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June News from Hawaiian South Shore

The Bell That Made Me Run Home

By David Kelly, Owner, Hawaiian South Shore As a kid, I loved summer! I always wanted to be outside playing. So after doing all the chores that were lined up at my relative's house (which by the way I'd try to blast thru as fast as possible..ha-ha) I would meet up with my friends. We'd play in the open fields near our houses,  work on our BMX track trying to make it more exciting, or we'd just play some football. Man, during these days it seem like I could just go on for days playing! I hated when it was time to go home, I think the only reason I'd go home is because I was hungry, I would never really keep track of time. If it were not for my stomach growling I'd stay out all evening. The only thing that alerted me to hightail it home was the 5pm chime. As soon as we all heard that, we'd all haul butt home or we'd never be able to go out the rest of the summer... and way more chores-that's for sure!! Yep, that's from experience! In Okinawa, as well as for most parts of Japan, there are emergency sirens all over, just like the ones we have here in Hawaii. But in Japan they use them for announcements and chimes in the evening...or at least I was under the assumption until recently. After some online research and talking to customers I learned what those chimes are really for. These sound systems are in place for emergency announcements. The daily ring is a way for both the government and the people living and working in the area to confirm that everything is in working order. It's kind of like here in Hawaii we have the monthly testing for natural disasters. In Japan they thought it was better to have a nice melodic tune playing daily, rather than an actual siren sound, which might alarm residents needlessly. It's so funny that growing up I heard that chime and swore it was the dinner bell!

Member of the Month: Keith Nishimoto

When and what got you into surfing? I got into surfing in the late 60's. It was the next step from paipo boarding at Wall's in Waikiki. Friends and I shared longboards taking turns catching waves and standing up. We were at Patterson's between Black Point and Browns. I remember walking to the beach one person carrying the front of the board and the other carrying the rear because kid arms are not long enough! Did you have a time you weren't surfing? If so, when and why did you start back up? Kinda quit around 1980 or so. Crowds even back then were not so good. Was still surfing on and off... more off. I was always interested in surfboard design and noticed the new boards around so got started again. When and what got you into surfing? I got into surfing in the late 60's. It was the next step from paipo boarding at Wall's in Waikiki. Friends and I shared longboards taking turns catching waves and standing up. We were at Patterson's between Black point and Browns. I remember walking to the beach one person carrying the front of the board and the other carrying the rear because kid arms are not long enough! Did you have a time you weren't surfing? If so, when and why did you start back up? Kinda quit around 1980 or so. Crowds even back then was not so good. Was still surfing on and off... more off. I was always interested in surfboard design and noticed the new boards around so got started again. Where do you surf most often, and why? Diamondhead Cliffs. Usually has waves most the time. I surfed there a lot, so got to know the spot pretty well. Where is your favorite place to eat after you surf? What is your favorite item? Gotta be Rainbow's! Mixed plate, gravy all over...ono! Outside of surfing what do you do for fun? Not much these days...hanging around at home. Between work and surfing a couple of times a week not much time to be had. When I was younger I was able to trek Mt. Everest National Park in Nepal and in Northern Greece...fun? More like training. Oh, I still ride my road bicycle once and a while. What do you do for work? Bicycle Mechanic who prefers to work on Road and Triathlon bikes. What board did you get from us recently?  Lost PuddleFish 5'8" in poly/pu. Why did you decide on this model and size? Did you ride it? How did it surf and what did you like about it? Have you used different fin setup? If so, what fins have you tried on that board? I was trying a Lib Tech Puddle Jumper from Lost, but guess what? It needed more float...so the PuddleFish is good. Took the PuddleFish out and kooked out getting sucked over the falls and whacking my front teeth on the rail and cutting my lower lip. Otherwise it's a really good paddler and easily catches waves...boy is it faaast! Currently trying a large quad with a Vektor trailer...guess I need more stable than loose board. Looking forward to getting better and will try other fins to see the differences. Anything else you want to add? Much Mahalo to Hawaiian South Shore's staff and all...stoked to be out in the water!!!

