With arms outspread in a gesture of welcome to all, the larger-than-life bronze statue of Duke Kahanamoku on the shores of Waikiki Beach delineates where the pavement ends and the ocean that Duke loved so much, and mastered so well, begins. The annual Duke's OceanFest celebration recently brought together surfers and surf enthusiasts from around the world to enjoy the many forms of surfing that Duke loved to savor at Waikiki. If the "father of surfing" were still around, he would have been honored to see his beloved sport and all its offshoots being practiced and enjoyed by so many.
Among the full slate of Duke's OceanFest activities, three of Duke's favorites were featured: stand-up paddle surfing, tandem surfing, and longboarding. The C4 Waterman/Honolua Surf Co Stand-Up Paddle (SUP) Surfing Invitational and paddleboard race, the World Title of Tandem Surfing, presented by Tsunami's Waikiki, and the Roxy Jam Honolulu women's professional longboarding championship ran concurrently starting Wednesday, August 22nd, and concluded with the finals of each on Saturday, August 25th.
While there were the usual points and prizes associated with surfing competitions, the essence of Duke's OceanFest far transcended titles.
"When I think of Duke Kahanamoku, I think of someone who was so personable and who willingly shared his knowledge, his abilities and his aloha in a way that represents the heart of Hawaii and what it means to truly be a waterman," says Makaha's Brian Keaulana, who featured in the C4 Waterman/Honolua Surf Co SUP Invitational, the C4 Waterman/Honolua Surf Co paddleboard race and the World Title of Tandem Surfing.
"One of my favorite memories is of sitting in Duke's lap as a young boy. He was already of an old age at that time and I recall him coming out to Makaha in his white tuxedo suit as a guest at the Makaha International. He influenced so many people in his prime and throughout his lifetime."
Keaulana is just one of a long list of surfers - one that includes his father "Buffalo" Keaulana and many uncles, who were so impressed by Duke's waterman skills and spirit of aloha that they chose to follow in his footsteps. The Duke's OceanFest celebration brings together many of these waterman personalities each year and revisits the roots of these sports that have become synonymous with Hawaii and with Kahanamoku.
"There may be competition, but essentially all the different (surfing) sports we do are for relaxation," said Keaulana. "For me, it's about having fun and going out there to challenge myself. What Duke represented was way beyond competition and that's what I try to keep at heart. It's all about a deep sense of balance; physical balance, cultural balance, spiritual balance. That's what surfing is. That's what Duke was all about."
In the C4 Waterman/Honolua Surf Co standup paddle surfing competition, the victory for Bonga Perkins was a fitting one, given his connection to this revived sport and its pioneer Bobby AhChoy. AhChoy is credited with putting stand-up paddle surfing on the map back in the '60s, being its major practitioner close to half a century ago. Incorporating the use of a canoe paddle, AhChoy found that by paddling around upright he had a better view of the tourists he instructed as they learned to surf at Waikiki. He could also make extra money by snapping their photos from on-high while keeping his camera safely out of the waves. He lived to see the sport become an internationally practiced extension of surfing before passing away earlier this year.
"A lot of people don't know that I grew up here (at Waikiki) ... and that I used to work for Bobby AhChoy doing that - having a camera that wasn't waterproof and a board that was 100 pounds and when he was done he'd tell me 'go take pictures and make some money for yourself', back when I was 10 or 11 years old. With the boards now being lighter, smaller and just faster in general, it's too easy."
AhChoy might have cut a lone figure high and dry on the waves back then, but he'd have plenty of company if he were still here today. So much company, in fact, that this event had to be limited to a 24-person invitational. C4 Waterman/Honolua Surf Co. teamed up and invited 24 of the surfers they felt had greatly contributed to the rebirth and unbelievable expansion of the sport today. The final consisted of Perkins, Noah Shimabukuro (Maui), Dave Parmenter (Makaha), Alika Willis (Waikiki), Kalani Vierra (Kauai), and Titus Kinimaka (Kauai), who placed in that order.
Californian longboarding veteran Julie Whitegon, 42, won the Roxy Jam Honolulu. Second place was Kelia Moniz (Honolulu), the youngest surfer in the event at 14; third was Lindsay Steinriede (California); and fourth place was Crystal Dzigas (Honolulu).
The script for the World Title of Tandem Surfing presented by Tsunami's Waikiki could not have been written any better. Forty years after winning her first international title, Kauai's Blanche Yoshida, 54, and her rookie team partner Kalani Vierra, 41, lay claim to the crown. It was no cake walk, having to get past reigning world tandem champions Brian Keaulana/Kathy Terada (Makaha, HI - who finished third this year), Honolulu star couple Chuck Inman/Tiffany Rabacal (who placed runner-up), and a brilliant California pair in Caleb Wilborn/Wendy Lynn (recipients of fourth place).
The Duke's OceanFest is precisely the kind of history and camaraderie that C4 Waterman looks to celebrate as it enjoys the revival of stand-up paddle surfing.
"It goes way beyond competition," explains C4 Waterman co-founder Todd Bradley. "We are here to celebrate and honor a way of life that has its roots right here in Hawaii, and was given to us by important role models the likes of Duke Kahanamoku. While many of us find competition fun, as Duke did, what we live for is the privilege to wake up each day and enjoy life on the water. It really is a privilege and one we are grateful for each and every time we take to the ocean. That's what we at C4 Waterman look to honor - a tradition that began many years ago and that we hope to perpetuate for many generations to come."
Aloha.
Jodi Wilmott
c/o Todd Bradley www.c4waterman.com
Photos Allan Mozo of Mozophotos.com
