Swimming:
John Parks Kathy Shipman Barry Yap Ocean Swimming: Jim Budde |
Channel Swimming:
Stefan Reinke Diving: Jeff Stabile Ocean Safety: Alan C. Hong |
Coaching:
Blake Marr Jeff Meister Contributors: Marcelle Arakaki Sam Aucoin Chris Gardner |
MARCELLE ARAKAKI, Contributor
Marcelle Arakaki began officiating in 1997 when she volunteered at a local swim meet. Since then she has become a senior official in USA Swimming serving in many positions, including chief judge, starter and deck referee. She has officiated at the Special Olympics, the Aloha State Games, OIA high school swimming meets and age-group swim meets. Nationally and internationally, she was involved with the Junior Pan Pac games, served as the USA Swimming Western Zones Open Water representative, officiated at the USA Open Water Championships and at the US Army Regional Swim competition. Her contributions were recognized nationally in 2019 when she was awarded the Official's Excellence Award sponsored by Hasty Awards and SWIMMING WORLD magazine. |
SAM AUCOIN, Contributor
Samuel A. Aucoin was born in Canada, educated in the US (University of New Hampshire), served in the US Army (82nd Airborne Division), received his MBA from the University of Hawaii, and has lived in Hawaii since 1970, where he was employed as a CPA and owner/operator of TimeLine Hawaii, the premier race timing company in Hawaii since 1989. TimeLine has timed all types of races throughout the state but was especially instrumental in promoting the growth of ocean swim racing in Hawaii, some of which now draw several hundred swimmers per race. He developed a chip-based timing system with waterproof ankle straps that could accurately time swimmers in multiple waves with different start times and record finish times down to the tenth of a second. He retired in 2019 but continues to serve on several boards and organizations in Hawaii, including the Hawaii Society of CPAs and the Mid-Pacific Road Runners Club. |
JIM BUDDE, Open Water Swimming
James C. Budde was born in California, graduated from Stanford University and UC San Francisco medical school, served in the US Navy as a general medical officer at Pearl Harbor, then worked as an emergency medical physician on the Big Island for 42 years. During his spare time he trains in many endurance events including swimming, running, biking, canoe paddling, and he has traveled throughout the world to compete in world-class races. In Hawaii he has placed first in his age group multiple times in the Waikiki Roughwater Swim, the Double Roughwater, the North Shore Series swims, the Ironman Triathlon Kona, Iron Man New Zealand, the Ultraman Triathlon, Tinman Triathlon, and many other endurance races. He is now retired and resides in Kamuela, Hawaii. |
CHRIS GARDNER, Contributor
Christopher Gardner was born in New York, raised in Florida where he learned to swim and surf, then moved to Hawaii (Leilehua High ’75) to pursue big-wave surfing; he toured the world surfing circuit on the Association of Professional Surfers tour in 1977 and 78. Chris was instrumental in making the North Shore Swim Series (NSSS) a major aquatic event in Hawaii today. It had begun in 1983 as a single swim, and by 2014 it had grown into a five-race series of swims going from Sunset Beach to Haleiwa. Chris was the event organizer, promoter and race director of the NSSS from its inception, as well as many other swims, biathlons, and triathlons on Oahu for over 20 years. He is a member of the Waikiki Swim Club, National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians, Professional Association of Diving Instructors, and is in the Jacksonville Beach Surfing Hall of Fame. |
ALAN HONG, Water Safety
Alan Hong was born in South Korea to a US military family and attended schools across the US throughout his childhood. He attended the University of Hawaii and earned his bachelor’s in engineering. He then worked as an ocean recreation specialist for the C&C Department of Parks and Recreation for 15 years, where he oversaw ocean activities and water safety programs. In 1990 he was named manager of the Hanauma Bay marine conservation district and served for 21 years, during which he implemented many new rules and procedures which reduced crowding, pollution, and overexposure, to protect Hanauma Bay for future generations. For the Hawaii swimming community Alan served as the water safety coordinator for the Waikiki Roughwater Swim during its early years with priority being safety for all swimmers. Jim Anderson, race director for the swim, says the event could not have succeeded if not for Alan’s dedication and prioritization of safety. |
BLAKE MARR, Coach
Blake K. Marr was from a military family and attended multiple schools throughout his childhood, graduating from St. Louis High in Honolulu, Class of ‘69. He then attended BYU-Hawaii, and in 1975 entered the Honolulu C&C Emergency Services Division, progressing through EMT and MICT training, and serving as a paramedic for nearly 35 years. Throughout these years he was also a swim instructor and swim coach for various clubs on Oahu, and today he is head coach for the Schofield Sharks and coaches Masters swimming for the C&C. Blake is an avid swimmer and surfer and has participated in many swims, runs, biathlons, and triathlons on Oahu with numerous first-place finishes. |
