Cazimero catches victory at Bowls

Kekoa Cazimero earned an extra special victory by taking the Arnette Cash Pot Surf Series at Ala Moana Bowls on Friday.

Cazimero considers Bowls to be his home break, and after making three finals this summer he finally came out on top.

Waves were in the 1- to 3-foot range and inconsistent due to the extreme high tide. But the goofy-footer from Waimanalo used his skill and years of experience at the break to beat Joel Centeio, Makua Rothman and Alex Pendleton.

"I am pumped because to get a win at my home break against Joel (Centeio), Kekoa (Bacalso), Makua (Rothman), Randall (Paulson) and all those guys feels great," Cazimero said. "We are going to have some fun tonight."

Pendleton got off to an early lead, sitting inside and catching a bunch of smaller waves while everyone else sat out the back waiting for set waves. Rothman struck next, catching a nice set wave and hammering a few nice snaps.

Then it was Cazimero’s turn. He caught a set wave and tore it to pieces with five searing turns. It was the highest-scoring wave of the heat to that point. After that flurry, the ocean went nearly dead flat for the remainder of the heat. A couple of small inside waves came in with a lot of hassling between the competitors.

Pendleton got the best of them, even giving Centeio interference on one. With less than two minutes remaining a set finally appeared and the crowd on the beach started cheering. No one cheered louder than Cazimero’s dad, Turk Cazimero. As his son stood up he knew this was the wave that would make it or break it. Four searing turns later and it was done. The smile on Turk’s face was unforgettable, as he knew his son had just taken it home for the family. Kekoa, who earned $1,300, was visibly ecstatic with the win.

"I am feeling awesome right now," Kekoa Cazimero said. "I finally got a win, so I am feeling blessed right now."

The event also featured a 16-and-under-division, which was won by 16-year-old Big Island surfer Shayden Pacarro.