Hilo’s Ocean Center, Riding a Wave of Peace
By Sara Stover
Tucked away at the end of Kalanianaole Avenue is a hidden gem. A haven of calm just past the hustle of Hilo’s port.
“This is our classroom,” says Kalani Kahalioumi, director of special programs for Hawai‘i County’s Department of Parks and Recreation, gesturing toward the tidepools below. A honu (green sea turtle) pops its head up.
Kalani continues, “This is where our ocean safety talk happens. This is a place of learning and healing, and it changes people for the better.” It’s a transformation he has seen time and again in the eyes of children who are struggling to find peace…until they catch that first wave.
Changing Lives One Ride at a Time
Richardson Beach Park is the site of year-round opportunities for children to cultivate a healthy relationship with the ocean and with others. Through surfing, sailing, and additional activities that are equal parts education and fun, the Richardson Ocean Center’s programs foster confidence and stewardship in kids seven to 12 years old. Kalani has been at the helm of these adventures for the past eight years, managing several community programs that teach kids the principles of mālama ‘āina—caring for the land.
Kalani, a member of the Polynesian Voyaging Society and crew member of the voyaging canoe Hōkūle‘a, has been voyaging for a little while. “And since I have this knowledge, I have to share it by teaching the kids. My four kids enjoy the ocean and I want others to have that chance too!”
Kalani has ensured that they do, initially through Surfers Healing. Founded in 1996, the nonprofit organization was created by championship surfer Israel Paskowitz and his wife Danielle, for their autistic son Isaiah. When Isaiah struggled with meltdowns from sensory overload, riding the waves with his father offered him a calm like nothing else could.
The couple then began organizing free surfing events for other autistic children, offering Surfers Healing camps everywhere from Australia to Cocoa Beach, Florida.
“I was invited to help with a camp in California by my good friend Israel 12 years ago. I met these kids with special needs who are not wired the same way we are,” says Kalani. “We surf because of that special feeling we get when we catch a wave. Our job at Surfers Healing is to help kids experience that too.”
In 2013, Surfers Healing set up camp at Richardson Beach and around 50 keiki with autism and other disabilities were in attendance. Free of charge, the Hilo Surfers Healing Camp has been held at Richardson’s ever since.
The camp provides special needs keiki and their families the unique opportunity to catch a wave by paddling one-on-one on tandem boards with professional surfers, including Mikey “Redd” O’Shaughnessey and Ikaika Kalama.
“Ikaika invited me to come volunteer at this event,” Mikey recalls. “It really opened my eyes! My life revolves around the ocean, and it’s a blessing to share that with the kids! There’s no better feeling than to share a ride with them and it’s life changing for their social skills!”
For disabled children, this experience is much more than a day at the beach. Known as water therapy, activities such as surfing can be especially calming to those with autism who are prone to sensory overload.
Autism affects one in 68 US children, many of whom have communication challenges, as well as heightened sensory perceptions, both of which can trigger frustration and aggression. Exercise, however, may help a child with sensory sensitivity find an outlet for their frustration. In particular, being on a surfboard is rhythmic, which autistic children often find soothing.
With the exception of 2020’s pandemic-related event cancellation, the Hilo Camp has been taking children with special needs out to catch some waves of peace every Saturday after Thanksgiving since 2013.
Bringing Learning to Life
Although 2020’s keynote event was postponed, the Ocean Center’s other programs have remained accessible to children in the community.
“2020 was an opportunity to modify,” says Kalani, explaining how extra steps were taken to assure the health and safety of program participants and staff, including enhanced sanitization procedures, screening every morning prior to entry, a mandatory face mask policy, and physical distancing during activities.
“We’ve been using the learning pod system,” Kalani points out. Implemented as an after-school supplement to online schooling, pods are instructor-led small groups of students learning in person rather than virtually.
Fortunately, the extensive modifications did not impact the effectiveness of the Center’s programs. The Ike Kai enrichment programs were still able to bring learning to life by using both Western and traditional Hawaiian cultural knowledge.
