Gallery 1 by Ken Pagliaro
Check out more of Ken’s work at his website.
2015 Point Panic Bodysurfing Championship
Written by Event Director Kanekoa Crabbe
Photographs provided by Neal Miyake
On the last weekend of July, a handful of Hawaii’s most talented bodysurfers gathered at Point Panic to show off their skills during the biggest swell of the summer thus far. Powerful 4 to 6 foot Hawaiian surf (8-12 foot wave faces) warranted a High Surf Warning and with the ideal SSW swell direction, many longtime Point Panic locals were calling the waves on Sunday morning and afternoon “as good as it gets!”. While many of the participants reside on Oahu, a small handful of bodysurfers from the Big Island of Hawaii, California, Australia and Brazil took full advantage of the opportunity. Though some endured a few scrapes, bruises and lost fins caused by the large surf, strong current and slippery stairwell, all contestants and spectators were smiling ear to ear buzzing with positivity during these two memorable days.
Fifty eager contestants ranging from teenagers to senior citizens had the opportunity to surf twice on Saturday with only five bodysurfers in the water at a time. After running two rounds with ten heats in each round, the top 24 bodysurfers advanced to the 4-man priority format heats on Sunday. These 24 wave riders continued to battle it out in the large surf until the final four emerged; a big, dark Hawaiian proudly representing the “Westside” of Oahu, a professional bodyboarding champion from the island of Kauai, a Point Panic bodysurfing legend with his pink & grey Scott fins, and a young-gun sporting black Birdwell shorts & a long goatee.
Keahi Parker
Brazilian Cheering Section and Photographers
Jason Nakasato and Kanekoa Crabbe
Judges
Buoy Sitting
As the final heat commenced, all eyes on land were fixated on the waves. With the blessing from above, the winds shifted to a more favorable easterly direction during the final heat as 6-foot bombs continued to mow through the lineup. Waiting for the long rides without much success due to the changing winds, Makaha Bodysurfing Classic Event Director Melvin Keawe proudly represented the “Westside” by making his first Point Panic Bodysurfing Championship final earning 4th place. Getting busy in the middle “green bouy” zone with a few lengthy rides and numerous rolls, bodyboarding world champion Jeff Hubbard made his bodysurfing presence well known with his 3rd place finish. 360 belly-spinning and barrel-riding his way to his third 2nd place runner-up finish with his pink & grey Scott fins, former 2010 champion B.K. Holt placed his name on the perpetual trophy for a record 4th time in seven years. But it was the belly-
spinning, front-flipping young gun who got busy working the inside peelers that finished the weekend off as the 2015 Point Panic Bodysurfing Champion.
Kaneali’i Wilcox silently hammered the competition from his #15 seed at the end of Saturday by earning 1st place in 3 of his 4 heats on Sunday with the most important placing in the final heat. As an emerging leader amongst the future generation of young bodysurfers, Kane rose to the occasion once again showing everybody that no matter how large the surf at Point Panic, he swims out with one goal in mind; to win at all costs. Currently in his early 20’s, Kane was the only competitor to successfully complete and ride out of take-off front-flips and easily pulled a handful of 360 belly spins on both days of competition. As the waves cleaned up and the waves fired relentlessly in the background, Kaneali’i graciously accepted his 1st Place Champion trophy during the award ceremony while smiling and throwing his shaka high and proud. This years’ recipient of the annual Lokahi award was Mr. Larry Russo Sr. for his selfless service in helping keep the Point Panic Kaka’ako Waterfront Park area clean and safe for all to enjoy. Humbled and speechless, Mr. Russo is responsible for landscaping, re-grassing, fertilizing and irrigating the famous tree located by the shower at Point Panic that dozens of people use on a daily basis for its shade and scenic views.