Brown Water Advisory

by Spencer Change (Sports Medicine Fellowship Trained, Orthopaedic Surgeon at Straub Clinic and Hospital, 2014 ASP/Triple Crown Orthopaedic Consultant, WSL Orthopaedic Consultant) Q: When the surf is pumping, and the conditions are great, but the water is brown from recent storms, do you still go out? Is there any actual risk for infection, and how bad is that risk? In my opinion this is a topic that we still don't know much about. There are so many variables to control. However, common sense says stay out. Runoff from storm drains spill into the ocean, increasing the bacterial count, and probable risk of infection. But by how much? And when is it safe to go back? Surfline posted a recent article entitled "The Dangers of Surfing After a Rain." They cited a 3–year study conducted by the Surfrider Foundation, looking at 654 surfers over 10,081 sessions in San Diego from the winter seasons of 2013 and 2014. In summary the risks were, "a 3% chance of infection from surfing during wet weather. And a 2.5% chance if surfing during dry weather. But even if you didn't go in the water after a rain, you'd still have a 1.8% chance of contracting a gastrointestinal illness." Not statistically very high, but then no one likes gastrointestinal problems. Another study published by the Journal of Water and Health found that surfing during rain events in the Pacific Northwest was associated with an increased likelihood of diarrhea, sore throat, and ear infections. Additionally, surfing during a health advisory was associated with an increased likelihood of similar symptoms. The obvious answer is not to go out if the Department of Health closes off a beach because of excessive levels of bacteria in the water. This is especially important if you're diabetic, immune compromised, prone to infection, and/or have open wounds. You'll want to wait the 72 hours and in general surf where there is less runoff (Bowls is not your best bet). I'm sure everyone knows somebody who got sick after surfing in brown water, or maybe even a dangerous skin infection. My advice is to weigh the risks against just how good it is. In my opinion it really doesn't seem like too much of a risk statistically... and if it's firing, I'd probably go out and take my chances. Besides San Diego and Pacific Northwest runoff, must be worse than Hawaii, right? For an appointment call the Straub Bone and Joint Center at 522-4232. Just say Dave from Hawaiian South Shore sent you! Also, if you have anything you want me to discuss on upcoming newsletters, tell Dave or shoot me an e-mail at Skychang@straub.net.

Vans Duct Tape International

Photo from Surfline by Billy Watts CJ Nelson has been out of the spotlight for awhile, and with plenty of young, fresh surfers some were surprised CJ Nelson was competing at the Vans Duct Tape International. In a piece from Surfline, Joel Tudor, said, "It's CJ! How could I not invite CJ?!" The proof is in the winning: despite plenty of young competition CJ claimed top prize at the Vans Duct Tape International and went on to win the MexiLogFest, too, for a historic day of surfing! Read more and see pics at Surfline. Congrats CJ!

Vissla Visits Hawaiian South Shore!

Since its launch, Vissla has made a point of being a surfer's brand, rather than a brand that simply sells to surfers. We truly believe this because of the recent visit from the owner and the design team. Paul Naude, the owner of Vissla, came by the store with his crew to check us out. It was a huge honor to have him visit and I had a feeling he was pretty stoked on the store. He and his team spent well over an hour taking pictures of the layout, looking at how we folded the clothing, and how we displayed everything. Paul took the time to tell me what he thought about the store and compared us to some very successful stores around the world. To get praise and compliments from a surf and clothing industry leader?! That was a big pat on the back for sure. After he left I came down from my high and thought to myself, maybe he was just being nice. I used to get a scolding from mom when I doubted people, and even though I'm in my 40s, I still have so much growing up to do because my doubts were proven wrong when the Hawaii Vissla rep contacted me. Paul suggested they send the design team leaders to check out our store! They came for a visit and talked to Keiko to find out what's selling and what does well. They spent time checking out the store and were just as complementary. I think out of the 20 years of opening the store, this was the first time we felt confident we are doing it right! Many thanks to Paul and the Vissla team for their visits.

What's New at Hawaiian South Shore

We're always on the lookout for new stuff that actually makes surfing better or fun gear. Below find some of this month's new favorites. Futures Fin New AMT Designs by Al Merrick, now available in our Alpha construction. The Alpha is made in the USA at the Futures factory in Huntington Beach CA. It's made with a special blend of carbon infused with air so the fins have a flex and are super light. The best thing of it all is that is a lot less expensive. See a review of these new fins from Brian on our Facebook page and be sure to like us while you're there. New AU fins are something people are raving about. I love these high–performance fins for speed. I had to chance to try it and they work really well. It didn't get hung up, it felt like a regular thruster set with more drive. My surf partner used them and liked them, too! Check out our Instagram post about the new AU Fins, and be sure to follow us if you aren't already!  Until next month....