Spotlight Series: Kainoa McGee

This week's Spotlight Series feature is a Waterman that is highly respected on any type of wave riding craft, from Bodyboards to Surfboards to Standup Paddleboards. He charges big waves and has help pushed the boundaries of what can be done on a wave craft. He is one of the Wave Slide Culture's living legends and has also been and continues to be an influence to a generation of wave riders. It is our honor and pleasure to present our Spotlight feature of the week, Kainoa McGee.

Photo: Unknown

 

Name? Kainoa Kalama McGee

Spotlight Series: Gilbert Wilama Weeks

This week's Spotlight Series feature is Gilbert Wilama Weeks aka @senoj_g on Instagram. This man can be found up and down the coast of Southern California charging waves with the best of them. He may not be a worldwide name yet, but we hope that this Spotlight Series can help change that. We here at OkShoots, would just like to say many thanks to Gilbert for taking the time to participate in our Spotlight Series Q&A. Enjoy!

 

Photo: @aarongoulding

 

Name?   

Gilbert Wilama Weeks

Instagram: @senoj_g

Spotlight Series: Thomas Gaulke

We are back again with another great addition to our long list of Spotlight Series riders. This week we are honored to have Thomas Gaulke participating in our Spotlight Series Q & A. Please take the time to get to know his story and maybe he may offer insight to parts of the wave riding game that you've always wondered about. 

Photo: Eric Schnitzler

Name? 

Thomas Gaulke Instagram: @thomasgaulke

Spotlight Series: Regina Lucy Gamboa

With female wave riders on the rise in the wave riding community, we here at OkShoots just want to be able to present a platform for some of these amazing women to be spotlighted, so we hope that this week’s feature does that. This week’s Spotlight Series feature is on female wave rider, Regina Lucy Gamboa. She hails from the island of Guam and when she’s not in Mom mode to her two daughters, she out charging waves huge or small like there’s not a care in the world. Enjoy.

 

 

 

Name: Regina Lucy Gamboa

Spotlight Series: Evan Fa

Hey guys, we have got something special for you! This week's Spotlight Series feature is wave rider Evan Fa! We are stoked to have the opportunity to present this interview to our followers and supporters. Evan is one of the raddest dudes ever to wave ride. He has recently been spotted back in the water after a nasty back injury sidelined him for a good minute. So enjoy the Q and A we had with Evan and learn how he is bouncing back from the injury and the many different media projects he is involved. Thanks again Evan!

Rider: Evan Fa || Photo: Robbie Crawford

Spotlight Series: Joel Benavente

How's it guys! This week's Spotlight Series Feature is a wave rider hailing all the way from Guam, Joel Benavente. We've been honored to have a variety of people from all different places in the world participate in our Spotlight Series and Joel is one wave rider that continues to help push the stoke in the Wave Slide Culture. We are also honored to help spotlight the Guam surf community. So please enjoy the Spotlight Series on wave rider Joel Benavente.

Name? Joel Benavente aka "Swell" @joelswell

 

Spotlight Series: Bobby Kithcart

Thanks again for joining us on another installment of our Spotlight Series. If you're a new visitor or follower to our Blog, this is where we like to spotlight wave riders, shapers, or influential individuals to the Wave Slide Culture. This week we are spotlighting a wave rider that has helped to elevate what it means to be a wave rider doing it on a bodyboard and on the knee (aka Dropknee) in Cali. Again we just want to say thanks to Bobby Kithcart for taking the time to partake in our Spotlight Series and we hope you guys enjoy our little Q & A with him.

 

 

 Name? Bobby Kithcart

Where are you from? Redondo Beach, California

 

Spotlight Series: Omar Leon

This week's Spotlight Series feature is a wave rider from San Diego, California. Our featured Spotlight is Omar Leon. He is a wave rider that has continued the long list great wave riders that come from the city of San Diego. From all of the crew here at OkShoots we just want to say thanks for participating in the Spotlight Series and that please everyone enjoy our Q and A segment with Omar Leon.

Name? Omar Leon

Where are you from? South San Diego, California.

Spotlight Series: Chris Monroe

Hey guys, this week's Spotlight Series Feature is wave rider Chris Monroe. We have been a fan of his since the old Crysis Bodyboarder Magazines, he was one of those guys that would charge big, but with style. We wanted to spotlight him because of how much fun he has in the water. If you're looking to see how much fun, just check out his Instagram. He rides everything. Here it is our Spotlight Series feature with Chris Monroe.
 

