Tag: maui

Maui surfer dies after shark attack; pro competition to relocate

A recreational surfer who was attacked by a shark Tuesday morning off Maui, forcing postponement of a women’s pro surfing contest, has died from his injuries.

A recreational surfer who was attacked by a shark Tuesday off Maui, forcing postponement of a women’s pro surfing contest, has died from his injuries.

The 56-year-old Lahaina man, whose identity had not been released as of Thursday afternoon, was bitten while paddling out in Honolua Bay before the scheduled 10 a.m. start of the second day of the Maui Pro.

Maui Memorial Medical Center confirmed late Wednesday that the man had succumbed to his injuries, according to multiple reports.

The World Surf League announced Wednesday that the Maui Pro would not resume at Honolua Bay. WSL organizers were working with authorities to find an alternate location in Hawaii.

–Top image showing Honolua Bay is courtesy of Travis Thurston; image showing the large bite mark on the victim’s surfboard is courtesy of the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources

Shark attack off Maui halts women’s pro surfing competition

A shark attack on a recreational surfer Tuesday off Maui forced the postponement of the a women’s pro surfing competition.

A shark attack on a recreational surfer Tuesday off Maui forced the postponement of a women’s pro surfing competition.

The surfer, a 56-year-old man who was rushed to the hospital for surgery after the incident, was not involved in the competition.

The attack occurred in Honolua Bay before the scheduled 10 a.m. start of the second day of the Maui Pro, a top-tier World Surf League women’s competition.

In a statement issued Tuesday, the WSL announced that “The competition is on hold until further notice.”

The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources issued a statement that reads, in part: “The DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) reports that a 56-year-old man from Lahaina was paddling out from the old ramp in the bay.

“It is unknown if others were in the water and DOCARE now reports that water clarity was good. The man was taken to the hospital and admitted for surgery.”

Honolua Bay Shark Incident, Dec. 8, 2020 from Hawaii DLNR on Vimeo.

The agency placed warning signs at Honolua Bay up to one mile on either side of where the attack occurred. The signs were to remain in place until at least noon Wednesday.

Ocean Safety officers searched the area for shark activity throughout most of Tuesday.

The unidentified man was paddling out from the old boat ramp at the bay when he encountered the shark, which bit a large chunk from his surfboard.

The shark species was not identified,  but tiger sharks are often implicated in these types of attacks in Hawaiian waters.

The crescent-shaped bite mark on the man’s surfboard measured nearly 17 inches.

–Images and video courtesy of Hawaii DNLR

Texas announces full non-conference schedule

Texas has announced for full non-conference schedule for the 2020-2021 basketball season. UT will be facing some of the best in CBB.

Texas has announced for full non-conference schedule for the 2020-2021 basketball season. With this being Shaka Smart’s final chance to get the Longhorns into the NCAA Tournament, it will be important to pick up a key win or two to build the resume.

Here is the full schedule:

  • vs Louisiana, Nov. 10 (Tuesday)
  • vs Gonzaga, Nov. 13 (Friday)
  • vs Stetson, Nov. 17 (Tuesday)
  • Maui Invitational, Nov. 23-25 (Alabama, Davidson, Indiana, North Carolina, Providence, Stanford, UNLV)
  • vs Utah Valley, Dec. 1
  • Big 12 / Big East Battle vs TBD, Dec. 6 (Sunday)
  • vs Boston University, Dec. 12 (Saturday)
  • The Battleground 2K20 vs Louisiana Tech, Dec. 18 (Friday)
  • vs Colgate, Dec. 21 (Monday)
  • vs Brown, Dec. 29 (Tuesday)
  • Big 12 / SEC Challenge vs TBD, Jan. 30 (Saturday)

One thing that pops out is there is not a true road game as of now. One could come from the Big 12 / Big East Battle or the Big 12 / SEC Challenge, but for now, Smart’s squad will only play games in Austin, Maui, and Houston.

Texas will be facing off against the biggest names in all of college basketball, including a big home matchup against Gonzaga. The Bulldogs are expected to be a preseason top-five team in the AP poll and will once again be a favorite to win the national championship.

The matchups of the Maui Jim Maui Invitational have not been announced, but with North Carolina and Indiana in the field, the Longhorns could face off against two of basketball’s blue bloods. Texas has a combined record of 9-4 against the Tar Heels and Hoosiers, with the latest win coming against UNC in 2018.

