If you didn’t immediately recognize them from the magazines or large posters on the walls of local surf stores, you would hardly guess the Doherty girls to be anything but happy young blond girls passing by in the grocery store or sitting at the adjacent table in the restaurant. But Lani and Kulia Doherty are active members of a new generation of female athletes. And they … [Read more...] about ‘Surfing Like a Girl’
‘Magic Boards’
In the upcoming issue of Freesurf Magazine, featured among a host of well-known and established boards will be a fish from the Wailuku-based Grass Roots Surf Company. At a time in the surf industry when so much emphasis is placed on big brand names and which shaper you are riding, Grass Roots is different. They’re a new company, blending old style with contemporary … [Read more...] about ‘Magic Boards’
The Shaper
Bob “Ole” Olsen was in the middle of a card game with some friends at Launiupoko Beach Park when I showed up to interview him. There were many people surrounding him, but he patiently and helpfully answered my questions. He was dressed casually, like a lot of people that day, in surf shorts and a T-shirt from the long board contest that bears his name. It was Aug. 13, the … [Read more...] about The Shaper
Steve Cooney Lives
Steve Cooney was a longtime friend and inspiration to many a Ho’okipa ripper. He died in a car accident in the fall of 2004 at the age of 30, and today you don’t have to drive far on Maui’s North Shore to see “Cooney” stickers stuck on all sorts of vehicles. His style of surfing demanded attention and his friendly nature made him friends everywhere he went. “After … [Read more...] about Steve Cooney Lives