The Doheny Longboard Surfing Association (DLSA) annual Menehune Surf Contest took to the waters of Doheny over this past weekend for the 20th time!! And, more importantly, conditions were EPIC!
The Menehune contest runs as a one-day event for kids 17 and under, which, being that it’s loaded with up and coming talent, makes it really fun to watch. Aside from the usual age brackets you would find at any event, the DLSA contest features the very popular, and not to be missed “Push In” division for kids under the age of 8! Nothing in surfing is cuter then seeing a 4-year-old being heaved into a double overhead bomb by a parent or friend. :) Each and every competitor all day made it look like a breeze to longboard/shortboard in solid 4- to 6-foot waves. The kids were champs!
The Hobie Shop Team was solidly represented at the event. Of our 12-member team, 9 of them were in the mix. Missing only The Rose Brothers, Keaton and Zeke, who were in Yosemite at a family reunion, and Ricky Fodor who was shredding in Mexico, the rest were on the water. Jameson Roller, Ethan Mudge, The Stokes Girls – Cate, Liv & Claire, Blue Engelking, Barrett Miller, and The McClungs –Malcom & Koa made a day of tearing it up in the pumping surf.
One of the challenges of the day was corralling Team Hobie before their heats. It’s impossible to stay focused on a contest when the surf is almost as good as it ever gets for Doheny! Most of the day they spent catching the bigs on the outside reef, which only breaks on the biggest of days. (The contest zone was at The Boneyard, which was much smaller and more friendly for heats.)
In other words, it was easy to get them into the water, and tough to get them out and back into contest mode. Once in their heats, they all rose to the occasion! Almost all of the Shop Team came home with ample hardware for the effort! Pretty sweet deal to take home a trophy or two for goofing around in the waves with your friends! Right?
What more is there to say? The waves were all time, the kids were all time, and the good vibes were present throughout the day!! We think DLSA President, Mark Gale, sums up the Menehune quite nicely, “This event is all about enjoying the beach, friends & family while having fun in the surf. We hope these kids will fondly remember their time spent at Doheny with their fellow surfers and families for years to come.” Done!
