For the third consecutive year, the South Shore (Town) was victorious over the North Shore (Country) in the Red Bull Rivals surf team contest at Sandy Beach on Saturday.
The South Shore’s Isaiah Moniz was named MVP of the event. Judges rewarded competitors in the man-on-man heats for high performance surfing in the windy, 2- to 4-foot wave faces. Town prevailed over Country with 12 heat wins to 8.
"Just a lot of luck, to be honest," said South Shore team captain Jun Jo of how they won. "Everyone is really good (surfers). It’s the best of Hawaii from the North and South shore, so (the Town team) just got better waves and a bit of luck with guys falling and whatnot."
Teams are comprised of 12 surfers, with one grommet (young surfer) and one female on each squad.
The public, through a one-month, online voting campaign, chose team members, making the Red Bull Rivals a surf/popularity contest.
The losing team of the Red Bull Rivals gives up their surfboards to the winners. According to Jo, the South Shore’s third consecutive win was an "awesome" experience and the victors’ spoils are being donated to charity.
"The losing team gives up their boards and what we’re going to do is give it to the Surfrider Foundation to auction off," said Jo. "Surfrider Foundation is an integral part of the surf community. They protect us from environmental, political and social problems."
This surf contest further cultivates a long-standing rivalry between Country and Town surfers. The Red Bull Rivals is also a social event that brings together wave riders for a good time.
"This event is fun," said Country team captain Jamie O’Brien. "Everybody is down here (at Sandy Beach) having a good time, with chicks on the beach. It’s a good party day."
Nearly a thousand people came to Sandy Beach yesterday and were treated to the sounds of DJ Eskae, free beverages and a brilliant display of aerial surfing. A sandbar on the inside of Half Point provided a right-breaking launch ramp for the competitors.
"That thing just popped out of nowhere," said Jo about the sandbar. "You can see from the pictures that guys were doing their thing on that little right."
Although O’Brien would have preferred bigger waves for the Red Bull Rivals, he still found the surf at Sandy Beach ideal for above-the-lip maneuvers.
"It was 1- to 2-foot slop, but kind of bowling, so it makes for good air sections," said O’Brien, who is already looking forward to the 2013 Red Bull Rivals, which is tentatively planned for the North Shore.
"I can’t wait for (the Red Bull Rivals) to be at Haleiwa because these guys are going to (poop) their pants," O’Brien said. "We’re trying to get Haleiwa to mix it up. It will be fun and hopefully we’ll get some real waves."
