Page 3 - MidWeek West - Nov 3, 2021

Aloha surfers and beachgoers,
Wow, what a turn- around. The North Shore surf has gone from being a bit un- dersized for this time of year to being oversized. It was a double whammy!
BY GARY KEWLEY
Halloween Brings Surf; Local Surfers Go To France
Indeed, the last two ex- tra-large north-northwest swells have reached warning level status — the first built on Halloween. For most surf- ers, 15-foot surf is a trick and, for a relative few, it’s a treat. Outer reefs were breaking for the first time this season and even Waimea showed up. Jaws, or Pe‘ahi, on Maui was much bigger. Check
The other cool thing is that even our southern shores are still getting swells from 5,000 miles away by New Zealand. These swells take about a week to get up here, but it’s worth the wait. Town surf is what the majority can ride without the fear of death or destruction; a typical epi- sode is 3 feet or about head high on the sets. It’s perfect for learning or for high-per- formance acrobatics from the pros.
O‘ahu’s Ezekiel “Zeke” Lau stands
atop the podium in Portugal. PHOTO COURTESY WSL / DAMIEN POULLENOT
Challenger Series (CS) just finished the third contest out of four in France. This new series allows the top surfers who didn’t do so well during
Hawai‘i talents Zeke Lau (O‘ahu) and rookie Gabriela Bryan (Kaua‘i) have been doing awesome in the CS, but each had an early exit in this third event. Still, they are both sitting in second place in the overall rankings — and they’ ve already done well enough to get into the
the new WCT format, there is only one more CS contest this year (normally there will be eight). Can you guess where? The fourth and final stop is in Hale‘iwa Nov. 26- Dec. 7. This is the last chance for surfers who fell out of the top two-thirds ranking to get back in. Lau and Bry- an love Ali‘i Beach Park, so their chances are good for a good result. Luckily, they both are already qualified for next year. The pressure’s off in that regard, so watch them rip Hale‘iwa — and their competitors — to shreds.
That’s a surf wrap for me. Thank you for sharing your time with me in Mid- Week’s West O‘ahu Voice.
surfnewsnetwork.com for the deeper stories.
the regular Championship Tour to have a chance to sneak back into the big contests where world titles are achieved. The Quicksil- ver and ROXY Pro France finished Oct. 23 and was won by Australian Connor O’Leary and Costa Rica’s Brisa Hennessy.
WCT next year.
Due to COVID-19 and
There are only two Ha- wai‘i men in the CS top 12, Lau and Imaikalani Devault, and just one in the women’s top six, Bry- an. So, lets hope for a stel- lar 2022 from our aspiring surfers. Maybe this time next year we’ ll have double or triple the number of tal- ents representing the Aloha State.
Speaking of pros, a new segment of the World Cham- pionship Tour called the
GQ, droppin’ in for you
gary@surfnewsnetwork.com
NOVEMBER 3, 2021 3
Let’s Make
YOUR HOLIDAYS
Better, Together
Personal Loan Special For up to 60 Months!
%APR* 3.90
Loan amounts from $1,000 to $25,000.
Automatic payment from a Hickam FCU deposit account required.
Rates as low as
YOU CAN JOIN! Membership open to all residents of Oahu.
Apply for a Hickam FCU loan from Oct. 1 - Dec. 31 and be entered for a chance to win a $1,000 Mastercard® gift card!
For details or to apply visit hickamfcu.org or call Loans at (808) 432-9888.
*Annual Percentage Rate (APR) disclosed for this special is the lowest rate available for up to a 60-month term. Automatic Payment through a Hickam FCU deposit account is required for this promotional rate. Our standard, non-promotional rates will apply without setting up repayment via Automatic Payments from a Hickam FCU deposit account. Higher rates may apply depending on loan term, member’s credit performance, and/or the cancellation of automatic payment. **Interest will accrue during the 60-day deferred payment period. First payment may be due up to 60 days from the date of loan disbursal and will be applied to the accrued interest before being applied to principal. For this Special, the minimum loan amount is $1,000. At 3.90% APR for a 24-month term with no payment due for the first 60 days, the monthly payment for a $1,000 loanwouldbe$43.52;orfora$25,000loanwouldbe$1087.98. At3.90%APRfora60-monthtermwithnopaymentdueforthefirst60days,themonthlypaymentfora$1,000loanwouldbe$18.43;orfora$25,000loanwouldbe$460.73.Maximumpersonalloanamountis$25,000. NorefinancingofexistingHickamFCUpersonalloansforthispromotionalrate.Otherratesandtermsavailable. ***Same-dayloandecisionsforcompletedapplicationsreceivedpriorto12:00p.m.MondaythruFridayduringHFCUbusinesshours.Loandecisionsforcompleted applications received after 12:00 p.m. or on Saturday, Sunday or holidays will be made on the next business day. All loans are subject to qualifications and approval. Certain terms and conditions apply. Rates are subject to change without notice. Hickam FCU membership required. Offer effective 10/1/2021 thru 12/31/2021.
Mastercard® and the circles design are registered trademarks of Mastercard International Incorporated.
No Payments For 60 Days** & Quick Loan Decisions***