Just when you thought it would never end, the waves  really slowed down this month. There were just about 2 or 3 swells on the south shore and all of them were pretty small.


If you saw a 4 ft wave any where this month, you were lucky, The Northshore was a little better than its been; there were a few little waves off and on which were mostly windswell so pretty windy and choppy. Some guys were attempting to surf jellyfish infested Goat Island and coming in with 3 stings. I tryed it one day and got 2 stings in 20 minutes or 1 sting per wave. One day I heard that several surfers were chased out of the line up their by sharks just to add to the excitement.

Other folks were keeping busy at the Dukes Oceanfest www.dukefoundation.org which included swimming and all kinds of watersport competitions for one solid week in honor of Hawaii's Olympic swimming champion.


In 1912, at the Stockholm Olympics, Duke Kahanamoku won a gold medal in the 100m freestyle with a record breaking time. Ironically, the 2008 Dukefest coincided with Michael Phelps' record-breaking sweep at Bejing this year, but he will still have to show us his ocean and surfing skills to obtain high waterman honors here in Hawaii.


Candice Appleby is getting plenty of props for beating all the boys in the pro SUP division at the Dukefest. I think she actually beat Brian Kealana and some of the boys which is kinda funny. What a great way to squash that sport, let the girls beat the boys at it and then all the guys will all quit and tell the girls its easy. Finally, a scoring theory we can get onboard with. The stand-ups have become an absolute nusance this month with the small waves; some mornings their were like 10 of them at 1-2 foot Lanis who were actually okay being that they were serious enough to get up at 5 am. Its the kooky ones that show up all by themselves around midday that really ruin it for the rest of us since their boards seem to being cleaning up the line up every time they take off on a wave. I heard a rumor that they have already restricted the SUPs at Hanalei and some other outer-island locations so there is hope that us regular surfers wont have to go into extinction.

Carrisa Moore cleaned up at the Sea Hawaii Girls Who Surf Pro Am this month. She won both shortboard and longboard divsions plus the Flyhi Trick award. Aleeza Quizon was a close second in the shortboard division and there were a list of amateur champions in bodyboarding, standup paddling and shortboard as well. This women-only event was hosted by Girls Who Surf and presented by One Love surf shop, which is owned by Gina Wardrope a former pro surfer and skater. Banzai Betty put the event on in place of her historic women's Pipe contest that she was not able to obtain the permit for this past season. Props to Betty for putting on a great event for the women.

The Northshore offered perfect condtions for the Northshore Open Ocean Swim which was the last in the series of swims. It was near flat with a current which took swimmers in the right direction from Pipe to Waimea, so they were stoked


Bodysurfing Barack Obama was most certainly the biggest surf news of the month. The Hawaii-born Illinois senator came back home to the islands for a family vacation this month. According to the media, he was set to arrive just before his rally at Ke'ehi Lagoon on 8-08-08, but my sources say the 20 motorcade escort in Pearl City the night before was taking him to his sisters house. Its so funny to think that anyone in Pearl City would need that kind of security and that just 2 years ago Barack Obama himself would not have needed a single bodyguard. During his speech in Honolulu the very next day he relayed many of the same points we have seen him talk about all around the country, but then he got quite intimate with the Hawaii crowd by telling us that he couldn't wait to get a plate lunch, go to the beach and visit his tutu (grandma). Local surfer and activist Tony Agao was featured on the news talking about his meeting with Barack and explained that upon their honorary handshake each outstretched his arms and embraced in a hug. At that point Tony exclaimed in excitement that he knew Obama had "The mana"


Throughout the week, he was then spotted visiting Punahoe highschool, playing golf in Kailua and greeting the public while crusing Ala Moana Beach Park, but nothing captured him in true local style like the pic and video of him bodysurfing at Sandy Beach. It was at this point that we all realized he has the skills to claim first surfing president as well.


A week later at the Democratic National Convention, the Hawaii section received national coverage of delegates and fans giving shakas and wearing Lauhala hats. The Akaka Bill which recognizes native Hawaiian issues and addresses the controversial overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom is getting national recognition and full backing from Obama. On August 27, Barack Obama became the first African American to ever receive the democratic nomination for president of the United States. In that historic moment he gave a speech which was witnessed by over 75,000 people in Denver, Colorado and is already being perceived by some as one of the best political speeches of all time. He most fittingly accepted the nomination on the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King's I have a Dream speech and is evidence that the dream is most certainly alive today. It was a proud and emotional moment for all Americans and a new hope for the people of Hawaii.

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