May 17, 2008 will mark the first time that E M.lama I Ke Kai will host a Swim & Surf Clinic which will be put on by the non-profit organization Na Kama Kai. The free clinic is designed to instill in keiki the importance of the ocean and ocean safety.
Keiki who have pre-registered online or who registered with the Clinic's booth on the day of the event will participate in one of several 60-minute sessions at Kaimana Beach in Waikiki.
The sessions are broken up into a beach clinic, which will cover ocean safety instruction and will establish a relationship with the ocean and educate keiki on their responsibility to care for it. Keiki will also be taught historical background about Kaimana and Waikiki. The second half of the session will be an ocean clinic in which keiki will be instructed on how to swim and surf.
Tom Pohaku Stone, the leading authority on traditional Hawaiian ocean sports will be conducting the on-shore beach instruction. The ocean instruction will be conducted by several lifeguards and pro surfers. Pro surfers on hand are scheduled to include Na Kama Kai founder Duane DeSoto as well as Bonga Perkins, Desire DeSoto, Kainoa McGee, Johnny Boy Gomes, Kekoa Uemura, Ned Snow, Bobby & Tiare Freidman, Kamu Auwae, Robin Johnston, amongst others.
Participating keiki will be given the opportunity for a photo op with their instructors
The Swim & Surf Clinic is free for all registered keiki courtesy of Na Kama Kai.
Pre-Registration forms for the May 17, 2008 Swim & Surf Clinic will be available here on this website. Limited registration will also be available on the day of at the Swim & Surf Clinic's booth at the E Malama I Ke Kai Ocean Awareness Festival held at the Kapi`olani Park Bandstand.
For more information feel free to e-mail us at huimakua@yahoo.com or contact Na Kama Kai at (808) 864-9164 or nakamakai@hotmail.com.