Sideshore Semis
Trophies
The Arena
Kai Santos on Day 2
Judges’ View
After the award ceremony as many volunteers and contestants assisted with the breakdown and cleanup of the area, many witnessed some of the best Point Panic surf seen in years. When asking bodysurfing legend Steve Kapela about Sunday afternoon after the contest (many watching believed he completely dominated the lineup catching the longest and most perfect rides), he said “that was probably the biggest and best Point Panic I’ve ever bodysurfed in my entire life.” As the weekend concluded, the positivity and joy provided by the surf at Point Panic could be felt by all who witnessed the atmosphere both in and out of the water.
E ola mau na kaha nalu ‘o Hawai’i! (Long live the bodysurfers of Hawai’i!) ALOHA!
The Point Panic Bodysurfing Championship is a community-based, grassroots event created to bring people together in hopes of preserving the best bodysurfing wave in the world. Formerly called the Pure Point Panic Bodysurfing Event since 2009, this annual gathering perpetuates the legacy provided by former Point Panic bodysurfing event directors Mr. Bob Thomas & family and Mr. Sam & Mrs. Sarah Wahilani of the Point Panic Bodysurfing Club. Various local contributors, supporters and sponsors selflessly donate their time and efforts to make this event possible. They include DaFin, MS Viper, Viper Surfing Fins, Air Hubb Fins, SOAPTOPIA, Doc Martins of Maui Sunblock, Vertra Sunscreen, NIXON, PATAGONIA, VISSLA, Scott Hawaii, Torpedo People, Kaha Nalu Hawaii, Kua ‘Aina, Menehune Water Company, KINO, Akamai Energy Consulting, Custom Countertops Inc., Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii, Surfrider Foundation, Mark Cunningham, Officials Ben Severson & Pat Caldwell, Judges Nick Menas, Wayne Takamine and Larry Russo Jr. and Dr. Michael Kliks of the CTS Foundation. With the continued support from these noted and future organizations and members of the community, we anxiously look forward to perpetuating bodysurfing at Point Panic to the best of our combined abilities in the many years to come.
2015 Point Panic Bodysurfing Championships results
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Fin Quiver: Sean Starky
Sean is a lifelong Wedge rider and enthusiast. He is a positive force in the bodysurfing world. Sean has also turned this passion for alternative forms of waveriding into a business. You can check out his online market for wave-riding tools at SeaCraftSupplyCo.First thing, I want everyone out in cyberland to know I am not some weirdo hoarder/collector of all things. I’m actually very conscious of the possessions that I own and I’m actually a little insecure with my fin collection, it’s a bit excessive. But hey if I don’t save em who will?
I’ve always enjoyed objects that can tell a story and old fins have always fascinated me. I don’t know if it’s the awesome vintage graphics on the fin boxes that remind me of old James bonds movies or the old school font’s they use on the fins. I just really enjoy old fins. What’s funny is it’s been rather easy to collect fins, as there’s only a handful of people out there that are interested in old swim fins.
Black Churchills. These by far were the hardest fins in my collection to find. For awhile I didn’t even know of their existence, I had always thought the green Churchills were the first color of Owen Churchill fins. The blacks are tough to find for a couple reasons. First, they’re from the 1940’s. Secondly, they were used during WWII by the British and US Navy. You have to deal with WWII collectors that have deep pockets. Got lucky on these and didn’t have to pay too much.
Blue UDTs. Greg Deets gave me these fins and one day they will be framed and hung next to my family photo. Deets wether he likes it or not is almost a mythical character in our weird underground community. I’ve always been more focused on style and fluidity with my bodysurfing and to me Deets is one of the smoothest and cleanest bodysurfers around. The fact he invited me to his home and local surf break to give me a pair of his newly designed UDT’s before my first bodysurf trip to Hawaii will go down as one of the best days of my life.
Never forget as long as I Iive Deets pulling out some unmarked VHS tape that had footage of guys bodysurfing Point Panics! I’d never heard or seen of the spot, watching that footage just blew my mind! The guy is a walking historian and legend in our community.
