Hawaiian South Shore March 2021 Newsletter

NEWSLETTER MARCH 2021

 

Cargo Slowed Due to COVID-19 at Los Angeles Port - Expect Shipping Delays

As if COVID-19 hasn’t affected life enough already over the past year, the latest news out of Los Angeles is that there is a huge backlog of cargo ships stuck offshore. Nearly 700 stevedores are either sick or out of work due to COVID-19 infections and quarantines, so there simply aren’t enough people to process all of the cargo ships that come into the port. On top of that, everyone stuck at home during COVID-19 this year has been ordering things to help keep themselves occupied (including surfboards!), so more ships and more cargo are coming into the port than normal. The Los Angeles Port normally handles 10-20 ships per day, but lately they have been receiving upwards of 30!

This influx of cargo and lack of employees to process it has created a huge maritime traffic jam and huge amounts of cargo that is not getting unloaded and shipped to retailers, with dozens of ships stuck off shore in line, waiting to come into the port and unload. In mid-February, there were ships that had been waiting over two weeks to get unloaded! Obviously this is wreaking havoc with the retail market, with virtually every industry seeing shortages in stock. Even our shop has been getting hit by the slowdown. We have a number of surfboard orders that have been stuck on cargo ships for weeks, just waiting to get unloaded so they can get forwarded here to Hawaii and to our customers.

Hopefully we will be through this COVID-19 crisis soon—both so that we can all get back to normal life without worrying about loved ones dying, and so that we here at Hawaiian South Shore can get new boards into the hands of our customers! In the meantime, please join us in being patient. The stoke is coming soon!

 

 

…Lost’s C4 Board Construction

Along with a wide variety of fun, creative shapes, Matt Biolos and the team at …Lost have revolutionized the surfboard industry with their C4 construction process. C4 boards are built with sustainably harvested cork that adds extra strength and dampens wind chatter and high-speed vibrations, yet maintains the lightweight feel of a modern shortboard. These composite boards use a 1.5-pound EPS foam core wrapped with the harvested cork and layers of fiberglass, adding tensile strength to the deck without creating the flicky feel that a lot of epoxy boards suffer from. The best part is that cork is harvested from live trees that are not chopped down, so it’s a fully green, sustainable material.

C4 construction is available on a number of …Lost models, including the RNF and the Sabotaj. We have stocked numerous …Lost models in C4 construction here at Hawaiian South Shore, and have had a number of regular customers test them out. A few guys in the solid 200-pound range have been riding C4 boards for years and hardly put a pressure ding in their decks, which just goes to show how strong these boards are.

 

The Firewire Omni

Double-enders have always been a weird little niche in the world of surfboard shapes—almost snowboardish in design, with noses and tails that are difficult to differentiate between. Tomo loves unique, innovative designs, so it’s no surprise that he’d come up with his own version of a double-ender. What is surprising, however, in our world of cookie-cutter shortboards, is how popular the Omni has become. Ever since Slater tore the Surf Ranch apart on the disc-shaped board during the WSL’s test event, the Omni has been a solid staple of the Firewire/Slater Designs quiver.

The Omni features a rounded tail and a similarly rounded nose, doing away with volume up front to reduce swing weight and tighten the board’s turn radius. Featuring Tomo’s patented quad inside single concave bottom contour, the Omni is built with Linear Flex Technology and features five fin boxes so you have the option to ride it is as quad or a thruster.

The foam under the chest helps the board paddle well, while the draw-in round tail provides control in anything from head high beach breaks to maxing reefs. Whether you ride it a few inches shorter than your height and put the board through its paces or get a big one and ride it as a mid-length, the Omni is easy to ride and puts the fun back in surfing.

 

 

Keiko’s Corner: Veggie and Meat Stew

A lot of Keiko’s dishes are exciting because they are exotic and culturally influenced, but others are amazingly just because they are delicious, even though they are pretty simple. The veggie and meat stew that Keiko makes keeps me warm on colder winter days and when I am feeling a bit under the weather, but is also great on just about any night of the week. I like to eat it with rice and salad, and it’s even better the day after its cooked.

The stew is pretty simple to prepare. Keiko takes cabbage, carrot, garlic, onion, celery and either sausage or ham, and dices them all up into 1/4-inch chunks, then adds them to the pan. She sautés them until the onion starts to turn clear, then adds kidney beans and one serving of chicken bullion. Then she fills the pan up with water and adds a bit of pepper, and that’s it! There’s no need for additional salt, as the meat and bullion provide enough.

