16th Annual Irons Brothers Pine Trees Classic
Hanalei is the best surf town in the world according to National Geographic. If you were there on April 8th, 2017, you would totally agree. Not only were the waves firing, the whole community seemed to be on fire with the aloha spirit. Gathering to remember Kauai's own World Champ Andy Irons and share the love of surfing, family and friends gave 100% their time and efforts back to the keiki of Kaua'i, and all with a smile.
Situated on the shores of Pine Trees, our tent was the place to be all day long. We started the day off with hot chocolate and hot malasadas freshly made on the beach. Slowly word got out and we couldn't make malasadas fast enough. Thanks to Aunty Maco for yet again making the malasada dough.
Next we had the grill at full capacity of hot dogs, hamburgers, and opihi for the uncles. Gotta feed the kids! To make sure they had enough energy for the finals, we started up two shave ice machines and got everyone cooled off and sugared up.
To take a break from making shave ice, Tamba himself jumped in the water to help with the keiki push-in heats. This was my favorite part of the day. Moms and dads cheered on their kids aged 5-8 as they did their best to balance and ride the white wash. Kaua'i grown surfer dads Bruce Irons, Dustin Barca, and Aamion Goodwin, were spotted pushing the next generation into some fun waves. The energy out in the water was electric!
Back on the shore, contest organizer Milo Murguia, kept the day running smoothly and made sure all the kids got in the water in time for their heats. He also collected boxes of canned food for the Kaua'i Food Bank. Got Games Rentals had all the groms entertained with games, puzzles, activities, and toys in the tent next to us. It was a good day to be a kid.
To round out the holy trinity of sugars, we cranked up the cotton candy machine. This may have been the longest line yet! Seeing all the smiles on the kids faces as they got their fluffy sweets was reward enough for all our volunteers. We were so happy to see so many families taking the whole day to focus on their kids' love for surfing and healthy competition.
After all heats were surfed, it was time for the awards ceremony. With over 250 kids entered, the crowd was buzzing with excitement. As a sponsor since day one, Tamba Surf Company is always looking for a new way to outdo it's self. This year we gave away ten brand new surf boards to ten lucky kids. All ten boards had artwork done by our friend Josh Kamalani. The rising sun was painted on half the boards is synonymous with Andy Irons. The lightening bolts on the other half of the boards are a symbol of our feelings when we think of the next generation of surfers. We are so stoked we get to be a part of this contest every year. Remembering our friend and his generous spirit and sparking the love for surfing in so many young kids is what this event is all about. Congrats to all the groms! We can't wait to see what the future holds!
Girls 9-10 winners
Boys 9-10 winners
Girls 11-12 winners
Boys 11-12 winners
Keiki push-in winners ages 5-8
Tamba surfboard give away winners
All photos from the day can be found on our Facebook page. Give us a like and rating and download your photos for free
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