 

Name? Chris Monroe @beefsofficial


Where are you from? San Clemente, CA

Spotlight Series: Brennan Rose

We here at OKSHOOTS are all about that Wave Slide Culture, where it doesn't matter what you ride or how you look, as long as you're having FUN. For this week's Spotlight Series we feature wave rider Brennan Rose who rides anything anywhere. To us he's one Rad guy and we say thanks for taking the time to participate in our Spotlight Series and enjoy guys!

Name? Brennan Rose

Where are you from? I’m from Long Beach, CA but live most of the year in Hawaii.

Spotlight Series: Matt Lackey

On this week's Spotlight Series we have a wave rider who has help revolutionize and put a resurgence of the Dropknee aspect of Bodyboarding. If you need to see his credentials, just look up any of the No Friends DVDs and watch him hold his own with the legendary Paul Roach. This week's Spotlight Series feature is wave rider Matt Lackey. We here at OkShoots just want to extend our thanks to Matt for taking the time to participate in our Spotlight Series. Enjoy!
 

Name? Matt Lackey

Where are you from? Coolangatta - Australia

Spotlight Series: Kevin Jimenez

This week's Spotlight Series features a native Californian, who is as stylish as comes when wave riding. This week's feature also spends part of his time helping to defend our country in the US Navy. Please enjoy this week's Spotlight Series feature on wave rider Kevin Jimenez.

Name? Kevin Jimenez

Where are you from? San Diego, California

What got you into the sport? My older brother Marc and Mike Stewart. Also, the hungry pack at Seaside Reef and Marine Street. 

Spotlight Series: Noah Wright

This week's Spotlight Series features wave rider Noah Wright, who hails from the Big Island of Hawaii and charges waves whenever he gets the chance. Enjoy the feature on a wave rider you might be hearing from soon.

Name? Noah Ikaika Manawelea Wright (IG: @nativewrights)

Where are you from? Big Island, Hawaii

What got you into the sport? Ever since I first got barreled on a wave, I’ve been hooked ever since. 
It’s such an indescribable feeling.

Spotlight Series: Lilly Pollard

For this week's Spotlight Series, we have World Champion wave rider, Lilly Pollard. She has persevered through an injury and has continued to push Women's wave riding to new levels. We here at OkShoots would just like to say she is among our favorite wave riders to watch and we look forward to seeing more amazing things to come from her. Please enjoy and read up on her and maybe you'll find something that may help you in your wave riding.

Name? Lilly Pollard

Where are you from? Cronulla NSW Australia 

What got you into the sport? I used to follow my brothers around doing everything they did... Anything fun, from playing with Star Wars figurines, Lego, footy, cricket, beating each other up haha, then when we moved near the sea, we all got into the surf. My bro Jono is a pretty sick DK rider, he actually competed in the world tour event at Avoca, in like 1997 I think it was?

Spotlight Series: Andre Botha

This week's Rider Spotlight is one of the most stylish and influential wave riders in the world. We have Andre Botha. We would just like to say thanks for taking the time to do a little mini interview for our Blog. Please enjoy and maybe you'll end up knowing something that you never knew about Andre Botha. Thank you again!

 

Name? Andre Botha

 

Where are you from? Born in Cape Town and raised in Durban, South Africa

 

What got you into the sport? I was always attracted to the ocean, which is easy when you grow up on the coast.  It started at a very young age, swimming in the ocean and playing in the shore-break, it's a feeling I can always remember enjoying.   I joined Jr. Lifeguarding soon after and it proved to teach me a lot about the ocean. 

How long have you been wave riding? More than 25 years.

 

Amateur/Underground or Professional (Prone, Dropknee, Surfing, Surfmat, Bodysurf, etc.)?

Professional Prone 

What's your preferred board size, core, and tail shape? A Red 42 Crescent Tail.

 

Favorite Breaks (Can choose not to disclose or reveal locations)? Pipeline, Fronton, Cave Rock and of course, Teahupo'o 

Any words of advice for up and coming wave riders? Don't leave your trash on the beach and if you see any trash on the beach, than do your best to pick it up.  

Shout outs? Obviously my sponsors because without them this would not be possible.  Empire Bodyboards, 662Mob, Ally Swimfins!  And to everyone who has supported me and believed in me throughout the years.

Spotlight Series: Jeffrey Hubbard

For this week's Rider Spotlight, we feature Jeff Hubbard, one of the world's premier wave riders. Jeff is known for being able to get some of the biggest airs on a bodyboard. Below we asked just wanted to ask Jeff a few questions and hopefully there are answers that you may not have known about Jeff. Again we would like to extend our thanks to Jeff for taking the time to participate in our Rider Spotlight segment. Enjoy!
 

 

Name? Jeffery Hubbard

 

Where are you from? Lihue, Hawai’i

How long have you been wave riding? I have been riding waves for 28 years.

