Page 3 - MidWeek Windward - Sep 8 2021

A loha surfers and beachgoers! Wel- come to Septem- ber’s second surf installment. It’s hard to believe that the meteorological summer of 2021 has just passed. The me- teorological summer is June, July and August, however, for those who thought the first day falls on the summer solstice — June 21 — you’d also be correct, astronomical- ly speaking. Our astronomical summer starts and ends a few
BY GARY KEWLEY
Almost-endless Summer; Groms Compete Virtually
Hiwalei Young carves into first place in the T&C Grom Contest’s shortboard
weeks later (Sept. 22).
The reason for the differ-
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The iconic T&C Grom Contest was held recently and, unsurprisingly, it was a
All of the event proceeds benefited nonprofit partner Boys & Girls Clubs of Ha- waiʻi.
And, thank you for sharing your time and stoke with me here in MidWeek’s Windward Oʻahu Voice.
ence? Meteorological seasons are based on annual tempera- ture cycles, while our astro-
Lastly, T&C was founded in 1971. Do the math and be impressed. Anyone who can create half a century of
GQ, droppin’ in 4 U!
nomical seasons are based on the position of Earth relative to the sun.
virtual event. Normally, it’s held in jam-packed Waikīkī and brimming with talent, en- ergy and aloha. The T&C Surf ʻohana (and the competitors) changed course like a pro surfer as the pandemic wave required. They courageously reset their rail and turned this event into a success.
In the end, our youth were able to have fun, challenge each other and learn to live the best version of them- selves. They won prizes ga- lore, too!
So, there’s no surf-o-logi- cal season with start and end dates — just patterns. It’s always a bit more nuanced when Mother Nature and the ocean call the shots.
There were 232 contes- tants (boys and girls in short- and longboard, plus body- board divisions) from around the state who submitted their footage over eight weeks from throughout June and July. Clips were judged and scored based on the Hawaiʻi Surfing Association criteria.
division. PHOTO COURTESY T&C SURF to make this happen!”
success is simply legendary. Congrats!
SEPTEMBER 8, 2021 3
However, the southern swells of summer usually don’t stop until late October. Check snnhawaii.com for proof.
T&C founder Craig Sugi- hara says, “Though we were unable to hold the event in person, I am stoked that we were able to continue to share surfing with the youth of Ha- waiʻi and encourage healthy activity during the pandem- ic. The ocean is the source of so much positive energy and it shows through in the smiles and laughter on the beach and in the lineup. I am glad our crew found a creative format
gary@surfnewsnetwork.com