Yellow Dot Vipers. These fins bring back a lot of memories. Wish we had some awesome ceremony with robes and booze to make the Wedge Crew thing official, but we don’t. You pretty much know you are one of the boys when Fred Simpson starts giving you free fins. You have to hand it to Fred, he has always made sure the best bodysurfers were in his fins, not the most famous or the pro surfer who might sell him more fins, just good bodysurfers.
M.S. Viper. These are my daily driver’s. When I heard Mike Stewart was designing a fin I knew it was going to be something special before I even used it. It fits my wide foot, has a soft pocket and a stiff blade. Most important and an often overlooked positive of the MS is it’s drainage, hands down the best drainage on the market. If your fins don’t drain water, they slow you down and that means you’re blowing waves looking like a kook. No one wants to look like a kook.
Viper I-Beams. If there’s a fire I’m running straight for these over anything else! My best friend, mentor, man about Wedge, John Potato Head a.k.a. Kunu Karam gave me these fins! These were his daily drivers back in his glory days. Whenever I pick these up, I imagine Potato just laying it down on some magical corner bowl in 88! What’s even wilder is Karam had the original canvas bag he got with the fins. For added flare I had the legend himself, Fred Simpson, sign the bag. An amazing fin with an amazing past.
Dafin. These are awesome. They always make me laugh! Most people don’t know this, but Da Fin started as an Australian company, today they go by Da Fin Hawaii. For some reason I like that the old ones that say “Made in Australia.” I had a groupie moment and asked my buddy MC to sign ’em for me.Thanks to Sean for taking the time to share his passion for fins with us.
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Fin Quiver: Sean Enoka
Sean is a Hawaiian bodysurfer and student of the sport. He is a terrific example of stoke in action. Sean has just launched a new initiative to create innovative bodysurfing equipment and apparel for the global community. If you’re interested in learning more check out Kaha Nalu Hawaii.The HOBBY of “Collecting” includes seeking, locating, acquiring, organizing, cataloging, displaying, storing, and maintaining whatever items are of interest to the individual collector. (From Wikipedia).
The Beginning
Back in the late 1980’s and through the 1990’s I learned to bodysurf first at Makapu’u with my brother and later in intermediate and high school I would catch the bus or a ride with my friends to Sandy Beach. Back then bodysurfing was easy and simple, there was no problem carrying your fins on the bus, or a bike, or a skateboard.
My first pair of fins were Churchill’s and I had these until I saw my first set of original Vipers with the double blades. I had to get a pair of these and when I did, it was a major upgrade as I could catch more waves and had more thrust. The only problem was that I was very hard on them and cracked the bottom rails and the fins were too much for me to afford as a kid. I moved on to use the BZ Blacktip fins after that and they became my regulars for a couple of years.
The RebirthFast forward to 2006 and I’m getting back into the ocean and go to purchase a pair of Vipers, but now they are a little different and didn’t have a bottom rail. I purchase a pair of V-5’s from the nearest surf shop by Sandy’s and start to make my way back into the beach lifestyle. I was working overnight for a cleaning company and everyday after work I headed to Sandy’s in the early morning to get my fix. This goes on until Winter and I head up to the north shore to surf Waimea and Ke’iki shore break, and then transition over to Panics the next summer and fall in love with Kaha Nalu after my first ride at Panics, a long in-and-out barrel all the way to the rocks. Since then it all kind of progressed gradually leading to surfing more often and at different spots around the island, and it truly is a blessing to live here in Hawaii. There are waves year round with a big variety of conditions and sizes, from shore break to reef breaks, or slabs or even deep water stuff and point breaks.
Probably a big reason for the collection is I used to be kind of a sneaker head in high school and I would have to have all of the different Nike shoes and Jordan’s or Air Max’s in different colors, etc. So in 2006-07 I started looking at all of the different swim fins on the market, and as my interest grew in bodysurfing, I started to look at what everyone was wearing and so on. This lead me to a good friend and pillar of the Panics crew – Doug Palama.
