Smiles abound for the Boys and Girls Club of Hawaii as they participate for the 16th year in a day of outdoor adventures. Hawaiian Island Creations and the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation sponsor this event for the Oahu Boys and Girls Club.
HIC NEWS RELEASE
Boys & Girls Club Members Enjoy The Ride at Duke’s Ocean Sports & Fitness Day
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HIC team rider Josh Moniz gives a surf lesson at Kalama Beach.
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17 April, 2017 - Kailua, Hawaii - On Saturday, April 8th, over 100 Boys and Girls Club of Hawaii members experienced the sports that were close to Duke Kahanamoku’s heart at the Duke’s Ocean Sports and Fitness Day. For 16 consecutive years Hawaiian Island Creations (HIC) has partnered with the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation (ODKF) and the Boys and Girls Club of Hawaii (BGCH) to provide this event for Oahu’s youth, providing instruction in surfing, bodyboarding, canoe paddling, Supsquatch and beach volleyball.
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Boys & Girls Club members ride a wave to shore in an outrigger canoe.
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Keiki from five BGCH Oahu clubhouses, including Waianae, Nanakuli, Ewa Beach, Honolulu and Windward, were joined by a club from Santa Monica, California at Kalama Beach in Kailua. The small waves along Kalama's sandy shore provided the perfect conditions for these kids to learn the sport of Hawaiian kings. Each of the sports is taught separately, beginning with expert instruction for the kids. Bert Ishimaru on surfing, Jeannie Chesser on body boarding, Bruce De Soto teaches canoe paddling, Joseph Banks handles the Supsquatch instruction and Vernon Podluski teaches beach volleyball. Each child is then paired with an experienced volunteer to spend some time practicing the sport. From the looks on everyone’s faces it’s as fun for the adults as it is for the kids. Most of these volunteers have been participating in this event for years and really enjoy the chance to share their experience and stoke with the next generation.
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Supsqautch is a multi-person stand up paddle board.
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Thanks to a grant from the ODKF the event is free for all BGCH members. A very special mahalo to the BGCH and their sponsors who help provide a positive, safe and healthy environment for over 14,000 of Hawaii’s youth. Mahalo also to Volcom for providing lycra shirts to the kids and volunteers and for bringing their Hawaii team riders along; to Dukes Waikiki for providing lunch for the entire crew; and especially to the ODKF for perpetuating the stoke and aloha of the Hawaiian surfing lifestyle through the spirit of Duke Kahanamoku. Aloha!
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