RIP Bobby Mendonca

[uncle]

Back in the early 70's, Before the Duke statue, before the Hyatt, Bobby Mendonca was one of the best surfers on the South side. If he wasn't surfing Public's, Bowls or Kewalo's, he was hanging out at the Beach Center, keeping an eye on us kids and keeping some of us out of jail. When he'd paddle out to Queen's, he would scold all the wave hogs and make sure us kids got some waves. He, along with Cippy and Zoobadee Lau formed their own surf club, "Kamalii O Makai" and helped get sponsors for us kids in the HSA surf meets. If one of us didn't have a board, he'd give the kid his own. Later in life, he got a job with the Parks Dept. and was a fixture at Ala Moana Beach Park on the morning shift. I hadn't seen him for many years, but back in October, November, I was surfing Courts and Concessions a lot and we got a chance to talk about old times. I was fortunate enough to speak to him about a week before he died. He told me a story about one of our friends from the past who went to "the Dark Side" as Bobby would call it. This guy recovered and Bobby gave him one of his boards to begin his new life.
I missed the funeral at the Beach Park, so I just had to say something here. God Bless you Bobby, you Ripped!

[goro]

happy new year mr. ojisan-

my friend jc says that there were really two guys who put the hot into hotdog surfing...one was rabbit kekai and the other was bobby mendonca...such a spirit only comes around every few generations or so...he will be missed by many people...aloha <goro>