It will be an uphill battle for Shaka Smart, who is desperate need of a good season to retain his job. With new five-star recruit Greg Brown coming into the program, expectations will be sky high for Texas.

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Aloha, Irish! Notre Dame Headed Back to Hawaii in 2021

It’s not one that screams blue bloods as no Duke, North Carolina, Kansas or Kentucky will be playing but Oregon and Wisconsin have been strong programs both for sometime and Butler is always there to be a pain in, well, everyone’s rear end.

Notre Dame basketball will return to the Maui Invitational in the fall of 2021 according to a report from Jon Rothstein on Tuesday evening. It will be Notre Dame’s first trip back to Hawaii since winning the tournament in November of 2017.

Rothstein had the rest of the eight team list of Maui Invitational teams for 2021.

It’s not one that screams blue bloods as no Duke, North Carolina, Kansas or Kentucky will be playing but Oregon and Wisconsin have been strong programs both for sometime and Butler is always there to be a pain in, well, everyone’s rear end.

Get those plane tickets and hotels booked now, we’ve got Mike Brey in a t-shirt to go watch!

Drama builds during ‘terrifying but epic’ whale encounter

Kristina Jennings described her feelings during Saturday’s humpback whale encounter off Maui as a mixture of “absolute fear and hilarity.”

Kristina Jennings described her feelings during Saturday’s humpback whale encounter as a mixture of “absolute fear and hilarity,” to go along with her obvious amazement.

The accompanying footage, captured by Jennings off Maui, shows humpback whales smacking the water with their flukes while swimming to within feet of Jennings and her kayaking buddies: Dave Ponce and a Chihuahua mix named Harley.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXF-ftyfOxg]

Drama builds as the whales approach: 38 seconds (“Oh, god!”), 45 seconds (towering fluke), 55 seconds (“Dave… Get me out of here!), and ultimately the steady whining of Harley, who does not appreciate the intrusion.

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Humpback whales are famously curious and sometimes approach vessels. This was different in that the encounter involved males competing for dominance and the role of female escort. They did not seem to pay any attention to the kayakers.

“It was sort of terrifying at the time, but funny and epic now,” Jennings told For The Win Outdoors.

Jennings, Ponce and Harley had separated from their group to have a look at the whales tail-slapping in the distance. They stopped at what seemed a safe distance, but the whales were soon upon them.

“We had just stopped paddling when I started the video,” Jennings said. “The rest is absolute fear and hilarity. In the middle you can hear me grab Harley as he runs for the nose of the kayak. He’s not a big fan of new animals near his Dave.

“After Harley and I stopped shaking, it was totally amazing and worth it. I was glad I didn’t stop my camera or put my finger over the lens.”

Ponce, who works in the whale-watching industry, wanted to clarify that they were not trying to intrude on the whales.

“We stopped 100 yards away from the whales at a safe, legal, and respectful distance,” he wrote in the YouTube description. “After spotting the whales, they began moving, changing their course and heading straight toward us.

“We abided by rules by not ‘engaging engines’ or paddling while the whales were close… They just kept coming closer. We hadn’t paddled for about three minutes before this encounter happened.”

Maui is seasonal home to thousands of humpback whales from about December through April.

–Video and images courtesy of Kristina Jennings

Maui paddlers stalked by tiger sharks; warnings issued

Warning signs were posted along a stretch of Maui coastline Wednesday after standup paddlers encountered several aggressive tiger shark.

Warning signs were posted along a stretch of Maui coastline Wednesday after standup paddlers encountered large and aggressive tiger sharks, including one that bit a paddleboard.

There were no reports of injuries after the morning encounters between Keawakapu Beach and White Rock Beach in south Maui.

The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources stated in a news release that a paddleboarder called 911 to report the sighting of a 10-foot tiger shark in front of the Andaz Wailea Resort.

The Maui Fire Department’s Ocean Safety officers responded via personal watercraft and reported the “possible sighting” of three tiger sharks measuring 10 feet or more.

The DNLR stated that at one point several paddlers attempted to fend off an aggressive tiger shark with their paddles. It was unclear whether the person whose board was bitten fell into the water.

Several agencies have been cautioning beachgoers to stay out of the water and the closure was set to remain in place until at least Thursday afternoon.

–Top image showing damage to the paddleboard is courtesy of the Maui Fire Department; generic tiger shark image is via Wikipedia