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Sports

New wave of Hawaiian surfers look to reclaim sport's cultural spirit

ABC News

(HONOLULU) -- For 26-year-old Ha'a Keaulana, surfing is practically part of her DNA. She's been around surfing since she was a baby, even before she could walk or talk. Some of her first memories were being a surfboard with her grandfather, Hawaiian surfing legend, Buffalo Keaulana.

"He was raised in a time where a lot of our culture got taken away," Keaulana told ABC News. "You weren't allowed to speak our language. And sometimes, some people couldn't even hula dance. And so that got lost. So I think naturally, he just always connected to his culture through being a waterman in the ocean."

Keaulana represents a growing movement of native Hawaiians celebrating and reclaiming the cultural spirit of surfing that they say has been commercialized and coopted by pop culture over the last century.

"[Surfing is] our church, because that's where we spiritually can connect to something that was always there as native Hawaiians. I feel connected to my ancestors. I feel connected to my culture," Keaulana said.

While films like "Point Break" and "Surfer, Dude" along with music like the Beach Boys' hit song "Surfin' USA" are examples of a modern portrayal of the sport that tie it more to California, drawings from Western explorers in the 1700s and 1800s show that surfing traces its roots back to ancient Hawaii, according to the Bishop Museum in Honolulu.

"There's these accounts where they're like people would do these death defying acts on these pieces of wood in waves that sailors were terrified of. The water men of the west would never even attempt it. And these are like young women doing it. And it just blew their minds, literally," said Michael Wilson, the museum's surfing exhibit designer.

The mass arrival of Westerners in the 1800s challenged the native indigenous cultures. As many Hawaiians went to work in the sugar cane fields, surfing dwindled, until one man came along over 100 years later – Native Hawaiian Duke Kahanamoku – a three-time swimming champion in the 1912 and 1920 Olympics. Kahanamoku promoted Hawaii and surfing while traveling the globe, Wilson said.

Over the following decades, a new generation of Hawaiian surfers emerged, including legends like brothers Clyde and Eddie Aikau, who were the first lifeguards in O'ahu's Waimea Bay.

"We never lost one person in 10 years…We didn't have any jet skis. All we had was fins and a surfboard," Clyde Aikau said.

Eddie Aikau was lost at sea trying to save his friends after their voyaging canoe the Hokule'a capsized in the open ocean, according to the Eddie Aikau Foundation. An invitational surfing competition in O'ahu's north shore was named in his honor.

Clyde Aikau says surfing is sacred place for Hawaiians to go for peace of mind, but the culture has since turned into big business. Surfing as an industry is estimated to be worth over $4 billion, but Clyde Aaiku doesn't believe that money ends up benefiting Hawaiians. When asked by ABC News how much of that financial boon he believes native Hawaiians benefit from his answer was "zero."

Still, some Hawaiians are riding the wave of surfing's future, such as surfing champion Carissa Moore. A native Hawaiian, she took home the gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics during the sport's debut. She's now taking her place next to Duke Kahanamoku in surfing history and inspiring a new generation of surfers in Hawaii.

"It was a really huge deal to Native Hawaiians that Carissa brought home the gold. And we are so proud of her," Keaulana said.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Garbine Muguruza, two-time Grand Slam tennis champ, engaged to fan she met in Central Park

Robert Prange/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) -- In tennis, love means zero, but for a two-time Grand Slam champion love was a walk in the park.

Spanish-Venezuelan tennis star Garbiñe Muguruza just announced her engagement to Arthur Borges, a fan who wished her good luck during the 2021 U.S. Open while walking by in Central Park.

"My hotel was close to Central Park and I was bored, so I thought I should go for a walk," Muguruza told HOLA! Spain in an interview. "Suddenly, he turns and says 'Good luck at the U.S. Open.' I was left thinking, 'Wow, he’s so handsome.'"

The 2016 French Open and 2017 Wimbledon champion took a selfie with Borges and asked him for a date the very next day.

"I really couldn't believe it ... having her ask me, 'Hey, you want to see each other tomorrow?' And I was like 'Yeah.' It felt unreal. It's still does when I remember those two weeks," Borges said in an interview.

