Short Hops Dec. 11

Free aikido classes offered in Kailua-Kona

The Hawaii County Department of Parks and Recreation, along with Aiki Kai O Kona, is offering free aikido classes for both children and adults.

Instructors Sharon Gilbert and Bill Stockton have taught aikido in West Hawaii for more than 24 years. They have more than 70 years combined experience in aikido.

Aikido is a Japanese martial art that teaches self-discipline, blending, harmonizing and defensive techniques in a noncompetitive atmosphere.

Classes will be held Mondays and Wednesdays at Hale Halawai in Kailua-Kona. Classes for 6-to 14-year-olds start at 6:30 p.m. Adult classes, for those 15 and older, follow at 7:30 p.m.

For more information or to register, call Sharon or Bill at 325-7501 or Marshall at 327-3565.

Annual closure of amaama season through March

The Department of Land and Natural Resources announced the closing of the season for amaama (striped mullet), effective through March 31. This is the regularly scheduled closing of the season.

Violations of the size or season restrictions can result in fines of up to $500 and/or 30 days in jail, plus up to $100 for each fish taken.

Copies of statewide fishing regulations for amaama and all other marine species are available in Honolulu at the DLNR-Aquatics office, 1151 Punchbowl Street, Room 330, and at all neighbor island DLNR-Aquatics offices. Fishing regulations can also be found on the Division of Aquatic Resources’ website at hawaii.gov/dlnr/dar. To report fish catch size or net violations, call 643-3567.

Late softball, t-ball registration Wednesday

The final day for girls softball registration will be Wednesday in Kohala.

Registration, for girls ages 9 to 14, will be from 4 to 5 p.m. at Kamehameha Park. Practice begins the last week of December, and games will be played from early January to early March. Also, there will be free registration for t-ball at Hisaoka Gym for boys and girls ages 5 to 8.

T-ball teams will practice late December and early January and will play games from mid-January to early March.

Free registration includes a uniform. The clinic is sponsored by the Kohala Community Athletic Association. For more information, contact Tom Morse at ltmorse@aol.com or 345-0706.

PONY Baseball registration continues

PONY Baseball continues registration for its upcoming t-ball and coach pitch seasons from 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesday at Old Kona Airport Park’s youth baseball/softball field and Konawaena High School’s baseball field.

Registration will also take place Dec. 17, 19 and 24 in the same time frame at both locations, and at Sports Authority in Kailua-Kona from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday and Dec. 22.

Also, PONY Baseball will conduct a coaches/players clinic at Old Kona Airport Park’s youth baseball/softball field from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.

For more information on PONY Baseball, contact Randy Morris at 936-2789 or rmhipal@hotmail.com.

Big Dog Resolution
5K Run/Walk

The Big Dog Resolution 5K Run/Walk will begin at 8 a.m. Dec. 30 at the Coconut Island parking lot. The registration fee is a canned good or $5. All proceeds go to the Hawaii Island Food Basket.

For more information, call Wayne Joseph at 969-7400.

Coconut Krakken SkateJam Saturday

The second annual Coconut Krakken SkateJam will be held at noon Saturday at the Kona skatepark.

This event is a fundraiser for Phase 2 of the skatepark. There will be contests, food and prizes.

Youth Sailing Days
in late December

Big Island Sailing Foundation and Kona Sailing Club junior sailors will hold Youth Sailing Days at Honokohau Harbor. The event will be Dec. 26-28, 31.

There will be land and water activities each day from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Participants should be at least 12 years of age or experienced sailors over 10 years. Attendees must be able to swim, and be comfortable on a boat and in the water. Boats used will be from 12 feet to 24 feet. U.S. Sailing Certified instructors lead the program.

The registration fee for the four-day camp is $100 for KSC Juniors; the new member fee is an additional $20. Scholarships are available from BISF. For more information, call Alicia at 325-5529 or email to bisf@earthlink.net.

Hoops skills training
academy this weekend

Hawaii Island Hoops will hold its skills training academy at the Kekuaokalani Gym. The event will be held Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to noon. The academy is open to boys and girls ages 8 to 17 from all skill levels.

