Ch 5: A Whale, a Pack of Sharks and a Pod of Dolphins

Ch 6: A Gold Medal and Sponsorship

Ch 7: Island Politics

Ch 8: H.A.W.A.I.I. Makes Waves

Ch 9: Fast Racers, Slow Boat

Ch 10: More Racing, Less Boat

Ch 11: Maui No Ka Oi

Ch 12: Honors I'll Always Appreciate

Chapter 12: Honors I'll Always Appreciate

Makawao, Maui: Fall 1996. Busy days continued as I chaired yet another committee to again revise the 1997-99 U.S.W.A. Event Manual (formerly Event Guidelines). Meanwhile, I was honored twice, once by U.S. Windsurfing and once by the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association:

1996 U.S.W.A. "Windsurfer of the Year" Award (Greatest Contributor Category)

Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association "Heroes" Award for the State of Hawaii

The USWA NEWS, September/October 1996 carried this article:

John Twelker has been selected to receive the Most Valued Contributor Windsurfer of the Year Award for 1996. The announcement was made at the opening ceremony of the USWA National Championships in Corpus Christi. The actual presentation will be at the board of directors meeting in Hood River in September.

This special award recognizes achievements over the past year in addition to a continuation of efforts and past contributions to the overall sport of windsurfing. This honor is a way of recognizing the countless hours that people have put in behind the scenes. You will probably never see John's face on a magazine cover for winning a race but, if not for John's dedication and hard work, that race would never have been run and scoring it might have still been with pencil and paper.

John has been a USWA director since 1990. He started as secretary of the board of directors (BOD), then became Treasurer, and currently serves as Chair of the Events Committee. Although he lives on Maui and is retired, John has attended every BOD meeting and pays most of his own travel and communications expenses. He has also spent as much time volunteering for USWA as anyone in our nine year history. In addition to his other assigned duties on the BOD, the primary focus of his countless hours of volunteering continues to be implementation of national standards and rules for windsurfing competition. His objective is to help event organizers plan and administer windsurfing events that are fun, fair, and safe for all participants yet still as simple as possible to run. To achieve this objective, John began in 1992-1993 by thoroughly updating and rewriting the USWA Event Guidelines after soliciting input from a wide cross section of competitors, event organizers, and Events Committee members. This resulted in the 1994-1995 edition of the Event Guidelines.

In 1994, John turned his attention and consensus-building abilities to designing a simplified national and regional competitor ranking system after Tudor Watch and Mistral dropped their race series sponsorships. In 1995, John began his second round of updating the Event Guidelines with the goal of shortening and simplifying what will be called the USWA Events Handbook 1997-1999. After beginning the update, it became apparent that participation in most events was declining. "This caused John to troubleshoot the problem and to conclude that widespread use of intensive pumping was a major cause of dropouts and a barrier to attracting new competitors," relates award selection committee chair Dee Van Horne. "He then led the Events Committee and the BOD to a consensus decision to provide non-pumping fleet options and less intensive learning opportunities for new racers, again while keeping event administration as simple as possible. Even though only about 15% of USWA's current members are active competitors, I view John's efforts as critically important in promoting family participation and attracting new participants to windsurfing."

While I appreciate these honors very much, I think they must be shared with all who contributed so much of their time, energy and expertise. Therefore, my sincere "Mahalo nui loa" for your outstanding leadership, dedication to the sport, personal friendship and support to:

every Events Committee member, especially my Assistant Events Committee Chair, 1997 Fred Ellsworth and Sharon Ellsworth, IMCO Participating Director, 1997.
U.S. Windsurfing Executive Directors during my tenure on the Executive Committee, Camilla Walter and Holly Macpherson.
every Race Director, P.W.A. Pro, and amateur level competitor across America, Europe and Australia, who were so helpful to me over the years and especially during the time I wrote RaceManPro software and chaired the Events Committee.
Rick and Carol Naish (Oahu); Robby Naish (Oahu/Maui); and Pat Curell (Maui). I'll always appreciate your helpful answers to all my questions over the years!
Past National Directors Daniel Mangus (through 1993), Mary Lynn Hyde (through 1993), Dee Van Horne (1994-1995), and Guy Britton (1994-1995). It was a pleasure working with each one of you during my early years with U.S. Windsurfing.
Peter Oliver (a National Director long before my arrival on the BOD and 1991 Windsurfer of the Year [Greatest Contributor Category], U.S.W.A. President 1993-95, Past President 1996 and Safety/Access/Training Committee Chair 1997); Mike Jarriel (Regional Director from 1994 to 1996 and First Vice President 1997); Jon Okerstrom (National Director and Communications Committee Chair, 1993-1997); and Kim Ball (Owner of Hi-Tech Surf and Sports; Race Coordinator, Kanaha Race Series for the past decade and a half; and already a U.S.B.A. Regional Director (when I became a National Director in 1991 and joined the Executive Committee) and still a U.S. Windsurfing Regional Director after I left in 1997 ... and who, in 1999 became a National Director and 2nd Vice President). I'll always appreciate each one of you for your exceptionally hard work, dedication to the sport, personal commitment to its betterment and your friendship. It was truly an honor to work alongside each one of you through the years.

August 1997. U.S.W.A. changes its name to U.S. Windsurfing and change is also in the wind for a number of us "old-timers" as well. After seven very busy years on the National Board of Directors (the last two years serving as Events Committee Chair), I announced my plans to retire at the end of the term. Other National Directors retiring at the same time were Peter Oliver, Mike Jarriel, Jon Okerstrom, Fred Ellsworth, and IMCO Participating Director, Sharon Ellsworth.

1998-2001. I continue on as a Rep for Naish Sails Hawaii on the island of Maui for two years but in February, 2001, I retired from that position.

Summers 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003. In the summer of 1991, it was time to introduce a new generation to the wonderful sport of windsurfing! My grandson Sky Twelker (7 years 11 months young) visited me on Maui for 8 weeks in 1999 and when he left, he was having fun on a Starboard Go and Bic Veloce trying out the footstraps and harness. He returned for nearly 8 weeks in 2000 and continued his progress. He skipped 2001 due to wanting to stay home with his two German Shepherd dogs and his new horse. He returned again in 2002 for 4 weeks and was promoted to the intermediate group, so he's making progress! Needless to say, I'm looking forward to his return in the summer of 2003 and hoping he gets good enough so we can go sailing together!

So, what's going on now? I've been spending a lot of time lately totally remodeling my home in Makawao, a job I hope to finish early-2004. (html://papamaui.com/hale1.htm) Also, I had treatment for skin damage due to UV exposure so my time on the water has been minimal. However, I've got a new board and new sails ready to go when the time is right!

May 27, 2004. I return to Oahu and move onto a 16 acre farm in Lualualei Valley. My son Dave, his wife Hazel, and their 2 year old son Ethan move from Cypress, California to join me on the farm. Dave will work in Honolulu while I start a new profession: Native Dryland Tree Farmer! We plan to turn these 16 acres into a native dryland forest!

Looking northward from Ko'olina resort to Nanakuli. The small black square is Pililani Farms!

From Pililani Farms looking eastward toward Waianae Mountains

A young Kou tree, one of the many native Hawaiian dryland trees we're planting at Pililani Farms.

Last Edit June, 2006 --- To Be Continued

Wall of Memories

Plan today like you'll live forever

Live today like it's your last.