Free bodyboarding event focuses on the Roots in Kona

KAILUA-KONA — Culture, community and free.

Those are the three words that stick out when talking to the co-founders of Kona’s Roots Bodyboarding contest at Honls on Saturday.

The 14th annual event honors the birthplace of modern bodyboarding, while also providing a taste of the Hawaiian culture. The community helps provide the food, which is hunted or gathered by people all around the Big Island for free.

Speaking of free, even the 60 competitors on hand pay nothing to compete. Well, almost nothing.

“Anyone under 18 who is competing has to come out early to help clean up the beach,” said Lael Wilson, a co-founder of the event.

Pro athletes also put up $50 each in their division, but none of that money is pocketed by anyone associated with the event.

“It’s winner take all,” Wilson said. “We don’t take anything, we just go away with happy feelings and that is it.”

Wilson started Roots 14 years ago because he was tired of watching other event organizers pocket everyone’s hard earned money. He decided to put on his own competition and do it the “right way, the Hawaiian way.”

“As an amateur I was paying up to $100 to compete,” Wilson said. “I felt like the people running these events were ripping people off.”

Wilson decided to make his event free right from the start. From its humble beginnings, the event eventually grew into what it is today. However, Wilson and co-founder Krista Donaldson could not have put on the event of this size for free without the help of the community.

“This is a 100 percent community sponsored event,” Donaldson said. “Local people hunt fish and pigs. We also forage fruits and vegetables to round out the meal. We try to do everything from scratch, that is why it is called Roots”.

This year’s contest was broken into seven divisions that ranged all ages. There was even a fun “Big Bruddah” competition which was provided for bodyboarders over 200 pounds.

“It is hotly contested,” Donaldson said. “It is all good fun and brings everyone out.”

Professional bodyboarder Will Petrovic has been competing at Roots since the contest began and provided a glimpse of its beginnings.

“When we first started it was just a bunch of friends getting together and putting money in a hat and the best one got the money,” Petrovic said. “It has now evolved into a community event where kids from all over the island come out. It’s pretty cool.”

Nalu Frias is also a multi-time bodyboarder at Roots. However, for him the event is not about the competition.

“The contest is just for fun,” Frias said. “It is great to come out and see my friends and hang out with my family.”

For Wilson, having the competition is a way to hang on to the culture of Hawaii.

“I was here before the stop lights and I had my little grass shack,” Wilson said. “It was sad to see that go but at least we still have our surf and if we have that, then we still have some of our culture.”