For the 3rd straight year Spirit of CAN. has sponsored the Garden Island Boogie Boarding Classic surf contest on Kaua‘i. It was another epic year with great timing of a decent swell for good size waves for the pros and not too big for all the groms (young surfers). Since the inception of this local surf contest the focus has been to support and inspire the younger generations of the sport. The event is put on by the non-profit 501©(3) Kaikeha Inc. With an awesome mission, “to provide a community-based pro-am boogie board contest to teach competitors of the Native Hawaiian community the long-term value that water sports can bring to their lives by having kūpuna and professional bodyboarders mentor participants in the amateur divisions.” The brains and passion behind this non-profit and event are Chris and Pomai Burkart of Kaua‘i and their good friends Jeff and Dave Hubbard. The Hubbard brothers have 11 world titles between the two of them and their badass bodyboarding company “Hubboards” (the name is money).
Year after year these guys along with a host of great sponsors have contributed to meeting this mission, by hosting the sickest contest in Hawai‘i. For three days groms were able to compete and network with the top professionals in the sport.
Pro rider Sammy Morretino Photo credit Positive Photography
Kaiwi Wong @kaec16 going big.
Ryan Haines and daughter Iris "Stoke is real"
Photo by Manny Henriques
Pro rider Pohakukauea "HATU" Kekaualua
The Classic is set took place on July 16-18, 2021, at Prince Kuhio Beach with Awards Ceremony at Prince Kuhio Park. This year’s contest was so big they had to add a day. It took place over three days, as interest has grown to include contestants not just from Kaua’i but across Hawaii, as well as contestants from California.
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