The instructors at the academy will teach daily workouts that include speed, agility, quickness, ball handling and shooting clinics.

The registration fee is $50, and registration can be found online hawaiiislandhoops.com or facebook.com/hawaiiislandhoops

Hawaii Island Hoops will provide all training equipment and basketballs for the camp.

For more information about Hawaii Island Hoops Skills Training Academy, call director Andy Smith at 937-3082 or by email to director@hawaiiislandhoops.com

Survive the End of
the World 10K Dec. 22

Kealakehe High School’s Waverider Triathlon Club will hold its Survive the End of the World 10K at 7 a.m. Dec. 22 at Kahaluu Beach Park. Interested runners may pick up an entry form at Bike Works Kona or sign up at active.com.

The cost is $30.

For more information, contact Kristin Drost at waveridertriathlonclub@gmail.com.

HI-PAL Winter Basketball Classic Dec. 26-29

Youth basketball teams from throughout the state will gather Dec. 26-29 in Hilo to compete in the 32nd annual HI-PAL Winter Basketball Classic.

The tournament, sponsored by the Hawaii County Department of Parks and Recreation and the Hawaii Isle Police Activities League, is open to boys and girls ages 5 to 14.

Teams must register by Friday. The registration fee is $80 per team for the older divisions, $60 for the 8-and-under division.

Last year’s tournament drew more than 500 keiki athletes from 52 different teams.

For more information or to register, call HI-PAL’s Joey Botelho Jr. at 961-2220 or 961-8121. Inquiries may also be made to Darrell Yamamoto at 961-8740, ext. 25, or Jason Armstrong at 345-9105, or jarmstrong@co.hawaii.hi.us.

Beginner golf classes
for women Jan. 12

Golf professional Rob Wohlgemuth will offer a five-week series of beginner golf lessons for women at Makalei Golf Club beginning Jan. 12.

The classes are open to all women interested in the basics of golf. Classes meet five consecutive Saturdays from 8 to 10 a.m.

The cost for all five classes is $50. To enroll, call Wohlgemuth at 937-0130.

Kona Elks Hoop Shoot Jan. 12

All free throw shooters from 8 (by April 1, 2013) to 13 are invited to Kekuaokalani Gym on Jan. 12 for the Kona Elks Hoop Shoot.

Registration begins at 9 a.m., and competition starts at 10 a.m. Age groups are 8-9, 10-11 and 12-13.

The Elks will give trophies for first and second places in each group with separate competition for boys and girls. Each contestant gets 25 shots at the hoop from the free throw line (the 8-9 year age group shoot from 4 feet in front of the line and with the smaller ball) with 15 additional shots if a tie breaker is needed.

The boy and girl in each age group with the highest scores may advance through four tiers of competition to qualify for the national finals at Springfield, Mass., set for April 18-21.

Kona Elks Lodge 2616 provides for transportation of winners along with one parent for out-of-state competition.

All children who reside in West Hawaii are invited to participate.

There is no registration fee or early registration. For more information, call Joe Reynolds at 334-0077.

Softball tournament
Jan. 25-27

There will be a slow-pitch softball tournament Jan. 25-27 at Old Kona Airport Park. There will be separate tournaments for men and women, with a co-ed home run derby on Jan. 26. Prizes will be awarded for the top three finishers in the tournament.

The registration fee is $300, and there is a minimum deposit of $100 due by Jan. 19. For more information or to register your team, contact Jamieson Taketa at 938-8664 or Shane Alani at 640-0824.

Wailehua on Emily T. Gail Show

Wesley Wailehua, executive director of Aloha Section PGA, is a guest on this week’s Emily T. Gail Show, which is available under “lineup” at espnhawaii.com and as an iTunes podcast.

Wailehua will discuss the Mauna Lani Resort Aloha Section PGA Hawaii State Open taking place Thursday through Sunday.

More than 160 players from across the state, mainland, and other countries have entered the tournament, including Dean Wilson, Parker McLachlin, Scott Simpson and David Ishii. Big Islander Sean Maekawa who recently joined the All American Tour will also be entered, as will Big Islander Tammy Surtees, playing her first tournament as a professional. Spectators are welcome.

