4TH Annual Central Longboard Invitational
PUERTO ESCONDIDO, MEXICO,
MARCH 11-16, 2003
“It took me four years to finally win this,” said Hawaiian longboarder Lance Ho’okano of his come-from-behind victory in small but decent surf at the Central Surf Invitational. “The focus of this event is controlled tube riding and the overall conditions were perfect for that.”
Occasional overhead surf mixed in with consistent three- to four-foot waves played well for the competitors, especially Ho’okano who insisted people were getting fabulous waves the whole contest.
Trailing Pete Johnson’s almost insurmountable lead with 20 minutes to go and with only one decent wave under his belt, older statesman Ho’okano put on a three-wave, switch-foot tube-riding blitz that not only shocked the younger surfers, but also gave him the convincing win.
Established as a premier barrel rider, the Hawaiian took out three mainlanders proving, as he said, that “tricks are for kids.” Then he implored, “Have a contest at Teahupoo and see what these guys can do.” – Sim Barhoum
RESULTS:
- 1. Lance Ho’okano $4,000 USD
- 2. Pete Johnson $2,000 USD
- 3. Scott Chandler, Joel Tudor $1,000 USD
Add a Comment
By submitting a comment you grant SURFER Magazine a perpetual license to reproduce your words, name and web site in attribution.
Comments may be removed at an administrators discretion. Your email is used for verification purposes only and will never be shared.