OluKai Supports the 2010 Hawaii State Junior Lifeguard Championships

After two months of rigorous water safety training, over 200 qualifying teens
from across the Hawaiian island chain gathered for the annual statewide
safety conference and to compete in this year’s Junior Lifeguard
Championships held August 14 at Kalapaki Beach, Kauai.

Teams from Maui, Kauai, the Big Island, and Oahu came together with high
anticipation for the day’s rigorous athletic events designed to
showcase the skills they learned from summer training.

The Junior Lifeguard competitors were cheered on by their coaches and
mentors from the Hawaiian Lifeguard Association (HLA), peers, family
and friends as they battled in both individual and team disciplines in
five events throughout the day, including: a 1,000-meter beach run,
beach flags, run-swim-run, paddleboard relay, and a 200-meter swim.
Defending Champions Kauai claimed their seventh straight title winning
1st place with 187 points, followed by Oahu-North Shore with 112
points, the Big Island with 61 points, and Maui with 32 points.







OluKai is proud to support the growth of the next generation of elite watermen
and waterwomen through our partnership with the HLA and its Junior
Lifeguard Program. Through the program thousands of kids across the
state increase their self-confidence, physical conditioning and ocean
awareness through lessons in water safety, first aid and surf rescue.

Muffi Hanneman, former mayor of Honolulu and current gubernatorial candidate
for the State of Hawaii, addressed the lifeguards and fire chiefs and
spoke on the importance of the junior lifeguard program. Hanneman also
expressed the vital role that Hawaii lifeguards have in keeping locals
and visitors safe and lauded the guards as the “ultimate first
responders” considering their combined ocean safety knowledge and
paramedic training.

OluKai is the official footwear of the Hawaiian Lifeguard Association, worn by over 450 working guards. Part
of the proceeds from every Kia'i sandal and Kia’i Trainer goes directly to the Hawaiian Junior Lifeguard Program. This donation is inspired by OluKai’s ‘Ohana Giveback Program
where OluKai contributes its time, money and resources to support
cultural and environmental preservation efforts in Hawaii and beyond.

Each year, OluKai outfits all 450 Hawaiian lifeguards in the Kia’i sandal. In 2010, OluKai continued its partnership with the Hawaiian Lifeguard Association by developing the Kia’i Trainer to handle the guards’ rigorous all-island fitness training demands.
During the 2010 Junior Lifeguard Championship ceremony, OluKai
presented Oahu lifeguard Captain and Director of the HLA, Ralph Goto,
and Kauai Captain Kalani Vierra with 450 Kia’i Trainers to outfit every lifeguard in Hawaii as well as an additional $11,500 in monetary support.