Kalani Vierra, Kauai Fire Department Ocean Safety Bureau chief, was not in the office Tuesday morning at the Lihue Civic Center.
Instead, Vierra was working his way home after being inducted into the Hawaii Waterman Hall of Fame Monday night at the Outrigger Canoe Club on Oahu.
“It was very humbling,” Vierra said. “They (the Duke Kahanamoku Foundation) made me a big banner. I had to walk through this place where there were banners from previous inductees. Duke Kahanamoku, Eddie Aikau. I was getting chicken skin to think that my banner was also there.”
Vierra joins Woody Brown, receiving the award post-humously, Dave Kalama of Maui, and Ann Yoshida, a 2016 paralympian and a World Adaptive Surfing and Paracanoe world champion, in being recognized as one of those who has contributed an enormous amount of energy and passion to the ocean.
This recognition saw the six-time World Tandem Surfing champion inducted into the hall at a banquet that was re-scheduled from an earlier date due to concerns with the weather.
“It came as no surprise when I heard that our very own Kalani Vierra was being inducted into the Hawaii Waterman Hall of Fame,” said Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. “We have seen him in action as the Ocean Safety Bureau chief, co-founder of the Kauai Junior Lifeguard Association, and an avid waterman on- and off-duty.”
Jack Leonard of the Kauai Gymnastics Academy, Vierra’s tandem surfing coach, was part of the celebration.
“Kalani’s story touched everyone with his early struggles with self-direction and doubt,” he said. “He described his salvation was finding his calling of becoming an ocean lifeguard to help people in trouble.”
The inductees to the Hawaii Waterman Hall of Fame are nominated by their peers for their contributions to ocean sports, their commitment to athletics through coaching and program development in addition to service to the community.
“Kalani’s love for the ocean truly radiates throughout everything he does, whether he’s on- or off-duty,” said KFD Chief Robert Westerman. “While he leads approximately 52 water safety officers in the Kauai Fire Department’s Ocean Safety Bureau on day-to-day operations, he is also continually advocating for them, and our beachgoers at the county, state and community levels — seeking new efforts that will improve ocean safety service and ultimately save lives.”
Carvalho echoed the sentiments of the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation in noting the 2018 class of inductees epitomizes Duke’s spirit through their love of the water and through caring for their communities.
“When we think of a waterman of such caliber, we think of Kalani Vierra,” Carvalho said.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or
dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
