Awards Given at North Shore Makahiki Festival at Haleiwa Beach Park


Lifetime Achievement Award receipient Peter Cole with O'ahu Chapter Co-Chair Scott Werny (photo Sylvia Werny)

Haleiwa Beach Park, North Shore, Oahu (Nov. 12, 2006) – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
On Sun. night, the Oahu Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation presented the 4th Annual John Kelly Environmental Achievement Awards to recognize those who have made the greatest contributions towards protecting or enhancing our coastal community and environment. This year, the awards were given at the North Shore Makahiki Festival right before the Sunset on the Beach screening. The Festival featured the Hawaii film premiere of Stacy Peralta’s new film Pipeline Masters at Haleiwa Beach Park.

The Oahu Chapter seeks to promote environmental activism by honoring the efforts and achievements of inspirational individuals and organizations. Award categories are Lifetime Achievement, Professional Surfer, and Oahu-based company. This year, big-wave pioneer Peter Cole was given the Lifetime Achievement Award for his work as an environmental activist for over 40 years; Pancho Sullivan won the Professional Surfer Award for his efforts to stop overdevelopment of the North Shore; Schnitzer Steel Hawaii Corp was honored as the Most Environmentally Friendly Oahu-based Company for their recycling campaign, headed up by James Banigan..

John Kelly, for whom the award is named, was the original recipient of the Lifetime Achievement category. For decades, Kelly led many environmental crusades on Oahu. The John Kelly Perpetual Trophy is a small koa surfboard, beautifully shaped as a board from the early days of Waikiki, when the water and the sand were clean, there were no groins or jetties, and there was plenty of beach access. The trophy has been on display at the Patagonia Store in Haleiwa.
Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the Surfrider’s Oahu Chapter has been very busy this year working with other environmental groups to help save Pupukea-Paumalu and Waimea Valley. They also helped stop the commercial development of luxury condos on state lands in Kaka’ako, and continue to fight the large scale expansion of the Turtle Bay resort. After the disastrous Ala Wai sewage spill, the chapter held public meetings and formed a Wastewater Spill Response Committee that meets to improve Oahu’s water quality and reduce the impact of future spills. Founded in 1984 by a handful of visionary surfers, the Surfrider Foundation now maintains over 55,000 members and 80 chapters across the United States and Puerto Rico, with international affiliates in Australia, Europe, Japan and Brazil. For more information on the Surfrider Foundation go to: www.surfrider.org/oahu/ or call 531-SURF.