Irons was a man of heart

Like the immense, mostly unrideable waves that rolled in on Tuesday, there was a quality of untamed magnificence about surfer Andy Irons.

Sometimes headstrong, Irons, who died suddenly at age 32, was uncommonly gifted and determined.

More important, though, he returned the favor. A three-time world champion, Irons held a yearly contest in Hanalei, in the waves he and his brother Bruce rode as kids, to encourage Kauai’s best young surfers.

His legacy, surfers say, will be the waves of new competitors nurtured by the event and inspired by his story.

Isle GOP big with kids

Alas for Hawaii Republicans, the kids’ votes don’t actually count. If they did, Hawaii would be hailing Gov.-elect James "Duke" Aiona and sending U.S. Rep. Charles Djou back to Congress.

Of 108,486 ballots cast in Kids Voting Hawaii 2010, youngsters chose Republican Aiona over Democrat Neil Abercrombie, 59 percent to 36 percent, and Djou over Colleen Hanabusa, 61 percent to 39 percent.

In the real world, though, Hawaii’s adult voters on Tuesday elected Abercrombie and Hanabusa.

Commenting generally on Hawaii’s voting habits versus the mainland’s, Republican state Rep. Barbara Marumoto said Democratic disposition is a cultural thing: "It will take a generational change. Everyone is a cultural Democrat, but the changes they want are with the GOP."

Time will tell. Hawaii kids, we’ll check back with you in, say, eight years.