2006 HAWAII REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS
NSSA REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS BOOSTS PROMISE FOR NATIONALS
By: Mia Melamed
March/April 2006
The Jamba Juice NSSA Hawaii Tour came to an exciting conclusion for the 2005-2006 season on Saturday April 29th at Haleiwa’s Ali’i Beach Park. This was finals day with about 40% of the season’s points up for grabs and on the line during the Verizon Wireless Regional Championships. Mother nature cooperated big time. After 40 days and nights of some of the wettest weather and flattest days on record, trade winds blew a gentle 15 miles per hour, barely cooling us off from the warming temperatures. A clean spring swell from the northwest kept the surfers steaming hot all day long. 2-3 feet local size waves with some freak sets kept everyone honest and scrambling at times.
Regional Championships always create a lot of tension because crowns, bragging rights, and a ton of points are at stake. Some stalwarts maintained their composure like Dusty Payne who not only captured the Open Men’s Final but also flew back home to Maui with a #1 ranking for the season. Paige Alms, another
Little Kai Oli Kahokuloa upset one of his Kauai neighbors, the very talented Koa Smith while Nathan Rex and Benji Brand soared to first place finishes in the air show and mini air show respectively.
In the Explorer Division Kekoa Cazimero is buffing his first place trophy in the junior division by riding one of his patented left handers almost to the jetties, about 125 yards down the beach. John John Florence added more hardware to his trophy case with a first place finish in the boy’s division after landing countless floaters and steep deep angles with his every move. Meanwhile Alex Smith (who surfed four finals on that day) smiled as wide as a whale with his first place trophy in the Explorer Men’s division. In the Explorer Girls 14 and under
A big Mahalo must go out to