SURFER POLL AWARDS 2008

Although Hilary Clinton’s name has been dropped from the presidential race, there is still one ballot boasting female candidates. That’s right, it’s time for the Surfer Poll Awards of 2008.
The Surfer Poll has an impressive history of women winners, all eleven female surfers crowned in the history of the Poll also have world titles to their names.
Four-time world champion Lisa Andersen won the award record seven times, followed by South African Frieda Zamba and Californian Margo Godfrey-Oberg who collected five Poll Awards each.
Other impressive names include seven-time world champ Layne Beachley and South African Wendy Botha who has three Poll Awards and four world titles.
September 9th marks the 36th anniversary of the Surfer Poll Awards, which added a women’s division in its second year running. Pioneer surfer Joyce Hoffman was the first woman to take home the award and followed by winning two, consecutive world titles in ’65 and ’66.
Powerful Peruvian Sofia Mulanovich is the woman to beat. She has carried the Poll title since 2005 and currently leads the ASP World Tour. Watch the Surfer Poll September 9th!

Roxy Jam Honolulu

2008 ASP women’s world longboard champion Joy Monahan continued her winning year with a first place finish at the Roxy Jam Honolulu.
The 22 year old has a well deserved, $2,000 check from the three-star WQS event to take back to college in Utah next week.

The Jam was held at Queens Beach in Honolulu, one-two foot waves peeling down the line with Diamond Head in the background. The historic stomping grounds of the original beach boys was occupied Aug. 20-22nd by 80, women longboarders from around the world with a beach packed with spectators to catch the action.

“The turnout for the event was amazing,” said Jen Smith who finished ninth overall. The Roxy Jam Honolulu stands as the only ASP longboard event that Smith of San Diego, has yet to win but she had only good things to say about her competitors after the event. “Joy stood out of course,” said Smith, “She had one wave in the final that looked absolutely flawless to me. I never get to see the Hawaiian girls at contests, there is so much talent that you wouldn’t know about it if you didn’t spend a little time at Queens in the summer.”

It was apparent that Joy Monahan has spent many summers at Queens, born and raised in Honolulu. “The waves are always fun at Queens,” she said. “But, I do wish it was more consistent.”

Roxy rider Kelia Moniz, also known as “Sis” earned a spot on the podium as well. In the all-Hawaiian final 15 year old Moniz earned a total of 13.29 points, shy of Monahan’s 15.75. Geodee Clark took third with 11.17 points.
Crystal Dzigas, also of Honolulu, claimed the Schick Style Award and a check for $3,000. The event had a total of $8,000 in prize money for the longboarders in the Jam’s second year running.

The event was held as part of Duke’s Ocean Fest, a week-long celebration of surfing and water sports in memory of the great Duke Kahanamoku.

A word with the champ: Joy Monahan

Joy Monahan defeated 80 women longboarders to take first place in the Roxy Jam Honolulu held at Queens. Monahan, 22, is currently in her most-winning year, awarded the 2008 ASP women’s world longboard champion. The Honolulu-local claimed $2,000 of the $8,000 in prize money offered at the Jam. Here are some quick questions with the champ.

1) Q: Were there favorable conditions throughout the competition?
JM: The waves are always fun at Queens, even when they are small. But, I do wish that it was more consistent.

2) Q: How was the turn-out for the contest?
JM: There were a ton of girls. I didn’t know almost half of the girls who entered, which is great, because it means there are a lot more local girls getting involved with surfing.

3) Q: Coming into the Roxy Jam, who were you looking to beat?
JM: No one in particular. I was just hoping I could make the finals.

4) Q: Who stood out in this competition? Any surprises?
JM: I don’t think there were any surprises. All the girls who did well are great surfers.

5) Q: Do you think the Women’s Pro Longboard Tour is going to continue to grow?
JM: I hope so.

6) Q: Where are you headed once the Roxy Jam is finished?
JM: Back to school in Utah (BYU) in exactly one week.

On the Horizon...

Roxy Jam hits Honolulu August 20th and runs until the 23rd at Queens Beach in Honolulu. Watch the ladies rip, longboard-stylee with $5,000 up for grabs.

It's the second-annual with heavy-hitters Jen Smith, Kassia Meador, Julie Cox and the young and stylish Kelia Moniz.

