We all know Aloha as a Hawaiian greeting, but there are very few people who understand its true meaning, and fewer still who have adopted the Aloha Spirit as a guiding philosophical principle.

One of my favorite references to the Aloha Spirit comes from Hawaiian state law:

"In the contemplation and presence of the life force, "Aloha," the following unuhi laula loa may be used:

Akahai, meaning kindness, to be expressed with tenderness; 

Lokahi, meaning unity, to be expressed with harmony;

Oluolu, meaning agreeable, to be expressed with pleasantness;

Haahaa, meaning humility, to be expressed with modesty;

Ahonui, meaning patience, to be expressed with perseverance.”

While it may be impossible for a non-Hawaiian to grasp the full meaning of the word, Aloha, we all know the Aloha Spirit when we see it. It lives in random acts of kindness, large and small, performed without the expectation of anything in return. The Aloha Spirit manifests itself across a broad spectrum of selfless acts, from putting one’s own life at risk to save another human being to sharing a smile or a kind word with a complete stranger.

The purpose of the Aloha Award is to recognize individuals in the global surfing community who are ambassadors of the Aloha Spirit. These are individuals who, in addition to cultivating and sharing their joy of surfing with others, have gone the extra mile to give back outside the water. They may be involved with organizations like Surf Aid, the Maui Ola Foundation, Waves for Water, Waves for Change, the Ahava Surf Project, or the countless other amazing organizations doing good work around the world. But they may just as likely be unsung heroes who are making a difference in their local communities, while spreading joy and stoke in their local line-ups.

The purpose of the Aloha Award is to recognize individuals in the global surfing community who are ambassadors of the Aloha Spirit. These are individuals who, in addition to cultivating and sharing their joy of surfing with others, have gone the extra mile to give back outside the water. They may be involved with organizations like Surf Aid, the Maui Ola Foundation, Waves for Water, Waves for Change, the Ahava Surf Project, or the countless other amazing organizations doing good work around the world. But they may just as likely be unsung heroes who are making a difference in their local communities, while spreading joy and stoke in their local line-ups.

The inaugural Aloha Award (for 2018) was awarded to San Francisco local, Ian Glover, the founder of Big Dog Surf Camp (http://www.surfline.com/video/webisodes/glory-ride-how-one-norcal-surfer-gives-back_152449). Beginning in 2019, the winner will be chosen by an international panel of five judges following an open nomination process. The judging panel so far includes Ian Glover, Coco Nogales, Greg Bertish, Kyron Rathbone. One more judge will be selected.

The Aloha Award winner will receive an all-expenses paid trip to Namotu Island in Fiji (www.namotuislandfiji.com)—a world-class surfing destination with easy access to Fiji’s premier surf breaks, including Cloudbreak and Restaurants. In addition, the sponsor of the Aloha Award will also make a $5,000 donation on behalf of the award winner to a non-profit organization of the winner’s choosing or to a charitable endeavor sponsored by the award winner.

                                   Aloha!