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Best of Maui Sports & Leisure 2009

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Displaying 15 records found.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Best Scholastic Athlete, Winner
Bailey Massenburg
Having just completed her final year at King Kekaulike High School, Massenburg has amassed an athletic resume that belies her tender age. She starred in both track and tennis, winning titles and setting records along the way. Last month, she was inducted into the Hawaii High School Hall of Honor and was named the Gatorade Hawaii Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year, the first time either of those honors—let alone both—has been bestowed on a King K student. Massenburg, who also achieved a 4.095 GPA, was named MIL Girl Athlete of the Year by The Maui News (you can read more about her accomplishments over at Maui News sportswriter Robert Collias’s blog, “The Bald-Headed Truth.”) JS

Best Hike, Winner
Bamboo forest
Choosing just one hike in a place as beautiful and diverse as Maui is tough, but truly, if you could take only one hike, this would be it. As you walk along the wooden footpath, towering bamboo gradually closes in around you. Soon, the light dims and you’re transported to another world, with the only sound the shuffle of your footsteps and the hypnotic creak of the giant green stalks that now blot out the sky. Just when you’re wondering how much thicker this stuff can grow, you emerge at the base of a towering waterfall. Are you reaching for your hiking boots yet? JS

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Best Snorkeling Spot, Winner
Black Rock
I’ve been trying to figure out why you readers picked Black Rock as Maui’s numero uno snorkel spot, over places like Honolua Bay and Fish Bowl. Could it be because of the potential danger of getting crushed by an unobservant cliff jumper or getting whisked off to Lanai on a riptide? Or maybe it’s the humor of watching hoards of sunburned tourists trying to look cool while tripping down the beach with their fins on. But then I figured out the answer to this snorkeling conundrum: It’s got to be all that convenient parking, gear available for rent and the close proximity of tiki bars to rinse that salty taste away with pina coladas. That and the occasional sea turtle sighting. JA

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Best Local Grom, Winner
Chaz Kinoshita
It has been said that heredity is something you believe in when your child’s report card is all “A”s. When it comes to surfing, this quote fits for Matt Kinoshita, owner and shaper of Kazuma Surfboards, seasoned surfing coach and father of Chaz Kinoshita. In 2008, Chaz won the Hawaii Amateur Surfing Association’s state title in the menehune division, following in the footsteps of older Maui ripper and Kazuma protege, Kai Barger. On his blog, Matt Kinoshita explains, “Kai Barger is one of the most talented surfers that I have ever coached...I decided to train my son Chaz in the identical way.” With corporate sponsors and consistently high contest results, it’s clear that this year’s best local grom is taking his training seriously while also living up to his namesake. BE

Best Local Amateur Surfer, Winner
Clay Marzo
Marzo personifies a new wave of progressive surfing taking over the sport. His cat-like reflexes, elastic maneuverability and maniacal approach to a variety of surfing conditions have earned him recognition in lineups worldwide. Marzo leads a group of prodigies boosting beyond the classic days of cutbacks, off the lips and into the sky, pulling mind-boggling aerial maneuvers and landing tricks never before imagined. But Marzo’s prolific surfing is only one aspect of his unique character. Diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder, Marzo has proven to people far beyond the Valley Isle that a handicap can be overcome with undying dedication to something you love. BE

Best Uphill Run - Edit Pick, Winner
Iao Valley
This run’s appeal goes well beyond the astonishing scenery. It’s six miles roundtrip, and downhill the second half of the course. Plus it’s close to the office. The incline starts out gently and even slopes downward in a few spots, but soon it becomes apparent that you’re rapidly ascending. The valley’s lush green slopes flank both sides of the road at this point, and it feels a good five degrees cooler. The Iao River marks the final stretch of the trek’s uphill portion, and once you pass the Nature Center you’ve got just half a mile left before hitting Iao Needle State Park. KB

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Best County Park, Winner
Kalama Park
When I was young and impressionable, my parents told me that the big whale statue was a present that they got for me, but since it was so massive, we couldn’t bring it home. Now that I’m not so young—but still impressionable—sometimes I wonder why we haven’t brought it home yet. I mean, I made space for it in the backyard and everything. That bit of parental deceit aside, it’s hard not to enjoy Kalama Park in Kihei. There are grills galore, plenty of shade, a playground and even a sports field, which includes a skate park. It’s perfect for a family picnic. YT

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Best MMA Fighter, Winner
Kendall Grove
With the popularity of mixed martial arts exploding not just in Hawaii but worldwide, it’s a good time to be Kendall Grove. A Wailuku boy and former Baldwin High wrestler, Grove (nickname: “Da Spyder”) has carved out an indelible place for himself in the MMA ranks, winning titles and scoring a lucrative contract with UFC. Despite his success, Grove hasn’t forgotten his roots and maintains a strong presence in the Maui community, including running a Wailuku gym, giving the island’s many MMA fans something extra to cheer about—and helping encourage and inspire a new generation of athletes. JS