After their initial meet-cute, the pair continued on dates for the remainder of the tournament before Borges left his job in New York at the Tom Ford fashion house and moved to Geneva, Switzerland, to be with her, eventually traveling the world together for Muguruza's tennis career.

"It was definitely the most unreal two weeks of my life. Full of joy, excitement," he said.

Borges popped the question to Muguruza in March and the pair officially confirmed their news publicly via Instagram over the weekend, with a very fitting Jerry Maguire quote: "You had me at ‘Hello.'"

Muguruza told ABC News' Good Morning America that she cried with joy for an hour after he proposed.

The former world No. 1, who was ranked in the top 10 as recently as last year, announced just months ago she would be taking a hiatus from the sport to focus on her personal life.

As part of that hiatus, she will be skipping the ongoing French Open and Wimbledon in July.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Scoreboard roundup -- 5/31/23

iStock

(NEW YORK) -- Here are the scores from Wednesday's sports events:

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

INTERLEAGUE
Tampa Bay 4, Chi Cubs 3
Atlanta 4, Oakland 2
Milwaukee 4, Toronto 2
Cincinnati 5, Boston 4

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Detroit 3, Texas 2
LA Angels 12, Chi White Sox 5
Cleveland 12, Baltimore 8
Minnesota 8, Houston 2
Seattle 1, NY Yankees 0

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Pittsburgh 9, San Francisco 4
Washington 10, LA Dodgers 6
Miami 2, San Diego 1
NY Mets 4, Philadelphia 1
Arizona 6, Colorado 0

MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
Saint Louis City SC at Los Angeles FC (Postponed)
San Jose at Seattle (Postponed)
Houston at Vancouver (Postponed)
New England 3, Atlanta 3 (Tie)
Columbus 3, Colorado 2
CF Montreal 2, D.C. United 2 (Tie)
New York 1, Miami 0
Cincinnati 3, New York City FC 1
Philadelphia 1, Charlotte FC 0
Chicago 0, Toronto FC 0 (Tie)
Austin FC 2, Minnesota 1
Sporting Kansas City 2, FC Dallas 1
LA Galaxy 3, Real Salt Lake 2

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Harry Kane wants to kick field goals for the NFL after soccer career

ABC News

(NEW YORK) -- Harry Kane made history earlier this year, becoming England's all-time leading goal-scorer. Now, the star footballer said he has his sights set on the American sport of the same name.

"I was such a big England fan growing up watching [Wayne] Rooney and all those guys scoring goals. So, to be on the top of that list is something pretty special," he told Good Morning America, referring to his title as England's leading goal-scorer.

Kane took the title from Wayne Rooney in late March after notching his 54th career goal for England against Italy in a European Championship qualifier.

The 29-year-old, known as one of the best strikers in the history of the sport, joined GMA on Wednesday to reflect on the past Premier League season -- in which he scored 30 goals with Tottenham Hotspur, which finished in eighth place -- and to look ahead at what may be next in his career.

Fans, broadcasters and Kane's family all know about his unique post-goal celebration, which always includes a kiss of his wedding ring.

"Ever since I've been married, I've got a little tape on the wedding ring, and It's just like a symbol to give something back to my family, my wife, my kids, all their hard work and support has helped me get to where I am now," Kane explained. "It's just a little thing, but every time they see me score, they see me do it."

Soccer has significant global appeal, but with the NFL also growing in global popularity, Kane said he is considering a jump to the American sport down the line, after he eventually retires from soccer.

"It's something I definitely want to explore. I know it will be a lot of hard work. I don't expect to just walk up and start kicking field goals," he acknowledged. "But yeah, it's something I'd love to do. The NFL I have been following for about 10 years now, and I love it, so I'd love to give it a go."

Off the pitch, the England National Team captain runs the Harry Kane Foundation, founded in October 2022, to help transform the stigma around mental health with charities and partners working to normalize conversations and promote positive, supportive habits for mental health.

"It's something I could relate to," Kane said. "Growing up trying to become a footballer, showing resilience, hard work, determination -- it's something I want to try and give back to the boys and girls growing up, and just relay some of my experiences to them."

