Kauai’s contingent of lifeguards did well at the Duke’s OceanFest that concluded on Oahu on Sunday, said Eugene Ancheta. Kauai’s team included Kalani Vierra, Tyrus Siale, Donavan Silva, Ancheta, Chris Pico, and Hayley Chasin at the annual event to honor
Kauai’s contingent of lifeguards did well at the Duke’s OceanFest that concluded on Oahu on Sunday, said Eugene Ancheta.
Kauai’s team included Kalani Vierra, Tyrus Siale, Donavan Silva, Ancheta, Chris Pico, and Hayley Chasin at the annual event to honor Duke Kahanamoku.
Vierra opened with second place in his heat during the Waikiki Stand Up Paddle Paddle Fest and advanced to fourth place in the men’s semifinals before being ousted.
Vierra teamed with Krystl Apeles to capture top honors in both their opening heat and the semifinals, but had to settle for second place in the finals.
“This was a good fun event,” said Siale. “It was an experience with good competition. We also got to meet some of the other lifeguards and exchange ideas.”
Siale was part of the medley relay, where four lifeguards worked through the course with one running, one swimming, one doing the prone paddleboard, and one doing the stand up paddleboard. The Kauai team finished first in this event.
Ancheta said the Kauai team also captured first place in the paddleboard prone relay.
Ancheta finished second in the beach flags event behind Silva, who captured first place.
Chasin earned second and Pico finished fourth in the swim race portion.
The Duke’s Oceanfest is held each summer in honor of Duke Kahanamoku, who is remembered as Hawaii’s ambassador of aloha and the greatest waterman. Among his accomplishments, Kahanamoku was an Olympic gold medal swimmer, a surfer, a canoe steersman, a Hollywood actor, and the Sheriff of Honolulu.
“We had to do good,” Ancheta said. “We have to uphold the honor of our Junior Lifeguards who finished first” at the state competition.