Voit Duckfeet & UDT’s
Dougie sold Voit DuckFeet UDT’s out of his truck and when I bought my first pair from him it made immediate improvement to my game, because now I could out swim guys in the lineup and get on waves easier and with more burst. The UDT is the largest (effective) design that I’ve used so far, and I have a set that I will use any time we are out in larger waves or if there is a tough crowd to deal with. The only drawback that I started to find was that the fins were heavy and most-times too stiff, and very hard on the feet. There is a big number of local Panics guys who are UDT guys, and I started seeing the different colors and heard the stories. I even tried some regular Duck Feet and V-Ducks, but the foot pocket was too soft and flexible, not like the UDT’s so I bought a few pairs of each different colors online but hardly use them now. My primary UDT is the Tan/Blue model and these are the softest foot pocket for me, and a friend of mine has grind down the rails for me. I’ve found this to reduce the weight and I feel a little snap at the end of a kick and these are my go-to fins in big conditions and can really double as a good diving fin.
Viper FinsAlmost at the same time that I’m getting into the UDT’s I purchase a pair of V-7’s to test against the other fins in my growing collection. Kai Santos was someone that literally puts on a show at Sandy’s. I would watch him do theses death-defying rolls and he’s dropping into vertical bombs riding them out. I first started asking him about fins and we talked about he V-7’s and they were hard to come by at the time, so I get me a pair online. I find that the comfort level of these fins for my feet are definitely the best, but with the refined blade design (no lower rail), I sometimes over-flex the fin on the downward stroke. I go back and forth between Vipers and UDT’s a lot depending on conditions, etc. I kept thinking back to the old Original design and I search out the internet and garage sales and was able to snag a couple of pairs, which are definitely my most prized but I can’t get myself to use them for fear of damaging. I’ve alternated between Vipers and UDT’s for several years until there was a problem with the rubber and when the new Vectors came out, they were too soft and flexible and I would need to find another pair to add to the rotation. The pair of Vector’s I have are special to me because Mr Simpson gave them to me and even delivered them to the house we were staying, but we were at the beach!!! I’ve heard that there is a new batch that is more stiff, and I’m interested to hear how they did in the recent Hurricane Marie swell. But if Viper would ever consider releasing the Original designs, I would definitely cop a couple cases. Nah nah, only one case.
MS Viper & MS Delta Viper
When Mike Stewart first put these out I bought a pair and tested but found that the adjustment from longer fins was too difficult and I always felt like I needed more power to catch the waves, but once you were on a wave the smaller fins were great! I later won a pair of the Delta’s and I really like either of these for shooting GoPro in the shore break, but if there’s any question about the design just keep in mind that MS wins Pipeline Championships with these.
DaFin
When I first started to notice these fins out in the lineup I would ask questions and then bought a pair to test. These were much different, I like the hard rubber blade but the foot pocket is too loose for me, which leads to cramps in my feet and ultimately not a good choice for me personally. Again, not a good fit for me but just look at Mark Cunningham ride them and all questions are answered. The fins are really very good and probably the hottest off of the shelves right now.
Brazilian Made – Redley & Kpaloa
Steve Kapela is definitely someone I respect and look up to, and when I started out I ALWAYS watched what he did. I would watch how he tracks the waves out at Middle Peak (Sandy’s) and how his aggressive style was highlighted with a continuous leg drive on the wave and I couldn’t figure out how he could get so much speed with the little Redley’s. When I start looking for them they are no longer sold so it’s straight to e-Bay and Craigslist. I’ve used them and like them but again put them on the shelf in favor of my regular rotation. The Kpaloa fins on the other hand were another fabled Brazilian fin highly touted by bodyboarders and I’m able to acquire a pair through Brazil’s “Aloha Ambassador” Rodrigo Bruno. They have been tested, but there is a unique quality with local people in Hawaii, we have extra wide feet, and they are too tight and the collection grows on.
