Fujimoto claims first win, two perfect scores highlight 31st Pohai Na Keiki Nalu

A record 277 young surfers competed at the 31st annual Pohai Na Keiki Nalu on Saturday at Launiupoko Beach Park, where Kodo Fujimoto delivered the highest-scoring performance in all finals to claim the boys 12–13 shortboard title.

Fujimoto, a seventh-grader from Haʻikū, upset defending champion Kona Yamada with a dramatic last-minute wave. “I didn’t expect to win, so winning was kind of like a shock,” he said. “I was super excited and super happy.”

Yamada was in control of that heat until Fujimoto caught an overhead wave before the 15-minute time limit expired. “I saw that wave coming, and it looked like a super nice wall, smooth wave,” Fujimoto said. “I popped up, and I just saw this big section right in front of me. So I was like, ‘I have to go for it and risk it.’ So I hit it and I landed it barely. I was like, ‘okay good.’ So I did a cut back and hit the end section, and I was like, super happy.”

Judges rewarded Fujimoto’s three-turn aggressive combination with a 9.3, pushing him ahead of Yamada and third-place finisher Kai McCluskey.

The youth surfing contest included 14 divisions ranging from shortboard and longboard to bodyboard. The young competitors enjoyed near-perfect conditions at Launiupoko, which produced two perfect scores in the 5-6 year-old shortboard divisions. Bandit Udell in the boys, and Liv Moody in the girls, each had 10s in their preliminary heats.

Peata Lee-Hubin, a sixth-grader-to-be from Kīhei, won the girls 11-12 shortboard. It was also her first contest win. “This is my first win out of all my surfing history,” Lee-Hubin said. “It was really fun and very tough.”

Her special strategy was to watch her father. “I look at my dad and make sure that I know where I’m going. He shows me signs like go out left, right, or come in or if there is a wave out the back.”

Jack Moody, a third-grader from Waialua on Oʻahu’s north shore, won the biggest division, the boys 7-8 shortboard with 33 competitors.

Moody enjoyed the Launiupoko atmosphere. “I just like how it’s fun to surf here and all these people are cheering you on,” Moody said. “It’s a fun wave, like it’s soft, and it’s kind of easy to turn, but hard to paddle, and it makes you work out there.”

Kaniela Miranda, an eighth-grader-to-be from Kula, showed smooth longboarding style as he repeated as boys longboard 11-12 champion. He immediately dedicated his win to his cousin, Keoni Perkins, who passed away unexpectedly three days earlier.

Miranda felt the pressure of being the defending champion. “That final heat was kind of stressful for me because I saw so much other people doing really good (in my heat),” Miranda said. “So I just pushed myself as hard as I could so I can be like in at least the top two, but I got first. So now I’m just like, yay!”

Avery Stelow, of Haʻikū, also repeated as girls 9-10 shortboard champion. The other winners included; Bandit Udell (boys 5-6 shortboard), Eve Jordan (girls 5-6 shortboard), Maya Andrade (girls 7-8 shortboard), Rocco Swift (boys 9-10 shortboard), Axel Goya (boys 7-9 longboard), Millie Colpas (girls 7-9 longboard), Gracie Sarno (girls 11-12 longboard), Carver Masserman (bodyboard 7-9) and Kalli Sprenger (bodyboard 11-12).

Full Results

Boys Shortboard

5–6 years

1. Bandit Udell 16.87
2. Eli Ching 13.57
3. Gordon Grier 12.27
4. Aero Mason 11.67
5. Jeremiah Skousen 10.50
6. Ocean Patao 10.50

7–8 years

1. Jack Moody 12.67
2. Felix Swift 9.33
3. Silas DiBiasi 9.07
4. Xavier Young 8.83
5. Kupuohi Fong 7.40
6. Benson Jordan 2.67

9–10 years

1. Rocco Swift 13.92
2. Axel Goya 11.84
3. Aukan Messera 10.90
4. Bryce Martins 10.84
5. Carver Masserman 9.67
6. Greyson Daproza 9.50

11–12 years

1. Kodo Fujimoto 16.63
2. Kona Yamada 13.80
3. Kai McCluskey 13.40
4. Kai Martins 12.83
5. Kameron Kimmel 10.16
6. Christian Kim 9.00

Girls Shortboard

5–6 years

1. Eve Jordan 10.77
2. Serena Chagas 10.70
3. Bria Nakahashi 10.53
4. Kaya Henry 10.10
5. River Staubitser 9.84
6. Coco Friday 9.20
7. Liv Moody 8.60

7–8 years

1. Maya Andrade 10.16
2. Harbor Haas 9.26
3. Alice Grier 8.27
4. Avalon Plotkin 8.13
5. Malia Black 7.17
6. Cora de Castro 6.67

9–10 years

1. Avery Stelow 13.84
2. Sayler Udell 13.50
3. Millie Colpas 13.50
4. Carolina Young 8.34
5. Coco Bitoun 5.97
6. Tiare Sloan 3.67

11–12 years

1. Peata Lee-Hubin 11.77
2. Kalli Sprenger 9.46
3. Lucia de Castro 7.17
4. Anna Murray 7.10
5. Halia Barnes 6.56
6. Madison Cambier 6.06

Boys Longboard

7–9 years

1. Axel Goya 12.44
2. Sebastian Uhler 12.27
3. Felix Swift 10.86
4. Greyson Daproza 10.57
5. Xavier Young 8.60
6. Guide Udell 7.00

10–12 years

1. Kaniela Miranda 16.53
2. Kona Yamada 13.90
3. Brixton Craig 11.80
4. Elan Bar 10.50
5. Kai McCluskey 10.26
6. Julian Libitsky 8.67

Girls Longboard

7–9 years

1. Millie Colpas 12.90
2. Sia Caserta 11.73
3. Kaj Edelhertz 11.16
4. Alice Grier 10.33
5. Cora de Castro 10.27
6. Avalon Plotkin 8.16

10–12 years

1. Gracie Sarno 15.00
2. Lucia de Castro 11.76
3. Avery Stelow 11.27
4. Kinsley Williams 11.30
5. Tiare Sloan 9.76
6. Peata Lee-Hubin 9.40

Mixed Bodyboard

7–9 years

1. Carver Masserman 12.16
2. Dylan Williams 11.00
3. Kupuohi Fong 10.93
4. Tanner Eillison 8.23
5. Tristan Ellison 8.20
6. Hux Masserman 7.80

10–12 years

1. Kalli Sprenger 15.90
2. Kaikane Bingham 15.77
3. Landon Schubarth 8.67
4. Anna Murray 8.66
5. Blake Murray 7.33
6. Bryce Cunningham 5.83