Waikiki to Present Ocean and Beach Sport Festival | Sports Destination Management

Waikiki to Present Ocean and Beach Sport Festival

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Jul 20, 2016

According to an article in Travel Weekly, a popular nine-day festival of Waikiki ocean and beach sports, Duke's OceanFest is scheduled for Aug. 20 to 28 this summer and will feature swimming races, tandem surfing contests, beach volleyball tournaments and more.

Held annually around the time of Duke Kahanamoku's birthday, the event honors Hawaii's most famous waterman and the father of international surfing. Winner of six Olympic medals over two decades, including three gold medals, Kahanamoku later became an ambassador of aloha for Hawaii, regularly welcoming celebrities, world leaders and sports stars when they first arrived in Honolulu.

The 126th anniversary of the Hawaiian legend's birth is Aug. 24, and this year hundreds of amateur and professional athletes will compete in Duke's OceanFest events, which also include long- and short-board surf contests, standup paddleboard races, surfboard water polo matches and even surfing dog contests.  

"Duke's OceanFest is one of Outrigger's favorite events to support, because it allows local residents and visitors to authentically connect with an integral part of our cultural heritage as well as celebrate Hawaii's unique sense of place," Bitsy Kelley, Outrigger Enterprises Group's vice president of corporate communications, said in a statement.

Outrigger has put together a package for travelers considering a stay at the Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort during the anticipated event. For visits scheduled between Aug. 15 and 31, travelers can book a room starting at $279 at night, receive daily breakfast for two, and two tickets to the Great Hawaiian legends Luau at the Waikiki Aquarium on Saturday Aug. 27. The promotion also includes 30% off Quiksilver and Roxy apparel at the property's retail locations along with two Duke's OceanFest T-shirts.

Outrigger's Duke's OceanFest VIP packages are on sale now through Aug.  19.  

"Duke Kahanamoku's incredible skill and love for water sports are embodied in this fun event and we hope that everyone will join us in August to carry on his legacy," Kelley said.

For more details and a full schedule of events, click here.

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