Duke Paoa Kahanamoku and his long, distinguished register of athletic accomplishments stand tall in the annals of sports history.  Perhaps even more significant than his Olympic gold medals, world swimming records, introduction of surfing to the world, and other amazing feats, is the fact that Duke served Hawaii dutifully as its international ambassador of Aloha.  Buffalo Keaulana said it best in a recent television special about Kahanamoku; “Duke was a Hawaiian.  He was pure Hawaiian, that’s the most important thing.  And when you’re Hawaiian, you have love in your heart, because you’re Hawaiian.”  I can’t imagine it being articulated any better or by anyone better.


The Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation (ODKF) is a non-profit organization that diligently tends to this great man’s legacy and the perpetuation of his spirit and ideals, ensuring that Duke’s values and representation of Hawaii maintain an influence on future generations.  In one arm of these duties, the ODKF generates scholarship grants that are awarded to young Hawaii scholar athletes who participate in the very beach and ocean sports that Duke himself cherished.
 

One of the ODKF’s most productive fundraising events is the annual Duke’s Oceanfest held around the time of Kahanamoku’s birthday of August 24th.  Fittingly, it’s held at his old stomping grounds of Kuhio Beach in Waikiki and is a weeklong cavalcade of beach  and ocean activities such as volleyball, ocean swimming, surfboard water polo, paddleboard racing, and a myriad of wave riding events.  Oceanfest coordinator Jim Fulton has been at the event’s helm since it’s inception in 2000, and despite the current economic sag, he (along with his three constantly ringing cell phones) does a masterful job of organizing dignitaries, media promotions, sponsors, staff, athletes, permitting, equipment, operational funding, and a million other incidentals into one seamless event every August.


I’m really fortunate to have a cool boss who sponsors a couple of teams for Oceanic Time Warner Cable in the Duke’s Legends Surf Classic, which many regard as the main showpiece of the Oceanfest.  This division pairs a living surfing legend (some of whom knew Duke personally) with a four man amateur team in a for-fun kine surf off with other corporate teams. In this format, the cumulative team scores compete with each other, which smartly promotes camaraderie over wave hassling.  It’s not often (in fact, it’s freakin’ impossible) that one gets to surf Queen’s in the middle of a sunny summer day with just three friends and a surfing icon in the water, sharing waves and hooting each other on!  It can be quite a magical and surreal experience, no matter how the surf is or how your team places.


Before the Legends event, an informal reception was held poolside at Duke’s Waikiki on a warm Wednesday evening, where everyone got to rub shoulders with the sport’s greats in a surf-casual atmosphere.  Early into the program, Randy Rarick presented the ODKF with a donation check of $5,000.00 raised from the proceeds of his Hawaiian Vintage Surf Auction to get the night kick started with good energy and the spirit of giving.  Ono pupus were on offer and the drink flowed freely as everyone primed up for more fun coming up in the next few days. It was bitchin’ night, as the older surf generation says!


The waves for the first two days were excellent, with a surprise SSW bump providing glassy and consistent 2’-3’ surf on Wednesday and Thursday for the opening rounds of the ITSA Tandem World Championships, Challenged Athlete, Gidget Women’s Pro, and Toes On The Nose Longboard Pro divisions.  The hoped for SE push from Tropical Storm Hilda never really materialized, and the surf dropped pretty quickly.  But the ocean still put out enough contestable waves for the last two days to complete the finals of those divisions as well as run the Legends division.


Providing heaps of inspiration and stoke for spectators was the Challenged Athletes division. This division showcases waveriders with mental and physical challenges, and they really take the waves apart in prone, standing, and waveski surfing styles!  The word “disabled” definitely doesn’t apply to them.  Mark Marble and his hardworking AccesSurf crew does a fabulous job of keeping this special group included and their athletes progressing in the ocean.


Stand up paddle (SUP) surfing is a rapidly growing sport and is now a staple of the Oceanfest.  Liam Wilmott of C4 Waterman rallies up this division, which is actually the modern rebirth of a traditional Waikiki Beachboy waveriding style.  The top SUP guys are doing amazing things in the surf on their oversized equipment.  It’s a little strange having five guys appearing to stand on water as they wait for waves.  I bet some of the tourists on the beach thought they were seeing things!


Tandem surfing is as much art as it is sport, and was the most aesthetically beautiful wave riding form of the entire week. The strength, balance, and showmanship on display was unmatched and tourists and locals alike were entranced with the performances put in by each pair.  Senor Frogs and the Bear Woznick of the ITSA organize a division that is so befitting of the wavescape at Queens and the overall ambiance of Waikiki Beach.


The Rabbit Kekai ‘Toes On The Nose’ Longboard Pro and the Women’s Gidget Pro were the only play-for-pay comps in the Oceanfest and the level and combination of traditional and contemporary longboarding techniques were absolutely world class. Uncle Rabbit was stoked to have his contest back home in Hawaii after it ran in Costa Rica for 13 years (you’re “Number 1” Rabbit!).  For me, the only negative about these contests was that watching those young pro whippersnappers tear up the surf made me feel my age … uggh!