Check it out first hand or online at http://www.roxy.com/

The Voyage of Hawaii's Super Ferry the Alakai: Honolulu to Kahului

The vessel, named the Alakai is certified by the United States Coast Guard, sound for sitting safely and prepped for safety supplies.
Arrived later than recommended and made it smoothly and quickly onboard. Ferry staff guided three lanes of cars onto the lower deck of the ferry.
There seemed to be few limitations for the state of vehicles boarded on the Ferry. SUV’s with longboards, Uhaul’s, trucks with men sitting in the bed, even trailers carrying 18 horses.
Ferry workers in orange vests directed drivers to tightly pack all vehicles on the lower deck.
On the way back there were fewer cars ahead of us but inspecting the car and checking our ID’s took longer. The woman working for Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) licked our receipt and tried to stick it on the windshield twice. They checked the car registration, license, personal ID’s and vin # on the car.
The also asked about agriculture we were carrying, weapons or sharp objects. They walked around the perimeter of the car with a mirror to check underneath. There were also drug-sniffing dogs walked as vehicles waited to board Ferry.
Walked around and checked it out, plenty of seats vacant. The seating area consists of round and square tables seating 2-4 passengers and cushioned booths where some passengers stretched out for a nap. Others admired the view from the deck outside.

An instructional video with a local Hawaiian girl and Captain was played on the television screens. Captain Joe announced four foot North East trades swell and favorable conditions on the ride back.
Getting through the channel, the ride was horrible. Everyone was getting sick and the crew made continuous rounds to empty trashcans and mop puke off the deck. The aroma of puke on deck added to my nausea as I forced down a motion sickness pill.
I put my head down, took a pill and passed out. Even if you may not consider yourself someone that gets motion sickness when comparing the Super Ferry to other fairies such as in Washington, Canada or San Francisco, the Super Ferry had a rougher ride. They provide baskets of motion sickness pills if you need to Palu, throw-up, toss your cookies, puke, or ralf, there are also paper bags tucked next to the seats.
A woman clutches the wrist of her passed-out boyfriend. The heavy makeup on the asian woman’s face intensifies her worried expression. She picks up her cell phone as it buzzes across the table.
“Hi, I’m on the Super Ferry,” she tells her friend on the other side. “I’m actually glad you called me right now, I’m feeling pretty sick, distract me please.” She says.
On board there are two food and drink stands offering pastries, sandwiches, salads, pizza, and beverages including beer.
A small gift shop sits in the middle of the seating area stocked with Super Ferry memorabilia and Kona coffee.
The food was good and reasonably priced. I needed the coffee to warm up my stomach once they cranked up the air conditioning to relieve sickness and smell.
The ride got smoother.
Passengers and crew members stumbled down the aisles like drunkards. You have to get in rhythm with the ocean waves to make it back to your seat.
The staff is suited in light blue collared shirts with sting rays, dark pants and name tags. Crew members complete safety training and CPR certification along with orientation for their regular duties on the vessel. These skills are needed in the case of an incident occurring where the workers will become emergency personnel. Landis Lee, cabin attendant on the Super Ferry says most of the crew have previous experience on cruise lines as well.
Crew members tough out a few rocky trips before getting their sea legs, says Stewart Bronson Meyers, who completes three trips a week as a part-time employee on the ferry.
The water was a rich, deep blue as the ferry traveled through Maui, Lanai, Molokai, Niihau and O’ahu. We saw the highest sea cliffs in the world cruising past the natural, undeveloped Lanai. Coming back to the harbor in Honolulu we passed Koko Head, Diamond Head, Waikiki and Ala Moana.
There was always beautiful scenery to view from the deck or through the many windows.

Flying VS Ferry:
Round trip: Honolulu, O’ahu to Kahului, Maui, Wednesday- Saturday
Cost:
Flying Hawaiian: $145 For overweight bags (over 50 lbs) add $25 Car rental (compact) $203 (Must be 25 years old or extra fees apply.)
Ferry: $100 round trip ticket (soon to increase to $120), $130 round trip vehicle.
Convenience:
Flying: Faster (1 hour to 4 hours by ferry)
Ferry: Bring your own food and beverage and any belongings you wish with a vehicle. No need to wait for a ride to pick you up or worry about renting a car. Ferry has Wi-Fi and cell phone reception.
Eco-friendly:
Flying: Does not harm reef or marine life.
Ferry: Named “most energy-efficient way to travel between islands.”

Sources:
Landia Lee, Super Ferry Cabin Attendant
Bronson Meyers, Super Ferry Stewart

Stay Grounded: Delta increases board bag fees to $600

Delta Airlines have increased their board bag fees to $300 each way, costing surfers $600 roundtrip to travel with their board. This rate has instantaneously tripled from its previous $100 charge.
It’s extremely important to note this outstanding difference in fees. The cost of checking your board may surpass the amount of your ticket, skewing your traveling budget entirely.
Prices are increasing at every turn with the state of our economy, obviously with no exception when purchasing a ticket to fly a big steel bird halfway across the world. In conjunction with the rising cost of oil, airlines have increased the price of tickets and baggage fees with no exception to board bags.
But where is the justice in tripling the rates of surfboard bags, while checking golfing bags remain to be free of charge?
As many of us have experienced firsthand, airline workers do not sympathize with the atomic bomb being dropped on our wallets to board the plane with our necessary belongings, because yes, our surfboard is necessary.
Fortunately for surfers, we are not charged for “water time,” no multi-million dollar resort mongers are cashing in, each minute we spend in the line-up since our sport, passion, recreational-what-have-you is gratefully given to us by the ocean and natural causes. Could this be the underlying reason why surfers are getting hit with these charges while golfers are an exception?
The baggage fees are grim across the board for domestic travel. Four of the top airlines (American, Continental, Northwest, United) charge $100 one way for oversized baggage, with up to $250 tacked onto this price if your board is considered “excess baggage,” i.e. you have additional bags to check.
To minimize your travel expenses, research surf shops at your travel destination to see what rental surfboards they carry. Although there is no comparison to your personal quiver you’ve had dialed for years, shops such as Local Motion rent a variety surfboards of higher quality than a soft top.
Still fuming? Contact your preferred airline and voice your opinion as a valued customer.
http://www.delta.com/traveling_checkin/baggage/special_baggage/fragile_bulky/sporting_goods/index.jsp

