KAILUA-KONA — Hawaii Lifeguard Surf Instructor Rick Green did not have a hard time describing what he felt when he saw the smiles on the water at Surf Day with Aloha.
KAILUA-KONA — Hawaii Lifeguard Surf Instructor Rick Green did not have a hard time describing what he felt when he saw the smiles on the water at Surf Day with Aloha.
“It’s like Christmas — every time,” Green said. “There’s nothing like it.”
The event, which returned after a multi-year hiatus, welcomed more than two dozen people with various disabilities for a day of surfing at Kahaluu in Kona on Wednesday.
The group couldn’t have asked for better conditions for the inspiring afternoon. Some cloud cover kept things cool, while intermittent sets of waves gave the new surfers perfect opportunities to get going on the water.
“We want to be able to help these families as much as we can. They go through enough on a daily basis,” Green said. “This is our community — our kuleana. Everybody pulls together for this.”
As the first groups started to come to shore, there was no doubt the experience was drawing five-star reviews from the participants.
“Great,” Alex Canine exclaimed shortly after getting out of the water. “I really liked being on the wave.”
“It was so much fun,” his classmate Shelly Keawe added.
Canine and Keawe were among seven students from Kohala that came out for the event. Their teacher, Brian Hart, couldn’t have imagined a better way to spend the day.
“We had been looking forward to this for just over a month. They couldn’t wait,” Hart said. “For many of the kids, this was their first time at the beach and the first time they are getting the feeling of being on a wave. The ocean can be very therapeutic.”
Fellow Kohala student Odin Rudd was eager to get on a board, and despite being a non-verbal communicator, a big thumbs-up and ear-to-ear smile told the story of his day on the water.
“There’s nothing like this,” Hart said.
Keahi Robins helped organize the event with Green, and said he has a special connection to the surf day, explaining that his brother has been a quadriplegic since he was 16 years old. Robins has seen first-hand the effect the ocean can have on a person.
Cross-armed on the beach, Robins watched the first surfers catch a wave. As the crowd on the sand erupted in cheers, Robins turned and said with a smile that mirrored that of those on the water, “That’s what this is all about.”
Green and Robins said they have been putting on the surf day for over a decade, although one hadn’t been held since 2012 for various reasons. The duo brought a familiarity with the logistics of putting on the event, which was mighty task.
The dynamic lifeguard duo credited all the volunteers, including their fellow Hawaii Lifeguard Surf Instructors, the Hawaii Fire Department crews and those from Mana’olana HOPE Inc. — a local non-profit — that came out and helped things go smoothly.
“It’s like doing hula out there. Everybody is moving together, helping things go smoothly,” Robins laughed. “But Rick runs a tight ship. Everybody has to be qualified and certified that helps out.”
Organizers said they hope to do the surf day multiple times a year. For those interested in volunteering or participating, find Hawaii Lifeguard Surf Instructors on Facebook.