LIHUE — The 2nd Live Like Sion GromFest will be held at PK’s in Poipu on Aug. 10. The contest is free and open to surfers 12 and younger who are not rated in the top six of the Hawaii
LIHUE — The 2nd Live Like Sion GromFest will be held at PK’s in Poipu on Aug. 10.
The contest is free and open to surfers 12 and younger who are not rated in the top six of the Hawaii Surfing Association or the National Scholastic Surfing Association.
The Live Like Sion Foundation, who puts on the GromFest, is named after Sion Milosky, a big-wave surfer from Kalaheo who lost his life on March 16, 2011 while surfing at Maverick’s, Northern California’s premier big-wave break.
Milosky is widely known for surfing what’s believed to be the biggest wave ever paddled into at Himalayas on Oahu.
“He was my best friend, we grew up together and he was the brother I never had,” said contest director Milo Murguia. “He loved surfing, but his goal in life was to make sure his family was all right”
Murguia said it was Milosky’s family values that were inspiration for the GromFest.
In addition to the contest, there will be raffle tickets available for prizes, which include helicopter tours, zipline tours, kayak adventures, dining certificates and more.
“After the contest there will be awards for the winners and prizes for the kids,” Murguia said. “The most important thing is for everyone to just have fun. We will even provide lunch, which has all been donated by the community.”
Murguia went on to say that the contest is for the more inexperienced surfers, and it would give them a chance to compete and maybe even win.
Surfers 18 and older will have the ability to team up with a 12-and-younger surfer and compete in the Pili division. Judges will take the cumulative scores of both surfers to determine a winner.
The opening ceremony will take place at 7 a.m. with the contest starting at 8 a.m. Entry forms can be found at Kamaaina Surf and Sport, Tamba and Poipu Surf.
Last year, Murguia said they were able to raise $1,500 through donations, of which half went to the YMCA of Kauai and the other half to the Live Like Sion Foundation.
“We are all out there for the same reasons,” Murguia said. “We are there for the love of surfing, the love for kids and the love for Sion.”
• Rick Killeen, sports writer, can be reached at 245-0437 or sports@thegardenisland.com.