 

Once the ingredients are all in, she puts the temperature on medium-low and

simmers the stew for around two hours. And that’s it! The easiest stew to make, but so delicious, and definitely a comfort food. Anytime I am feeling the need for some nurturing, I grab a bowl of this stew and I immediately feel better. Try it out!

 

 

 

 

 

 MEMBER OF THE MONTH: RANDY KOMAI

When and why did you initially get into surfing?

I grew up ocean front on kaneohe bay so fishing, diving, and any water sports is what we did. When I was 10 years old or so we'd go to kalamas and bellows and hangout all weekend. Soon we were surfing outside K-bay at various spots and all over the island, it was addicting.

Did you have a time period you laid off from surfing?  If so, when and why did you start back up?

Yeah in my mid 20's to early 30's all I wanted to do was deep sea fish. 

When and why did you start back up? 

Started back up in my mid 30's mainly because deep sea fishing was very time consuming and I wanted to be with the family. So I sold my boat and slowly got back into surfing because I could get in the ocean and be home early to hang with my family.

What is your favorite thing about surfing?

Primarily it's just a feeling that only a surfer knows. Riding a wave is so cool, I remember that feeling I had when I was kid and got hooked from then on. In addition, now that I’m older just being outdoors, being active, and getting exercise is very important. And lastly it’s all the friendships and comradery that has developed over the years. Fun bunch of people!

Where is your favorite place to eat after surfing? What is your favorite item on the menu?

At home... because I usually dawn patrol and once I get home I make a mean breakfast. My family loves that on the weekends 

What other hobbies do you have besides surfing? Fishing, love taking my dog Ehu down to various spots in Kailua and fish for Oio and whatever else bites. Also, because kids are off to college and doing their own thing I have a lot more free time.  So during the COVID shutdown I got my 18' Boston Whaler Outrage back in the water and plan to do more fishing, yessah!. 

What type of work do you do? District Sales Manager for NAPA Hawaii. I primarily take care of all the commercial wholesale business for the company owned stores

Tell us about the board(s) you recently purchased from us. What model and size is it, and how do you like its performance?

5' 8" JS black baron. This board is a favorite of mine. It’s easy to surf and just

goes, highly highly recommend it for up to head high. Also just picked up a 5'8” JS Bullseye. Another great board. And most recently I got a 5’8” Firewire Dominator 2, I only used it a few times but so far so good. Oh I almost forgot to mention the 7’2” Harley Ingelby MOE. I don’t want to lug around a longboard and this one fits the bill when it’s too small to shortboard.

Do you have any additional comments?

Bradda Dave and the crew at Hawaiian south shore are good people! They are very helpful and have everything you need for surfing! Go check um out if you haven't yet!

 

 Customer Reviews

Taylor Jensen Fins

Just put the TJ 4” sides and 7” center on the TJ pro, works like a dream. Stoked about how it holds on the nose while carving like an SB for real. Carves like a board 3’ shorter than it is.

Review By: @THUNDA_STRUCK - January 25,2021

 

 

 

 

MAYHEM UBER-DRIVER 5’ 8” Short Board

It is amazing I would recommend this bird or any bird from them not just the MAYHEM surfboard brand! Mahalo to Brett and the Hawaiian South Shore Ohana!!!

Review By: Kainoa Jimenez - January 26, 2021

 

 

 

Lost Driver 2.0 Light Speed

Great step up board for the country. I can catch waves easy and the board has a lot of drive. Great performance board - feels thin on rails and perfect dims for good waves. The squash loosens it up for smaller waves too.

The Light speed construction makes the board responsive. Some other epoxy boards feels too light sometimes, but the light speed construction is a perfect combo of weight and responsiveness.

Review By: Clyde Matsusaka - January  26, 2021

 

SCI-FI 2.0

Recently purchased the Sci-Fi 2.0 and the hype is real! Such a well-round board. I decided to go up in volume with this board from what I normally ride and I’m so glad I did. Brett and his team are always good to converse with when I stop in its always a pleasure. Much appreciated!

Review By: Jon Brooks - February 3, 2021

 

 

Dominator 2.0 6'6 V45

 

The Board works really well especially on bigger waves. Mahalos for Hooking me up Aloha!

Review By: Jonny White- February 6, 2021

 

 

 

 

 

Everyday Parking: Makai Side Weekend Parking: Mauka Side