31st Ole Longboard Classic – Results

Hans Vandervoort was the comeback story, but women ruled the day at the 31st Ole Longboard Classic at Launiupoko Beach Park, Saturday.

Vandervoort won his second Open Men’s title, 18 years after winning his first one. Vandervoort, 35, is a surfboard shaper like his late father, Chris, who was also a two-time Ole champion.

“I can’t really remember too much about that first one to be honest,” Vandervoort said. “I remember it was the year after my dad passed. I remember it was emotional, but I don’t really remember much of the details.”

Chances are Vandervoort won’t forget the details of this win as he was riding his own longboard model. “Super cool to win, riding my own equipment,” Vandervoort said. “That’s like the hugest accomplishment. That feels so good. I got to watch Zolten (Poulsen) win on my equipment too, Uncle Kent (Apo) won on my equipment as well. That feels better even than winning.”

Just six months ago, Vandervoort couldn’t have imagined surfing in the Ole much less winning. He broke his back surfing big waves in east Maui. “I ended up compression fracturing my L1 vertebrae,” Vandervoort said. “I was pretty much in bed for about 2-3 months. I could walk around with my brace on but really just from my bed to the bathroom.”

“I’ve had quite the journey and I’m happy to just be where I am and be surfing at the level that I’m at with the support that I have. I feel like I’m surfing the best I have in my entire life which is a really cool thing.”

Lara Claydon and Mahealani Ah Hee led the women’s tidal wave at the Ole. Claydon won the Open Women and the 19-29 while Mahealani Ah Hee took the Aunties division and the 40-49 age group. In both age divisions, the women defeated a mostly male class. Marcy Martin did the same in taking the 50-59 age group.

In winning the 19-29 division, 12 of the 22 competitors were men. “There was a lot of trash talking happening in the water,” Claydon said. “But the girls held it down for sure. It’s just fun. And everyone’s surfing so good, so it makes it really enjoyable.”

Tasha Jahrmarkt finished second just ahead of Austin Kalama. Claydon won her second straight Open Women title. The Open Women and Open Men were the biggest divisions with 29 competitors each. Claydon, who relocated to Oceanside, California, after losing her family home in the Lahaina wildfire, said, “Today was amazing. It’s just always good to be home and with everybody. We got some fun waves and God just kind of provided perfect conditions all day long.”

Last year, Claydon stopped the three-year Open Women reign of Jahrmarkt.

“Actually, Tasha is one of my best friends and she was like, ‘I’m coming for you this year’. And I was like, ‘okay, listen, you had it three years in a row’. So it’s fun to just have those fun rivalries in the water, but being friends out of the water.”

Ah Hee took the 40-49 where eight of the 12 entries were men. She was the only woman to make the six-person final. At 45 years of age, Ah Hee still looked light on her feet as she was cross-stepping to the nose of her board.

“It felt so good, being a woman and beating them. Men always dominate, and it’s never women, and here I am.”

Martin continued the women’s winning ways in the 50-59 class. She was the only woman in the seven-person field. Martin, the current Maui County Finance Director, said, “It’s really about developing a strategy I think works for us (women). I was super stoked to be able to surf with three other county workers today.”

Bella Kuailani, a recent King Kekaulike graduate who competed in the Maui Interscholastic League, won her second straight Junior Women title while two other MIL surfers, Aiden Haas and Zolten Poulsen took the Junior Boys and Junior Men, respectively. Haas edged out Bode Davis, who had just won a National longboard title the week before in Huntington Beach, California.

Alika Apo won the 30-39 division while his father, Kent, took the 60-69 class. The other Ole winners were Balou Patitucci-Dominguez (Menehune), Indy Forbes (Junior Girls), Harry Timmins (70 & over), and Zane Schweitzer (Ole).

31st Ole Longboard Classic – Results

Women

Junior Girls (11-14 years)

1. Indy Forbes 8.57
2. Nala Strubhar 8.50
3. Ocean Lipstein 8.50
4. Lucia de Castro 8.00
5. Stella Pogni 8.00
6. Kalli Sprenger 3.00

Junior Women (15-18 years)

1. Bella Kuailani 11.10
2. Imani Caserta 9.20
3. Layla Merrill 7.90
4. Ella Anderson 6.90
5. Grace Cardon 5.83
6. Mikaela Dunbar 5.07

Aunties (35 & over)

1. Mahealani Ah Hee 12.33
2. Jessica Damasco 9.07
3. Tami Duldulao 7.73
4. Tisha Paet 7.57
5. Abbie Kimmel 5.67
6. Marcy Martin 3.60

Open

1. Lara Claydon 12.84
2. Kyra Duldulao 11.23
3. Tisha Paet 10.50
4. Shelby Schweitzer 8.33
5. Bella Kuailani 7.34
6. Tasha Jahrmarkt 3.17

Men

Junior Boys (11-14 years)

1. Aiden Haas 12.74
2. Bode Davis 12.53
3. Seth Jucker 9.66
4. Kona Yamada 9.50
5. Matias Banto 8.34
6. Rael Pineres-Schooley 4.43

Junior Men (15-18 years)

1. Zolten Poulsen 10.33
2. Jack Hill 8.50
3. Kahlil Pineres-Schooley 7.60
4. Noah Haas 7.50
5. Nahuel Messera 6.83
6. Kaina Yamada 3.50

Open

1. Hans Vandervoort 15.34
2. Mau Ah Hee 13.16
3. Travis Alexander 12.10
4. Kailer Jones 11.40
5. Alika Apo 10.74
6. Angelo Constantino 7.17

Mixed divisions

Menehune (8-10 years)

1. Balou Patitucci-Dominguez 10.93
2. Millie Colpas 8.67
3. Sayler Udell 7.00
4. Alice Grier 5.73
5. Sia Caserta 5.00
6. Kajarine Edelhertz 3.67

19-29

1. Lara Claydon 11.83
2. Tasha Jahrmarkt 8.37
3. Austin Kalama 6.74
4. Miles Serafica 6.50
5. Jeffery Tabon 5.40
6. Angelo Constantino 4.83

30-39

1. Alika Apo 16.56
2. Keoni Duey 15.80
3. Mau Ah Hee 13.17
4. Travis Alexander 11.34
5. Hans Vandervoort 10.40
6. Kapena Kuailani 7.60

40-49

1. Mahealani Ah Hee 12.43
2. Peter Buono 8.90
3. Ryan Schooley 7.17
4. Eddie Rapozo 7.06
5. Shayne Edelhertz 6.60
6. Chris Haas 2.57

50-59

1. Marcy Martin 8.34
2. Andy Claydon 6.33
3. Marco Molina 5.93
4. Mike Crowe 5.67
5. Ken Goring 3.87
6. Jeff Zamora 3.37

60-69

1. Kent Apo 9.07
2. Hass Jahrmarkt 8.60
3. Jennifer Benvie 8.40
4. Bruce Baptiste 8.33
5. Paul Kimmel 7.84
6. Paul Grover Cleveland 6.44

70 & over

1. Harry Timmins 9.66
2. Barry Brown 8.97
3. Jeff Lackey 4.23
4. Steve Nickens 2.67
5. Thom Leonard 0.00

Ole

1. Zane Schweitzer 11.17
2. Bode Davis 10.50
3. Shelby Schweitzer 5.90
4. Kahlili Pineres-Schooley 5.34
5. Ken Goring 4.00
6. Ryan Schooley 3.00