Dukes OceanFest - Latest media release from C4

C4 WATERMAN/HONOLUA SURF CO SUP EVENT
Presented by Blue Planet
Part of the Annual Duke's OceanFest, Waikiki, Hawaii


WOMAN TAKES DOWN SEA OF MEN IN PRO STAND-UP PADDLE EVENT


Candice Appleby Wins C4 Waterman/Honolua Surf Co Pro & Women's

HONOLULU - (August 23, 2008) - In another first for the sport of stand-up paddle (SUP) surfing, the major honors for the C4 Waterman/Honolua Surf Co competition, presented by Blue Planet, went to a woman today. Waikiki's Candice Appleby out-performed a field of world-class SUP surfers to win both the pro division and the women's category. Among Appleby's casualties in the pro ranks were Brian Keaulana (Makaha), Noland Martin (Makaha), and Noah Shimabukuro (Kula, Maui).

It was also a day of double victories for 13-year-old Maui stand-up paddler Slater Trout. Trout won the highest scoring heat of all the finals - the men's amateur division against surfers more than twice his age - as well as the 12-mile C4 Waterman/Honolua Surf Co paddleboard race from Hawaii Kai to Duke's Restaurant, Waikiki, held earlier in the day.

The winner of the junior SUP surfing division was Kai Lenny (Paia, Maui). Like Trout, Lenny and three of his fellow finalists - Brendan Bradley (Honolulu), Micah Liana and Connor Baxter -- contested the 12-mile paddleboard race earlier in the day. The youngest of all was 10-year-old Liana.

Appleby fulfilled a dream today; a dream that was inspired by the very surfers she overcame to taste this victory.

"Today was a total dream come true," said Appleby, 23, a student at UH Manoa, where she studies Tropical Plants & Soil Science.

"I live right down the street and I surf here every day. I've just been really focused and training hard.

"I can't really say I was nervous. I felt honored to be in a heat with them. All those guys (in the final), I learned from watching them and they have inspired me to do what I do.

"Given the conditions, I think it's whoever really wants it the most. You've got to be 100 per cent with your mind, your body and your spirit. The ocean conditions did play a part, but it takes your personal strength to get you through."

Thirteen-year-old Trout also breaks with convention. While most aspiring surfers his age have their sights set on the world of pro shortboard surfing, Slater is passionate about the sport of SUP, a sport that first resonated with an older crew before permeating the younger ranks, as witnessed today.

"I'm really excited to be a part of this sport and pursue it as much as I can," said Slater, who stands at six feet tall and is from Lahaina, Maui.

"I started out shortboarding but it wasn't going so well for me. I had some friends who started stand-up paddling and they got me started. From then on, every morning at 5:30 a.m., I was getting out there. That's what got me here: practice and motivation."

Another surfer who embodied the fire of SUP passion today was lone Australian Stuart Murray. He was in the amateur final alongside Trout and placed third. Murray came to Hawaii earlier this week to be married. The wedding went down on Monday, and by 7 a.m. Tuesday morning he was surfing in this event. Not expecting to make it all the way to the final, he kept his original travel plans that had him flying out the next morning. After qualifying for today's final, his wife flew home Wednesday and Murray stayed on to honeymoon alone while waiting for to surf today. He is still married.

The C4 Waterman/Honolua Surf Co event was part of the week-long Duke's OceanFest. Various finals were held today with clean but very small one- to two-foot surf on offer. Of all the events, the SUP surfers enjoyed conditions the most, able to squeeze out every point and inch of ride with their paddles.

Many thanks to sponsors C4 Waterman, Honolua Surf Co., Blue Planet, Nixon watches, Maui Jim sunglasses, and Sector 9 skateboards.

Stand-up paddle surfing combines the elements of two traditional Hawaiian ocean sports: canoe paddling's paddle, and longboarding's surfboard. Surfers paddle into waves and ride, always in the standing position, and are scored on critical surfing maneuvers.

The C4 Waterman/Honolua Surf Co paddleboard race from Hawaii Kai to Duke's Restaurant, Waikiki, was won by Honolulu's Brian Rocheleau.

To view the full results of the paddleboard race, please visit: www.pacificsportevents.com


For more information about the sport of SUP, please visit www.C4waterman.com

Aloha!


RESULTS:
Surfer's total score based upon their best two rides. Total score is out of 20 points.

1. Candice Appleby (Honolulu) -12.05
2. Noland Martin (Makaha) -11.65
3. Noah Shimabukuro (Kula, Maui) -7.4
4. Brian Keaulana (Makaha) - 7.25

Women:
1. Candice Appleby (Honolulu) -10
2. Pinoi Makalena (Honolulu) - 9
3. Jennifer Koki (Honolulu) - 8.37
4. Geodee Clark (Honolulu) - 7.52
5. Tiare Lawrence (Makawao, Maui) - 7
6. Heather Jeppesen (Honolulu) - 4.89

Junior:
1. Kai Lenny (Paia, Maui) - 17.38
2. Brendan Bradley (Honolulu) - 13.01
3. Kawika Kinimaka (Lahaina, Maui) - 9.25
4. Micah Liana (Honolulu) - 6.5 (countback)
5. Connor Baxter - 6.5 (countback)
6. Noah Yap (Kihei, Maui) - 5.41

Amateur:
1. Slater Trout (Lahaina, Maui) - 14.26
2. Chris Martin (Honolulu) - 11.88
3. Stuart Murray (Australia) - 9.88
4. Dennis Matos (Waipahu) - 6.38
5. Mike Mendez (Honolulu) - 4.51
6. Bill Ward (Haleiwa) - 3.01

OMG that is such great news! I wished she lived here so i had someone to play with and hang out with. The currumbin boys are fun but in the end boys are boys .

Is there any video of the comp yet? Can someone post it PLEASE.

XX angie

ps, DJ thanks for your kind comment

Get to know Candice...Yeah even Candice falls in...

DJ

Aloha Everyone....i just joined seabreeze. Hope to make some cool aussie friends. I'll be coming over that way later this year for the noosa festival, hopefully sooner.
A hui hou, Candice

Hey candice,

I hope you can come over for the noosa festival, it would be great to meet you. I wish my photo's looked that good, bring on summer and hot weather!

XX angie

Hi Candice, welcome to this forum. Good to hear your coming to Noosa. If your planning on coming earlier then there is always the Mambo in November at Merimbula.

Is the board you were using in the competition a production board or was it custom built for you?

Steve

Hi Peggy and welcome to the Breeze.

Thanks for the info on the board..It looks like there is a narrow single concave or channel running through the tail.

Am I right about this or do I need glasses.. ..I can see how a channel would speed up the turns on smaller waves.

Tell Shane he makes a nice looking board..

DJ

Thanks for your reply Peggy. I love that photo Candice posted.

Thanks, DJ. I'll pass it on!

Shane originally designed the Rampage as a high performance fish/hybrid. From my understanding, the tail design, channel and fin placement work together to accelerate through turns where most boards are loosing energy and speed.

Shane worked in collaboration with Candice's sponsor, Tropical Blends, to apply the design to Stand Up. I'm his biggest fan (of course) but I was a little sceptical at first. That photo surprised me, I guess it works! I'm getting pretty good at admitting when I'm wrong.

-Peggy

I asked the same question a couple of months ago and got no answer. Last year was March 3 to 9 finishing on a Sunday. The closest dates this year are March 2 to 8, but I cannot find any reference on the internet to the official dates for 2009.

"hows the cutback to reverse 360 foam bounce rebound helicopter thingy"



Yeah that is a sweet move , gotta try that ...