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JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARBULLETIN.COM
Suzie Pollard signed an autograph for Tokyo resident Naomi Shigeno at Saturday's "Beyond the Break" premiere at Sunset on the Beach in Waikiki. The first episode of the show's third season showed on the big screen. Sonya Balmores, another star of the show, can be seen in the background having her lei adjusted.
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Surf show stars share sneak peek
"Beyond the Break" actors and producers make a Waikiki splash
Fans lined up to take pictures with "Beyond the Break" stars Suzie Pollard and Sonya Balmores and ask them to sign inflatable minisurfboards Saturday night at Sunset on the Beach. The occasion was a Season 3 sneak preview of the dramatic surf/beach/hot bodies TV series shot entirely on Oahu.
But the 14 episodes, which begin airing on the N in January, offer much more than scenic views.
"That's just one element," said executive producer Fernando Szew. "It's a prime-time drama."
Co-executive producer Sean McNamara agreed. "We had to grow the stories to go for an older demographic; there's more romance, more intrigue" tied to the struggles and triumphs of four women in the sports world. The show's audience falls primarily in the 13-to-22 age bracket.
To attract the Internet crowd, producers have begun airing two-minute webisodes on www.the-n.com. These stand-alone scenes contain "different content which in turn draws viewers back to television," said Szew.
"They don't necessary connect, but they further character development," added McNamara, who hopes the series continues for many years.
"There's nothing like shooting a show in Hawaii," he said. "Hawaii is a character."
Both he and Szew reside in Makaha during shooting, and hit the waves with the crew -- which includes water safety and stunt coordinator Brian Keaulana -- during lunch breaks. "We surf for 45 minutes and eat for 15 minutes, so that makes it different from anything you do in Los Angeles," said McNamara.
Up next is the "Beyond the Break" straight-to-DVD movie, tentatively scheduled to begin shooting at the end of the summer.
Right now, however, everyone is focused on 2008. "I just feel like this third season is going to be a hundred times better," said the 21-year-old Pollard, who plays Dawn. "Only because there's so much more drama and better story lines." The intense scenes challenged her skills so much that she admitted feeling "exhausted" at the end of the 14-episode shoot. "As an actress and a person, it just really pushed me. My character was a little bubble-gummy, but this season you really see her go through the works. Lots of stuff happens to Dawn."
When asked what she does to stay fit, Pollard laughed. "I have to be honest about this because I hate people who aren't, and everyone's going to hate me, but I am such a lazy cow! I don't work out and I eat like a pig. I'm sorry! It's not going to last."
Kauai-raised Sonya Balmores, 21, who grew up modeling, puts a little more effort into looking good. She surfs and walks regularly. Following her recent move to Los Angeles, she started participating in a Pilates-type class involving a ballet barre. "It's the hardest exercise I've ever done," she said. "It works all the problem spots!"
Balmores hopes the film industry continues to grow in Hawaii, because she'd like to work and live in the islands as much as possible. "If I didn't have to move to L.A., I wouldn't!"
JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARBULLETIN.COM
Moani Clegg, 14, whispered to Jazmyn Hansen, 15, as they waited for a chance to get an autograph from Suzie Pollard.
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