No official contract for Fieldturf work yet

Last week, the deal to install Fieldturf in Aloha Stadium following the Dec. 25 Hawaii Bowl was in its final stages.

It still is.

Officials at Aloha Stadium and the Hawaii Tourism Authority said yesterday that while an agreement is close, an official contract is not yet ready.

"I don't think there are any huge dealbreakers left," said the HTA's Rex Johnson, who added that the remaining details to be worked out are mostly small engineering and legal issues.

The likely target date for a final agreement between Fieldturf, the National Football League and the state has been pushed back to early next week.

Aloha Stadium is replacing its current AstroTurf surface with Fieldturf at the urging of the NFL and Hawaii coach June Jones. The current plan is for the new surface to be installed in time for the Feb. 3 Pro Bowl.

Machado, Pacheco surf into Pipe Masters

California's Rob Machado and Hawaii's Brian Pacheco surfed into the upcoming Xbox Pipeline Masters surf contest.

Machado won yesterday's 32-man trial event at Banzai Pipeline and Pacheco placed second to win wild-card spots.

The Pipeline Masters is the last event in the prestigious Triple Crown of Surfing and the final event on the Association of Surfing Professionals World Championship Tour.

In the trials final, Machado defeated Pacheco, Hawaii's Jamie O'Brien and Indonesia's Rizal Tandjung in 6- to 10-foot surf.

"That was some really good Pipe out there today," said Machado, who won the Pipe Masters in 2000. "I didn't really have any hopes coming into the trials, and I just figured I'd go out and try my best. I had a lot of patience today."

Tahiti's Manoa Drollet had easily the most outstanding wave of the day, a right-hander at Backdoor. He pulled into the tube and disappeared so deep for so long that most on hand gave up watching, positive that he had been wiped out. Then he re-appeared to receive a roar from the astonished crowd and a perfect score from the judges.

Brigham Young-Hawaii finishes No. 1 in poll

After winning the NCAA Division II title last Saturday, the Brigham Young-Hawaii volleyball team received a unanimous vote as No. 1 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association poll yesterday.

The Seasiders (27-2) were in the top 10 the entire season.

With five starters returning next year, including first-team All-Americans Yu Chuan Weng and Chun Yi Lin, the Seasiders have a good chance of starting atop the preseason poll.

2 Hawaii gymnasts make national team

Two Hawaii gymnasts were picked for the USA Gymnastics JumpStart national trampoline team.

Randi Lau, 8, and Nani Vercruyssen, 10, went to national testing in Texas last weekend.

Lau placed first in the 7-8 age group, and Vercruyssen took third in the 9-10 group.

They will begin training next month with the U.S. Olympic team and elite national team coaches in Colorado Springs, Colo.