Hawaiian South Shore February 2025 Newsletter

In this edition:

• 🏄‍♀️ World Tour Competitors Deal with a Rough Start to the Year
• 👥 Member of the Month: Che Pilago
• 📣 February Surfing Events
• 🤩 Meet The Board That Works for Everyone 
• 🤙 Simple Finger Exercises That Might Help Your Brain 
• 🌊 The Dark Art of Groveling: A Real Guide to Ripping in Garbage Waves 
• 💨 Harley Ingelby MID 6 Reviews
• ❤️ Riding Waves of Self-Love: How the Ocean Heals from the Inside Out 
  

 

🏄‍♀️ World Tour Competitors Deal with a Rough Start to the Year

Think back a month or so, to the end of December and first half of January. The waves were pumping here on Oahu. Waimea broke six days in a row, with the Eddie running in XXL conditions at the end of the run. The Pipe Masters ran in maxed out conditions, with guys like Koa Smith finding crazy barrels between Third Reef wash-throughs. And it didn’t stop there. The waves continued to pump into the New Year, with swell after swell lighting up the outer reefs, Sunset, and Pipe (where Da Hui Backdoor Shootout saw more big scores than ever before, with Team Japan winning the team event and Koa Rothman taking first overall).

It was an epic start to the winter, and one that had everyone rubbing their hands in delight at another three months of north swell fun. The World Surf League, in particular, was hoping that the pattern would continue and bless the Lexus Pipe Pro with another run of quality surf to kickstart the season.

The World Surf League needed a good start to the year, because it suffered a number of setbacks in the offseason. First, Kelly Slater failed to requalify—a fact that the league quietly avoided talking about, as it sucked a huge amount of star power out of the equation (despite Slater’s advanced age).

Then, John John Florence decided to take a year off from competition to focus on other projects (like jumping on brother Nate’s Slab Tour and getting barreled out of his mind). Next, Steph Gilmore decided to take a second year off, alongside Carissa Moore, who retired last year to focus on having a family. And then, right before the season kicked off, Gabriel Medina announced that he’d have to miss the first half dozen contests, due to an injury. 

For those who are counting, that’s five world champions with 30 world titles between them—basically all the main stars of the World Tour over the past few decades—taking the year off. Then, to add insult to injury, professional snowboarder and video contest innovator Travis Rice ran his first surf version of Natural Selection in pumping West Pacific barrels—and anyone who has seen any of the previous snow and dirt versions of Natural Selection knows that the package T. Rice is about to drop is going to make everything the World Surf League does look lame in comparison. 

The World Surf League needs a win—and everyone was hoping that Pipe would be it. Then the forecast fell apart. After months of big north swells hammering the coast in succession, we were suddenly looking at a bunch of weird, wonky north swells and funky wind. Anyone who knows anything about Pipeline knows it needs west swell. Once the swell goes straight north, it’s Backdoor or nothing—and not necessarily the epic Backdoor that we’ve seen guys like Slater and Florence dominate over the years. More like occasional floppy, imperfect barrels and a lot of awkward turns—and that’s if the wind isn’t completely onshore and blowing the wave out.

Unfortunately, that’s exactly what we’ve been looking at for the first eight days of the waiting period, in which only the first round and elimination round have been run, and only a handful of barrels have been made. This isn’t exactly the sort of waves the World Surf League was thinking about when the switched Pipe to the beginning of the tour schedule, rather than ending the year at the Pipe Masters in December. A few years ago, competitive surfing’s governing body opted for a new name, new place on the schedule, and new set of dates for the Pipe contest—and now here we are, in the first week of February, with only two days left in the waiting period and a ton of heats to run.

Fortunately for the World Surf League, the forecast appears to be shaping up for the last two days of the window, and they actually might eke out a decent contest after all.

February 7 is calling for a peak of 7 feet at 15 seconds of swell from the northwest and moderate east/east-southeast wind, which will hopefully equate to double overhead Pipe and Backdoor with good conditions. Then, on February 8 (the final day of the waiting period), dropping swell in the 4-foot at 12-second range with good wind should see the finals contested in slightly overhead peaks—not exactly classic Pipe, but not a complete disaster, either.

Regardless of how it shakes out, it hasn’t exactly been an auspicious start to the year—and things aren’t about to get any easier after the contest. Since we’ve had to wait until the end of the waiting period to finish the Pipe event, virtually all of the world tour competitors will be stuck on Oahu until February 9 or 10—which is February 10 or 11 in Dubai.

Why does this matter? Because the World Surf League has scheduled the second event of the year at the new Surf Ranch in Abu Dhabi—a questionable, multi-million-dollar investment that many people are scratching their heads at.

