14th Annual Rabbit Kekai Longboard Classic is Going Back to Surfing's Roots
June 17, 2009
PRESS RELEASE
After 13 years in Costa Rica, the Rabbit Kekai Longboard Classic is moving to Waikiki, the hometown of its namesake luminary, Albert "Rabbit" Kekai, August 23 to 29, 2009.
As Kekai, surf legend and original Outrigger Boys Club member, prepares to celebrate his 90th birthday, women's surf brand Gidget Worldwide, Inc and classic surf brand Toes on the Nose is relocating the 14th annual "Rabbit Classic" to Toes' famed team rider's stomping grounds.
"It only made sense to bring the Rabbit home," said Henry Ford, the Special Events and Promotions Director with Gidget Worldwide, Inc.
In conjunction with The Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation's OceanFest 2009, the Rabbit Kekai Longboard Classic will be a featured event bringing authentic surfing roots to the celebration. The pairing is bittersweet, as Kekai is one of the last living Beach Boys and friends of Duke Kahanamoku.
The tournament will feature two points-rated PLA- and ASP-sanctioned world-class events: the men's Toes on the Nose longboard event -- a Grade 2 LQS event with a $10,000 purse; and the women's Gidget Open Pro event -- a Grade 5 women's LQS boasting an $8,000 purse.
"It's great to have the event come full circle," said Randy Rarick, Executive Director of the Vans Triple Crown and surfboard shaper. "It's back to surfing's roots. It's back to where it all started."
Seen as a gathering of the tribes, the event pulls traditional longboarders from around the world. With more than 15 countries represented at last year's event this year, with the more easily accessible location, is expected to draw even more. As some of the world's top surfers make their rounds in the ASP circuit, many plan to hit the Rabbit Classic.
"Rabbit is a god in Waikiki," added Richard Allred, Toes on the Nose president. "The event is all about celebrating Rabbit and his legacy; we are honored to bring the Rabbit Classic to where it all began."
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