Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 32, Number 2, 1 February 2015 — Keanu Asing is the first Hawaiian kāne since 2010 to qualify for surfing's championship tour [ARTICLE]

Keanu Asing is the first Hawaiian kāne since 2010 to qualify for surfing's championship tour

When Keanu Asing competes at the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast in Australia he will be first Native Hawaiian man to compete on the Samsung Galaxy World Tour in five years. Kekoa Bacalso was the last kanaka maoli to surf for the men's world title in 20 10, and there has been an absence of the indigenous culture on the main stage of surfing. So when Asing, 21, paddles out for his heat in Australia this spring, he is representing our ancestors and culture. "It's amazing being the first Native Hawaiian since Koa to make it to the Big League," says Asing. "You know, it's something that means a lot to me and to put Hawai'i on my back and support the birth plaee of surfing is such an honor for me." It wasn't an easy road to qualification for Asing and it eame down to the hnal event of the 2014 Qualifying Series (QS), the Vans World Cup of Surfing at Sunset Beach. After making it to the quarterfinals of the World Cup of Surfing, whieh is the secondjewel of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, he had his golden ticket to the CT. The last kanaka maoli kāne to win the world championship was Sunny Garcia in 2000, and Asing is competing to be the next this season. While bringing home the world title is a priority, being an ambassador of aloha like the late, great Duke Kahanamoku is also important for Asing. "Being an ambassador of aloha is very important to me and to walk in the footsteps of Duke," he says. "How he made Hawai'i so proud every single plaee he went and made a great impact on the sport. I hope I ean do the same and make Hawai'i proud. It's a blessing and such an honor to be in this position." ■