Yes, the original Surf Ranch in Lemoore has gotten a lot of publicity and business in the past 10 years—and yes, Abu Dhabi is one of the planet’s most luxurious, high-end cities, so it sort of makes sense that the world’s best wave pool would be built in the world’s most expensive city. However, the world tour event at the Surf Ranch has received a lot of criticism over the years, with most competitors grumbling quietly (if not complaining out loud) about having to compete there. The wave is hard to read, it is repetitive, and it requires a different contest format that is less forgiving to mistakes. It feels more like a snowboard contest than a surf contest, except for the fact that the wave ends up forcing competitors to do a lot of safety turns and chlorinated barrel rides instead of huge aerial maneuvers. 

Moving the tour’s bafflingly obligatory wave pool stop from Lemoore to Abu Dhabi hasn’t changed that dynamic at all—it has simply made it harder for competitors to travel to a novelty contest that they don’t like surfing in anyway. Most competitors will probably arrive sometime around February 12 or 13, and the contest starts the 14^th, which means virtually no time to acclimate and adjust to the time zone difference (it’s a full 10 hours different), let alone get some practice laps in on the new pool—which is reportedly a little different than the one in California. Add to that the fact that Abu Dhabi is notorious for its nightlife and distractions, and you have a formula for grumpy, sleep-deprived, hungover athletes who aren’t having fun competing—not exactly the dynamic the World Surf League wants for its big Abu Dhabi wave pool reveal party.

Of course, the world tour hasn’t exactly developed a reputation for keeping competitors’ anxiety levels down (in addition to Steph Gilmore and John John Florence, other former world champs who have taken sabbaticals for mental health and emotional recovery include Carissa Moore, Tyler Wright, Felipe Toledo, Gabriel Medina, and Kelly Slater—basically everyone who has won a world title over the past 20 years), so we can all imagine the stress these competitors are under in the best of conditions. Add a rough start to the year at Pipe, last-minute travel to the other side of the world, and a contest that no one likes in a pool not many people have surfed in, and you have a recipe for disaster.

That being said, these are the best surfers in the world, and in high-pressure situations, the cream always rises to the top. Whether it’s the tour of yesteryear that started the season with three back-to-back-to-back contests in Australia (how convenient!) or the 2025 edition, with two contests four days apart, in cities 8,600 miles away from each other, the world tour is supposed to test the world’s best competitive surfers—and that’s exactly what’s about to happen. 

Hopefully we will transition straight from an exciting finish to the Pipe Masters to a great forecast in Abu Dhabi (where it’s never anything except for head high perfection in the middle of the desert). At least the competitive season has finally started!

 

👥 February 2025 Member of the Month: Che Pilago

Growing up in Makaha with a lifeguard father, Che developed a deep connection to the ocean from an early age. This connection eventually led him to become a lifeguard himself in Kona, where he continues to share his love for the water with others.

Che's approach to surfing reflects his creative spirit and versatility. "Creativity is what I love most about surfing," he explains. "I longboard, shortboard, foil, bodysurf, and canoe surf. We regularly use my sip Squatch - just everything is fun in the surf."

This enthusiasm for all forms of wave riding shows in his equipment choices too. His recent purchase from Hawaiian South Shore was a TJ Pro Volcanic, which he says is "the best board I've ridden since I used to ride the Town and Country K Star in early 2000's." He pairs it with Kanoa Dahlin fin designs, using both 2+1 setups and single fins.

Beyond the waves, Che Pilago is a true renaissance man. He recently opened Kaeo Athletics gym in Kona, where he shares his extensive martial arts expertise as a black belt in both Makaha Kenpo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

As a Jiu-Jitsu world champion with multiple fight and submission championships, he now teaches Muay Thai, Jiu-Jitsu and self-defense. For 35 years, he's also been a respected tattoo artist, founding Kaeo Hawaii studio which he recently passed on to his daughter. The studio now boasts 12 artists and hosts annual community art events.

Q&A with Che:

When and why did you initially get into surfing? "Grew up in Makaha, dad was a lifeguard, I eventually became a lifeguard in Kona. Surfing is my favorite thing in the world, with sailing, diving, fishing, swimming a very close second."

Did you have a time period you laid off from surfing? "Never took time off."

What is your favorite thing about surfing? "Creativity. I longboard, shortboard, foil, bodysurf, canoe surf. We use my sip Squatch regularly - just everything is fun in the surf."

What product did you most recently purchase from us and why? "TJ Pro Volcanic. It's the best board I've ridden since I used to ride the Town and Country K Star in early 2000's."

What fins are you using with your new board? "Kanoa Dahlin fin designs. I have two plus one setups and single fins from them - the best!"

