Blue waves, sideshore, cool rides. Ho'okipa again? What looks very similar from the outside for a long time, harbours unique stories and revolutionary moments on the inside every year. Here are five events that make the Aloha Classic 2024 special.
1st stormy final day
The stormy weather with big waves and cloudy skies gave the final day a particularly powerful atmosphere. The riders battled with extremely changeable conditions, which caused a lot of tension when choosing equipment. In addition, extraordinary Ho'okipa pictures were created.
2. Bernd Roediger in the right rhythm
Many people wondered why Bernd Roediger was suddenly travelling on the water with a small, yellow shoulder bag. The answer: music. He stowed his mobile phone and speakers in the waterproof bag and surfed to his favourite songs in the contest. While at the beginning he was obviously still reaching for pithy tunes like "Fade to Black" by Metallica, he chose very calm meditation music for the final.
You believe that everything will work out, but you also know how fallible you are. I didn't see that coming." (Bernd Roediger)
3. dunki's breakthrough
Liam Dunkerbeck finished on the podium twice at the contest in which his father was the first European to win the wave riding discipline exactly 30 years ago. (1st juniors & 3rd men.) The decisive wave 360 in the final was a dead ringer for his father's technique in 1994.
I still can't believe that my very first men's final took place in Ho'okipa." (Liam Dunkerbeck)
4. clean title distribution
The two locals and Ho'okipa specialists Sarah Hauser and Bernd Roediger each win their third Aloha title, while the two second-placed all-rounders Sarah-Quita Offringa and Marcilio Browne become world champions once again. World champions versus Maui locals as it is written in the book, although it has to be said that world champion Browne from Brazil has also had his primary residence on Maui for several years.
The Aloha Classic was the first competition of my career in 2012. A legendary event. A win here means everything to me." (Sarah Hauser)
5. wave rides in focus
Even when the wind was strong enough at times, Head Judge Boujmaa Guilloul decided not to include a jump in the score. What used to be a matter of course is now seen less and less often. The contest is therefore very similar to a surfing competition: In long 4-way heats, only the two best wave rides are included in the ranking, with the first two progressing. The competition organisers argue that the performance on the wave would suffer too much if the riders also had to deliver a jump. On the one hand, the time spent searching for a suitable jump ramp plays a role, and on the other, the equipment.
For example, Kai Lenny surfed with a self-designed board that is one hundred per cent designed for riding waves and is more like a wave rider than a windsurfing board in terms of its set-up. Turning characteristics before gliding characteristics is the motto here. Is this the future?
