Announcements

Posted April 9, 2023

Waikiki Swim Club 2023 Annual Meeting & Banquet

2022 Humu Cup award winners announced at Waikiki Swim Club Annual Meeting and Banquet

Sandie Easton wins her fourth consecutive Humu Cup award!

Approximately 75 members and guests gathered on Saturday March 18^th for the WSC Annual Meeting & Banquet at the Elks Lodge, Waikiki. While the green flash scheduled for 6:42 pm failed to make an appearance, the rain stayed away and members enjoyed an evening of socializing, food and drink. Club officer positions were filled by with a new generation of volunteers: President, Kelly Quin, VP Race Operations, Chris Ma; VP Communications, Monique Schafer; VP Membership, Francesca Leonetti; Treasurer, Jacki Skeweris; and Secretary, Theresa Geelhoed; with VP Social Activities open. Mark Royer, PhD, from the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, gave a fascinating talk on the diversity of sharks worldwide, their behavior and migation patterns around Hawaii.

A highlight of every Annual Meeting is the announcement of the Waikiki Swim Club Humu Cup awards:

• Adult Humu: Sandie Easton
• Junior Humu: Maddie Stuemke
• Female Swimmer of Year: Lori Auhll
• Male Swimmer of Year: Gene Grounds
• Spirit of Humu: Jeanine Nakakura
• Volunteer of the Year: Mary Beust

Posted February 25, 2020

Waikiki Swim Club 2020 Annual Meeting & Banquet

2019 Humu Cup award winners announced at Waikiki Swim Club Annual Meeting and Banquet

Repeat Junior Humu Cup winner, Skylar Webb,
crowned as first Junior winner of Female Swimmer of the Year

Approximately 85 members and guests gathered on Saturday February 22^nd for the WSC Annual Meeting & Banquet at the Elks Lodge, Waikiki. Members viewed a miraculous, extended green flash at 6:33 pm, then moved inside for a luscious banquet. Club officer positions were filled by encumbents: President, Allan Six, VP Race Operations, Sui-Lan Ellsworth; VP Communications, Gary Bignami; VP Membership, Kellie Andrade; Treasurer, Tom Heberle; and Secretary, Denise Webb; with VP Social Activities, Debra Van Zile, agreeing to serve in an interim capacity. Fiona Langenberger, from the Pacific Islands Ocean Observing System (PacIOOS), gave a spirited talk about ocean wave, current & weather sensors with demonstrations of the web interfaces available on the PacIOOS Voyager website. A PDF of her presentation is included below.

A highlight of the evening was the announcement of the Waikiki Swim Club Humu Cup awards:

• Adult Humu: Sandie Easton
• Junior Humu: Skylar Webb
• Female Swimmer of Year: Skylar Webb
• Male Swimmer of Year: Alton Motobu
• Spirit of Humu: Sharon Leng
• Volunteer of the Year: Susan Schenck & Allan Six

Supporting Ocean Users with Coastal and Ocean Observations

Fiona Langenberger, PacIOOS

Posted February 25, 2019

Waikiki Swim Club 2019 Annual Meeting & Banquet

2018 Humu Cup award winners announced at Waikiki Swim Club Annual Meeting and Banquet

Approximately 80 members and guests gathered on Saturday February 23^rd for the WSC Annual Meeting & Banquet at the Elks Lodge, Waikiki. In addition to the election of a new VP Social Activities, Debra Van Zile, the remaining officer positions were filled by encumbents: President, Allan Six, VP Race Operations, Sui-Lan Ellsworth; VP Communications, Gary Bignami; VP Membership, Kellie Harada; Treasurer, Tom Heberle; and Secretary, Denise Webb. The evening's speaker, Adam Kurtz, of NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Protected Resource Division, gave an informative talk about managing human interactions with protected wildlife by promoting compliance of the federal wildlife conservation laws. A PDF of his presentation is included below.

A highlight of the evening was the announcement of the Waikiki Swim Club Humu Cup awards:

• Adult Humu: Sandie Easton
• Junior Humu: Skylar Webb
• Female Swimmer of Year: Jeanine Nakakura
• Male Swimmer of Year: Raynard Miura
• Spirit of Humu: Bill Goding
• Volunteer of the Year: Warren Duryea
• Special Director's Award: Sui-Lan Ellsworth

Keeping Wildlife Wild: How to Safely Enjoy Protected Marine Wildlife

Adam Kurtz, NOAA NMFS

Posted June 26, 2018

Hawaii Swimming Hall of Fame to Induct Class of 2018

The Hawaii Swimming Hall of Fame will hold its 7^th Induction Ceremony and Banquet on Saturday, September 8, 2018, at the Hale Koa Hotel.

