Handsome Bugga Productions

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The Billabong Pico Alto Invitational 2010 Big Wave event is on for August 19th!!

Visit www.bigwaveworldtour.com for more details.

Watch the event live on: www.billabong.com/sa/picoalto10/

Monday, July 19th, 2010 - A message from "Da Handsome Bugga"

Aloha Nui Loa! We had our meeting today on Oahu over breakfast regarding the First Triple Crown SUP event set to take place right here on Maui. This event will take place at three different locations and the dates are scheduled to be as follows...

Event #1 - July 2nd, 2011 - Maalaea to Makena Landing Kihei or Maalaea to the Island of Lanai (subject to change).
Event #2 - July 10th, 2011 - Maliko Gulch to the Kahului Harbor Hawaiian Canoe Club.
Event #3 - July 16th, 2011 - Final Grand Slam of the Triple Crown Event from Honolua Bay to Kaunakakai Harbor and Pier.

This race will be held for the Elite SUP competitors from around the globe and we expect this race to be the greatest SUP show on Earth... So, hold on to these dates for next year. Those who are interested in competing, please send us your email address to receive information regarding this exciting SUP event. Send your email inquiries to handsomebugga@aol.com. We will post information and updates on our web site: www.handsomebuggaproductions.com as they become available.

Aloha Nui Loa! Malama Ke Kai!

Monday, July 12th, 2010 - Congratulations to all event participants and Mahalo to our sponsors for making this inaugural event a great success! We had some of the best athletes out there competing under superb conditions which provided us with three to four foot swells and easterly trade winds blowing as hard as 25 knots. It was a battle all the way to the finish for the first place and fifth place finishers, who were neck and neck all the way to the finish line.

This event is only the beginning as we are already gearing up for next year and beyond. Check back here for new event postings which will be coming soon. Aloha!

Here are the results...

Men's Individual

Connor Baxter, 1st place Elite and 19 and Under division 3:29:02

Ekolu Kalama, 2nd place Elite 3:30:08

David Kalama, 3rd place Elite 3:32:25

Livio Menelau, 4th place Elite 3:32:58

Mark Raaptionist, 5th place Elite 3:37:17

Scott Trudon, 6th place Elite 3:42:20

Jeremy Riggs, 7th place Elite 3:44:08

Bart De Zwart, 8th place Elite 3:56:59

Courtney Gray, 9th place Elite 4:02:29

Kaeo O Kalani Clark, 10th place Elite 4:07:37

Zane Schweitzer, 11th place Elite 4:13:05

Amir Arbel, 1st place, 30-39 Division 3:59:04

Kolaiah Jardine, 2nd place, 30 - 39 Division 4:03:17

Phil Cregory, 1st place, 40 - 49 Division 4:01:57

Women's Individual

Andrea Moller, 1st place, Elite 3:53:20

Frananda Ometti, 2nd place, Elite 4:49:04

Men's Team

Andrew McGurn & Jerry Bell, 1st Place 3:44:01

Yves Bouwens & Scott Blish 3:58:44, 2nd place 3:58:44

Devin Blish & Jack Dyson, 3rd place 4:08:52

Randy Strome & Chantalle Strome, 4th place 4:26:28

King Look, 5th place 5:21:01

Women's Team

Donna Raaphorst & Jennifer Raaphorst, 1st place 4:33:24

Official results have been posted to the following web site...

Click the icon below to view the Mormaii press release for this event...

Click the icon below to view the StandUp Paddle Magazine press release for this event...

Click the icon below to view the Maui News press release for this event...

A word from Conner Baxter, 1st place winner of the Mormaii Moloka'i Pai'lolo Express Race 2010...

The Mormaii 27 Mile Pai'lolo Express held on Sunday, July 11th, otherwise known as the Maui to Molokai Crossing. The first time I did this crossing I was 8 1/2 years old – and I windsurfed across it. But this time I did it – I WON FOUR THOUSAND DOLLARS!!!!

This was a fantastic event put on by Handsome Bugga Productions – thank you Rodney and everyone else for all their hard work and organization.

On the race day, the forecast was looking like it could be a fast race with a lot of wind. The event started at Honolua Bay at 10 am. At the start line, some of the big guns were Dave Kalama, Ekolu Kalama, Livio Menelau, Mark Raaphorst, and Scott Trudon.

At the start we all had to sit on our boards in a line which was super fair. We had no wind at the start because a rain squall had just passed. When the green flag went up it was a GO. Everyone went out of there like it was going to be a 10 mile race - I got a good start – but after about 10 minutes I was behind those big guns. I was just pacing myself in the beginning.

Everyone went on different courses – Dave Kalama went south, Ekolu went even more to the south, Mark Raaphorst, Livio Menelau and I went a little more on a North route across the channel - and into the wind line sooner.

As we hit the 1 hour minute mark, I had caught up to two of the leaders which were Mark and Livio. Mark was north or me and Livio south. And I could see Dave Kalama in the distance – but south of me. As soon as I started to head more downwind towards Dave, I noticed I was catching up to him. When I finally caught up and passed him I was so relieved, because now I was in first place, but all of a sudden he caught back up to me and passed me. We went back and forth like this for at least three miles. Once we got into the best section of the race where I was catching 1 minute glides I pulled away. Once I had a comfortable distance from Dave, I had the best feeling thinking that I had already won – well until I had seven more miles to go and Ekolu Kalama just came out of nowhere. He was a little more to the south of me which was a good thing for me because when we had to turn to go into the harbor, I had the inside track – so I was a lot closer than he was. And once I crossed that finish line with no one in front - I knew that I did it. I won the Crossing – and four thousand dollars.

I want to thank Mark Raaphorst, Livio Menelau, Scott Trudon, Bart de Schwart for all the time and support they have devoted to training with me!!!!!!!!! Also, Scott Sanchez (MPG) for his wisdom on fitness and training!!

And, a big thank you to all my sponsors for their help and support – Starboard, Nike 6.0, SIC, Dakine, Sunrite Maui, Waterman’s Sunscreen, and Ion Wetsuits.

Aloha -
Connor Baxter

For more of Connor's story, visit his press release on Mormaii's

web site via the following link. Connor's story can be found in

the column to the right under "Latest News - 16/07/2010".

This web site was last updated on Tuesday, August 17, 2010

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