Bethany Hamilton and Kenji Nonka, both hit by
Tigers in eerily similar circumstances and 21 years, almost to the
day, apart.
Maui surfer Kenji Nonka’s leg “severed at
the knee” in shark attack, “I heard him screaming!”
By Derek Rielly
"I call October Sharktober, especially out here in
Hawaii as a surfer."
On a day when a Maui surfer was busy schlepping
“Sharkbanz” on Instagram and referring to her arm, which was
mutilated by a Tiger shark when she was fourteen as
“Stumpy” another surfer is in hospital in a critical
condition after being hit by a Tiger shark at popular surf spot,
Sandpiles.
Kenji Nonka, a well put-together sixty one year old who surfs
every morning, usually at dawn, was hit just before seven am.
By the time Maui police, firefighters and first responders
arrived at the scene, Kenji was on the beach, one leg completely
severed just below the knee.
He was taken to Maui Memorial Medical in critical condition
although he ain’t on death’s door at least according to a friend
who said he’s pretty keen to get back in the drink, although he
realises it’ll be as a boogie boarder.
In an eerie coincidence, it was twenty one years, almost to the
very day, since Bethany Hamilton was hit by a Tiger shark.
“October 31st is Stumpy’s birthday,” said Bethany. “It’s the day
I lost my arm. And I call October Sharktober, especially out here
in Hawaii as a surfer. Sharks are just way more active and it’s
known that they’re migrating and getting ready to give birth. And
Tiger sharks in particular are migrating and getting ready to give
birth. And Tiger sharks in particular are coming closer to shore,
so we tend to see them more or there tends to be more activity. But
at the end of the day, the chances of you having an incident with a
shark are very low.”
Breaking: World Surf League admits to lying
about surf history so it can make better headlines
By Chas Smith
Bald-faced.
The champagne on Caitlin Simmers’ World Surf
League Championship Tour trophy is now thoroughly dried though the
memories of the young Oceanside local ripping through the field
still feel fresh. Simmers, 18, came into the 2024 season like a
roar after opting to sit 2023 out. An opening victory at Pipeline
set the stage for a Lower Trestles ending wherein she hoisted the
cup high above her head. The World Surf League quick to anoint her
“youngest ever champ.”
Except.
She wasn’t.
Longboard champion Joel Tudor took to social media, almost
immediately, to set the record straight, penning, “Youngest female
world champion in history! 15 yr old Margo Oberg! Winning her first
world title in 1968 at domes in Puerto Rico on a Mike Doyle shaped
mini model …Margo would go on to win 4 more world titles that
spanned from the longboard era into shortboarding making her the
3rd most winning lady champ behind Layne Beachley’s 7 and Steph
Gilmore’s 8. Respect to fullness and hope to put some respect on
your name and accomplishments! So lame the media today doesn’t do
some homework before spitting info that’s not correct.”
The “global home of surfing” remained silent and maybe just an
innocent mistake? Maybe not counting the primordial professional
surfing stew as “official?”
Well.
Another youngest world champion happened to be working for the
World Surf League at the time. One Rachael Tilly won the
longboarding tour, then part of the Association of Surfing
Professionals which morphed directly into the World Surf League, at
17, after making it her goal to be youngest champ ever when she was
11. Tilly took the issue directly to the League itself and was
informed they did not care. That promoting Simmers as youngest ever
made for better headlines and no correction or change would be
forthcoming.
A wild bit of bald-faced nonsense that goes above and
beyond.
This piece of news, which was shared to me by David Lee Scales
in our twice weekly chat, took me aback. It’s one thing to be
sloppy and silly, quite another to be purposefully deceitful in
order to manipulate. His interview with Tilly will be published
next week but in the meantime do you have thoughts on the World
Surf League’s abject duplicity? Does it take you aback too?
David Lee and I also discussed shamed former CEO Erik Logan
being a comedian and the life and death of Westerly Windina on
today’s Grit.
Well worth a listen.
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Surf great Kelly Slater cruelly dismisses
preeminent surf thinker Sam George as a nobody
By Chas Smith
"Who made this list?"
The surf world shifted on its axis, yesterday,
after Kelly Slater, the world’s greatest competitive surfer, raked
Sam George, the world’s most important surf thinker, with a vicious
online takedown. At issue, the “10 most influential surf
spots on the planet” as decreed by the aforementioned
George and published upon The Inertia, the world’s most “definitive
voice of surfing and the outdoors.”
