Yesterday at Ho’okipa Beach Park on Maui, something special happened. Close to one hundred people–friends, family, and complete strangers–gathered for an 8am paddle out for a young man named Johannes, who hailed from Germany. Sadly, he passed away a few weeks ago from a snowboarding accident, and his one wish, if he were ever to leave this world, was to have his ashes spread through the trade winds of Maui and into the waters of Ho’okipa. Today his wish was fufilled. The mass gathering started as a hand written note that later got reposted numerous times. The note was posted up by Johannes’s mother, Lisa, at one of The beach park pillars.
The note posted by Johannes’s mother.
His parents had no idea what to expect when they came to the beach this morning, but what they drove up to was an awe-inspiring and beautiful sight. Close to one hundred locals, including some of the surfing worlds best pro’s, such as Ian Walsh, Matt Meola, Tanner Hendrickson, Francisco Porcella, Tyler Larronde and local legend Dave Kalama all gathered to honor Johannes. His parents were greeted with hugs and words of aloha from every direction, and were almost overwhelmed with all these great people caring and respecting someone that was a complete stranger to them. The invisible strings of surfing–or any other sport, for that matter–can bring a whole island together.
The paddle out was kicked off by a big prayer in his honor and an accompanied by an ever so beautiful rainbow that actually stayed for the duration. After the prayer, we were able to to get in the water to honor his final wishes. Whenever a moment like this happens, there is always an overwhelming amount of happiness.
Even though no one had personally known this family, we came together as a community of Maui and put together something more than just an honorable farewell. It’s amazing how those invisible strings connect us all. Whether we are from Germany, Hawaii, or Alaska, and no matter what you ride. We all share a love for something, and have an understanding of something much larger. Maui and the rest of Hawaii believe we all have ties together that transcend more than just action sports. It’s all about being able to come together and feel something that we can all share.
All photos Marc Chambers/Mike Stuart.
