2008 Nationals

[FreediveNewport]

They were listed in the program, just not with pictures or bios. Nice job guys on a dominating performance. Congrats to Kimi and Andrew (mixed team) as well and also to Justin Allen.

Thanks to all who made the trip up, meeting many of you was a great experience. I'll try and get some pictures up on here soon.

[Muay Thai]

Yes, much congrats to Justin!!!!!!!!! And don't forget my teamate Andrew Geist with biggest fish (45 lb striper).

Scott

[Platypus]

Congratulations to all participants and huge congratulations to Kimi Werner, this lady is the real deal! Way to represent the women in our sport and Hawaii!

Originally Posted by Mattedhead

CONGRATS to Kimi Werner for winning the Wahine division!

ADditional info:

Hawaiian freediver Kimi Werner, pictured here, unseated Californian Amanda Ernst as the women's national spear-fishing champion today.


Werner, 28, shot three tautog and two striped bass - including a 33-pounder - during the U.S. National Spear Fishing Championship in Newport. A native of Maui now living on Oahu, Werner said the water off Newport was murky, compared with her homewaters, but it was clearer than she had expected. She fished off Land's End.

Werner was a member of Hawaii's mixed team. Her partner was Andre Tamasese.

Ernst, 18, shot three tautog. Though she saw bluefish while scouting earlier in the week, she saw only blackfish and undersize scup yesterday. She fished with her father, Bill Ernst of Malibu.

In team competition, Massachusetts Freedivers edged out Rhode Island Freedivers by .8 pounds.

The Rhode Island team scored 140 points with a variety of stripers, bluefish, blackfish, triggerfish, and scup.

The event's rules followed Rhode Island fishing regulations, but added two inches to each minimum size limit. One point is awarded per fish and per pound. The maximum weight to count toward scoring is 15 pounds. The maximum points per one fish are 16 points. So, a 15-pound striper wins the same number of points as a much heavier fish.

Diving for Rhode Island were world record holder Dave Hochman, Jay Moore and John Murphy.