[ SURFING ]
Kekoa Uemura caught only five waves in the final, but he made them count as he won the HIC/Faith Riding Classic.
Uemura makes dad
proud with title
Choosing his longboard rather than a racket, surfer Kekoa Uemura still managed to combine a powerful forehand and backhand to claim a victory at Ala Moana Beach Park's Tennis Courts.
The Honolulu resident won the pro division of the HIC/Faith Riding Classic yesterday at the break that gets its name -- Tennis Courts -- because it fronts the actual courts at the park. The two-day event was the second of five in this year's Steinlager Shaka Summer Longboard Series.
"(My father) was the one who started me surfing," said Uemura, the son of Hawaii surfing legend China Uemura said. "For me to win on Father's Day, I dedicate it to him."
Surfing in 2- to 5-foot-face waves, the goofy-footed (right foot forward) Uemura smashed off-the-top hits and blended in stylish noserides, surfing both on his forehand (facing the wave) and backhand (back to the wave), to emerge on top in the pro final.
"By doing things like that, it definitely catches (the judges') attention," said the 21-year-old Uemura, also $500 richer after his second win overall this year. "And any time that you can ever catch their attention, that's always a plus, it always helps."
"There were events here when I was little, and it's good to be back on this side," he added. "It's good to get out at the park here. It's a nice beach, a nice area and definitely a good wave."
Uemura caught the fewest waves (five) in the 30-minute, four-man final, but his top two scored a winning total of 16.53 points (out of 20 maximum).
His first tally came on a wave 15 minutes in, as he first rode right with two backhand noserides and then carved left with a series of strong forehand hits, for an 8.60 -- the highest single-wave score of the heat.
The second -- a 7.93 -- came on a solid 5-footer with five minutes left, on which Uemura hit the lip vertically on his backhand, floated down over the wall of whitewater, then again worked his way inside on his forehand.
Keegan Edwards of Honolulu placed second with 14.67 points. Ben Kealoha caught the most waves (seven) and took third, while Kapono Nahina was fourth.
"There were a lot of waves out there," Edwards, 22, said. "Ben was getting some good ones, but Kekoa got that long left in the end. I got a good one in the end (too), and it looks like it got me second, so I'm stoked."
Kealoha's result was his best in a pro longboarding competition.
The Nanakuli High student also competes as an amateur -- he won the boys division (ages 13-17) yesterday as well -- but has started regularly entering the pro division too. He was able to make his first final yesterday, and just bested Nahina for third on a tiebreaker -- the highest single-wave score between the two, a 7.67.
"I'm happy, stoked, because I got to surf with these guys in the final," Kealoha, 17, said. "I just concentrated, caught the waves and tried to get some noserides in."
Besides the boys competition, 17 other amateur division finals were completed yesterday. The winners were: Megan Godinez (teeny wahine, girls ages 12-under); Micah Miguel (menehune, boys 12-under); Jordan Hart (men, 18-24); Kekaula Campbell (masters men, 25-34); Jon Okamura (senior men, 35-44); Jamie Ballenger (senior men masters, 45-55; and the you somebody division); Soyu Kawamoto (legends men, 56-65); Kimo Austin (super legends men, 66-above); Geodee Clark (junior wahine, 13-17); Mimi Horiguchi (wahine, 18-34); Pinoi Makalena (masters wahine, 36-above); Daniel Uchimura (novice men); Lesley Jantz (novice wahine); David Carvalho (high makamaka); David Banquil (relic) and Jason Miyamura (soul).
The next event in the Steinlager series will be the Kewalos Open at Kewalo Basin, July 31-Aug. 1.
