The Aloha State Presents 2024 Hawai’i Adaptive Surfing Championships In Waikiki

The Hawai’i Adaptive Surfing Championships kick off tomorrow at Queen’s Surf Break in Waikiki. The event is the second stop on the Adaptive Surfing Professionals WCT (World Championship Tour). The first contest was successfully completed this past March.

95 athletes from 18 nations will compete in the much-anticipated event. Para surfers from Japan, Brazil, Costa Rica, Australia, Mexico, Chile, Puerto Rico, the United States, England, Wales, Canada, Spain, Argentina, France, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Samoa and Hawai’i itself will converge at the popular break on Oahu. Notaby, most athletes have already competed in at least one other Para Surfing professional event. In fact, many are becoming well known as competitive athletes on an international level. Sam Bloom (Australia), Jose Martinez (U.S.A.), Llwelyn “Sponge” William (Wales), Victoria Faige (Canada), Felipe Kizu (Brazil), “Masadaptivesurfer” (Japan), are just a few of the top competitors of their respective categories.

Heats will run May 13 through the 16th, Aloha time.

11 Categories

The championships will consist of the 9 categories of Para Surfing: Upper Limb Standing, Below the Knee Standing, Above the Knee Standing, Any Knee Standing, Any Knee Kneeling, Prone Assisted, Prone Unassisted, Wave Ski and Vision 1 and 2 (Blind and Low Vision). In addition, the contest has added two more categories of Wounded Warrior A and B.  Significantly, minimal impairment criteria for each category have been established based on how the impairment affects the sport of surfing

Four Athletes Represent from Costa Rica

Costa Rica has four athletes ready to compete this week. As a matter of fact for Natalia Vindas, president of Surf Adaptado Costa Rica, it is a dream come true to compete on the Big Island. Furthermore, her coach Alejandro and his brother Steven from Manual Antonio will assist her, and the other Costa Rican athletes as needed. Natalia won the first bronze medal for any adaptive surfer from Costa Rica in the 2017 ISA World Para Surfing Championships.

Roy Calderon, former 2021 ISA champion for Vision 2, takes on friend and rival Aaron Paulk who is from the Aloha State. Aaron is coming off his win from The Byron’s Bay Australian Pro Adaptive Surfing Championships in March. Additionally, Paulk beat Roy at the 2023 ISA World Para Surfing Championships in Huntington Beach. The matchup promises to be a good one.

Dariel Melendez (Davila) will compete in the Stand 3 category. Indeed, the talented athlete from the Caribbean side of the Pura Vida Country earned a bronze medal in last year’s ISA event. Mattews Vanderhooth Luna rounds out the four Tico athletes who will compete individually. He will contend for a medal in Prone Assist. As a matter of fact, Vanderhooth scored a gold medal last year in Boca Barranca as part of Costa Rica’s Back 2 Back Adaptive Open Pro.

All four Costa Rican athletes were members of the National Adaptive Surf Team that won the Team Copper Medal (fourth place) at the 2021 ISA World Para Surfing Championships in Pismo Bismo, Ca.

What’s On Deck for the Adaptive Surfing Championships Tour

After the Hawai’i Adaptive Surfing Championship, the next stop on deck will be in Costa Rica, at the tropical country’s second longest left break, Boca Barranca.

Last year’s championship was pumping at the same break, with many para surfers praising the quality of the pointbreak wave. Registration is not open yet for the High Fives Foundation Open Pro of Adaptive Surfing. However, check for updates at Surf Adaptado CR’s event page and instagram. The event runs from June 18 to the 23rd.

The U.S. Open Adaptive Surfing Championships are confirmed for the dates of September 5th-8th, 2024. The 7th annual event will take place on the North side of the pier and crown the 2024 AASP world champions in all 9 divisions. 

Although the Hawai’i Adaptive Surfing Championships will not be livestreamed as a separate event, you can watch much of the contest through Surfline’s Queens surf camera all week. Also, check out sponsor Access Surf’s website for live scores. 

Remember that competition runs from May 13th through the 16th. Also check the Association of Adaptive Surfing Professionals instagram stories and posts for frequent updates.

Watch with us, and cheer on your favorite surfers. After all, Para Surfing is like no other sport in the world. The Hawai’i Adaptive Surfing Championships promises to be epic. Aloha!