08 Feb Hafa Series 2/7/16: Full Report
Time flies when you’re having fun and since surfers seem to have more fun than anyone else, it seems that in the time between waxing your board to your post surf shower–what has happened is more than meets the eye.
Not t long ago , Surfing n Guam was a bit of a renegade lifestyle based in a type of counter culture.
Surfers (which is actually surfers and bodyboarders) were typically received as the high school delinquent, pre-legal beer drinking, and pot-smoking adrenaline junkies that were stereotyped in earlier movies.
For those that have spent enough time in the water(and the parking lots) –we realize that this can be the furthest thing from the truth as all kinds of folks are taking to the lifestyle and sport of kings where men, women, and children walk on water..
The following is taken from an online interview with Mae Mendiola, representative of Lotus Surf and co-creator of the Hafa Series
What is Hafa Series, why was it created, and are there any longer term plans for the event?
THE HAFA SERIES WAS LAUNCHED IN NOV.2015 BY LOTUS SURF SHOP AND OTHER DEDICATED SPONSORS AS A FUN FILLED SURFING DAY OPEN TO THE ENTIRE FAMILY.
THE SERIES ENCOURAGES SURFERS OF ALL AGES TO APPLY THEIR SURFING SKILLS AND TALENTS AS WELL AS LEARNING THE FUNDAMENTALS OF SURFING COMPETITION FOR THOSE INTERESTED.
SECONDLY, THE HAFA SERIES HOPES TO SHARE SOME OF SURFING’S CULTURE AND TO INSPIRE THE SURFING AND NON-SURFING COMMUNITY OF GUAM TO HAVE MORE AWARENESS OF THE ENVIRONMENT SURROUNDING US.
THEY ALSO HAVE SOME FUTURE GOALS SUCH AS FURTHER DEVELOPING THOSE SKILL SETS FOR THE PARTICIPANTS AND INVOLVING A CONSCIENTIOUS PORTION OF OUR COMMUNITY TO SHARE THE WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE IN REGARDS TO MAINTAINING OUR PRISTINE ENVIRONMENT AS WELL AS OCEAN SAFETY ISSUES.
How do you view The Hafa Series in correlation with Guam’s other surfing competitions?
THE HAFA SERIES IS MEANT TO COEXIST AND COOPERATE WITH OTHER GUAM SURFING COMPETITIONS TO HELP INVOLVE THE COMMUNITY AND IT’S PARTICIPANTS ACHIEVE THE GOALS WE CAN AGREE UPON.
What can the community do to support the event? What can the community do to support youth surfing?
THE COMMUNITY IS WELCOME TO HELP SUPPORT THE EVENT AND IT’S CAUSES BY CO-SPONSORING WITH IT’S RESOURCES AND CO-PROMOTING POSITIVELY WITH IT’S CONTACTS.
THE COMMUNITY CAN HELP SUPPORT YOUTH SURFING BY DOING THE SAME.
What is your final analysis of this past weekend’s events and what happens next?
Anything else you want to add in?
THIS PAST WEEKEND HELPED ACCOMPLISH ALOT OF SHORT TERM GOALS AND HAD A VERY POSITIVE IMPACT ON OUR GUAM SURF AND NON-SURF COMMUNITY.
SI YU’US MA’ASE
5-8YRS OLD SHORTBOARD OPEN:
1ST MIA LEE- FIRST TIME COMPETITOR
2ND DINA SORIANO (JIM MURPHY’S GRANDDAUGHTER)
3RD KAYA FITZGERALD (BRIAN AND TAMAMI FITZGERALD’S DAUGHTER)
4TH EMMA ROSEN- FIRST TIME COMPETITOR
5H KENNY ALEXANDER- MICHELLE PIER AND ROBBY’S SON, EVERY’S YOUNGER BROTHER
9-11 YRS OLD SHORTBOARD OPEN: BOYS
1ST ALFRED LEON GUERRERO- AJ IS HIS NICKNAME, PARENTS VANESSA AND ALFRED LEON GUERRERO, FIRST TIME COMPETITOR
2ND NOA MENDIOLA
3RD TAYLOR BRUCH- HARVEST STUDENT ( HEARING IMPAIRED CAN READ LIPS) FIRST TIME COMPETITOR
4TH JIO PARK- FRED’S STUDENT FROM KOREA, FIRST TIME COMPETITOR
9-11 YRS OLD SHORTBOARD OPEN: GIRLS
1ST PHILICITA RIVERA-REGINA RIVERA’S DAUGHTER, FIRST TIME COMPETITOR
2ND RYLEE PURCELL- CHEYNE & EJ PURCELL’S DAUGHTER, FIRST TIME COMPETITOR
3RD LIA PARK-FRED’S STUDENT, FIRST TIME COMPETITOR
12-14YRS OLD SHORTBOARD OPEN
1ST AUSTIA MENDIOLA- MIKE MENDIOLA & MICHELLE CEPEDA DAUGHTER, SURFED IN 2 MONSTER ENERGY COMPS AND 2 RICKS CLASSIC
2ND IRIE FITZGERALD-BRIAN AND TAMAMI FITZGERALD’S DAUGHTER, SURFED IN 1 MONSTER ENERGY AND 1 RICKS CLASSIC
3RD MINAMI CRAMER- JOHN AND YOSHI CRAMER’S DAUGHTER, SURFED IN 2 RICKS CLASSIC
4TH ANGELEA AGUILAR-GARY AND TINA AGUILAR DAUGHTER, SURFED IN THE PHILIPPINES LAST SUMMER CONTEST
OTHER PARTICIPANTS IN 12-14YRS OLD SHORTBOARD OPEN:
TYLEE SHEPERD
MAILE KLOPPENBERG
MAGGIE
YOUTH LONGBOARD
1ST NOA MENDIOLA
2ND IRIE FITZGERALD
3RD ANGEL LEA AGUILAR
4TH MINAMI CRAMER
5TH TYLEE SHEPERD: CHRIS AND ICHIE SHEPERD’S DAUGHTER
FEMALE LONGBOARD
1ST ANGEL LEA AGUILAR
2ND MAE MENDIOLA
3RD AUSTIA MENDIOLA
4TH IRIE FITZGERALD
FEMALE SHORTBOARD AND FUNBOARD
1ST IRIE FITZGERALD
2ND AUSTIA MENDIOLA
3RD MAE MENDIOLA
4TH MAILE KLOPPENBERG-MOTHER IS DELISA KLOPPENBERG, FRED’S STUDENT , FIRST TIME COMPETITOR
MALE LONGBOARD
1ST SHANE PIER
2ND JARED GOGUE
3RD KENNY PIER
4TH RICHMOND ARCIAGA
