Surfing: Despite delay, Dorian Keiki Classic fun for everyone

Mother Nature has been unusually kind to the Shane Dorian Keiki Classic, producing solid surf year after year. However, the ocean refused to be as cooperative this year during the 23rd running of the annual surfing contest.

Originally scheduled for Saturday morning, the Keiki Classic was postponed for a day in hopes of better waves on Sunday at Banyans.

For Dorian, a big wave surfer from Kailua-Kona, the contest has been one of the many ways he has tried to give back to the community. Not only does the event provide a fun environment and great competition for kids 17 and under, it also serves as a can food drive and a way to gather people to clean up the popular youth surfing spot off Alii Drive.

Dorian was only 22 years old when he started the Keiki Classic. The highly anticipated contest each year is open to only 50 kids. To qualify, keiki must maintain a GPA above 2.25 and bring in canned food to donate to the Hawaii Island Food Bank.

Once the contest is over, the young surfers not only walk away from the event with a memorable day out on the water, they also receive a goodie bag filled with surfing related items donated by the many sponsors of the event. Awards are also given out to the top surfers and lunch is provide.

Over the years, the kids have also had a chance to rub elbows with many professional surfers, even legends of the sport such as Kelly Slater, who has attended several Keiki Classics to speak to kids, sign autographs and help Dorian hand out trophies.

Dorian began surfing competitively in 1992, but he soon grew tired of the grind of the tour and decided to become a big wave surfer in the early 2000’s. He has won many WSL Big Wave Awards, including the Surfline Best Overall Performance award in 2015 and 2016 and the Billabong XXL Men’s Overall Performance award in 2010. Dorian was also named the Waterman of the Year by the Surf Industry Manufacturers’ Association in 2012.

Dorian has given back to the surfing world in a way that has helped save lives as well. In 2010, Dorian nearly drowned after a wipeout at Mavericks. Due to the incident, Dorian designed surfing’s first “safety suit,” a wetsuit with a CO2 cartridge in it that will instantly propel a surfer back to the surface when inflated.