Sunday, September 2, 2001
[SURFING]
For longboarder Duane DeSoto, using the shortest possible board yesterday allowed him to stand tallest among the four finalists at the 2001 Steinlager Series Local Motion Classic. DeSoto takes the short
route to victoryBy Brandon Lee
blee@starbulletin.comDeSoto, 24, surfed to top honors and the $600 first prize using a nine-foot board in the Steinlager Pro division of the Classic held at the Queen's break of Kuhio Beach, the final contest of the six-event Hawaiian Longboard Federation Steinlager Series.
Nine feet is the minimum length for longboarders in the professional ranks.
The decision for maneuverability over paddling strength with the shorter board was obviously the correct one for DeSoto, as he won his first two heats then qualified with a second in the semifinals en route to the victory.
"(Fellow finalist Bonga Perkins) rode a 10-0; I rode a 9-0," DeSoto said. "Lance (Hookano) was on a 10-0, too. Luckily, if they didn't catch one of the two waves (in a set), I'd get one of them and I could do my maneuvering. But that was hard with those guys."
Coming in second in the 1- to 2-foot, inconsistent waves was the former world longboard champion Perkins, who jumped out to an early lead with two solid waves, and had caught three before DeSoto rode two and the other two finalists -- Lance Hookano and Kekoa Uemura -- even caught one. Hookano finished in third place, while Uemura took fourth.
All four finalists recently returned from last month's Oxbow World Longboard Championships at Jeffreys Bay, South Africa, with Perkins finishing highest at equal third.
"My first two waves were good, but I didn't finish it off," Perkins said. "Maybe (Duane) didn't have the bigger sets that I did, but he caught three consistent waves, and that's what counts. Duane deserved it. We've been dicing against each other all year, all around the world."
DeSoto finished with 22.6 points out of a 30-point maximum for his top three waves, while Perkins tallied 20.8, Hookano 18.7 and Uemura 10.6.
"Big time, I guess I did a comeback thing," said DeSoto, when asked if he was surprised by the final results. He initially stepped forward to accept the second-place check just before the top two spots were announced. As evidence of DeSoto's late charge, his final scoring wave registered an 8.6 with the judges, highest of the final.
"(Perkins) was schooling us in the beginning," he said. "I figured hands down he had the heat. But I somehow pulled it, and the only difference might have been some turns."
Hookano finished third, despite leaving the water with approximately 10 minutes to go in the 30-minute final. Hookano was penalized for a priority violation on a wave he caught in front of Perkins about a third of the way into the heat, and paddled in shortly thereafter frustrated, knowing that he'd been "triangled" by the judges.
Uemura, on the other hand, in his first full season as a professional, still had a smile after the results were announced. He admitted that it was tough going up against three comparative veterans, yet said that he was pleased overall with his performances this year. Earlier this season, Uemura won the first and third events of the HLF Steinlager Series.
"I see it as training out there and it was one of the funnest heats I had," Uemura said. "It was just good fun out there because it was so flat. We were just goofing off out there, talking all kinds of smack."
In the end, however, the day belonged to DeSoto, as he carried his young stepson, Makanalani Liana, proudly in one arm and his winner's check in the other. The Local Motion Classic finishes up today, with the finals for 11 amateur divisions.