It's an underrated gem running in Hawaii since the 1970s. The Buffalo Big Board Surfing Classic is an event like no other. Starting with the judging criteria.
Some people leave their marks in our world, more for who they are and less for what they did. However, a fine young Hawaiian gentleman by the name of Richard Kalolo'okalani Keaulana somehow has it all.
Richard "Buffalo" Kaloloʻokalani Keaulana was born on September 2, 1934, on Auld Lane in Honolulu to Abraham Keaulana and Mary Phoebe Mahi.
He attended Likelike Elementary, Waialua Elementary, and Nanakuli Intermediate in 1946.
Years later, in 1978, he enrolled at the Hawaii Maritime Academy, where he studied under Capt. Bob Alverson.
Buffalo often said Alverson was the best teacher he ever had because he could turn long words into common sense.
Buffalo married Evangeline Leimomi Whaley on November 6, 1960, at St. Augustine Church in Waikiki. Together they raised Brian, Jodie, Lehua, Russ, and James, and hanai sons Keoni and Stanley.
Before he became known for his surf contest, Buffalo built a life in the ocean.
At 12 years old, he started spearfishing. With no lunch money, he would catch fish during school breaks and give them to the cafeteria cooks. He followed a simple rule: take only what you need.
He served two years in the U.S. Army and worked as a lifeguard at Haleiwa in 1954 and 1955.
On November 18, 1960, he began what would become 34 years of service at Makaha Surfing Beach. At first, he lived on site as a park keeper and volunteer lifeguard.
On February 14, 1969, Honolulu Mayor Neal Blaisdell created a permanent full-time lifeguard position for him at Makaha. Buffalo stayed there until his retirement on August 31, 1994.
One rescue in 1966 still stands out.
During a winter swell of 10 to 15 feet, his friend Carlton Beal wiped out and was hit by his own board. Buffalo saw him disappear.
He paddled to where the current would likely carry him, dove down, and found Beal curled up on the ocean floor.
Buffalo grabbed him by the hair, pulled him up, and brought him to the surface, lifting him onto another board.
Beal survived. In gratitude, he later funded the building of Buffalo's house on his mother's homestead land in Nanakuli.
Buffalo's competitive record is just as deep.
He won bodysurfing titles at the Makaha International Surfing Championship in 1954, 1956, 1957, and 1958, at a time when it was considered the most prestigious contest in the world.
In 1960, he won the surfboard division at the same event.
He paddled from Lanai to Lahaina in 1959, placing second behind Nappy Napoleon.
In 1965, he represented Hawaii at the World Surfing Championships in Lima, Peru.
In 1976, during the height of the Hawaiian Renaissance, Buffalo served as steersman and watch captain on the maiden voyage of the double-hulled canoe Hokulea from Maui to Tahiti.
The 35-day journey tested him in rough seas and calm doldrums. When he returned home to Makaha, he carried a renewed sense of Hawaiian identity.
The next year, he founded what would become one of the most unique surf contests in the world.
The birth of the Buffalo Big Board Surfing Classic
The idea came from friends Larry Godard and Eddie Maldonado Sr., who suggested Buffalo start a big board classic for older surfers at Makaha.
Buffalo wanted an event for surfers who did not usually enter contests. He wanted big boards, 10 feet and over. He wanted less subjective judgment.
Most of all, he wanted fun.
The first Buffalo's Big Board Surfing Classic in 1977 had only a men's open division. There were seven finalists. There was no first place. All were considered winners.
The trophies were ipu gourds grown from seeds Buffalo brought back from Tahiti.
Funding in the early years came from personal connections. Entertainer Don Ho wrote a $1,000 check. Carlton Beal funded the next two events.
As the contest gained front-page coverage, companies such as Town and Country and Hawaiian Tropic stepped in.
Through the early 1980s, the event featured Hawaiian music, hula, and a Royal Hawaiian Court organized by Kona Smith's Waianae High School Hawaiiana class.
Performers included Henry Preece's The Nobodies, Liko Martin, Melveen Leed, the Brothers Cazimero, the Makaha Sons of Niihau, Eddie Kamae and the Sons of Hawaii, and others.
The beach would fill beyond capacity.
Over time, the focus returned to surfing. Bodyboarding was added. A team event allowed two riders to share one wave. A 250-pound-and-over division gave bigger surfers their own spotlight. Age divisions were introduced, and the "Legends" cutoff age moved from 40 to 47 to 50 and now 60.
Forms of surfing that had nearly faded came back to life: tandem, canoe surfing, bodysurfing, paipo, beachboy-style stand-up paddle surfing, and, in 2009, the alaia division using skegless wooden boards modeled after those used during the Hawaiian monarchy.
Over five decades, the contest has grown to 15 divisions.
Buffalo's son Brian Keaulana helped pioneer rescue jet skis with sleds, which are now used as shuttles during many events.
How scoring works
Now, here's where the Classic stands apart from modern pro surfing.
Most contests score waves based on overall performance. Judges debate speed, power, and flow.
At Makaha, riders earn clear points for specific maneuvers, especially when held for at least three seconds.
Primary scoring in surfing divisions centers on the so-called "Buffalo Tricks." Points are added for each maneuver successfully completed.
But do you want to see which tricks are part of the judging criteria? Here they are:
- Buddah: 3 seconds, 1 point;
- Hang 10: 3 seconds, 3 points;
- King Stance: 4 seconds, 3 points;
- Cheater 5: 3 seconds, 3 points;
- Tiki: 3 seconds, 1 point;
- Scooter Boy: 3 seconds, 3 points;
- Dead Cockroach: 3 seconds, 3 points;
- Allen Wrench: 3 seconds, 3 points;
- Coffin: 3 seconds, 1 point;
- Uncle Grant: takeoff only, 5 points;
Other moves also score:
- Helicopter: 3 points;
- Skeg Reverse: 2 points;
- Tunnel Ride: 1 point per second;
- Switch on Turn: 1 point;
Still not impressed? There are even bonus rides:
- Two Flag Ride: 5 points;
- Three Flag Ride: 10 points;
Board size also matters.
In surfing divisions, the minimum length is 10 feet, except for alaia and paipo.
Extra points are awarded for each additional foot over 10 feet. An 11-foot board earns five bonus points. A 12-foot board earns ten.
Scoring runs buoy to buoy. Surfers must paddle out to the furthest buoy and wait for the heat to begin. "Triangles" are enforced, with point deductions for violations.
In tandem, partners must use a board at least 10 feet long. The secondary partner must weigh half the body weight of the primary partner to qualify for prizes.
Same-sex teams are allowed, but the weight rule still applies.
The 250-pound-and-over divisions require official weigh-ins. All contestants must wear a wristband showing they signed the waiver.
If one team member in a group event is not wearing a band, the entire team is disqualified.
In canoe and SUPsquatch divisions, the primary score is based on wave riding, style, and execution. Buffalo Tricks can add bonus points.
Heats run 17 minutes with three minutes for changeover. One team rides each wave. All team members must be in the canoe or on the board for the wave to count.
A contest built on Aloha
The Buffalo Big Board Surfing Classic began during a time of cultural revival in Hawaii. Buffalo had just returned from steering Hokulea across the Pacific. He brought that same spirit to Makaha.
The contest was never designed to mirror the pro tour. It was built for the community, for older surfers, for big boards, and for sharing waves in ways that honor the past.
Even the rule from the early days, "No stealing for two days," reflected Buffalo's belief that surfing should lift people up.
Nearly five decades after it began, the Classic remains rooted in Makaha, standing apart from everything else in the surf world.
May it stay like this forever.
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