Have you used other fins in the past and how do these compare? - I have other fins you use and like but Kanoe’s fins works best for me 

Where is your favorite place to eat after surfing? What is your favorite item on the menu?- Matsuyama’s fried chicken and musubi’s 

What other hobbies do you have besides surfing? - I own Kaeo athletics gym in Kona , I’m a black belt Makaha Kenpo, and Black Belt Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ,teach Muay Thai, Jiu-Jitsu and self defense , jiu-Jitsu world champion , I have multiple fight and submission Championships from different organizations  

What type of work do you do? I started and owned Kaeo Hawaii studio , tattoo artist for 35 years , recently handed studio to my daughter who also tattoos and events, we have 12 artists and do annual Community art events.  Mahalo! -Che 

 

📣 February Surfing Events

Here are some exciting surfing events happening in February 2025:

1. Banzai Pipeline Pro: January 27 - February 8, Oahu, Hawaii
2. Surf Abu Dhabi Pro: February 14 - 16, Hudayriat Island, Abu Dhabi, UAE

These events are part of the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour and promise to showcase some incredible talent and thrilling performances.

🤩 Meet the Board That Works for Everyone

When veteran surfboard shaper Stu Kenson approached Firewire with his innovative "twinzer" design, he brought decades of expertise and a passion for creating versatile boards. His latest creation is making waves in the surfing community - a board that works beautifully for everyone from beginners to pros.

"You can truly say with this board, any ability can ride it," Stu explains. "You can put a new beginner surfer on it, or you can put Taylor Jensen on it, who throws it vertical." This exceptional versatility comes from Stu's careful attention to design details, from the special fin placement to the thoughtfully crafted rails and rocker.

What makes it special? Stu compares the board's innovative fin system to a sailboat: "Think about a sailboat with a jib and main sail - the jib's job is to put wind onto the main sail. We're doing the same thing with water flow on this board, which creates both drive and maneuverability."

"This board has no limits," says Stu. "You can ride it in stand-up barrel conditions, mushy junky high-tide surf, or anything in between." Pro surfer Taylor Jensen has been putting the board through its paces, demonstrating its high-performance potential with vertical turns that showcase its versatility.

Want to learn more? Read this blog to know more about the TJ Twinzer...

 

🤙 Simple Finger Exercises That Might Help Your Brain

The other day my wife sent me this Instagram post, and it got my attention. It showed these finger exercises where you curl your fingertips, hold for a few seconds, then open your palms with fingers up, and repeat. I've only been doing this for a few days before starting work, and it's surprisingly challenging. When you try to hold those curled finger positions, you can really feel the pressure in your hand - it's definitely not as easy as it looks.

 

The post mentioned how moving your fingertips stimulates the frontal lobe of your brain, which handles judgment and memory. It also pointed out how people who regularly use their fingers for activities like playing piano, knitting, or using chopsticks tend to have a lower risk of dementia. A 96-year-old grandmother apparently does these exercises every day.

The connection between finger movements and brain health is interesting - when you think about how many people maintain sharp minds while doing detailed hand work throughout their lives, it makes you wonder. Research from Oxford University has shown that precise finger movements do stimulate the areas of our brain responsible for memory and cognitive function.

I'm going to keep trying these exercises and see how it goes. It's a simple thing to try, and even if it just helps with finger flexibility, that's not a bad thing.

 

🌊 The Dark Art of Groveling: A Real Guide to Ripping in Garbage Waves

Here's the truth that no one wants to admit: 90% of your surfing life will be spent in mediocre waves. While the pros are jet-setting to perfect pointbreaks, you're staring at windblown closeouts and wondering if it's even worth paddling out. But here's the secret - learning to absolutely shred in bad waves is what separates good surfers from great ones.

The Modern Groveler Revolution

Forget everything you've heard about "fish" and "fun shapes." Today's small wave equipment is a quantum leap beyond the potato chips we rode five years ago. We're talking about highly engineered crafts that combine:

• Increased volume without the traditional groveler "bloat"
• Progressive rocker curves that maintain speed without sacrificing turn radius
• Complex bottom contours (think deep single to double concave with subtle vee)
• Refined rail profiles that allow you to still surf vertically

The magic lies in the details. Take the FireWire Seaside, which uses an innovative double-bump squash tail to maintain speed through flat sections while still allowing you to pivot in the pocket. Or the ...Lost RNF 96, which has radically reinvented what's possible in knee-high surf. Or Machadocado which is designed to excel in smaller, weaker wave conditions.

