Have You Heard The News? Kolohe Won Nationals!

"You only win Nationals once," said Kolohe Andino, boarding Red Bull's double decker bus, reserved for the soon-to-be-anointed NSSA Open Men's National Champ. "It's kind of embarrassing having this bus pull up at T Street where I surf every day, but it feels pretty good to celebrate."

Sporting a sharp tie and jacket combo for the occassion, Kolohe and a couple dozen of his closest friends jumped on the double decker to cruise up to the NSSA banquet in Huntington Beach. After a tough week of hottly contested heats down at the NSSA Nationals it was feeling good to kick back and enjoy the ride.

"You may have to paddle out in your heat alone," he philosophized, "but I hardly did this by myself. My family is always there, supporting me and cheering me on. And my friends, they push me and make me want to surf better all the time. I feel pretty lucky to be able to achieve something like this, and couldn't have done it without everybody around me...we're partying tonight."

Left to their own devises once the double decker rolled away from the curb, the new National champ and his entorage of surf rats and affectionate admirers spent the rest of the night cruising Orange County and celebrating a well-earned national title.