This season of Love, hope and spiritual reflection seems the appropriate time to feature my best friend, Sharlene Santos (and her new custom Classic!). Sharlene and I met in the late 1970s, when she ordered a new board from Cippy - a Lazerlash ((which she still has, I might add). Anyway, I was out at Canoes one morning and this friendly young woman paddled up and asked if I was Cippy's wife. We struck up a conversation, and a friendship that has turned into a life-long blessing. Although Shar has since returned to her hometown California neighborhood near Steamer's Lane, we've managed to stay close and were fortunate enough to have a couple of "Classic" sessions this past year.
Sharlene has deep Hawaiian surfing roots. She came to Hawaii as a teenager on her own,to surf. She worked on the beach for the legendary, late Pops Steamboat at the concecssion by the old Banyan Tree where the surf-lockers and the Waikiki Police Station stand today. Her roommates were Jill Kahanamoku, (Duke's neice), and esteemed waterman and canoe captain, Tommy SuiSui. Sharlene was there when Michael and Virgil were kids, when Bonga was a wall-rat, and when Freddy Marino, Aki, Oku, Blue and Manong were still in there prime... when Waikiki was in it's prime....
