Kai Lenny has long been known as a big wave surfer, riding the types of waves most of us would only sketch on a notebook. He’s a gifted athlete, able to use different tools to ride any kind of condition from kites to foils, to big wave guns or shortboards. But one thing we haven’t heard from him is much of anything political. That changed this week.
Kai was not happy with the government response to the devastating Maui fires and he let that be known on his Instagram page and in a sit-down interview with CBS. And Kai should know, he’s been on the frontline working to get supplies to people on the ravaged West Side of Maui, including medicine like insulin for those suffering from diabetes.
“The locals, the Hawaiian people, they just always feel like they’re the last to be thought of, and they’re the foundation (of the culture),” Kai said in the interview above. He also talked about how the response has been slow and that no one he’s communicated with on the West Side has seen any government workers that were supposedly on island to help.
Kai is using his platform for the right reasons. His soot-covered face could be seen on his Instagram page updating his audience as locals worked to help those in need. No, he hasn’t gotten political much in his career. But it’s certainly refreshing to see him stand up for his neighbors and fellow Maui residents.
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