Howzit North Shore! The Earth is jiggling on its axis and the days are getting shorter. Small swells are popping up on the North, East and South shores lately. It’s starting to feel like Fall is in the air. So Pray for Surf and away we go!

The North Shore News asked me to tell you about all the Surf Contest venues for the North Shore this Winter Season (2003-2004). Whew, that’s a tall order! Sheesh! Plus I’m supposed to tell you about the latest Tow-In surfing rules, and the Tow-In surf license requirements coming into effect with the final date for compliance in one year, Sept. 2004!

So, I’ll report the “other” stuff in a nutshell! “Kauai Progressive Expressions” HSF/YMCA meet went off in Sept. at Kuhio, Poipu on Kauai. The Macy’s E-Series started up on the South Shore at Kewalo’s in late Sept. The HLF “Aston Hotel’s Surf Classic”... the last longboard event in five contests of the HLF Steinlager Series (including the HPU Pro Division)... took place at Queen’s, Waikiki with 200+ surfers competing!

The “End of Season” Awards Party was at Pipeline Cafe on Sept. 21. “In the process, the HLF prepares Hawaiian surfers to compete internationally for the coveted World Longboard Championship title.” (HLF quote) The $250,000 “Boost Mobile Pro of Surf presented by Quiksilver” at Lower Trestles in California was won by Richie Lovett who defeated fellow Aussie Taj Burrow to win $30,000. Taj hit #3 on the WCT ratings by getting 2nd in the event. Slater is #2. Irons #1. Tim Curran won the “Snapple Best Damn Airshow” portion of the event, the most ever awarded in an airshow. A one-hour deal with the 10 best aerialists in the world. Curran snagged $20,000 and donated half of it to the “Jason Bogle Cancer Fund.” Bogle is a top surfer from Hawaii who is fighting cancer. “Snapple also donated $10,000 (to the fund) in 2nd place getter Kelly Slater’s and ‘The Snapple Best Damn Airshow’ name, together with all proceeds from Snapple beverages sold on the beach during the entire tournament.” (ASP quote) Good going guys! The $26,000 “Converse California Classic” of Longboarding was held in late September at Malibu as last on the 2003 USPLS series, the “world’s only pro longboard series for both men and women.”

I attended the first Tow-In surfing class at Windward Community College on September 6. This class is a requirement of the new towsurf license. All tow-in drivers and tow-in surfers must attend the class and receive a certificate of completion to legally participate in the sport as of September 2004. All thrillcraft must be registered with the DLNR/DOBOR and the owner must have a towsurf license to receive a towsurf decal for his thrillcraft.

Any towsurfers and/or towdrivers who set out to sea on any towsurf legal thrillcraft must BOTH have towsurf licenses. Equipment requirements are solid. A rescue sled 4’ long 3’wide and 3’’ thick that shall have a minimum of 5 handgrip handles. A quick-release towrope a minimum of 30’ long and a bow towline a minimum of 6’ long. A two-way communications device is also required (cell phone, vhf radio, etc). Swim fins and a dive knife worn “on the body” are required for the towsurf driver. Towsurf teams must stay 1000’ away from any surfer, diver or other ocean recreationalist. Tow-In surfing may only be conducted during periods of high surf warning and only outside of the 3000’ from shore Ocean Recreation Management Area except for retrieval of board and/or surfer, or to gain access to and from a surfing site only in certain “designated areas.” Even the operators of a thrill craft used for filming tow-in surfing shall possess a certificate of completion of the tow-in surf class requirement. There’s so much more to this issue!

Vans Triple Crown 2003, North Shore Menehune Classic, Pipeline BodySurfing Classic, Backdoor Pro, Sunset Pro, Pipeline Pro, HIO at Hale’iwa, Longboard Pro, Mike Stewart Bodyboard Pro at Pipe, Women’s World Bodyboard Champs at Pipe, Pipeline BodySurfing Experience, HASA Meets, NSSA Meets, Red Bull 5X, Xcel Pro at Sunset, Men’s World Bodyboard Champs at Pipe…and so on! Aloha... Ace Cool!