Amateur or Professional (Prone, Dropknee, Surfing, Surfmat, Bodysurf, etc.)? I am a Professional Bodyboarder.

Favorite Breaks (Can choose not to disclose or reveal locations)? My favorite break is Pipeline.

Any words of advice for up and coming wave riders? My advice for anyone is to have fun, smile, and enjoy the whole experience from the car ride to the beach, to jumping into the water, and to eating afterwards. It never gets old and should be done with a smile and with friends.

 

Shout outs? Thank you to everyone!

Spotlight Series: Dane Gella

Name: Aloha everyone! My name is Dane Gella aka Danejah

Where are you from? I was raised up in Waipio Gentry.

How long you've been wave riding? A long time.


Amateur or Professional (Prone, Dropknee, Surf, Surfmat, Bodysurf, etc.)? I’m a well-rounded underground wave rider. I love Bodyboard and Surf. I prefer Dropknee to Prone, but love to do it all.

 

What got you in to the sport? I got inspired by my dad Duncan Gella, who is an amazing surfer. He used to take my brother and me to Waikiki Walls every weekend. Then I met my brothers and the rest of the crew at Kanoelani Elementary school. There after my friend Kaleo’s Dad started to take us to “Tracks” in Nanakuli every weekend and it pretty much kept me loving the sport ever since.

 

Favorite breaks (can choose not to disclose)? My favorite home breaks are “I don’t knows” on the West side (locals only) and V land on the North Shore.

 

Shout outs? Shout out to the Sponge Dis Crew; Kaleo, Donovan, Hector, Delio, Joseph, Shaun, and Steven V straight out of Waipio that has been together ever since we were small kids. Till this day we still charging! #Sped4Lyfe

Spotlight Series: Stephen Minor

Name? Stephen Minor @minorprojects

Where are you from? Oceanside, CA

What got you in to the sport? My neighbor and his Pops had some nice boards would always go paddle out at the beach and they would take me with them since I was around 10 years old. They taught me how to Surf, Sponge, and just appreciate the Ocean in general.


How long you've been wave riding? 12 years now since I'm 22, haha.

Amateur/Underground or Professional (Prone, Dropknee, Surf, Surfmat, Bodysurf, etc.)? Underground so far... DK/70 Prone/30 when the waves are good. Anything below 3-4 I'll grab a soft top Wavestorm or something like that.


Favorite breaks? (Can choose not to disclose) Lowers and the Wedge. Lowers is probably my all-time favorite wave on Dropknee, you can get more turns in one wave there than anywhere else I've seen. The Wedge is my favorite prone wave, there’s so much power it never ceases to scare me haha. 

Shout outs? My boy Kailoa Powers who has been my biggest Dropknee influence since day one. Wally Sani who throws the most insane hacks I've seen with my own eyes. Michael Meza who shares the Spongedaily ocean love and is always down to paddle out. 

Spotlight Series: Hunter Brackett

Name: Hunter Brackett

Where are you from? Imperial Beach, CA

What got you into the sport? I love being in the water. My dad has been bringing me near or around the ocean since I was 5 years old.

How long have you been wave riding? I have been in or around the water for 11 years so pretty

much all  of my life.

Amateur or Professional (Prone, Dropknee, Surf, Bodysurf, etc)? I am an Amateur Prone Bodyboarder and Bodysurfer.

Favorite Breaks (can choose not to disclose)? Mexico, Big Rock, and Imperial Beach

Shout Outs? A big shout out to the guys at Surfhut!

Instagram: @hunterbrah

Spotlight Series: Bob King

For our Spotlight Series features we enjoy reading about wave riders who enjoy any type of wave riding. That's what we here at OkShoots are all about, is that Waveslide Culture. This week's Spotlight features wave rider Bob King who just enjoys his time in the water and his face shows it every time. Enjoy the Q and A with Bob.

Name? Bob King @bobbiewobbie

Where are you from? Leucadia CA 

What got you in to the sport? I love being in the ocean and experiencing wave energy.

How long you've been wave riding? I started wave riding around 1980, when my family moved to Oahu.

Amateur, Professional or Underground (Prone, Dropknee, Surf, Surfmat, Bodysurf, Skimboard)? Very Amateur bodysurfer and Paipo board rider. 

Favorite breaks? I love finding hallow un-crowed spots. Most of my favorite spots only have the names that we make up and would not mean anything to anyone else, like - Crab Traps or The Magic Left.

Shout outs? Big shout out to the Leucadia United Crew. The Early Morning Ohana. @enjoyhandplanes

Photo by @aqsurf