Surf Fest Has Films, Food, Fun

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By Kelli-Anne Ho

Lanikai Association and AccesSurf Hawaii will host the inaugural Lanikai Surf Festival Sept. 23-24 at Lanikai Park.

“The Lanikai craft fairs, which are held twice a year, are so successful that we came up with an idea to create a surf festival to raise money for the Lanikai Association and AccesSurf,” explained Mark Librie, festival chairman.

“The money raised will help (Lanikai Association) to maintain both the park and the right-of-ways, along with helping AccesSurf, who help get handicapped surfers into the water.” (Lanikai Park is one of two private parks in Hawaii open to the general public. Lanikai Association also owns 11 beach right-of-ways in the area.)

The festival kicks off at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 23 with the film Waterman by Don King, followed by Fiberglass and Megapixels by the Hoffman Brothers both on a big screen at the pavilion.

Sept. 24 is a Stand-up Paddle race that starts and finishes at Kaiolena Drive beach. The three categories for both men and women are: 12 foot-and-under surfboard style boards, 14-footand-under race boards with no rudder, and a “boy or girl with his/her dog.” Registration is from 7 to 7:45 a.m., and the race will start at 8. Entry fee is $15.

A craft fair also is planned for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 24, featuring surf samples, and items from surfboard and stand up paddling manufacturers. Well-known surfers, shapers and photographers will share their profession and talk story throughout the day. Uncle George Downing, for example, will speak on the arrival of modern big-wave surfing; Buzzy Kerbox will discuss tow-in surfing and Darrick Dorner will speak on the mentality of riding giant waves.

“The event is just about bringing surfing pride together into a free, fun event,” said Librie. “We’re surfers. We want to have fun.”

The event will conclude with two films, Green Iguana and Sikjoy by Jack McCoy.

All proceeds will be split between Lanikai Association and AccesSurf Hawaii.