After dismissing Slater’s Abu Dhabi facility as irrelevant,
George declared, “There is a quantifiable list of global surf spots
that over the decades have significantly affected the direction of
the sport. Perhaps not the most ‘perfect’ waves, or hollowest, or
prettiest or most famous. But based on any reasonable standard,
certainly the most influential.”
The list.
10) Sebastian Inlet
9) North Narrabeen
8) Killers (Todos Santos)
7) Ala Moana
6) Peahi
5) Cape St. Frank
4) Malibu
3) Honolua Bay
2) Steamer Lane
1) Waikiki
Taking to Instagram, Slater responded in the cruelest, most
dismissive way possible, simply writing, “Who made this list?”
Sam George certainly unable to hold the damn back on bitter
tears. Not only was his eminence questioned, but his whole person
apparently unknown.
Slater wasn’t alone in the demolition of the monument the
self-appointed guru has made to himself. Conner Coffin chimed,
“Bell’s Beach ! Snapper rocks!? Lowers!? Pipeline!? Random ass
list!” Kolohe Andino added, “Whoever made this list should be
fired. No pipeline?No lowers?!Hahahahhahahahahahahahhaha” Kelly
Slater came back for seconds, filling out his initial eye poke with
“I think a case could be made for that as it helped foster multiple
world champions. Most people are probably caught up on what is best
today but historically places like Ulu, J Bay, Pipeline, even
Huntington played various influential roles in surfing. You’d
likely have to have some yardstick as to why or how they did but
Waimea would be there. Maybe even Bell’s as far as competition and
history. But there are some glaring omissions and strange choices
here IMO.”
Sam “Strange Choices” George.
Wellness check on him, please.
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Chas Smith and Laird Hamilton at the Hamilton
Malibu compound and, inset, a surf god with a I Hate Surfing
trucker's mug. Ships internationally etc.
Laird Hamilton interview: from supermodel
and movie star to grand wizard of surfing!
By Chas Smith
"I find truth is in the ocean and the lies are on
land!"
Let us speak frankly without adornment or ado.
Laird Hamilton is the god of surfing.
Some few miles north of First Point, and high into the hills,
the Hamilton Pantheon has booming 280 degree Ocean Pacific views
and is fronted by an oversized swimming pool where demigods like
Rick Rubin and Spiderman Andrew
Garfield wander wet.
Laird Hamilton was standing near the driveway when I pushed
through the gate, extended a hand and gave me a firm “aloha.” His
eyes, a sort of yellow/green that I had never seen on a human
before, unwavering. I was instructed to get in my Ola Canvas
trunks then get into the sauna because warming the body before
working out in a cold pool is part of the program.
I had once publicly opined that I could smash Laird in a
sauna-off, though after minute five I felt it would be more
herculean a task then thought. It was a traditional steam sauna,
not the new-fangled infrared sort, and hot. Sweat began pouring as
Laird held court on a wide range of topics, from military
philosophy to the importance of foundations.
Those inside, including an acclaimed Brazilian jiu-jitsu
instructor and my pal Brendan, nodded along, adding dribs and drabs
where appropriate, but mostly nodding along.
When Laird said it was time to get out and begin, after some
thirty minutes, I followed.
Laird told me to get a snorkel mask. He told Brendan to get one
too. Many dumbbells lined the pool. He selected two, 25 lbs each,
and marched us to the deep end of the pool where we were instructed
to get in and swim to the other side then back holding our breath.
The water was clean and cold, containing zero chemicals or cleaners
as I would later learn.
After our breath-holding swim, he demonstrated our next
exercise, dropping to the bottom of the pool, 11 feet deep, with
the weight, switching hands then pushing to the surface. After that
we swam across the pool again, holding breath, this time holding
the weight. On the third trip, I came up huffing and made some
comment about my generally unhealthy lifestyle.
Laird just said, “There are no excuses.”
Another sauna session followed and this time we were joined by
Laird’s wife Gabby. She is even more fierce than him, towering
above and commanding more than equal attention. Amphitrite. The
sauna conversation flowed, this time, to parenting, life in New
York and Southern Methodist University.
