street to the Huntington Beach Pier in an Olympic-style parade of nations Saturday to kick off the World Surfing Games.

A representative of the International Olympic Committee will be on hand to observe the ceremonies and report back to headquarters, which is considering the International Surfing Association's formal request to include surfing in the Olympic Games in Sydney.

Hawaii has assembled its most formidable team ever, according to coach Ben Aipa, especially in the Junior Men's division. The quartet of amateurs has been hardened in battle by competing in professional events, Aipa said.

"They are putting a lot of time in the upper-level of surfing as they surf the pro contests, and it ups their surfing."

Team Hawaii is poised to snatch gold, silver and bronze medals during individual competition and the International Olympic Committee President's Trophy for team honors.

Kauai surfer Andy Irons is looking to end his amateur career with a clean sweep. He warmed up in July by winning the National Scholastic Surfing Association national title at San Clemente. Irons then went on a two-week blitz in August, taking the Billabong Junior title at Huntington Beach; the Red Dog Summer Pro at Kewalo Basin; and the U.S. Amateur Surfing Championship at the Ala Moana Bowl.

Irons spent the rest of the summer competing as an amateur in pro events in France, Spain and Portugal before flying to California and heading straight for his heat in the Body Glove Surfbout at Trestles.

Irons is in good company in the Hawaii team junior division, with his younger brother Bruce, their best friend Dayton Segundo, and their fiercest competitor, Jason Bogle, who won the junior men's division of the Hawaii Amateur Surfing Association State Championships in 6-foot waves at Ala Moana Bowl in June.

"We feel we have one of the strongest teams we've ever had," said Wendell Aoki, HASA president. "This is our best chance ever to kick okole over there."

The Hawaii team placed finalists in every division and won on total points in the U.S. Amateur Championships this summer. Aoki expects good results from Men's Open Division winner Gavin Sutherland.

Aoki is especially high on Melanie Bartels, who will do double duty bodyboarding and surfing, and who won the Girl's Division of the HASA championship and was the top individual performer in the National Scholastic Surfing Association championship.

Team Hawaii has a secret weapon in the World Surfing Games. "We have a sleeper, a kid from Kauai named Mike Hubbard," said coach Aipa. "Mike could be a spoiler, he's unknown, he can do it all."

Hubbard is just proud to be showing the Hawaiian flag in the games and possibly helping to get surfing into the Olympics. He has no illusions about his chances in the games, but feels he has the ultimate advantage because he has surfed with the Irons brothers on Kauai, and he won't have to compete against them in the world games.

"It brings my level of surfing up to surf with them. They're on a different level than I am."

Swatch watches is helping pay expenses for the 16 competitors, three coaches and seven chaperons. The HASA is footing the rest of the bill using proceeds from contests at Sandy Beach and Diamond Head that selected the team members.

"This is a big part of how we develop our top amateurs," said Aipa. "It all comes from family support. Too bad the state of Hawaii and the city don't support these kids.

"We still have future world champions out there, it's just a matter of finding them and getting support."

The rest of team is: Mens: Mikala Jones, Eddie Cheplic; Women: Yvette Bertlemann; Bodyboard: Chris Gagnon, Tyson Okazaki; Kneeboard, David Shinbara; Longboard, Lee James Hao; alternate Macy Mullen.