A C E L E B RATION OF ISLAN D C ULTURE
Ho‘olaule‘a means celebration, but for us it’s also an expression of gratitude.
Each May, we hold our interpretation of this storied Hawaiian tradition on Maui’s North Shore. The event blends elite competition with cultural activities and gathers some of the world’s best SUP, OC1 (Outrigger Canoe 1-person) & OC2 (Outrigger Canoe 2-persons) paddlers to race the legendary 8-mile Maliko downwind run. Friends and families come together to enjoy canoe sailing and surfing, ancient Hawaiian games, traditional luau, hula, and live music. We take this opportunity to recognize and honor our ‘Ohana Giveback partners*, as the community shares collective gifts of time, energy, and spirit.
*Inspired by the strong tradition of giving an offering or tribute in Polynesian culture, we established the ‘Ohana Giveback Program to support the efforts of those who continue to give back to preserve local cultures and traditions.
HO‘OKUKU competition “KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE WIND DIRECTION AND THE TROUGHS—the back of the waves. But if you have time, go to a windswept beach and look at the lines in the sand first thing in the morning and see how they change. What the wind is doing to the sand is exactly what it’s doing to the ocean. So when you’re out there you have to find the pattern and the path.” KAI BARTLETT Maui-based ocean canoe builder, Champion OC1 and OC2 paddler
“When I close my eyes and I think about the Ho‘olaule‘a it has a golden color. It’s a golden dream day and a reunion. The kids are playing and they can go canoe sailing and there’s hula and Keala is waiting for me there at the finish line at the same beach where I learned how to paddle. It’s very special.” ANDREA MÖLLER champion Maui waterwoman, big wave surfer and undefeated SUP female winner of the Ho‘olaule‘a
‘OHANA
family
“ALL OF US WERE KIND OF SCARED BECAUSE IT’S THE BIG OCEAN and here we are on our boards, but it was the best time we ever had to be in that group of hundreds of people, and the waves breaking over the reefs, it was freaky-scary-amazing. Catching a glide out there is like flying. It’s such a gift. All of a sudden this beautiful energy picks you up and you hear the sound of the water spraying past the bow of the board.” JUDY SHASEK paddler from Bend, Oregon
MO‘OLELO
culture
“MAUI CULTURAL LANDS HAS ALWAYS LOOKED FOR PEOPLE TO HELP FIRST. If there’s financial contributions that come with it, that’s awesome, but we feel it’s more important to have the hands in the earth cultivating these seeds of aloha and malama. OluKai is at the leading edge when it comes to giving back to place based organizations. By them giving back to the people and to the land— it all goes towards creating a balanced environment.” EKOLU LINDSEY culturalist, Maui Cultural Lands - an ‘Ohana Giveback Partner
“A ho‘olaule‘a is a celebration of the time and ‘ohana and that’s the atmosphere that’s captured here. There’s a culture attached to it—it doesn’t matter if you’re first or last, because everyone has their own story that’s come to life that day.” ARCHIE KALEPA legendary Maui waterman
O LU KA I.COM