Others – BZ Blacktip / Churchill’s / Surfin
I was a big fan of the BZ’s back in the day and I ordered these to see if I would still like them, but they go on the shelf after a couple of sessions. My Churchill’s were given to me by my “Shark-brother” PMK, and I gladly added them to the collection after this past winter season. I’ve had the opportunity to see Churchill’s legendary design up close and out in heavy stuff over the past couple of years with my Hawaiian brother Melvin Keawe. I’ve seen him bodysurfing 8ft Makaha from the peak to the sand and still shake my head every time. The Surfin is another highly touted fin still used by a couple of different guys, most notable is Papa Paepo’o rider Jarrett Liu and they are no longer in production.
Scott Hawaii & Turbo Fins
Scott Hawaii are a fin I discovered in the past couple of years. They stopped making the fins years ago but there were still some diehard guys that still had the fins at Sandy’s and Panics. I searched and when I got my first pair, they were cracked at the strap and I didn’t really use them until I acquired a backup pair. This by far is one of the best designs I’ve tried and the fins give me comparable thrust and power to a UDT but also the fin blade is short so when you’re on the wave there is less drag. The main benefit for me is that I can use a technique like a flutter-kick (short range of motion + increased number of stroke) which can increase my speed on a wave when needed in a barrel or making through a “fat” section across to the shoulder. I started with my size XL, but the fins were a little too tight for my Hawaiian feet and I could only use for about 1 hr before my feet started cramping. I searched out the larger Super XL but these were way too big so I just kept up with the others until I started getting used to them and they are my primary choice these days. The Turbo fins on the other hand were another fabled fin that only a few guys would even remember and I couldn’t get any info on these until my friend Chris Dumlao (another collector) found a pair on the internet and gave them to me. They are almost identical to Scott’s, with only minor variances to the mold.
Get to the Point HawaiianSo there you have it folks, confessions of a Swimfin collector (hoarder) and how I ended up with over 30 pairs of fins sitting in my mother’s garage. My Wife and my Mom give me some static about them every once and a while, but I think have grown to accept my Imelda Marcos obsession. I keep telling them that I’ll hang them up on the wall when I make my own Surf shop, but we’ll see. So this is my explanation (defense), on how I came to acquire and collect swim fins. As a bodysurfer, they are our main piece of equipment and you can probably stop and talk to any hardcore bodysurfer at length about the subject.. So this is about my journey down the kaha nalu road and my need (and disposable income) to start a collection of old swim fins that I hold dear. My thoughts are from my own experiences and there are a ton of other fins out there on the market that haven’t event been covered here that are awesome. It’s all personal preference + comfort + speed & control, but mahalo for the opportunity to share.
Mahalo,
Sean Enoka
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Swimming Propellers: History of the Swim Fin
Swim fins are the tools of our passion. We wear them for hours at a time. We often have bloody holes in our feet from the incessant rubbing. Wounds that constantly remind us of recent pumping swell. Fins make land travel difficult and often humorous, but when we enter the water, swim fins instantly transform our terrestrial physiology aquatic. They are rubbery adaptations that allow us to power through heavy surf and into heaving-fast peaks. In this article, we will examine the history of the swim fin.
The ancient people of Central America were known for their use of the latex extracted from Castilla elastica or Hevea brasiliensis: rubber trees. Olmec means “rubber people.” The quality of rubber varied greatly until the 1840’s when Charles Goodyear and Thomas Hancock developed the process known as vulcanization: the addition of sulphur and other compounds to natural latex along with curing at high temperature. The cross-linking of individual molecules produces the tensile strength and durability of modern rubber. Vulcanization changed the industrial world.
In the 15th century, Leonardo Da Vinci experimented with various devices to improve the human physical condition: wings, vehicles and swim fins.