Oceanic provided a live webcast of the 2009 Oceanfest, and in addition to the stationary surf cam, a beach interview set was added this year.  To start the show properly, Kahanamoku family liaison Pamai Tenn provided an account of the Ho’omana ceremony that opened the Oceanfest, and a recital of Duke’s Creed. Marty Thomas of ASP Hawaii, Bear Woznick of ITSA Tandem Surfing, and Gary Kewley (GQ) of the Surf News Network then handled the hosting duties, and they did a marvelous job of putting amazing and diverse personalities in front of the camera and coaxing lots of interesting and often hilarious anecdotes from them.  Amongst those who stopped in for a chat were Rabbit Kekai, Ken Bradshaw, Mark Marble, Rory Russell, Buttons Kaluhiokalani, Randy Rarick, Jericho Poppler, Mark Matheson, Jock Sutherland, Erin Madden, Nancy Emerson, Crystal Akana, Amber Lynn Hyden, Malika Dudley, Catherine Toth, Kai Sallas, Sarah Kahanamoku, Robert Stehlik, Josh Baxter, Talin Woznick, Mike Doyle, Nancy Daniels, Paul Inafuku, Robert Snelling, ODKF grant recipients, and many many others.  I got tons of positive feedback on the webcast and we were stoked to do it.  A special Mahalo to Faith Wenzl of ASP Hawaii for providing us with space and utilities, and to China Uemura’s terrific security team for taking such good care of us and our (very expensive) streaming equipment!




It was great to see Kimo Hollinger and Ricky Grigg strolling around the event site. 50+ years ago, they were amongst the courageous first few men to surf giant Waimea Bay.  Kimo happened to be celebrating his 70th birthday at the Oceanfest and was surfing for the Rainbow Drive Inn team (supported by a very rowdy cheering squad).  I often bump into him during early morning dawn patrols on the North Shore and he’s such a genuinely nice, soft spoken man.  Happy Birthday Kimo!


Legends for our Oceanic teams this year were the always amazing Jock Sutherland and Pipeline star Rory Russell.  If you’re as much a fan of the late 60’s shortboard revolution era and the early 70’s Lightning Bolt/Pipeline scene as I am, you can imagine how thrilling it was for me to meet and surf with these two guys.  In his prime, Jock Sutherland was acknowledged by his peers as the world’s best surfer, a sentiment that was validated when he was voted #1 in the 1969 Surfer Poll.  Rory Russell, along with Gerry Lopez, helped write the blueprint on big wave tuberiding at the treacherous Banzai Pipeline aboard classic Lightning Bolt surfboards, and together they opened up Indonesia as a dream surfing destination.  With these kinds of credentials, you’d think Jock and Rory might be rather aloof, but they’re amongst the most personable, humble, and positive people I’ve ever met, and they’re still really great surfers.  I’m not above admitting to feeling a bit of fawning schoolgirl giddiness while hanging out with two of my all-time personal surfing heroes and I’m very grateful to be able to call Jock and Rory my friends. I hope to surf with them more times in the future.


Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see much of the non-surfing divisions, such as the beach volleyball, surf water polo, ocean mile swim, waterman’s challenge, and paddleboard races. These competitions help make the Oceanfest a more well rounded and inclusive event, and the ODKF is always attentive to these components.  The event was completed on Saturday afternoon with a Duke’s statue lei draping ceremony and a sumptuous evening luau on the Waikiki Aquarium lawn with everyone and their guests in attendance.  There were lots of sunburned faces, smiles, laughter, and hugs that night.  Yup, it was a bitchin’ night.

As in 2007 and 2008, I was a little sad it was over, but I had a nice little parting surprise when while having breakfast at my hotel the following day, someone quietly came over to my table to offer an early morning “Aloha”.  It was Kimo Hollinger, who was in the same buffet room with his family, and he took time to come talk story. My wife asked me who he was, and even if I had tried my best to explain, she wouldn’t have grasped it fully anyway. Kimo’s cordial and unexpected visit reminds me that there are so many other truly memorable gifts that the Oceanfest offers … besides shiny new first place trophies.


Unlike more hardcore competitive events, the beauty of the Duke’s Oceanfest is that no matter what the surf’s like, or how your board’s working, or who’s winning whatever division, the energy is always high, everyone’s friendly and there to help each other, old friendships are rekindled, lots of new ones are made, and not a bad vibe or word is exchanged the entire week.  The binding tie is that we’re all proud to be active ocean athletes, and on the strength of this unique distinction, our tribe faithfully gathers each year to honor the life and ideal of one of humankind’s most esteemed individuals.

Duke’s Creed:
“In Hawaii we greet friends, loved ones, or strangers with "Aloha," which means, with love. Aloha is the key word to the universal spirit of real hospitality, which makes Hawaii renowned as the world's center of understanding and fellowship.  Try meeting or leaving people with Aloha. You'll be surprised by their reaction. I believe it, and it is my creed. Aloha to you.   Duke Paoa Kahanamoku”

Many thanks to the ODKF, Jim Fulton, the Oceanfest committee members and volunteers, generous sponsors, and ocean athletes for another great event.  Looking forward to 2010, and Aloha to you!

For more information on the ODKF and to make a donation, please go to their website:

• www.dukefoundation.org

Mahalo to Tina Lau and HawaiianSwell’s Franco Tramontano for their awesome photo contributions.  Find more images of the 2009 Oceanfest on their sites;

• www.hawaiianswell.com
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/tinalaudotcom/collections/72157622208795248/
  

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