The founder of the Outrigger Canoe Club understood the importance of Hawaiian sports and games and made note that the purpose of our great Club was to preserve them for their future enjoyment. One might say that without the founders’ vision, surfing would have disappeared and never have spread around the world like it has today.
From 1950 to the late 1960’s there was no member so passionate about the development of surfing within the frame work of our founders words than John McMahon. His passion and purpose was carried on in perpetuity by his son, Jimmy McMahon, and other active surfing members.
In loving memory of the spirit of surfing our Club has the John McMahon Perpetual Junior Surfer of the Year award to recognize the accomplishments of our Junior members 10 to 18 years of age. The award was first given in 1975 to Tracy Philips as the first outstanding junior surfer.
John McMahon joined the OCC in 1953 and was a guiding light of our surfing program both at the Club and in the State of Hawaii. He was one of the original innovators and organizers of the first major surfing contest anywhere in the world, including the Makaha Surfing Classic.
He contributed a major portion of his time toward instituting an active Surfing Committee in the Club, a committee which singlehandedly kept the sport of surfing an important element of our athletic program. The Peruvian International Surfing Championships saw John carrying the banner of the OCC. There, he was a guest/judge.
His work with the Club championships in the 1950s and 1960s made the contest thrilling and smooth-running, without the usual snafus of surfing contests. A frequent winner himself through the years, he was often found in the largest waves, outsurfing and outmaneuvering younger surfers off and on the beach. It would be safe to say that without John McMahon’s concern for young people at the OCC, our surfing program would not have been what it was. He was elected to the Winged “O” in 1976.
When John passed away in 1976, the Club decided to dedicate a trophy to him to recognize the Club’s Outstanding Junior Surfer.
WINNERS
1976
Tracy Phillips
1977
Todd Bradley
1978
Kisi Haine
1979
Blair Norris
1980
Mark Norfleet
1981
Heath Hemmings
1982
Heath Hemmings
1983
Heath Hemmings
1984
Nathan Wilbur
1985
Nathan Wilbur
1990
Nathan Wilbur
1995
Keith Kandell
1996
Marc Rocheleau
2000
Keegan Edwards
2001
Keegan Edwards
Geodee Clark
2002
Keegan Edwards
Amy Lawson
2003
Johan Hedemann
Amy Lawson
2004
Dave Markle
Carissa Moore
2005
Christian Bradley
Hana Harrison
2006
Alex Hossellman
2007
Lucas Lam
2008
Dylan Kowalski
Kelly Graf
2009
Brendan Bradley
2010
Chris Fong
Halie Harrison
2011
Noa Ginella
Jackie Wade
2012
Pierce Watumull
2014
Ke`ea Lum
Mahina Akaka
2015
Drew Watumull
2016
Hobey Moss
2017
Zac Hedemann
2018
Mahina Akaka
2019
Sam Owens
2023
Toa Pere