NOTE: the 1970 Makaha contest finished in early 1971

"Wilson Wins Junior Title in Makaha Surfing Action," Honolulu Advertiser, Dec 20, 1970

Craig Wilson of Windansea whipped through a field of 36 to capture the junior men's title in the 18th annual Makaha International yesterday.

Riding the six to eight-foot surf, Wilson finished ahead of top-seeded Keone Downing of the Outrigger Canoe Club in second place, and unattached Larry Bertlemann in third.

Martha Sunn surfed to the women's title, besting 16 contestants. Becky Benson and Anella Sunn finished second and third.

Surf permitting, the men’s preliminaries and tandem events will be run today, with the start scheduled at 8 am.

Jeff Hakman. who took the Duke Kahanamoku Surf Classic last Monday, will head the field of 105 seniors.

The eleven tandem teams are expected to go if the waves hold at yesterday's proportions.

"Makaha Resumes; Last Hope Today," by Ken Kobayashi, Dec 27, 1970

After nearly a week of delay because of poor surf, the 18th annual International Surfing Championships resumed yesterday in small but adequate three-to-six-foot waves.

Steve Boehne and Barrie Algaw won the tandem championship by bettering six other teams, and 16 men's preliminary heats were run off during 8.5 hours of competition.

Leroy Ah Choy and Blanche Benson took second in the tandem, and Fred Hemmings and Cindy Peterson were awarded third.

Other than one major upset, the men’s preliminaries went as expected. George Downing, three-time Makaha champion, was eliminated, hut most of the other favorites advanced into the quarterfinals.

Surf permitting, the rest of the mens heats are expected to get underway starting at 8 o'clock this morning. It will be the last chance for the surfers, who began their long wait after the opening day of surf last Saturday.

"We wore just lucky to have surf.” said events chairman Wally Froiseth, who has been with the meet since the beginning. “This winter season has been very poor—the worst in 15 years.”

The preliminaries were 15 minutes long, with the judges scoring the best three waves. The first and second place finishers advanced to the quarterfinals.

Among the quarterfinalists are the father and son combination of Lord Blears and son Jimmy Blears, and brothers Eddie and Clyde Aikau.

Defending Makaha champion Paul Strauch is on tile Mainland for the holidays. He would have been seeded into the finals

"Inadequate Surfs Stymie Competition," Honolulu Advertiser, Dec 28, 1970

Inadequate surf and gusty winds at Makaha yesterday may have forced the closing of the 18th annual Makaha Invitational without a men's champion.

Unless the meet is rescheduled for a future date, which is doubtful, the men’s division will be scratched, undecided.

"Aussie Surfer Triumphs," by Ken Kobayashi, Jan 4, 1971

Like a reprieve coming at last possible moment, the seas at Makaha unleashed consistent and glassy 8-12-foot sets yesterday to enable Peter Drouyn of Australia to be finally crowned as the champion of the 18th annual Makaha International Surfing Championships.

Officials earlier this week said yesterday would be the last possible day that the contest could be held. And almost miraculously, the world-famous surf site responded after 11 days of postponements with the rollers to end the long meet which began Dec. 19.

The victory for the 21-year-old from Queensland capped his most successful year in surfing. Earlier, he won the 1970 Australian championships; and then came to Hawaii to place fourth in the Smirnoff and second in the Duke Kahanamoku Invitational.

Drouyn easily outclassed five other champion surfers before about 1,000 spectators m the 40 minute finals which was blessed by infequent by well-formed sets.

"I'm stoked," Drouyn said after the meet. "It's the hottest contest to win in the world."

Second place went to Felipe Pomar of Peru. Jeff Hakman placed third, Mark Sedlak placed fourth, Brandt Ackerman, fifth, and Australian Keith Paull, sixth.

All had some trouble catching enough waves. The judges were taking each surfers' five best rides and officials were unable to extend the heats as the sun was getting closer to the horizon and the glare was blinding the judges.

Two surfers fell short of the five minimum. Ackerman was credited with four waves and Paull only caught three. Drouyn, however, rode seven and that was his key to victory.

"He was grabbing everything in sight,” Hakman observed.

“I figured to work for the biggest waves first," Drouyn said, explaining his strategy, "then the medium ones, and after that anything 1 could find.

"This is how the Makaha is licked and it worked perfectly.”

Drouyn's was even more remarkable since he had completed his 40-minute semifinal heat (he took first In that also) only about 15 minutes before the finals.

The back-to-back performance knocked out Paull, who admitted, "it's physically and mentally exhausting. I was too tired.”

Drouyn, who has migrated here for winter surf four out of the past five years, plans to leave sometime next week for Peru.

1970 Makaha International Surfing Championships

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