The sun was out and stoked on a natural high glazing over the south shore waves of Maui at the inaugural skim competition hosted by Save Makena on August 23rd, 2008.  Held at the south end of Oneloa Beach (a.k.a. Big Beach) in the Makena State Park, the 1st Annual Save Makena Skimboard Competition with a bodyboard division took place all day long from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm.  Over 650 spectators were present at Makena in support of its indigenous aura to admire the competitors ranging from 8 years old to 40.  The estimated count of 650 people was merely accumulated from that specific portion of the beach at one time.  Many observers felt there were definitely over 1000 bodies roaming around throughout the gathering.  An enthusiastic group of about 85 contestants were spread out in 12 divisions starting with 10 and under to pro in both board sports.  There were many athletes from all around the island, including O’ahu, that entered to display their skills.  One of which is a local girl from south O’ahu named, Ann Keiao Gucwa-Bucasas.  She took 1st place in the women’s division and 2nd at Victoria’s World Championship of Skimboarding in Laguna Beach, CA a month ago.

Makena is a well known spot for epic skimboarding and  bodyboarding.  The steep slope of the beach creates an  unbeatable swift ride toward killer shorepound.  The thriving skim and bodyboard culture faithful to this raw beach has been cultivated for decades.  Beyond being a fun event showcasing some of the best skim talent on the planet, the contest also exposed environmental messages.  The venue was maintained at a low-impact standard with a minimal amount of waste to embrace the importance of a self-sustainable lifestyle.  Served in compostable party-ware, free food and drinks were kindly supplied by local farmers and sources.  Another plus was the free biodegradable sunscreen and eco-friendly surf wax available for the contestants.  A nice mix of music with island vibes was donated by local DJ Lisa Buchanan (a.k.a. DJ Modika).  Surfrider Foundation and Maui Tomorrow were two vital sponsors among an honorable amount of others.  An information tent was set up with booths for Save Makena, Save Honolua, Maui Tomorrow, and Hawai’i Wildlife Fund.
SaveMakena.org is a grassroots organization committed to the preservation of open spaces by sustaining and improving beach access, building community, and caring for local coastal land.  Save Makena’s activities include: organizing volunteer clean-ups of the beach and surrounding wetlands, helping the public and youth get involved with short and long term government planning processes, spreading awareness through forums and guest speakers as well as community building with events like parties and beach contests.  This event was held at the south end of Makena-Pu’u Olai State Park.  This part of the beach was threatened in the past by development and the only reason it was made into a state park is because of citizen efforts to protect the area.  In the 80’s, there were developers who wanted to build condos at the 3rd entrance of Oneloa Beach exactly where the competition was held.  The community rallied for 10 years to turn it into a state park before achieving this victory.

Photo: DerekBPhotography.com

It was a fulfilling day of intense “heat” segments and community togetherness for all ages.  Big ups to everyone who competed especially the pioneers of skimboarding who are still out there charging.  Angie Hofmann (Community & Youth Organizer) of Save Makena gives props to each and every one of the activists who stood up and still prevail for the preservation of a very special place.  We, the next generation, continue this work and can create a beautiful outcome where local residents, historical sites, and endangered species unite to be a part of a sacred area which should be treated with respect.  SAVE MAKENA!

by:  Angie Hofmann and Jasmine Joy

CONTEST RESULTS:
SKIM:
9-under
1-Kanoa Akana
2-Bailey Honda
10-17
1-Nohea Lussich-Pretre
2-Keola Bachiller
3-Mack Crilley
18-29
1-Sean McClenahan
2-Ume Binstock
3- Rueben Cantere
30+
1-Matt Dillon
2-Jeremy Akana
3-John Tingey
Pro
1-Brandon McCormick
2- Keith Fowler
3-Clark Camp
Womens
1-Keiao Gucwa-Bucasas
2-Dustin Tester
3-Jasmine Joy

Further info:

Check out a video of the event by Frank Pulaski of MauiToday.tv:
http://mauitoday.tv/index.php?option=com_seyret&task=videodirectlink&id=2356

The following links are two vidoes of more interviews filmed by John Carty of Save Honolua.org

Part 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebm8yNkEq70
Part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UwSeBBDsz8