"Yeah...you shoulda seen the jellyfish!"

I was swimming towards the shore on a postcard-perfect day on the north shore when I was shell-shocked. An ocean demon clung to my face and sent waves of burn and pain to my left temple, across my eye and down my cheek. It felt as if I were getting punched in the head repeatedly while simultaneously getting my eyelid tattooed. I would enjoy the rest of my Hawaiian vacation from a one-eyed pirate’s perspective.
The Portuguese man-of-war had a death grip on my face. After an unsuccessful attempt of wiping off the jellyfish tentacles underwater, my friend Sean used a towel to pull them off my face and untangle the toxic tentacles from my eyelashes. He then offered to “R Kelly it,” by pissing on the sting to relieve the burn. I may have been half blind and swelling like a blowfish but I still had my dignity, I told the girls to make sure he kept it in his boardshorts.
Darlina handed me a Corona to take the edge off while Kelsey, the Kauai-native, nurtured my burn with berries and Aloe she picked from the bushes. Two of my girlfriends sprinted down the stretch of beach to the lifeguard stand.
Expecting the sexy north shore lifeguards to come to my rescue like a scene out of Bay Watch, (where’s Jimmy Slade?) I was disappointed when they didn’t bother to come over because there was “nothing they could do.”
So I waited in vain, kicking the dashboard of the Jeep, as we inched in stop-and-go traffic down Kamehameha Highway to my friend’s house in Wailalua where I immediately took several shots of Tequila.
My nurses in bikinis poured water and vinegar over my eye that was now swollen shut, resembling Yoda. I held a towel of ice to my eye and temple as the recognition of pain weakened with the Tequila and Advil. (I would later learn that fresh water and ice actually spread the toxins and increase the burn.)
The left side of my face was swollen from my eyebrow to my nose, lip and cheek. My temple was cut and scabbed and blisters covered my eyelid and bagged underneath my eye.
Every so often someone would say, “let me see!” followed by “Ohh! Shit!” when I removed the towel. My nurses then fabricated a Rasta eye patch to hide my hideousness from the general public. I opted not to spend my last vacation hours in the hospital, boarding the plane to LAX with my trusty eye patch.
It was three days before the swelling decreased enough to peel my eyelid open to discover if I still had sight in my left eye. It was crusty with puss, horrifyingly disgusting, but my eye was clear and I could see.
I went to the health clinic at Long Beach State to get medication for the swelling. All the ladies at the office were horrified at the sight of my eye and didn’t know exactly how to treat it. I left with steroids that made me jittery and a phone number to an optometrist in case I went blind. At least I had a good story at the office.


JELLYFISH:
-Free-swimming, non-aggressive, gelatinous marine animals surrounded by tentacles.
-Tentacles are covered with sacs (nematocysts) filled with poison (venom) that can cause a painful to sometimes life-threatening sting.
-Usually found near the surface of water or washed up on shore.
-Many can be seen 8 to 10 days after a full moon when jellyfish have reproductive jelly gatherings.
-Over 200 types of jellyfish
-The most deadly are found in the Indo-Pacific and Australian waters.

STINGS:
-Jellyfish stings cause intense, stinging pain, itching, rash and raised welts.
-People stung may experience nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, lymph node swelling, abdominal pain, numbness/tingling, and muscle spasms.
-Severe reactions can cause difficulty breathing, coma and death.

DO:
1. Removed tentacles with tweezers or gloved hand.
2. Take Benadryl or pain medication to help itching and pain.
3. Soak or rinse the area in vinegar for 15-30 minutes to stop the nematocysts from releasing their toxins.
4. Urinate on sting if vinegar is not readily available.
5. Apply shaving cream or paste of baking soda to area. Shave area with razor or credit card to remove nematocysts that have not release their toxin.
6. Seek medical care if person has difficulty breathing, swallowing, voice changes, or large area of stings.

DO NOT:
Use fresh water this will cause the nematocysts to continue to release their toxin.
For the same reason, do not apply ice or hot water.

Sources:
Emedicinehealth.com