Finally, Kane, naturally a right-footed player, offered his number one tip for young footballers: "Practice both feet."

"If you can play with both feet at the highest level, that makes the difference between the very top and maybe just the mediocre," he said.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Scoreboard roundup -- 5/30/23

iStock

(NEW YORK) -- Here are the scores from Tuesday's sports events:

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

INTERLEAGUE
Toronto 7, Milwaukee 2
St. Louis 2, Kansas City 1
Cincinnati 9, Boston 8
Chi Cubs 2, Tampa Bay 1
Oakland 2, Atlanta 1

AMERICAN LEAGUE
NY Yankees 10, Seattle 2
Texas 10, Detroit 6
Baltimore 8, Cleveland 5
Houston 5, Minnesota 1
Chi White Sox 7, LA Angels 3

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Pittsburgh 2, San Francisco 1
LA Dodgers 9, Washington 3
NY Mets 2, Philadelphia 0
San Diego 9, Miami 4
Arizona 5, Colorado 1

WOMEN'S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Connecticut 81, Indiana 78
Atlanta 83, Chicago 65
Dallas 94, Minnesota 89
New York 86, Seattle 78

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Miami Heat advance to NBA finals

PhotoAlto/Sandro Di Carlo Darsa/Getty Images

(BOSTON) -- It took all seven games but the Miami Heat were finally able to clinch a spot in the NBA Finals Monday night.

After taking a 3-0 lead in the East Finals against the Boston Celtics, the Heat lost three games in a row, which tied up the series 3-3.

In the do-or-die Game 7 in Boston Monday night, the Heat dominated the Celtics, beating them 103-84.

Miami will now go up against the Denver Nuggets in the finals. Game 1 is slated to tip off Thursday, June 1, at 8:30 p.m. ET.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Scoreboard roundup -- 5/29/23

iStock

(NEW YORK) -- Here are the scores from Monday's sports events:

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

INTERLEAGUE
Chi Cubs 1, Tampa Bay 0
Kansas City 7, St. Louis 0
Oakland 7, Atlanta 2

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Cleveland 5, Baltimore 0
Texas 5, Detroit 0
Minnesota 7, Houston 5
LA Angels 6, Chi White Sox 4
NY Yankees 10, Seattle 4

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Arizona 7, Colorado 5
San Francisco 14, Pittsburgh 4
LA Dodgers 6, Washington 1

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS
Miami 103, Boston 84 (Miami wins 4-3)

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
Vegas 6, Dallas 0 (Dallas wins 4-2)

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Scoreboard roundup -- 5/25/23

iStock

(NEW YORK) -- Here are the scores from Thursday's sports events:

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Tampa Bay 6, Toronto 3
Detroit 7, Chi White Sox 2
Baltimore 3, NY Yankees 1
Seattle 3, Oakland 2

NATIONAL LEAGUE
St. Louis 2, Cincinnati 1
Colorado 7, Miami 6
San Diego 8, Washington 6
Atlanta 8, Philadelphia 5
NY Mets 10, Chi Cubs 1
San Francisco 5, Milwaukee 0

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS
Boston 110, Miami 97 (Miami leads 3-2)

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
Dallas 3, Vegas 2 (OT) (Dallas leads 3-1)

WOMEN'S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Las Vegas 94, Los Angeles 85
Phoenix 90, Minnesota 81

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Scoreboard roundup -- 5/24/23

iStock

(NEW YORK) -- Here are the scores from Wednesday's sports events:

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

INTERLEAGUE
Texas 3, Pittsburgh 2
Milwaukee 4, Houston 0
Minnesota 7, San Francisco 1

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Chi White Sox 6, Cleveland 0
Tampa Bay 7, Toronto 3
Baltimore 9, NY Yankees 6
Detroit 6, Kansas City 4
LA Angels 7, Boston 3
Seattle 6, Oakland 1

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Philadelphia 6, Arizona 5
Cincinnati 10, St. Louis 3
Washington 5, San Diego 3
Chi Cubs 4, NY Mets 2
Atlanta 4, LA Dodgers 3
Miami 10, Colorado 2

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
Florida 4, Carolina 3 (Florida wins 4-0)