The six one-week long summer programs focus on the coastal ecosystem’s health through outreach and education, and emphasize learning mālama honua—caring for the island and ocean by strengthening the community’s skills. Like the other programs, there is no charge for participation in Ike Kai, which promotes ocean safety and awareness.
“Our programs teach ocean awareness to public school children—we don’t need aquariums to do that. This is our aquarium and classroom!” Kalani exclaims. “For kids with parents working two jobs, the Center makes a huge difference. The programs after school and during breaks get kids involved with the ocean, teaching them about all it has to offer, from fun activities to career options,” adds Mikey Redd, who grew up in the area. “Uncle Kalani is doing a beautiful thing at Richardson’s. Anyone who walks in will be inspired to think differently about the ocean!”
The Ocean Center’s programs accomplish this by teaching children about the tidepools and how fresh water flows in, establishing the ideal ecosystem for marine life to thrive. Off shore, they discover how the reef allows marine life to move safely between the tidepools and the ocean. Through helping to restore the loko i‘a (fishponds) which are managed and maintained by a community group—the programs’ participants learn how the ponds were an essential part of the Hawaiian food production system for hundreds of years.
Keiki who are part of the after-school program look forward to surf day and guest talks from marine scientists, voyagers, lifeguards, and experts from DLNR and the Pacific Aquaculture & Coastal Resources Center. The highlight, however, is learning the skills necessary to sail a Hawaiian canoe, as well as the history of Hawaiian voyaging. At the Center, learning comes to life for the adults, too.
“This job is always teaching me to be grateful. It makes me appreciate my own kids,” Kalani notes, as his son Tava skips across the lava rocks in bare feet.
“The learning never ends when I’m around the kids, because they’re all so unique,” Mikey adds. “When they’re on a wave, they’re present. It teaches me to view life differently and remember how fortunate we are to live where we live!”
“Every child is unique,” Meriah Nichols, mother of Surfers Healing campers, agrees. “Every child has special needs because every child IS special. My daughter Moxie may have Down syndrome, but she’s the same as any other child. They want to be loved and encouraged…and ride the waves!”
For parents of disabled children, every day is a challenge. Communication barriers make it difficult for them to interact with others, but when a special needs child gets in the water at Richardson Beach, their parents have an opportunity to step back and watch that child live fully.
“The ocean can bring those kids together and give them a sense of community within one’s own disability. It makes them feel capable, and that translates to life back on shore,” says Meriah, who goes on to explain that children on the autism spectrum often have an intense attraction to water, which can be dangerous. “The Ocean Center gives them this safe outlet, though, allowing it to happen in a protective space.”
With a strong network of support in place, children on the spectrum can live fulfilling lives, excelling in everything from computer coding to surfing. Sometimes it all begins with a tandem surfboard, learning to connect to the water, and some encouragement.
An Outlet for All Kids
From after-school programs to Surfers Healing, the benefits of the Ocean Center extend beyond disabled youth. It is a place where kids in the community can learn, grow, and be inspired.
“How do you create an environment where kids become successful?” Kalani asks. “Give them an outlet, so they have an alternative to negative behavior.” Never has this been more imperative than it was when classrooms closed due to the pandemic, forcing students to navigate the challenges and frustrations of distance learning.
“No matter what happens on any given run, the waves keep coming. You just have to paddle out,” Kalani says of his efforts to help kids keep an open mind and look at the big picture by looking at the ocean. When it comes to the best part of his job, he answers without hesitation. “Seeing the non-swimmers who are afraid of the ocean turn into fish. It happens every day!”
From non-swimmers to watermen in the making, children who are part of the Ocean Center’s free programs are certain to leave infused with the courage to face their fears, knowing that whatever challenges come their way in life above water, they are capable of making the right choices and riding the big waves. ❖
For more information:
recreation@hawaiicounty.org
surfershealing.org
