“Imagine all those hidden gems in the children out there that don’t get to experience all of this so that they could know what they have and where than can go in life,” he said. “It shows them the sky’s the limit. It’s like a small, little spark that can show these kids something they might never have known about.”
FUN AND GAMES AT ‘UNCLE JR’S’ COMPETITION
BY CHELSEA JENSEN
WEST HAWAII TODAY
cjensen@westhawaiitoday.com
Big Islanders young and old came together Saturday for a fun-filled day of surf, fishing and horseshoes at Banyans surf spot in Kailua-Kona.
Randomly selected five-member teams that caught waves, reeled in fish and sank metal rings in a game of Portuguese horseshoes all with the hope of tallying the most points overall and winning the first-ever Uncle JR’s Biggest Bite Competition.
The competition, held in memory of Kona waterman and historical preservationist Clement Keliipoaimoku Kanuha Jr. who died in December 2010, is a means for bringing together the community for a free event as well as reminding local children they can reach their dreams, said Kanuha’s son CJ Kanuha, a Kailua-Kona native, prosurfer and owner of Vanilla Gorilla Surf Co. Kanuha’s company along with his late father’s nonprofit, Hui Paa Na Keiki O Hawaii Nei, sponsored the all-day event.
“This event is about bringing everyone together for something that is positive and we hope to make this something that the whole community will look forward to every year because it’s a good way to start off the new year,” CJ Kanuha said. “Being born and raised here with the tools I have now from making a living off surfing, this event is something that I can do to give back to the community and show kids they can make it, too.”
Nearly 100 people crowded the surf spot located off Alii Drive south of Royal Poinciana Drive. The teams earned points for each skill trial and the team with the highest overall score took the perpetual competition’s wooden trophy. Awards for the top finishers in each skill were also handed out.
Kalaoa resident Jason Ng, who took part in the competition with sons Loa, 12, and Pono, 16, said events like “Uncle JR’s Biggest Bite Competition” at the beach need to be held more often to bring the Kona community closer together.
“To be able to gather as a community on the shoreline is special as a lot of the coastline here has been restricted, fenced off or taken over so there are very few areas where the community can gather to enjoy themselves, the nature and the beauty of the area,” he said. “The most important thing now is to ensure that we have these vehicles to continue these kinds of community events.”
Ng also noted such events help local keiki to see what people from Kona have done with their lives and that they, too, can pursue their dreams.
“Imagine all those hidden gems in the children out there that don’t get to experience all of this so that they could know what they have and where than can go in life,” he said. “It shows them the sky’s the limit. It’s like a small, little spark that can show these kids something they might never have known about.”