Also on the show, JE Orozco of Pacific Radio Group gives an update on expanded programming of live broadcasts for Big Island Interscholastic Federation, college, NBA and NFL games, and much more now available at espnhawaii.com and ESPN Radio AM850 Hilo AM790 Kona. Orozco and Gary Klein are hosting a new local sports show on Wednesdays at 7 p.m.

For information on the Emily T. Gail Show, contact Gail at emilytgail@emilys.org. Past shows are available at facebook.com/emilytgailtalkstory, iTunes and espnhawaii.com.

Weekly golf tourney results

Na Wahine O Waikoloa

Thursday’s results

c A flight scores: 1. Margaret Tigue 24.5; 2. Carole Abarcar 25.5; 3. Willie Ryan 27

c B flight scores: 1. Mary Colucci 24; 2. Mona Peck 25; 3. (tie) Pat Cassel 26; 3. Trish Kimball 26

c Closest to the pin: Carole Abarcar (3); Dee Dee Kosa (6); Carole Abarcar (12, 16)

c Birdies: Carole Abarcar (12, 16)

c Chip-ins: Mo Brown (4); Pat Cassel (14)

Lea Lea Women’s Golf Club

Thursday’s results

c Par points: 1. Penny Knowles 39; 2. Karin Hughes 33; 3. (tie) Noel Watkins 32; 3. Wanda Goldscharek 32

c Low putts: Mary MacLean 30

c Closest to the pin: Yuko Suzuki (5); Yuko Suzuki (14)

c Chip-in: Mary MacLean

Keauhou Kona

Men’s Golf Club

Saturday’s results

c A flight low net scores: 1. (tie) Peter Liljeholm 68; 1. Walter Welton 68; 3. Larry Stevens 69

c B flight low net scores: 1. Ken Williams 70; 2. Jim McQuaid 74; 3. Gene Young 75

c Closest to the pin: Peter Liljeholm (3); Chuck Coupe (5); JC Carlton (12); Mike Gregg (17A); Bryant Mockchew (17B)

c Low gross score: Peter Liljeholm 73

Big Island Country Club

Wednesday’s results

c Scores: 1. Swen Willadsen/Shirley Akana/Rod Kebo 20 under; 2. Ron Ahlers/Rick Robinson/Denny Dickenson 16 under; 3. Al Droscoski/Don Wood/Bob Raatz 11 under

c Low net scores: 1. Tom Johnson 68

c Closest to the pin: Al Droscoski (5); Rick Robinson (8); Bob Raatz (13); Rod Kebo (17)

c Note: Members played three-person team, two low net.

Saturday’s results

c Scores: 1. Dick Peters/Darlene Peters/Bob Raatz/Diane Raats 26 under; 2. Ron Ahlers/Reed Bender/Roger Sudnikovich/Judy Sudnikovich 23 under; 3. Al Akana/Shirley Akana/Marty Keiter/Sean Akana 21 under

c Low net scores: 1. Shirley Akana 63; 2. Swen Willadsen 65

c Closest to the pin: 1. Marty Keiter (5, 13); Barb Millslagle (8); Swen Willadsen (17)

c Note: Members played four-person team, 3-2-1 low net.

M&M Ladies Golf Club

Dec. 4 results

c A flight scores: 1. Mary Desisto 27; 2. Yuko Suzuki 29; 3. Vangie Isenhour 31

c B flight scores: 1 Linda Takai 24.5; 2. Shoko Ioh 26.5; 3. Dee Fraser 27; 4. Mitsuyo Oshima 27.5

c Chip-ins: Barbara Crutcher (6); Mary Desisto (18)

c Low putts: Mary Desisto 29

c Note: Members played “four best par 4s, three best par 3s, and two best par 5s less half handicap.”

Makalei Kolepa Hui

Saturday’s results

c A flight low net scores: 1. Harvey Honda 65; 2. John Kiaha 68

c B flight low net scores: 1. (tie) Joe Scarber 70; 1. Norm Pacheco 70

c Closest to the pin: Jerry Conners (2); Chuck Wells (5); Harvey Honda (12); Bill Stockly (15)