“Be Strong, Be Strong, Be Strong”: Surfing Legend Lends a Helping Hand to the Community as Flames of Destruction Engulf Hawaii

On 8th August 2023, a death trap occurred in the U.S., making it the deadliest series of wildfires of the century. The beautiful island of Maui and the banyan tree city Lahaina in Hawaii have turned into ashes. According to the reports, at least 106 people lost their lives in the dreadful blaze and still hundreds more remain missing. On 15th August, President Joe Biden stated that all federal resources are being made available in Hawaii and that emergency help is also being provided. 

Along with the official authorities, a Hawaiian surfing genius is also providing his maximum services to victims in Lahaina. As a surfing prodigy, half of his life was spent in the Hawaii ocean, and from there he claimed the title of pioneer of techniques to rescue from a colossal wave crash. An individual will not be able to find any sort of evidence of this ravaged wildfire until they enter the town. The surfer flew to Maui after two days of the wildfire to provide his help to the distressed locals. 

The surfing prodigy Archie Kalepa becomes a protagonist 

Archie Kalepa, a man from Maui, is a package of talents. He is a Maui waterman, lifeguard, water rescue instructor, OluKai Ambassador, and a pro surfer. His roots belong to the seas of Maui where he spent his time surfing, and now, after seeing the devastated condition of the place, he could not stay calm. Because the roads of Lahaina were blocked, he flew his way to Maui, and with the help of his friends, he reached the coast by boat. Kalepa witnessed people shedding heartbroken tears after suffering the most awful nightmare of their life. When he reached the shore, he saw people suffering the loss of shelter, which now has turned into plain ashes, blackened hills, and their melted cars. According to the Los Angeles Times, all the surfing beaches are now enduring black ash air. To evade his breakdown after seeing the ruins, he whispered to himself, “Be strong, be strong, be strong.”

Now Kalepa’s front yard has turned into a government supply depot where the authorities are distributing water bottles, gas cans, tents, and food. After waiting long enough due to electrical problems and supplies, he reached his home and cleared up the front yard. And all the critical supplies that he asked for started showing up ever since then. With the help of his friends, he was able to grow his volunteer team and began organizing donations. Kalepa also hosted a dinner in his backyard for the firefighters who are jeopardizing their safety to protect the citizens. He expressed his breakdown when he heard about this traumatizing disaster. 

Kalepa’s horrified state after hearing about the wildfire

The surfing legend was working in Lake Tahoe, Nevada when the fire broke out in Lahaina. His inner psyche could sense the odds and that refrained him from sleeping peacefully. When he saw the posts on social media, he was startled and shortly after that, one of his relatives called him to report that his house in Maui was gone, which is not accurate. Kalepa said, “But I was just shaking.” His neighborhood is demolished by the blaze and the official security has set blockades to prevent gazers from taking grisly photos. However, his neighborhood is one of the few places in Lahaina that has most houses standing still. 

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The surfing genius Archie Kalepa is also a paragon of the protagonist. He is an athlete who relishes his time in the water, but even then he put his utmost efforts to help the maximum. Kalepa stated, “The world that we live in today is energized by social media. When you no longer are the hot topic, people aren’t paying attention.” It depicts that he is afraid of what will happen when the fire drops off the public radar as people will not care. At the moment, he has a fair share of supplies but worries about what will happen in the future.

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