Surf Cat

Axel Rosenblad of King Kekaulike High School throws the tail of his board over the lip on his way to winning the boys shortboard final Saturday at MIL meet No. 1 at D.T. Fleming Beach Park.
Cuda Shots Tom Cooper photo

Axel Rosenblad won in boys shortboard to lead King Kekaulike High School to the boys team title at the opening Maui Interscholastic League surf meet at D.T. Fleming Beach Park on Saturday.

Maui Prep had enough depth to get past Baldwin and win the girls division despite not having an individual champion.

“It was really exciting, we had some great competitors,” Na Alii co-head coach Tom Rouse said. “Axel Rosenblad was doing some wonderful maneuvers out there. Our team came together. Very excited about this season, we’re looking forward to the next contest in Hana.”

Rosenblad won the Fleming contest two years ago as a freshman. One of his maneuvers in the final was a big throw-tail. His fins came completely out of the water on a big backside snap. It was the highest scoring ride in the final.

“I didn’t really have a section, but I just tried to make something out of it, get a little left going into the right, just do it,” Rosenblad said. “It was pretty small and grindy, but fun.”

Madison Runyon of Lahainaluna smacks the breaking lip in the girls shortboard final. She won the shortboard and was third in bodyboard.
Cuda Shots Tom Cooper photo

Na Alii had another champion in Kayalani Mullen in girls bodyboard. She also was runner-up in shortboard.

“It was really fun but a little bit smaller than I’m used to,” said Mullen, whose team trains at Hookipa. “It was still super fun in bodyboarding and shortboarding.”

She edged Labryana Hookano of Kamehameha Maui by 0.16 points in the bodyboard final. “My strategy was to stay inside and catch the inside double-ups and do something on that instead of catching the sets that just close out.”

Lahainaluna had two champions: defending MIL girls shortboard champion Madison Runyon and George Rocha in boys bodyboard. The Lunas were second in boys and third in girls.

“We had a lot of successes,” Lahainaluna coach Luke Adolfson said. “Had a lot of first-time competitors making it through heats for the first time, and we had two victories, Madison and George.”

The Lunas’ George Rocha cuts back on a wave in winning the boys bodyboard final.
Cuda Shots Tom Cooper photo

Runyon got off to a slow start in her shortboard final.

“There weren’t a lot of waves coming through in the beginning,” she said. “I started to get worried that I wasn’t getting any, and then in the end it was like I pulled a rabbit out of the hat.”

Of her highest scoring ride, Runyon said: “I hit the lip and thought I was going to fall. I came like straight out of the water with my feet still on the board. I was really surprised.”

Maui Prep had two girls in the shortboard final, Paloma Banto and Zoe Gonzales.

“This team has always had a good girl contingency,” Maui Prep coach Sharky Huisch said. “I’m proud of them. Team effort for sure, surfing is an individual sport when you’re out there. But it’s nice having the team points and having everyone looking out for each other too.”

Kayalani Mullen of King Kekaulike placed first in girls bodyboard and second in shortboard.
Cuda Shots Tom Cooper photo

The next MIL meet is March 30 at Koki Beach in Hana.

MIL Meet No. 1

Saturday’s Results

At D.T. Fleming Beach Park

Boys

Team–1. King Kekaulike 3,759; 2. Lahainaluna 3,620; 3. Baldwin 2,694; 4. Kamehameha Maui 2,466; 5. Maui High 2,328; 6. Hana 2,128; 7. Maui Prep 1,947; 8. Seabury Hall 1,093; 9. Haleakala Waldorf 619.

Shortboard–1. Axel Rosenblad, King Kekaulike; 2. Ty Simpson-Kane, Kamehameha Maui; 3. Shane Taylor, Maui High; 4. Kai Claydon, Lahainaluna; 5. Jackson Green, King Kekaulike; 6. Luc Guidroz, Seabury Hall; 7. Harrison Crammond, Maui Prep; 8. Nalu Ho, Lahainaluna; 9. Thomas Hobson, King Kekaulike; t10. Slater Fleck, Maui Prep; t10. Jaden Givensel, Baldwin; t10. Kanoa Kaiwi, Hana.

Bodyboard–1. George Rocha, Lahainaluna; 2. Alex Fahland, King Kekaulike; 3. Ryan West, Lahainaluna; 4. Jaden Givensel, Baldwin; 5. Hunter Carpio, Baldwin; 6. Kanoa Kaiwi, Hana; 7. Harrison Crammond, Maui Prep; 8. Nau Hett, Kamehameha Maui; 9. Kekoa Kinimaka, Maui High; t10. Shane Taylor, Maui High; t10. Xavier de Jetley, Hana; t10. Ty Simpson-Kane, Kamehameha Maui.

Girls

Team–1. Maui Prep 3,679; 2. Baldwin 3,353; 3. Lahainaluna 2,929; 4. Kamehameha Maui 2,836; 5. King Kekaulike 1,900; 6. Hana 1,116; 7. Haleakala Waldorf 282.

Shortboard–1. Madison Runyon, Lahainaluna; 2. Kayalani Mullen, King Kekaulike; 3. Paloma Banto, Maui Prep; 4. Zoe Gonzales, Maui Prep; 5. Labryana Hookano, Kamehameha Maui; 6. Kaila Kaaihue, Baldwin; t7. Bre Higgs, Lahainaluna; t7. Clara Asay, Hana; t9. Jolene Much, Maui Prep; t9. Bryce Worth, Lahainaluna.

Bodyboard–1. Kayalani Mullen, King Kekaulike; 2. Labryana Hookano, Kamehameha Maui; 3. Madison Runyon, Lahainaluna; 4. Clara Asay, Hana; 5. Kaila Kaaihue, Baldwin; 6. Fernanda Maldonado, Baldwin; t7. Jolene Munch, Maui Prep; t7. Alaura Estrella, Kamehameha Maui; t9. Jordan Houglum, Maui Prep; t9. Alex Splajit, Baldwin.