LIHUE — A bodyboard competition will be held this weekend at Shipwrecks Beach to celebrate the lives of Trey Contrades and Lenson Perez.
Pohaku Kekaualua said he organized the Trey &Lenson Bodyboarding Competition “to remember the boys who left too early.”
“It’s a way to keep their names in people’s mind, you know, don’t forget the boys,” he said. “And it’s another chance for the community to come together down at the beach.”
Trey Gilbert Kamakanaokalani Contrades of Kapaa passed away on Sept. 20, 2015, at the age of 21.
Lenson William Coyamin Perez, of Poipu, passed away on March 1. He was 31.
On his website, Kekaualua wrote a brief description of his two long-time friends and described his motivation for putting on the contest. Here are some excerpts:
“Trey Contrades, an Eastside boy from Wailua. Always had big smiles, plenty energy and an up beat attitude. Bodyboarding and photography were his hobbies. He was always at shipwrecks taking photos and videos of the Ohana doing what they do best. Whether is was surfing, bodyboarding, bodysurfing, or even the random grapple sessions that would go down, he had the camera ready.
“Lenson Perez, The Mayor of Keoneloa — Shipwrecks Beach. He lived at Shipwrecks, took care of the beach, cleaned all the rubbish, made sure everyone was cared for and would offer the t-shirt off his back if you really needed it. No matter what he was going through he still had a big smile spunky attitude and would tell you to think positive.”
Registration for the bodyboarding contest starts at 7 a.m. and is open to the first 30 people who sign up for each division. Bodyboarders will start paddling out at 9 a.m. The division with the most entries will go first.
The entry fee is $30 for the amateur divisions: Groms — age 12 and under, Junior Mens — 13 to 17, Mens — 18 and older, Legends — 35+. Pro divisions are $140: Men’s, Women’s, and Dropknee. There will also be a division for Sand Sliding, Lenson’s favorite.
Local businesses put up prizes for the amateur divisions. The best amateur competitors can win a Triad bodyboard, a GoPro, a Nintendo gaming system, or gear and gift certificates.
