Recap and words with Milo contest director of GromFest 2012
Thank you so much to Sions Main sponsor Volcom!!!
Without Volcom’s consistent love and support, events like these to honor Si would not be possible. We thank them for setting an example of integrity for others to follow. Volcom Rocks!!!
LIVE LIKE SION GROMFEST PKS 2012
About three months ago Suzi Milosky ,Rico Jimenez and I started talking about throwing a contest celebrating not only the life of Sion Milosky on his birthday, but the lifestyle he chose to live. We had no idea what this idea would turn into, but we did know that we wanted everyone involved to know that Sion’s family was the most important thing in his life and that family came before anything else. We decided that this is what we wanted to incorporate into the whole event as well as celebrate his birthday. What started as a simple idea soon began to grow as more ideas came about and more people got involved. We decided collectively to call the event the LIVE LIKE SION GROMFEST and we decided to hold the event at the spot where it all began for SIon, PKS on the south shore of kauai, where Sion had spent countless hours polishing his surfing and where he had taught his kids to surf and surfed with his lovely wife.
Fast forward to the weekend of July 28th 2012, the date that we decided to hold the event. It wasn’t easy but with the help of Volcom, Oakley, and the YMCA of Kauai, as the events main sponsors and many other companies donating product such as DaKine, Nixon, Will Scovel Surfboards, O’neill, Nike, Kicker Audio, Poipu Surf, Tamba, and countless others, the event had finally come together. I do have to also mention that a lot of the community, our friends and family, and people who didn’t even know Sion on a personal level all pulled together to help make it all happen by putting in countless hours.
The LIVE LIKE SION GROMFEST was awesome and even more then we could have ever imagined. The idealic lawn in front of the Beach House restaurant was packed as people cheered on their favorite competitor. Surfers in the event ranged from 2 years of age in the Keiki push-in division all the way up to Fathers, uncles and even Grandfathers in the “Pili” Division. The waves were perfect at 2-3ft and the sun was shining bright as dolphins jump about outside the break. It was all good vibes as everyone seemed to be smiling and enjoying the company of each other all day long. Surfers surfed their hearts out and left it all in the water, but also seemed to really get the idea of what Sion believed in which was family fun and camaraderie. It was a contest vibe that wasn’t just competition but also a good time.
Each competitor received a t-shirt complements of Volcom , a pair of brand new Oakley sunglasses and a Live Like Sion eco bag. Kids were stoked as they made their way in and received their LIVE LIKE SION bags filled with goodies. Everyone on the beach got a free burger, chips and a bottle of water and they also got a surprise when Tamba showed up with his shave ice machine a little after that. As if that wasn’t enough there was a real life mermaid swimming with the kids and a autograph session with the likes of Dustin Barca, Kamalei Alexander, Danny fuller, Rico Jimenez, and Roy powers. At this point we were wishing we could all be a grom again!
Raffle Tickets were also sold as well to give back to the YMCA of Kauai who is on a mission to buy 30 bicycles for unprivileged kids on the island of kauai and also for the LIVE LIKE SION foundation to help perpetuate the lifestyle of Sion Milosky by throwing more events to help our wonderful community.
As the day ended the whole contest moved a few miles down the road and the event continued with a awards banquet and potluck at Poipu Beach where Sions roots were deeply embedded as well. The awards started with live music compliments of Gabe Larroca and Kepa Kruse and free donated by The Crack in Poipu. Bags and bags were slowly unloaded out of numerous trucks and cars along with beautiful wooden bowls with the insignia LIVE LIKE SION GROMFEST PKS 2012. You could feel the excitement of the kids as they were wide eyed as they watched all the prizes going by. It was an awesome sight and it was such a good feeling to see the children and ohana so stoked!
The awards were awesome with everyone cheering, clapping, smiling and laughing and at times almost shedding a tear as we all remembered who had brought us all together! Sions name came up numerous times in thought and conversation throughout the awards as we shared stories that we had experienced with this wonderful human being. It was because of Sion that we were all together and everyone knew it.
9 divisions were announced and awards were passed out accordingly from the bottom to the top of each division. Each finalist won not only a beautiful wood craved bowl, but also a big bag filled with everything from t-shirts to ear phones to watches to deck pads, leashes, hats and stickers! The awards were finished off with a Grom of the Day Girls, won by Keala Tomoda-Bannert, who won 2 divisions, and a Grom of the Day Boys, won by Sage Tutterow, who won a division of his own ,and also the “pili” division along with his dad. Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better Will Scovel from Scovel Surfboards came walking up with a brand-new surfboard that he had built for a special GROM which ended up also being Sage Tutterow who definitely deserved it! Congratulations to everyone in the First ever LIVE LIKE SION GROMFEST.
On behalf of the Miloskys and all our family and friends, we would like to thank everyone who helped make this a successful event especially Volcom and Oakley who really stepped up to make this event possible. We could not have done this without you guys! Thank you so very much from the bottom of our hearts! Also all of our family, friends, community, and all the rest of the sponsors who helped make this possible, it was because of all of you that this event was a success. This was the first of many LIVE LIKE SION GROMFEST events and it will only get better. Thank you all and god bless and don’t forget to LIVE LIKE SION.
