The menehune are mythical little people known in Hawaii for their mischievous ways. Think warm-climate, surfing leprechauns. The name menehune was borrowed by the Windansea Surf Club in 1965. Next, the club chose La Jolla Shores as the venue, and surfers from up and down the California coast, and from as far away as Hawaii, showed up to complete.
The event, which currently invites all surfers under the age of 16 to compete at the Shores, was initially open only to surfers under 12.
The Menehune Contest is not only a fun, family event, but a predictor of future legends. This became evident from the first year, in 1965, when 11-year-old La Jolla local Margo Godfrey (now Oberg) prevailed over both sexes.
Proving her victory was no fluke, Margo returned the following year to again take top honors. A decade later, when women’s professional surfing was first established, Margo forged her legend with five Women’s World Surfing titles.
By 1967, Chris Picciolo of Santa Monica was top dog (or puppy). The following year, however, La Jolla reclaimed the title when Kyle Bakken took down every gremmie in sight.
By 1970, Hawaii’s Michael Ho occupied the catbird seat, showing great promise by winning the Menehune Contest in small waves. That may have been Ho’s first rodeo, but it was not his last, and, after ending a brilliant pro career, he continues, in his mid-60s, to surf Pipeline better than most surfers a third his age.
On Saturday, Oct. 4, I moved past the scaffolding and tents filled with prizes to the shore where a solid 4- to 5-foot swell was snapping on the sandbar. The waves were far from perfect, but the surfers on hand were carving their initials onto every available face. Snaps under the lip, and high-flying aerials and flyaway kickouts were the order of the day, with an occasional “pay per view” closed-out tube being pulled into.
At this, the 32nd Menehune event, young surfers traveled from up, down and inland California, Hawaii, England, Texas and Mexico. The youngest surfer this year was 4-year-old Callum Dugan of La Jolla.
2025 Winners include:
— Evan Slaughter, La Jolla
— Ilsa Villanueva, Imperial Beach
— Alise Champion, Rancho Penasquitos
— Pakal “Boo” Buenrostros, Nayarit, Mexico
Check back in 2035 to discover if any of the above champions went on to carve their names in surf history.
To learn more about the Windansea Surf Club Menehune Contest in particular, or the Windansea Surf Club in general, please visit the WSC site at windanseasurfclub.org.
