Special to The Maui News

Kekaula Campbell once again showed his remarkable ability in the surf at Launiupoko Park, winning the men’s open division at the Ole Longboard Classic on Sunday.

It was Campbell’s eighth win in the 27 years of the contest. No other surfer has won more than three times.

Campbell took his latest victory in stride.

“I’m always stoked. It feels good every time,” he said. “This is one of the places I learned how to surf. It’s a special place to me and my family.”

The 43-year-old Campbell is the high school surf coach at Kamehameha Schools Maui along with being the Dean of Students for the eighth grade. One of his current surf team members, Ty Simpson-Kane, was also in the finals. Simpson-Kane, a senior, had won the junior men division on Saturday.

They had some friendly exchanges in their heat.

“He was harassing me the whole time,” Campbell said with a laugh. “He was saying, ‘Don’t let any kids beat you.’ It was good fun surfing with him, super proud of him. All his heats, he looked so smooth and strong. If anyone was going to beat me, I was hoping it was going to be Ty.”

Tasha Jahrmarkt claimed the 30-surfer women’s open division, her first surf meet win.

“Best day ever,” said Jahrmarkt, a 24-year-old surf shop manager. “I’ve been doing contests since I was like 6, and this is first time I’ve ever won. It’s probably the one contest I really want to win, just a lot of prestige that comes with that.”

She pointed to her new piece of equipment as being a key.

“I got a new board about a week and a half ago from my boyfriend, Hans Vandervoort,” she said. “It worked really good. Don’t think I would have made it through without it.”

In age-group surfing, Mikaela Woodard won the biggest division, the junior girls with 24 surfers. The 14-year-old Kihei homeschooler had the two highest-scoring waves in the final, including a 6.0 on her last ride.

“I didn’t surf my best the first few waves,” Woodard said. “Then that last one, it clicked and I was really happy. I dropped in and did a bottom turn, then as close as I could to hang five, and then did a big turn at the end.

“I was really blessed to be with all these girls and we were like super supportive for each other in the water. I think when you’re having fun you do a lot better, and I had a blast.”

Ashley Taoka won the women’s junior division. The University of Hawaii at Manoa sophomore was surfing against three of her former Maui High surf team members in the final, including her sister, Tamryn. Tamryn Taoka placed second, Chloe Domingo was third and Lily Ahrnsbrak was fifth — all three are juniors at Maui High.

While Ashley Taoka was happy to get her first Ole win, her sister was not so pleased.

“I needed a wave, we were paddle battling,” Ashley Taoka said with a laugh. “She was so deep I thought she was going to go left so I just stood up. She was mad. … It’s a friendly competition. She really wanted that one, but that was the only set wave so I had to go for it.

“It feels so good, I’ve been entering the Ole the past couple years and I’ve always wanted to take a win. I’m super stoked.”

Mickey Ester of Huntington Beach, Calif., won the newest division, the 70 and over. Ester has been competing in the Ole for the past 22 years.

“I am so stoked, I am so tired of surfing with those 60-year-old kids,” Ester joked. “I look forward to it every year. Just to be able to surf with these guys means the world to me.”

Other division winners included Bode Davis (menehune), Chase Burnes (junior boys), Kailer Jones (19-29), Alika Apo (30-39), Eric Casco (40-49), Andy Claydon (50-59), Tony Brack (60-69), Mahealani Ah Hee (aunties), and Travis Alexander (Ole).

*****

Ole Longboard Classic

Saturday’s and Sunday’s Results

At Launiupoko Park

Menehune–1. Bode Davis 15.00, 2. Aiden Haas 12.67, 3. Taj Craig 9.50, 4. Rael Pineres-Schooley 7.00, 5. Jayda Eide 5.76, 6. Stella Pogni 5.16.

Junior girls–1. Mikaela Woodard 11.33, 2. Talia Sloan 8.50, 3. Sloane Jucker 8.40, 4. Maya Carrozzino 7.90, 5. Lila Sloan 7.76, 6. Thayane Colpas 7.73.

Junior boys–1. Chase Burnes 12.34, 2. Kahlil Pineres-Schooley 12.17, 3. Sebastian Bianchi 10.77, 4. Jayden Craig 8.17, 5. Noa Moscovich 8.00, 6. Carson Hays 2.33.

Junior women–1. Ashley Taoka 9.33, 2. Tamryn Taoka 9.00, 3. Chloe Domingo 7.00, 4. Anna Fosbinder 4.36, 5. Lily Ahrnsbrak 3.70, 6. Ember Anderson 2.50.

Junior men–1. Ty Simpson-Kane 17.17, 2. Kai Claydon 9.16, 3. Makoa Akana 8.56, 4. Kai Carrozzino 0.00.

19-29–1. Kailer Jones 12.90, 2. Miles Serafica 10.67, 3. Travis Baptiste 9.80, 4. Kekoa Kalehuawehe 9.06, 5. Avery Kibby 6.20, 6. Taitum Jones 4.00.

30-39–1. Alika Apo 16.00, 2. Mau Ah Hee 14.66, 3. Ian “Poch” Repello 12.63, 4. Tara Tran 11.80, 5. Hans Vandervoort 11.60, 6. Joey Mattos 9.50.

40-49–1. Eric Casco 12.66, 2. Kekaula Campbell 8.50, 3. Shayne Edelhertz 7.00, 4. Truman Taoka 6.73, 5. Cade Duldulao 6.07, 6. Ryan Schooley 5.83.

50-59–1. Andy Claydon 9.57, 2. David Wilson 8.76, 3. Jud Lau 7.96, 4. Gayle Miyaguchi 7.27, 5. Marcy Martin 6.84.

60-69–1. Tony Brack 8.57, 2. Moe Serafica 8.44, 3. Bruce Baptiste 7.33, 4. Louis Wallace 6.50, 5. Tomi Tsuda 6.00.

70 and over–1. Mickey Ester 14.83, 2. Kevin Eide 12.84, 3. Barry Brown 10.50, 4. Snake Ah Hee 10.40, 5. Jeff Lackey 10.17, 6. Tom Schooley 7.94.

Aunties–1. Mahealani Ah Hee 11.67, 2. Yuki Knight 10.40, 3. Tami Duldulao 7.67, 4. Marcy Martin 6.94, 5. Gayle Miyaguchi 6.33, 6. Melissa Eide 6.17.

Ole–1. Travis Alexander 11.76, 2. Eric Casco 11.40, 3. Travis Baptiste 9.77, 4. Kahlil Pineres-Schooley 6.13, 5. Lara Claydon 5.67, 6. Bode Davis 4.74.

Open women–1. Tasha Jahrmarkt 9.34, 2. Lara Claydon 7.33, 3. Tish Paet 6.93, 4. Yuki Knight 6.67, 5. Mahealani Ah Hee 6.44, 6. Tara Tran 5.03.

Open men–1. Kekaula Campbell 11.67, 2. Alika Apo 9.86, 3. Ty Simpson-Kane 9.27, 4. Landon McLaughlin 9.03, 5. Kai Claydon 7.33, 6. Mau Ah Hee 5.56.