"Moore-Benson Duo Win Tandem Ride at Makaha," by Ken Kobayashi, Honolulu Advertiser, Dec 28, 1969

Beachboy Bob Moore and blond Blanche Benson glided across perfect four-foot waves in winning acrobatic form yesterday to take top honors in the International Surfing Championships at Makaha.

The hour-and-a-half tandem heat with 10 entries competing before about 1,000 spectators lining the sandy beach closed the 17th annual Makaha meet.

With a slight breeze and the same kind of sunshine which opened the world-famous tourney a week ago. the conditions were “ideal” and “perfect,” the winning pair said.

Moore and Miss Benson of the Hobie surf team received two first-place ties and a first-place vote from the three judges. Hal Sachs and Patti Young got second-place.

In third, Fred Hemmings and Leslie Scott whiskered past Wata Watanabe and Cindy Peterson.

For both Moore and Miss Benson, the championship is their second, though their previous wins having been during different years and with different partners.

Moore, 46 years old, won in 1967 with this year’s female half of the second-place team, Miss Scott. Sixteen-year-old Miss Benson took top honors with Leroy Ah Choy in her first competition last year.

Moore, a veteran pro who teaches surfing in front of the Reef Hotel, has entered the Makaha tandem event for a decade.

I've done this for so long, I don’t practice so much,” the tanned, chunky surfer said after his heat.

And according to Miss Benson, they have practiced only on dry land.

“If a guy can surf and he can do it (tandem performing) on land, he can do it on water.” the Leilehua junior said. "Except it’s easier on land ”

The duo performed only once together in a California meet earlier this year, which they won.

Like the other top tandem teams, but a little better, Moore and Miss Benson did a leg and handstand, a high stag with a split, a swan stand and a "grass shack," Moore's own invention.

Carrying his partner over his head, on his shoulders and under his arms, Moore rode Makaha's best waves oftentimes all the way to shore.

Tiny 11-year-old Michel Ho and Kalani High School sophomore Luana Froiseth also did some fancy riding, but with Miss Froiseth doing the carrying, The two managed to improvise, do a swan-stand, and captured 9th place.

"Strauch Wins Makaha Surf Title; Hemmings, Blears Second, Third," by Ken Kobayashi, Honolulu Advertiser, Dec 25, 1969

Veteran surfer Paul Strauch Jr. needed only six rides yesterday and 12 for the entire meet to take his first men’s division win in the 17th annual Makaha International Surfing Championships.

Strauch was joined in the winner's circle by 17- year-old Martha Sunn, who took the women's division crown, and Keone Downing, who won his second straight junior men’s title in yesterday’s all-day competition, which concluded three of the four major meet events.

Strauch, only picking the best waves in his three Makaha heats, led the Hawaii sweep, which took the top three positions in the men’s division.

Fred Hcmmings Jr. finished second and goofyfooter Jimmy Blears placed third on the four-to-six, with occasional eight-foot, surf.

Less than 200 spectators were on hand to watch the 45-minute mens final heat, which started the fourth day of competition at 8:35 in the morning. Rains and high winds dissuaded many from watching the action.

The judges took each surfer's five best rides and gave Strauch three of five first- place votes for the 26-year- old Punahou graduate's convincing win.

Strauch, one of the 12 surfers seeded into the quarterfinals, rode only the minimum six waves Monday to place first in his quarterfinal and semifinal heats.

And yesterday, he rode only six five-to-eight-foot waves, one more than the minimum, to win his first Makaha championships since taking the juniors title in 1959.

Strauch. who is in the real estate business, said his strategy was to “catch the largest wave and work the surf as much as possible.” The 12-year Makaha competitor earlier this month placed second in the Duke Kahanamoku surfing classic.

Two California finalists, Rolf Aurness and Corky Carroll, placed fourth and fifth, respectively. George Downing. the only non-seeded surfer who competed through the preliminaries into the finals, placed sixth.

Defending champion Joey Cabell, from Kauai, seeded in the finals, could not participate because of personal reasons.

In the junior men’s division. George Downing’s son, Keone, a 16-year-old Kamehameha junior, said: “Those were my type waves," as he barely nosed out hot-dogging Craig Wilson in their 45-minute final heat.

Miss Sunn, a senior at Waianae High School, won her second Makaha title in three years. Her older sister. Anella Sunn, who beat her in the semifinals, placed second in their final heat.

1969 Makaha International Surfing Championships

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