Rell Sunn Menehune Surfing Championships
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The Rell Sunn Menehune Surf Contest. The purpose of this program is to educate the public, especially children, about sportsmanship and the environment and to combat juvenile delinquency. This contest is held every year on the beaches of Makaha, Oahu. All children 12 years old and under are welcome to participate in the contest. The public is invited to attend free of charge. Hundreds of children statewide visit Makaha each year to attend and participate in the surf contest. Events include body board, long board, and short board, and each event is broken into age and gender categories. The entrance fee is $10 per event and each child is limited to two events. Similar contests are usually $25 to $100 per event. Each contestant receives a t-shirt with contest advertising on it, assorted surf necessities, magazines, literature for sunscreen info, literature about the dangers of the sun, environmental awareness literature, info on early cancer screening, etc. In addition to the educational literature directly given to the child, each child is encouraged to exhibit sportsmanship by cheering for every competitor, and helping retrieve lost surfboards.Each year, the child who displays the best sportsmanship is publicly honored by the organization.Additionally, this contest was developed to combat juvenile delinquency.The west side of Oahu, where this tournament is held, is rife with poverty, drugs, and crime. This event was developed to provide a safe, healthy outlet for fostering competition and as an alternative to criminal behavior. Family involvement is encouraged, and many of the contestant’s family members volunteer to help run the event. This event is held once annually and started approximately 30 years ago. Jan and Anthony Carreira administer this program on the island of Oahu.