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Scoreboard roundup -- 5/23/23

iStock

(NEW YORK) -- Here are the scores from Tuesday's sports events:

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

INTERLEAGUE
Texas 6, Pittsburgh 1
Milwaukee 6, Houston 0
San Francisco 4, Minnesota 3

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Chi White Sox 4, Cleveland 2
Toronto 20, Tampa Bay 1
Kansas City 4, Detroit 1
NY Yankees 6, Baltimore 5
LA Angels 4, Boston 0
Seattle 3, Oakland 2

NATIONAL LEAGUE
St. Louis 8, Cincinnati 5
Arizona 4, Philadelphia 3
LA Dodgers 8, Atlanta 1
San Diego 7, Washington 4
Chi Cubs 7, NY Mets 2
Colorado 5, Miami 4

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS
Boston 116, Miami 99 (Miami leads 3-1)

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
Vegas 4, Dallas 0 (Dallas leads 3-0)

WOMEN'S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Connecticut 88, Washington 81
Atlanta 83, Minnesota 77

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Scoreboard roundup -- 5/22/23

iStock

(NEW YORK) -- Here are the scores from Monday's sports events:

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

INTERLEAGUE
Pittsburgh 6, Texas 4
Houston 12, Milwaukee 2
San Francisco 4, Minnesota 1

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Cleveland 3, Chi White Sox 0
Tampa Bay 6, Toronto 4
Detroit 8, Kansas City 4
LA Angels 2, Boston 1
Seattle 11, Oakland 2

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Arizona 6, Philadelphia 3
Cincinnati 6, St. Louis 5
LA Dodgers 8, Atlanta 6
Colorado 5, Miami 3

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS
Denver 113, LA Lakers 111 (Denver wins 4-0)

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
Florida 1, Carolina 0 (Florida leads 3-0)

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


PGA club pro Michael Block speaks about slam dunk hole-in-one at PGA Championship

ABC News

(NEW YORK) -- All eyes were on an unlikely hero at Oak Hill Country Club in Pittsford, New York, over the weekend where a California golf pro made history at the PGA Championship with his hole-in-one during the final round.

Michael Block, 46, slam dunked his shot off the 15th tee alongside Rory McIlroy, who hugged him and had to assure him it really went right in the hole.

"That's a brutal hole because you can't miss it right or left. Rory had just gone right before me and got a horrible kick, was in a really tough position," Block told ABC News' Good Morning America, reflecting on the tee shot less than 24 hours later. "I knew I had to hit a pretty good shot there."

He continued, "I didn't see it go in and all of a sudden Rory turns around and he starts walking back at me with his arms open to give me a hug. I'm like, 'Why in the world is Rory McIlroy giving me a hug right now -- did it go in?' He goes, 'Yeah, Block, it went in!' I couldn't believe it. To have it happen under those circumstances, coming down the stretch on the back nine on a Sunday in the PGA Championship with Rory McIlroy was an experience I'll never have again in my life and I'm gonna enjoy it."

He added that the force of the ball "blew up the hole," making it difficult to pull out initially.

"The hole got just absolutely destroyed. The ball went directly in, it flew in the front of the cup, it never bounced or hit the pin or anything," Block said. "We had to take about five minutes. Rules officials had to come over. We had to get it fixed -- I have never had it happen like that in my life. It was crazy."

He became the first PGA club pro to make a hole-in-one at the PGA Championship since George Bowman in 1996, according to ESPN.

Fans at Block's hometown Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club in Mission Viejo, where he teaches lessons, erupted in cheers as the crowds on the course boomed with excitement.

"The support that I have from Arroyo -- the management there has also allowed me to get out and play. And to be able to work on my game. I have got a great position -- I'm very, very lucky," he said. "I think I have got the best job in golf where I can come out and still play with the best players in the world, yet at the same time I can be at my house most of the time and have a steady job and steady pay check where I don't have to play golf to make a living."

Block sat tied for eighth going into Sunday's round, just six shots back from four-time major champion Brooks Koepka, and finished out his fairytale week with a final putt for par. The par save clinched a tie for 15th and gave him automatic entry into the 2024 PGA Championship.