Fifteen (15) individuals who have contributed to Hawaii’s rich and outstanding aquatic history will be inducted in the ceremony, including three Waikiki Swim Club members (Uli Klinke, Alton Motobu and Sui-Lan Ellsworth):

The Hawaii Swimming Hall of Fame is an endeavor of the Hawaii Swimming Legacy Project to preserve the history of swimming and diving in Hawaii and to provide inspiration for future generations of Hawaii’s aquatic athletes. The Hawaii Swimming Legacy Project was established in 1999 by UH professor Hiroshi Yamauchi, Olympians Richard ‘Sonny’ Tanabe, Evelyn Kawamoto, and Bill Smith, Gary Hosaka, and Coach Keith Arakaki. The first Hall of Fame induction was held in 2002, with Duke Kahanamoku and Coach Soichi Sakamoto among the original group of inductees.

The public is invited to attend the 2018 Hawaii Swimming Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Banquet on Saturday, September 8, from 6:00 – 9:00 pm at the Hale Koa Hotel in Waikiki. Reservations available online at the Hawaii Swimming Hall of Fame website.

Tickets:

• Table of 10: (by 7/19): $850, (after 7/19): $1000
• Individual Tickets: (by 7/19): $90, (after 7/19): $100

Hurricane Season in Hawaii

June 1^st through November 30^th

Be Prepared!

Develop a family disaster preparedness plan now. Determine evacuation routes from your home and places to meet. Determine the location of official shelters. Have an out of state contact, so all your family members have a single point of contact.

Make a plan for what to do with your pets if you need to evacuate. Check your insurance coverage; flood damage is not usually covered by homeowners insurance.

• Central Pacific Hurricane Center Forecast
• Red Cross Emergency Kit Checklist (pdf)
• Hawaiian Electric Emergency Preparedness Pamphlet (pdf)

See WSC's Hawaii Weather page for tropical weather forecast.

Posted January 18, 2018

Waikiki Swim Club 2018 Annual Meeting & Banquet

2017 Humu Cup award winners announced at Waikiki Swim Club Annual Meeting and Banquet

A packed house of 100 members and guests enjoyed an evening of camaraderie, good food, and an amazing green flash sunset at the Elks Lodge, Waikiki. In addition to the election of a new Club President, Allan Six, members elected a new VP Membership, Kellie Harada, and VP Social Activities, Kelly Quin. The remaining officer positions were filled by encumbents: VP Race Operations, Sui-Lan Ellsworth; VP Communications, Gary Bignami; Treasurer, Tom Heberle; and Secretary, Denise Webb. The evening's speaker, New York Times best selling author, Susan Casey, treated attendees to an enthralling ocean-lover's talk ranging across topics of great white sharks, rogue waves, and the neurological basis of dolphin social interaction.

Another highlight of the evening was the announcement of the Waikiki Swim Club Humu Cup awards:

• Adult Humu: Sandie Easton
• Junior Humu: Taiyo Endo
• Female Swimmer of Year: Kelly Quin
• Male Swimmer of Year: Uli Klinke
• Spirit of Humu: Gary Bignami

Posted September 7, 2017

Commercial Catching Of Aquarium Fish Halted By Hawaii Supreme Court

UPDATED Justices rule the state’s practice of approving all properly prepared applications is inadequate.

From Civil Beat, by Nathan Eagle September 6, 2017

The state Supreme Court has ordered a stop to the commercial collection of aquarium fish in Hawaii pending an environmental review.

In a unanimous 73-page decision Wednesday, the justices ruled against the Department of Land and Natural Resources, vacating prior court rulings and directing the Circuit Court to issue a prohibitory injunction.

The court found that the commercial collection of fish for the aquarium trade is an “action” that is subject to the state environmental review process as laid out under the Hawaii Environmental Policy Act.

(Read more)

Curious about Hawaii regulations on fishing? Download the PDF.

Posted July 12, 2017

Hawaii Governor Vetoes Aquarium Fishing Bill

Gov. David Ige faced a heavy lobbying campaign from both sides on a bill phasing out commercial collection of fish for the aquarium industry.

From Civil Beat, by Nathan Eagle July 11, 2017

Gov. David Ige announced Tuesday that he has decided to veto a bill that would have phased out the commercial collection of aquarium fish in Hawaii.

The governor said he will also veto 12 other bills, including a measure that would have required the state Attorney General’s office to defend lifeguards in liability lawsuits since the Legislature let their immunity protection expire June 30.

