Maui Film Festival – Father's Day 2011

Sunday, Father’s Day, started out early for me. My mission was to get to my farm at Maliko Bay and get the wiring trenched in for my new farm office. I arrived early, fired up my little Mitsubishi backhoe, and went to work.

It didn’t take me long to finish the last 70 feet of digging. I then dropped in 2 conduits, one 1.25 inch for the electrical lines, and a 0.5 inch for internet, phone, and cable. Pulling the wire was tough, but my great tenant, David, who owns www.spinsunlimited.com helped me pull in 2 fat #10/3 wires. I added a couple of new breakers and fired up one of my pumps to test it. Perfect, first time! Not bad for a 60 year-old Realtor/farmer/backhoe operator and now novice electrician.

After my Maliko endeavors, it was time to head home for family time. I arrived at 5 P.M. – dirty, but very happy with my days work. All of my family greeted their grungy father with a “Happy Father’s Day dad!” and some hugs and kisses. My children, Jeremy, Brianna, Chloe, and my wife, Laura, all handed me bags full of presents and entertaining greeting cards.

After taking a quick shower, I came down dressed ready for dinner and ready for the Maui Film Festival in Wailea with all except Brianna, who is a Maui police officer and had to work. We had a quick dinner of grilled steaks, salad, and asparagus and took off for Wailea.

The Celestial Cinema is the preeminent event at the Maui Film Festival. You can see the thousands of people set up on the grass of the Wailea Golf Course. It was really awesome when it got dark, the stars were sparkling, and the almost full moon started creeping over the screen – I would highly recommend this event

The Maui Film Festival at the Wailea Golf Course was totally awesome and there were tons of people there. Barry and Stella Rivers (the producers and past clients of mine) do an incredible job with the festival. Sunday was totally tuned for the Maui audience. About 3,500 people were there and I think a good portion of them were long time residents of Maui. It was like a huge reunion.

The films featured friends of my children, including Matt Meola and Kai Lenny, starring in the Oxbow film featuring surfing, stand-up paddle surfing, wind surfing, and kite surfing massive waves and performing mind boggling radical maneuvers. Read more about Oxbow Walls of Perception.

There was a very tender short movie about a father and his son, and how a divorce caused a separation in the relationship between the two. It really made me value the relationship I have with Laura, our 33 years of marriage, and the incredible relationship I have with my three children.

Being home with all three of them on Father’s Day made it an especially good day for me. All of my kids still give me hugs, kisses, and tell me they love me almost daily. This love is a reflection of the culture Laura and I have raised them in; we are very grateful for all that we have and all that we are as a family. My children love each other and are good friends with each other.

Kimokea Kapahulehua offering the pule (blessing) before the start of the Family of the Wa’a – the Stice Ohana’s favorite film of the evening

We were getting tired, so I didn’t stay for the last movie, The Physics of Surfing and thus my evening ended with a film entitled Family of the Waa (canoe in Hawaiian), a subject that I am very close to. It centers on the dream of Kimokea Kapahulehua, a friend mine and a fellow canoe paddler.

The message was extremely strong in the movie. Kimokea discussed his evolution and ability to better himself as an individual with the help of his fellow teacher, Kealii Taua. I have always known Kimokea as a very open, gracious, and willing partner and friend.

Ten years ago, at the Dutchy Kino canoe race from Maalaea Harbor to Canoe Beach in Lahaina, my crew was sitting one man short at the dock. Our steersman had not shown up. I saw Kimokea sending off his crews and asked, “would you steer us and watch your crew from the water.” His reply was, “try wait, I gotta grab my steering blade;” No questions, or the fact that he was steering for the competition.

The message conveyed in the movie was one of understanding and accepting all cultures in order to achieve a common goal. This message truly comes home to the people of Maui. This is why we live here, to support each other regardless of race, age, or other differences.

Hopefully, my agents at Hawaii Life Real Estate Brokers understand that they are my family as well and that we all have a common goal. The message of family, or Ohana, working together is the key to success and survival in our isolated islands.

This truly was a wonderful way to enjoy Father’s Day 2011 on Maui. I am loving life, the Maui life, the Hawaii life.

Tracy Stice, R(B)
Hawaii Life Real Estate Brokers – Maui Broker in Charge
808.281.5411
Tracy@HawaiiLife.com