Our beloved Coco Ho from Sunset Beach has not missed an event for 11 years and now bye bye tour for a bit. Like John John Florence Coco also injured her knee while doing an air. She was practicing at the Waco, Texas wave pool. Air maneuvers are the future for the Women but it is super easy to injure yourself in the process. It is not crucial to pull airs for the Women in the competitions but that is coming for sure. It is a common move for the men and the Women are following suit. Ho injured her knee, an MCL injury. The medial collateral ligament is basically a band of tissue that runs along the inner edge of your knee and when hit or stretched to hard can strain or tear. In my day hits from fins to the head and body seemed to be common. As things heat up and more is expected of the pros these types of injuries are gonna happen. Wishing Coco a speedy recovery!!

KALANI AND KRYSTL WON THE PAKALOHA BIKINIS TANDEM SURFING WORLD TITLE

It has been a back and forth of the World Champion trophy between France’s team of Rico Leroy and Sarah Burel. They were victorious last season in France with Kalani Vierra and Krystl Apeles taking second. In Waikiki last month the World Champion title came back to Hawaii! Vierra and Apeles performed super difficult lifts at Queens surf break and won the event! Having claimed the world title in both 2015 and 2017, this is the Vierra/Apeles team’s third ITSA world championship win, with Vierra holding an additional four ITSA world champion crowns with previous partners. The World Championship event will go back to France next year, hopefully with all our Hawaii teams sponsored! A new team killed it and surfed in to second place after only about two years practicing. Alika Willis & Leslie Sanchez from Waikiki had the waves wired from the start of every heat, local knowledge totally helped them into the second place spot. Congrats to our World Champions and all the teams!