Best Ultimate Frisbee Field - Edit Pick, Winner
Keokea Park
It’s not perfectly flat; your team will be fighting an uphill battle toward the end zone more than a few times per match, but such is life, right? So deal with it. You are in one of the coolest spots—both temperature and quality-wise—on-island, the view is groin-grabbingly phenomenal and you’re getting in some of the best cardio of your life. Plus, if you go at the right time, you’ll meet some of the most interesting people you will ever meet. Anywhere. KB

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Best Public Pool, Winner
Kihei Aquatic Center
Address: 303 E. Lipoa St., Kihei, HI 96753
Phone: 808-874-8137
Website: http://tinyurl.com/63wewg
Though Kihei’s very cool, very free pool carried the day (with its West side counterpart placing second), plenty of smart-ass readers logged votes for “the ocean.” We get where you’re coming from—that big, beautiful expanse of salt water is plenty inviting. But sometimes all the sand and tides and unpredictable waves are just a little too much. Plus, variety is the spice of life. Kihei Aquatic is great for serious lap swimmers (there’s almost always open lanes) but it’s also family friendly with it’s shallow kiddie pool and that big fountain that keeps the keiki wet and occupied during those long, hot South side summer afternoons. And hey—the ocean’s not going anywhere. 303 E. Lipoa St., Kihei, 874-8137. JS

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Best Locals' Beach, Winner
Makena (Big Beach)
I adore Big Beach, with its massive shore break and heaps of sand that always seems to find its way into my bikini, but the category of “locals’ beach” is difficult to define. Big Beach isn’t local exclusive (I meet way more tourists on Big Beach, than I do in, say, Wailuku). Even with that minor confusion, it cannot be denied that Big Beach is great. There’s sand, sun and surf—all requirements for an epic beach day. My favorite activity is skimming, but the bodyboarders are a force to be reckoned with. And on Sundays, if you’re brave enough, you can always trek over to Little Beach for fire dancing and nudity galore. YT

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Best Swimming Beach, Winner
Makena (Big Beach)
I’m not sure what makes one beach a better spot for swimming than another, but one thing is undeniable about Big Beach: there’s a lot of it. You can swim with the cluster of people that congregate near the entrance or find your own little swimming hole away from the crowd further on down the sand. Look out for the occasional set of big waves and the boogie boarders who might be riding them. JA

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Best Yoga Teacher, Winner
Nadia Toraman
I wonder if those who voted in this category experienced cognitive dissonance, given that namaste, a word commonly exchanged among yogic practitioners, means “the divine in me recognizes the divine in you,” or something along those lines. Basically, we are all merely sparks, miniscule pieces, of Brahma, and thus the same and, paradoxically, simultaneously unique; the equivalent of one another. But whatevs. Nadia Toraman launched Maui Yoga Shala studio in 1996 in Kuau, and continues to reprezent (yeah, I spelled that with a z) by way of Maui Yoga, a practice she developed using a blend of Ashtanga and Iyengar yoga. Plus she offers a kama‘aina rate, which is always appreciated. KB

Best Local Coach, Winner
Paul Kauhane Luuwai
Though Luuwai was the center of some controversy when he was suspended with pay as a teacher at King Kekaulike (he was later reinstated, and the reasons for the suspension remain unclear), his story has mostly been one of success and accolades. (Many colleagues and students rushed to his defense after the suspension.) A respected and driven coach, Luuwai helmed King K’s paddling team for its first five years, from 2002 to 2006, and helped usher in and popularize the sport. In 2004, the team won a state mixed division title, the first time in the school’s history that it brought back a state trophy in a team sport. Luuwai’s dedication to paddling continues; among other things, he serves as the Hawaiian Canoe Club keiki coach. JS

Best Tourist Activity, Winner
Whale Watching
There is really no way to prepare yourself for just how awesome whale watching is. It’s fun enough from the beach or some strategic lookout point, playing a kind of oceanic Where’s Waldo? as you look for those telltale white puffs. But go out in a boat and get close to the things and you’re truly awestruck. Not merely at their size—though they are indeed massive—but their agility and gracefulness. What you come away realizing is that there’s this whole world that exists beneath the ocean’s surface, one we’re lucky enough to catch occasional glimpses of but that we know very little about. Take a break from the sunbathing and mai-tais—both of which got votes here, by the way, along with, predictably “going home”—and marvel at Maui’s majestic annual visitors. JS

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