JEFF MEISTER, Coach
Jeff Meister was from a military family and came to Hawaii to attend the University of Hawaii and swim on the swim team; he graduated in 1981 with majors in English and Journalism. His coaching career began with the Hickam Hurricanes in 1980; Aulea swim club, 1985-88; Kailua High, 1985-88; Punahou Aquatics, 1988-2011. He was named athletic director of Punahou in 1989 and has coached the school’s swim team to the most state championships in Hawaii swim history. Jeff has won multiple ILH Coach of the Year, HIADA Coach of the Year, HIADA Administrator of the Year, and NFHS and NHSCA Coach of the Year awards. In 2018 he was inducted into the NFHS National High School Hall of Fame. |
JOHN PARKS IV, Competitive Swimming
John Parks IV was born and raised in Honolulu. He began his swimming career at Punahou School (Class of ’56) then swam for Indiana University where he set three IU varsity swimming records in the 50 and 100-yard freestyles and as a member of the 4x100-yard freestyle relay. He had numerous top-three finishes at the NCAA Championships, 1958-60, and was selected for three NCAA All-American teams in 1958, 1959, and 1960. He later graduated from UC Hastings College of Law and became an attorney in California, but he and his wife were tragically killed in a plane crash in the Rockies. |
STEFAN REINKE, Channel Swimming
Stefan M. Reinke graduated from Leilehua High, Class of ’76, where he won the outstanding swimmer award in 1976. He then attended Bakersfield College where he lettered in swimming, 1977-78 and set the school record in the 400 IM. He later attended USC then earned his law degree at UC-Davis. He has completed 18 Waikiki Roughwater Swims, 8 Double Roughwater swims, and won his age group 6 times in the North Shore Swim Series. He has made 15 channel crossings in Hawaii since 2014 and was named Male Swimmer of the Year by Waikiki Swim Club in 2014. He is current president of the Waikiki Roughwater Swim committee, past president of Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation, and has served as race director for numerous races throughout Oahu. He is a practicing attorney in Hawaii and a lecturer at the Richardson School of Law. |
KATHY SHIPMAN, Competitive Swimming
Kathy Shipman was born and raised in Honolulu and graduated from Punahou School, Class of ’79. She attended Arizona State University, earning her bachelor’s in 1983. During her Punahou years she set numerous state and national records in all strokes at multiple distances in all age groups, and was named AAU All-American, 1971 through 1979. She was also the first female winner and youngest champion ever at the 1972 Waikiki Roughwater Swim. At ASU she was conference champion in the 50 & 100 fly, set an NCAA record in the 400 IM relay, and won numerous All-American awards in the fly, free and IM. She qualified for the US Olympic Trials in both 1976 and 1980. She continued swimming in Masters swimming and in the 2002 World Masters Games she won both the 50- and 100-meter fly in the women’s 40-44 age group. In 2008 she was inducted into the Punahou School Hall of Fame. She currently is a real estate broker in Kihei, Maui. |
JEFF STABILE, Diving
Jeff Stabile was born and raised in California and has been involved in the sport of diving since 1978 at age 12 in club, high school, collegiate and US Masters levels. He was a high school All -American in 1984, joined the diving team at UC San Diego where he was NCAA Div. III champion, then at UCLA, where he qualified for the NCAA Div. I championships. Jeff has also coached extensively in California, Maryland, and Hawaii where coached many HHSAA champions and Olympic Trials qualifiers from Hawaii. Further Jeff has been involved with USA Diving as a committee member, official, and many leadership positions. He continues diving to this day in US Masters Diving where he has won 27 National titles, 6 Pan American Titles and 5 FINA Titles. Jeff is currently a teacher at the Hawaii School for the Deaf and Blind and coaches the Tropic Lightning Diving Team. |
BARRY YAP, Competitive Swimming
Harold Barry Yap was a high school All-American swimmer at Punahou (class of ’54) for three years, 1952-53-54, and an NCAA All-American swimmer at Indiana University for two years, 1957 and 1958. He excelled at the breaststroke and swam that leg for the IU medley relay team. He set NCAA records in the 200-yard breaststroke and as a member of the 400-yard medley relay. He also set IU varsity swim records in the 100-yard and 200-yard breaststroke and the 400-yard medley relay. He later moved to South Lake Tahoe, California, where he worked in the visitor industry. He passed away in 2011 at the age of 74. |
HAWAI'I SWIMMING HALL OF FAME |
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