Colonial Americans were not known for their agility in the water. A Boston newspaper reported, “The most frequent use of the harbor is for transport, and drowning.” But one 11 year old boy loved to swim. The ingenious child strapped thin planks of wood to his feet and hands, thus increasing his speed and efficiency in the water. Young Benjamin Franklin had discovered the swim fin.
Frenchman Louis de Corlieu began developing the modern swim fin in the early 1900’s. His 1933 patent called them “propulseurs de natation et de sauvetage (swimming and rescue propulsion device”). Known as “swimming propellers,” they soon gained use in naval military applications.
In 1940, American gold medal yacht racer, Owen P. Churchill was inspired by local Tahitians using handmade swim fins. Upon return to the US, he received a license from de Corlieu to produce his own rubber fins and renamed them swim fins. They were black and cost $4 dollars. Churchill Fins saw action in World War II with the British Frogmen and US Navy. After the war, Churchill’s team developed a process that made the fins buoyant and allowed for the addition of color. Green, floating Churchills then hit the market. According to Owen Churchill, “The feet and legs of a human being were not designed by nature for swimming…and the use of my invention converts the feet into swimming members of correct hydrodynamic structure and design.”
During WWII, the US Navy Underwater Demolition Team (UDT-precursor to the Navy SEALS) sought a more serious swim fin for their serious duties. The Navy contracted rubber sporting-good giant, Voit, to develop a new swim fin. In 1944, the Voit UDT swim fin was introduced. Longer and stiffer than previous fins, UDTs provided the power that the Navy Special Forces desired.
With the post-war recreation market peaking, Voit released the Duckfeet Custom Model swim fin in 1953. Shorter and more flexible than the UDT, Duckfeet became a standard fin for bodysurfing, life-guarding and recreational diving.
In the early 80’s, Voit left the sporting goods industry as jobs went overseas. Their various products were outsourced and the quality of UDT swim fins suffered. They eventually became harder to find. A devoted group of bodysurfers, divers and water people mourned their loss. One such heavy-water bodysurfer, LA’s Greg Deets Ph.D, was not ready to give up his dedication to UDTs. He tracked down the original molds behind a Tijuana barn and began reinventing the cherished swim fin.
Fred Simpson began bodysurfing in the early 1950’s on the northside of the Huntington Beach Pier. He first wore Churchills and later Voit Duckfeet. In 1962, while lifeguarding in Long Beach, a friend told him about a hard-breaking wave in Newport. Fred checked it out and soon dedicated himself to bodysurfing Wedge. He became a standout: strong, talented and courageous. He consistently put himself, “in the path of the bull until it ripped his clothes but didn’t kill him.” But after one too many rodeos deep in the Pit, Fred decided he needed more power than his Duckfeet could produce.
Simpson soon had drawings and balsa wood models of his new fin. Local surf and dive shops expressed interest in the prototypes so he went forward with the patent and manufacturing processes. The first Vipers, released in 1982, were 7” long, all black, with no drain holes and hard ribs on the upper and lower edges. A short time later, drain holes were added, the lower ribs were removed for easier walking and the now iconic yellow splash was added to the blade. Vipers and UDTs are now synonymous with heavy-water bodysurfing.
In the mid-90’s, Aussie ex-pat Andy Cochran, living in Hawaii, developed a unique swim fin called DaFiN. Today, there are at least a dozen quality swim fin options for the beginner to charging hellman bodysurfer. Churchills are still a sentimental favorite among some watermen. UDTs are new and “biomimically” improved. The Duckfeet Custom Model are revamped with a new flex pattern. Viper recently released the easy-to-see, synthetic Vector series. Considering the current trend of innovation, how will we propel ourselves into waves of the future?
-KS
Special thanks: Greg Deets, Fred Simpson and Mel Thoman
Sources:
Smithsonian
Cal Porter’s Then and Now Beach Blog
Surfmatters
Swell Lines 