Scenes from another surfing competition, a horse therapy session and an informal memorial for a fallen firefighter.

The Da Hui Back Door Shoot Out surf contest opened on Saturday January 4th with a solid north west swell pumping into Ehukai Beach Park, home of the world famous Banzai Pipeline and Back Door surf breaks have their homes. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2025
Eala Stewart lines up a solid 20-foot barrel during the Da Hui Backdoor Shootout surf contest Saturday with a northwest swell pumping into Ehukai Beach Park, home of the Banzai Pipeline and Backdoor surf breaks. The event came two weeks after the Eddie Aikau Big Wave International. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2025
The Da Hui Back Door Shoot Out surf contest opened on Saturday January 4th with a solid north west swell pumping into Ehukai Beach Park, home of the world famous Banzai Pipeline and Back Door surf breaks have their homes. Avoiding an over the falls ending is paramount to survival. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2025
Avoiding an over-the-falls ending is paramount to success — and survival. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2025
The Da Hui Back Door Shoot Out surf contest opened on Saturday January 4th with a solid north west swell pumping into Ehukai Beach Park, home of the world famous Banzai Pipeline and Back Door surf breaks have their homes. Two young surf enthusiasts walk with their trophy of a broken board, a symbol of the strength of the waves (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2025
Two young surf enthusiasts walk with their trophy of a broken board during the competition. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2025)
The Da Hui Back Door Shoot Out surf contest opened on Saturday January 4th with a solid north west swell pumping into Ehukai Beach Park, home of the world famous Banzai Pipeline and Back Door surf breaks have their homes. Sometimes the takeoff on a wave that measures 15-20 on itÕs face can be a tad precarious and one finds oneself heading away from the board they intended to ride. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2025
The takeoff on a wave that measures 15-20 feet on its face can be precarious and sometimes surfers head one way and their boards another. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2025)
Construction upgrades continue into the new year.  Here, crews on PunchBowl Street were resetting Manhole covers to ensure a Smoot road surface.(David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024)
A construction crew smooths the Punchbowl Street surface while resetting a manhole cover Monday morning.(David Croxford/Civil Beat/2025)

On a Tuesday evening drive near Iwilei, this creature flew past and landed on a nearby car. What is it? Amateur entomologists, do your thing. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2025)

Irony? Sarcasm? Why would a Tesla owner spring for this vanity plate seen on South Street on Monday evening. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2025)
All was quiet at the state Capitol on Monday, but the rush of a new legislative session will begin next Wednesday. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2025)
Garrett Higgins works with Paige Deponte Director Kulia I Ka Nu'u Spirit Horse Ranch Friday, Nov. 8, 2024, in Kula. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
Garrett Higgins sits in the center of a Spirit Horse Ranch corral with director Paige Deponte in Kula. Higgins receives equine therapy to deal with issues that include the loss of his home in the August 2023 Maui wildfires. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
Sugar waits near the corral’s gate as Garrett Higgins centers himself as Paige Deponte Director Kulia I Ka Nu'u Spirit Horse Ranch keeps an eye on him Friday, Nov. 8, 2024, in Kula. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
Sugar waits near a corral gate as Higgins centers himself during the session. He uses a device to monitor his breathing and tension to begin the session with Deponte. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
Sugar blocks Garrett Higgins from Director Kulia I Ka Nu'u Spirit Horse Ranch’s Paige Deponte sight during an equine-therapy session Friday, Nov. 8, 2024, in Kula. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
Sugar turns her head in front of Higgins, who receives free equine therapy at the ranch. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
Paige Deponte Director Kulia I Ka Nu'u Spirit Horse Ranch watches Garrett Higgins work with Sugar during his equine-therapy session Friday, Nov. 8, 2024, in Kula. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
Deponte watches Higgins with Sugar. The ranch has provided more than 1,800 sessions to fire-affected community members, she said. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
An informal flower memorial continues to grow Thursday outside Honolulu Fire Department Station 9, where firefighter Jeffrey Fiala, 25, served his community. Fiala died while fighting a fire Monday evening in the Pawaa-McCully area. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2025)

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