Amidst the Maui wildfires, the surfing community has come together to help Hawaii. Surfers like Kelly Slater and Kai Lenny have been at the forefront to control damage by providing a steady flow of supplies and financial aid. Maui is a surfers’ paradise and the surfing community is right behind its surfing playground by giving them all the help they can. However, as Hawaii and the Maui community look to rebuild their homes, the activities and actions of some of the tourists have been quite disheartening.

Only days after the worst wildfires in Hawaiian history, a number of tourists could be seen swimming in the very waters where tens of Hawaiians perished. With a blatant disregard for the local community and humanity in general, these tourists continued to participate in their leisure activities as locals still recover from their ordeal just meters away. Highlighting this issue, legendary surfer Kelly Slater took to his social media as he shared his mentor’s video online.

Surfing legend speaks on Maui devastation

Archie Kalepa is a Hawaiian legend. He juggles many roles, which include that of a lifeguard, a water rescue instructor, and an Olukai ambassador. Kalepa is also a mentor and an idol in the surfing community and someone who Kelly Slater greatly admires and respects. In fact, Slater even put up an Instagram story of Kalepa that shows the lifeguard in an emotional state as he emphasizes getting his people home. Slater was also visibly upset with the behavior of the tourists on the islands post the tragedy.

His Instagram story was accompanied by the caption, “Incredible raw emotion from our friend and mentor Archie Kalepa @peahi20ft speaking on the devastation and future of his island and community in Maui. History hasn’t been kind to the people of Hawaii and what happens now could widen the divide or make inroads to righting some wrongs that have transpired. Hawaii is not a commodity to be leveraged, and at a time like this it’s more important than ever to support the local community’s needs.” As for Kalepa, he has transformed his front yard with supplies that include food, water, and tents. He has been offering all his supplies to those in need for free. The Hawaiian legend also has a team of volunteers with him who are helping as many people as they can on the island with even plans to fix roofs for people. While Slater’s mentor helps his island, Slater himself has been gathering support for Maui.

Kelly Slater’s help plan for Maui

Only a few days ago, Kelly Slater revealed that the surfing community is getting together to do their bit for Maui. Slater stated that they are arranging boats and essential supplies to be sent to Maui. However, he also mentioned that since the tragedy was relatively new, it still blocked several routes with debris. While network connectivity also remains weak, as most phone towers are still down. While help gets delayed, big wave surfer Kai Lenny has been providing essential supplies to the local community and using his Instagram to inform people about the latest developments on the island.

Read more: Despite Restoring Faith in Maui Inhabitants, Kelly Slater Continues to Mourn About Deadly Wildfires

As Hawaii looks to rebuild its community, the likes of Archie Kalepa, Kelly Slater, Kai Lenny, and hundreds more continue to do their bit. However, in this moment of tragedy, tourists should avoid visiting Hawaii, and the ones already on the island should head back home in order to not put more strain on the limited resources available to local people.

Watch this story: DEVASTATING HAWAII WILDFIRE MOVES SERENA WILLIAMS’ HUSBAND ALEXIS OHANIAN AS HE VOUCHES FOR $15,000,000,000 COMPANY-BACKED CHARITY EVENT IN A HUMANITARIAN GESTURE