Advanced Small Wave Technique

Here's where most intermediate surfers get it wrong - they try to surf small waves like they're surfing good waves, just smaller. That's a recipe for frustration. Instead:

Speed Generation

• Position yourself higher and further back on the wave during takeoff
• Drive off your front foot through flat sections
• Use rail-to-rail transitions to maintain momentum (think S-turns, not straight-line pumping)
• Learn to "milk" the pocket without losing your drive

Turn Selection

• Focus on quick, snappy redirects rather than drawn-out carves
• Master the "hook" turn in the pocket
• Use floaters to get through flat sections
• Perfect your air reverse - it's often easier in small waves

Wave Selection

• Look for waves with even a hint of a corner
• Don't be afraid to ride "closeouts" that offer 2-3 quick turns
• Position yourself where the wave first starts to break, not where it's already broken

Equipment Fine-Tuning for Small Waves

Here's where you can really geek out:

Fin Setup

• Quad fins provide more drive and speed
• Use flatter, wider-based fins
• Experiment with larger front fins and smaller rears
• Consider running your fins looser than normal

Volume Distribution

The key is to find boards with:

• Fuller rails through the center
• Slightly pulled in nose and tail
• Volume carried forward of center
• Enough thickness to generate speed but not so much that you can't turn

The Mental Game

Let's be honest - surfing bad waves is frustrating. But here's how to stay motivated:

• Focus on specific maneuvers you want to perfect
• Film yourself - you're probably surfing better than you think
• Set achievable goals for each session
• Remember that Kelly Slater learned to surf in Florida slop

FAQ

Q: What's the ideal volume for a groveler? A: Add 15-20% to your standard shortboard volume. For a 150lb surfer riding a 26L shortboard, look for 30-31L in your groveler.

Q: When should I switch from a groveler to a longboard? A: When waves are under knee-high or you're more interested in trim and glide than turns.

Q: What's the biggest mistake people make with grovelers? A: Trying to surf them like traditional shortboards. These boards are designed to be surfed differently - embrace their unique characteristics.

The Bottom Line

Bad waves are your laboratory - they're where you perfect your technique, dial in your equipment, and develop the foundation that will make you lethal when it's good. Stop complaining about conditions and start seeing them as opportunities.

 

💨 Harley Ingleby MID 6 Reviews

Jerome, 66, shares his experience with the Mid6 7'6" (47.9L) by Thunderbolt. At 5'9" and 180 lbs. , he's been riding it for about 2 years in various conditions. Jerome prefers a thruster setup with Carver fins, finding the board naturally fast and smooth. As his first Thunderbolt, he appreciates its comfortable feel compared to other epoxy boards and its easy paddling. Jerome emphasizes the board's glide and flow, perfect for his style at 66, prioritizing controlled speed over aggressive maneuvers. He's now considering the similar G6 9'0" version.

 

 

John Kim is working with an awesome organization Vision Learn that helps kids with FREE eyeglasses in partnership with Project Vision Hawaii.

It's been great work and he loves surfing in Hawaii whenever he is here, he rides the Harley MID 6 with Endorfins twin fins as a quad. John is 5'4" 170lbs.

 

 

❤️ Riding Waves of Self-Love: How the Ocean Heals from the Inside Out

Self-love is about finding those moments that truly connect you with yourself, and for surfers, that magic happens between the waves.

The Mindful Art of Surfing

Every time you paddle out, you're doing more than catching waves. You're engaging in a powerful form of moving meditation that most people spend years trying to achieve in yoga studios or meditation apps. The ocean doesn't care about your to-do list, your work stress, or your inner critic. Out here, you're stripped down to your most authentic self.

Mental Reset: More Than Just Exercise

• Reduces stress hormones by up to 30%
• Creates a natural "flow state" that quiets mental chatter
• Provides a daily reset button for your nervous system

Physical Transformation: Your Body's Love Language

Surfing doesn't just change how you look—it transforms how you feel in your own skin. Unlike gym workouts that feel like a chore, catching waves is pure joy that happens to be incredibly good for you.

Full-Body Benefits:

• Builds functional strength across multiple muscle groups
• Improves cardiovascular health naturally
• Boosts vitamin D and immune function
• Enhances flexibility and balance

The Emotional Depth of Wave Riding

Here's something most people don't understand: surfing is emotional alchemy. Each wave is a conversation with yourself—about fear, courage, patience, and resilience.

Emotional Growth Revelations:

• Builds genuine confidence through real-world challenges
• Creates a supportive community of like-minded individuals
• Teaches you to read energy (in waves and in life)
• Provides a healthy outlet for processing complex emotions

Self-Care, Surf Style: Our Valentine's Offer

This month, we're celebrating the ultimate relationship—the one with yourself. Our Valentine's Sale isn't about chocolates; it's about gear that supports your journey:

Special Offers 20% Off:

• Real Sun Cover Sunscreen 
• Hawaiian South Shore Tees 
• Hawaiian South Shore RashGuards 

USE CODE: V20

The Real Love Story

Surfing teaches us that self-love isn't a destination—it's a daily practice. Some days you'll ride perfect waves, other days you'll get tumbled. But you keep showing up, keep paddling, keep believing in yourself.

This Valentine's season, fall in love with the most important person in your life: YOU❤️