"We were literally walking down fairways pinching ourselves," Block said of his weekend with caddie John Jackson. "I'm paired with Justin Rose on Saturday and Rory on Sunday. The crowd's just huge here in Rochester. Fans were amazing. Rory is walking ahead of us and I looked at my caddie and said, 'Is this even real?'"

Three holes after his remarkable ace, Block needed to make par on 18 to finish 15th and automatically qualify for next year's tournament.

"I honestly didn't know what it was for," he said of his final putt to close the day. "I didn't know where I was in position. I said I was not going to look at the scoreboards, even though they are all over the place and huge. ... I would not have made the putt if I knew. I'm happy with the fact that I didn't know."

Block sank the putt to finish with a 1-over 71 on Sunday and 1-over for the tournament.

In the 105 years of the PGA Championship, no PGA professional has ever finished inside the top 10. In 2005, Steve Schneiter was the last PGA pro to finish inside the top-40 at the tournament.

Earlier in the week, Block was already the talk of Twitter, as the only PGA professional to make the cut out of the 20 who qualified to play.

Koepka, who defected from the PGA to play for the rival Saudi-backed LIV Tour, took home his fifth major win.

"He walked off of 18 green, I was walking towards 18 -- [Koepka] told me that the first round [of drinks] was on me after that hole-in-one. He gave me a big hug," Block said. "I am very thrilled to be able to stand next to him during the final ceremony."

In addition to qualifying for next year's PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Kentucky, Block also received a sponsor exemption to play in next week’s Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas.

Block told GMA his biggest takeaway after this tournament is "you gotta be yourself."

"You play your best when you try to be just yourself. Don't try to be a tour pro. Don't try to be somebody you're not," he encouraged. "That's what I have been doing and it's really helped my game a ton. It's made the hole bigger."

Block continued, "I have always lived my whole life to where I want that hole to look as big as possible. Thank goodness this week at Oak Hill, it looked huge."

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Heat, Nuggets both one game away from NBA Finals

PhotoAlto/Sandro Di Carlo Darsa/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) -- The Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets are both just one game away from heading to the NBA Finals.

The Heat beat the Boston Celtics 128-102 in Game 3 of the East Finals Sunday night to take a 3-0 lead in the series.

Meanwhile, the Nuggets took a 3-0 lead in the West Finals after defeating the Los Angeles Lakers 119-108 Saturday night.

The Nuggets will have a chance to advance to the Finals on Monday night when they face off against the Lakers in Los Angeles for Game 4.

The Heat will get their shot at advancing on Tuesday during Game 4 in Miami.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Brooks Koepka wins PGA Championship

Laurence Mouton/Getty Images

(PITTSFORD, N.Y.) -- Brooks Koepka came out on top at the Oak Hill Country Club on Sunday, winning his third PGA Championship title.

Koepka finished nine under par in the 105th PGA Championship in Pittsford, New York. He beat Norway's Viktor Hovland and fellow American Scottie Scheffler by two strokes to take home the Wanamaker Trophy.

The win marked Koepka's fifth major overall.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Scoreboard roundup -- 5/21/23

iStock

(NEW YORK) -- Here are the scores from Sunday's sports events:

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

INTERLEAGUE
NY Yankees 4, Cincinnati 1
Atlanta 3, Seattle 2
NY Mets 5, Cleveland 4
NY Mets 2, Cleveland 1
Milwaukee 6, Tampa Bay 4
Washington 6, Detroit 4
Texas 13, Colorado 3
San Diego 7, Boston 0

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Chi White Sox 5, Kansas City 2
Houston 2, Oakland 0
Baltimore 8, Toronto 3
LA Angels 4, Minnesota 2

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Philadelphia 2, Chi Cubs 1
Arizona 8, Pittsburgh 3
St. Louis 10, LA Dodgers 5
San Francisco 7, Miami 5

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS
Miami 128, Boston 102 (Miami leads 3-0)

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
Vegas 3, Dallas 2 (OT) (Vegas leads 2-0)

WOMEN'S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Connecticut 80, Washington 74
New York 90, Indiana 73
Chicago 75, Phoenix 69

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


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