Hawaii Beat

By Star-Bulletin Staff

Saturday, May 22, 1999

Australian women 1-2
in Japan surf

Neridah Falconer beat Serena Brooke in an all-Australian women's final of the Japan Pro surfing meet today at Torami Beach in Chiba.

Hawaii's Megan Abubo was eliminated in a quarterfinal heat.

On the men's side, Shane Dorian was the lone Hawaii surfer to make it into the quarterfinals, defeating Aussie Todd Prestage in Round 4.

Sunny Garcia, Kalani Robb, Conan Hayes and Ross Williams were fourth-round losers.

Hawaii-USA football

The Hawaii All-Stars will meet the USA All-Stars at 7 p.m. today at Kaiser High School field in an exhibition football game.

Donations of $5-$8 are requested. Children under 12 will be admitted free.

Polo at Waimanalo

Polo continues tomorrow at Waimanalo, with gates opening at 1 p.m. and games starting at 2:30 p.m. General admission is $3. Children under 10 are admitted free.

Longboarders at Queen's

The third annual Hawaiian Style Classic, first event of the Hawaiian Longboard Federation surfing season, will take place today and tomorrow at "Queen's," the Kuhio Beach surf break.

Some 150 competitors ranging in age from menehune (under 14) to kupuna (over 60) will be catching waves.

There also will be a Van's pro division which qualifies pro longboarders for this year's World Longboard Championship in Australia.

High marks for LaBatte

Tacia LaBatte, a 16-year-old standout for the Hawaiian Island Twisters gymnastics club, placed 13th overall in the recent U.S. Gymnastics Federations Junior Nationals at Austin, Texas.

LaBatte, of Kaneohe, was third overall on the bars, fourth in the floor exercise and eighth in the vault.

She will be the lone gymnast from Hawaii to take part in an international Level 10 elite meet this summer in England.

Erin Geary, 14, and Ina Higashi-Izumi, 14, of the Twisters and Mandy Pasqual, 15, and Monica Hara, 17, of the Kokokahi Gym Team also participated in the Junior Nationals.

Special Olympics torch run

The 11th annual Troy Barboza Law Enforcement Torch Run, sponsored by First Hawaiian Bank, is scheduled for May 26- 28 on Oahu as part of a statewide event honoring the memory of HPD officer Barboza, who was killed in the line of duty.

All proceeds of the event benefit Special Olympics Hawaii, which provides year-round training and competition for mentally-challenged children and adults.

The Hawaii Special Olympics torch will be carried around the island by representatives of local, state, federal and military law enforcement agencies. The run begins at 9:30 a.m. on May 26 at the Turtle Bay Hilton.

For more information, call Connie Sizemore at 531-1888, extension 25.

Big wheels at raceway

For the first time in Hawaii, AMA Superbikes will race wheel-to-wheel with IKF ShifterKarts on May 30 at Hawaii Raceway Park.

Team Hawaii Karting and the Team Hawaii Motorcycle Road Racing Association have invited drivers from Hawaii, Japan and Europe to participate.

Gates open at 10 a.m. and racing starts at 1 p.m. Admission is $5.