There was absolutely no barrier, no arms-length or
better-not-say-this-because-an-ill-suited-surf-journalist-is-sweating-on-the-bench.
They dwell far above petty human concerns. Gossip and slander are
only able to hurt mere mortals and I was warmed by their candor and
by the steam.
Laird said that every son wants to take his father, the king’s,
throne and every daughter her queen’s. Gabby shot him a wild side
eye and responded, “They can have it,” though I can’t imagine
anyone, not even the children of deities, being able to usurp.
Laird and Gabby have three daughters, the oldest a senior in
high school.
Laird left the sauna, again, after thirty minutes, and I
followed thus officially beating him in the sauna-off by seconds.
This time, back in the pool, we did jumping jacks in the deeper end
with weights. Laird said part of the deal is to prepare the body
for a wipeout at Jaws.
“Anyone can hold their breath for five minutes in the right
conditions,” he declared, “but it becomes much more difficult under
duress.” I doubt I will ever surf Jaws. I also doubt that I could
hold my breath for five minutes in the right conditions. I also
make excuses.
The training could have continued, Laird Hamilton seemed to be
in zero hurry, but I felt it important to get the interview
recorded in case I died. We followed Gabby inside where she made
mugs of Laird Coffee with Laird Creamer for Brendan and Milo, who
was running the camera. I told her Brendan invested in Laird
Superfood. She apologized needlessly though graciously.
There was no push out the door when it all ended, no looking at
wristwatch anxiously. Laird made me a hydrating water and we talked
some more in the kitchen before I excused myself and drove back
down Mount Malibu, back to where common folk fight about dumb
stuff, with a genuine appreciation of Laird Hamilton. He, at once,
cares extremely much and not at all.
China's surf future (pictured) in Switzerland. Photo:
Oliver Stagier
China hemorrhaging surf Olympians to
Switzerland in wake of draconian anti-surf laws
By Chas Smith
"Even Switzerland is building a national team. Why?
Because surfing is now an Olympic sport.”
It was only a matter of time before China
entered the scene as a potential surfing superpower. The proud
nation of over 1.4 billion has been on an absolute tear since
Chairman Mao Zedong transformed it from a imperialist playground
into a workers’ paradise some seventy-five odd years ago. China has
mastered copyright infringement, manufacturing and, of course,
sport, tying the United States for gold medal totals at the
recently-wrapped Paris Olympiad.
Most those baubles were, of course were in shooting, diving and
table tennis but for the first time in history, a Chinese surfer
paddled out into the brine, competing for the five-star red.
Yes, Siqi Yang captured hearts worldwide, JP Currie writing in
preview, “And then there’s sheer disbelief in the case
of China’s Yang Siqi, the girl raised in landlocked China, just
fifteen years old, who only saw the sea for the first time six
years ago. Now, she will be cast into Teahupo’o’s maw.”
Yang proved herself brave and true, fearless and the potential
dawn of a brave new surfing world ruled by the east. Alas,
draconian anti-surfing laws in Hong Kong might end the dream before
it begins with landlocked Switzerland reaping the rewards.
Little Mahohi Nguyen Tang, 10, and something of a surfing
prodigy dreams of being a professional surfer and, of course, a
surf Olympian though is not allowed to train at Big Wave Bay. Thus
his parents, both Swiss citizens, are taking the boy to “Europe’s
Playground” in order to get him the necessary wave time.
“His level has exploded since surfing there. The Swiss national
team also trains there, and he was spotted by one of the coaches,”
his father, withholding name, shared with the South China Morning
Post. “Even Switzerland is building a national team.
Why? Because surfing is now an Olympic sport.”
Local lawmaker Adrian Pedro Ho King-Hong declared it was sad to
see Hong Kong, and China, lose a potential star, and he was
“puzzled” by the government’s approach to the sport. “Hong Kong has
always been strong when it comes to oceanic sports, our first
Olympic gold was in windsurfing. The lack of support regarding this
particular sport [surfing] is puzzling, to say the least.”
He declared that he will fight for easing restrictions while
Nguyen Tang’s father opined, “Absolutely [we would consider
representing Hong Kong], we would be so proud, and I think Hong
Kong people would be proud [but] I don’t even think there is a
national Hong Kong surfing team.”
Much work to be done before LA ’28.
Reconstitute those Slater-Bundchen candles, please.