House and Senate leaders announced Monday that the Legislature will not convene a special session to override any vetoed bills. They said they would review the governor’s concerns with any vetoed measures and consider them during the next regular session, which starts in January.

(Read more)

Curious about Hawaii regulations on fishing? Download the PDF.

Posted July 11, 2017

Box Jellyfish Days

Box jellyfish arrive in Waikiki approximately 8-11 days after the full moon. In addition to Waikiki, the jellyfish may show up at Hanauma Bay, Waimea Bay and occasionally the Waianae Coast and Windward Coast (Kailua).
1^st day of influx is usually on the 8^th or 9^th day after the full moon, lasting 2 or 3 days. Exact arrival timing and magnitude vary month to month.

2020 Box Jellyfish Calendar

Check with lifeguards if you are unsure about ocean conditions or if you are concerned about jellyfish.

Posted June 21, 2017

Posted June 10, 2017

NOAA Requests Hawksbill Sea Turtle Reporting

Swimmers! You can assist NOAA's efforts to protect rare Hawksbill Sea Turtles

Hawksbill Sea Turtle

For hawksbill turtle sightings, nesting beach tracks, and all injured or dead turtles, contact:

Green Sea Turtle, for comparision. These are much more common in Hawaii than Hawksbill turtles. Note the difference in the shell plates.

DLNR Asks Ocean Users to Avoid Sunscreens with Oxybenzone

A compound commonly found in sunscreens has been shown to cause serious harm to corals, and the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) is asking people who enter the ocean to avoid using sunscreens which contain oxybenzone.

A recent study has shown that oxybenzone causes deformities in coral larvae (planulae), making them unable to swim, settle out, and form new coral colonies. It also increases the rate at which coral bleaching occurs. This puts coral reef health at risk, and reduces resiliency to climate change.

Sunscreen chemicals wash off swimmers, surfers, paddlers, spearfishers, divers, and other ocean users. Even if you’re just sunbathing on the beach, using beach showers will wash chemicals into the ocean. Researchers have found oxybenzone concentrations in some Hawaiian waters at more than 30 times the level considered safe for corals.

(Read more)

Waikiki Swim Club welcomes swimmers from all around the world to enjoy our ocean and our friendship. If you are visiting or living on Oahu and interested in ocean swimming, please answer the questions in the "swimmer ability assessment" and submit the form. This will be automatically delivered to our volunteer staff. Responses to form submissions and emails are typically within three to four days. If you are visiting Oahu, please include the dates of your stay and the area where you are staying, along with your swimming ability information. The contact will advise you of potential swims appropriate for your ability and/or any prevailing conditions that may cancel the weekend swim or change the location.

Presentation from the 2013 Annual Meeting

Angel Yanagihara, PhD -- “The Science of the Sting.”
This presentation is copyrighted © 2013 – 2023, Angel Yanagihara.

For those of you who were unable to attend the Waikiki Swim Club Annual Meeting, Dr. Angel Yanagihara gave a fascinating presentation on box jellyfish, "The Science of the Sting". Dr. Yanagihara is a researcher at the University of Hawaii and a renown expert on box jellyfish. Here is a link to more information at her lab website. She is well known for her appearances on Nova, the Discovery Channel and others. She recently served as the jellyfish expert on “Team Nyad”, accompanying Diana Nyad on her marathon swim from Cuba to Florida.

Waikiki Swim Club Annual Awards

“The Humu Cup”

• ⇛The Humu Cup is awarded to a WSC member, 18 or older (masters), who achieves the most points over course of the year.
• ⇛The Junior Humu Cup is open to all junior swimmers (WSC membership not required), 17 and below, using the same criteria as masters.

Points are awarded for the following 16 events:

• Magic Island Biathlon
• Valentine's Day Biathlon
• Fin Swim
• Popoia Swim (1.5 Mile only)
• Outrigger Invitational
• Duke's Swim
• North Shore Swim Series (all 5 races)
• North Shore 5K
• Waikiki Rough Water Swim
• YMCA Turkey Swim (2K only)
• Double Rough Water
• Christmas Biathlon

Points are earned as follows:

• Individual events: 1st 10; 2nd 9; 3rd 8; 4th or higher 7
• Fin division earn "Individual Event" points only if there is a separate fin division for the race.
• Top 3 Overall winners get 1st place points
• Biathlon participation: 7 points for swimmers
• Masters may earn up to 10 points for WSC race assistance

updated 24 December 2019

The most important factor for accruing Humu Cup points is participation in as many events as possible.