"FIVE SET FOR PERU SURFING MEET," RABBIT KEKAI, BETTY HELDREICH, ETHEL KUKEA, CONRAD CANHA SET THEIR SIGHTS ON LIMA (1957)

After winning the Makaha International Surfing Championships two years running, Ethel Kukea and four other Hawaii-based surfers were invited to compete in the 1957 Peru International contest. Anne Lamont and Betty Heldreich were able to pay their own way to Lima. Kukea and the two male surfers—Rabbit Kekai and Conrad Canha—turned to the public in order to raise travel expenses. The Honolulu Advertiser and Honolulu Advertister both helped put the word out. The article below have been slightly edited.

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"FUNDS TO BE RAISED TO SEND SURFERS TO PERU" (Advertiser, Jan 27)
A community-wide campaign to raise funds to send two of Hawaii's surfing champions to an International Surfing Meet in Lima, Peru, has been launched. Sports-minded Honolulans hope to raise enough funds to send Conrad Canha and Ethel Kukea, winners of the men’s and women’s senior surfing championships at Makaha last month, to Peru for the international competition scheduled for March. Carlos Dogny, first president of Club Waikiki of Lima, Peru, sponsors of the International Surfing Meet, extended an official invitation to Hawaii’s surfers, expressing a hope that women from the Islands would be able to compete and give exhibitions in Peru.

Anne Lamont and Betty Heldreich, both members of the Waikiki Surf Club, have accepted the invitation and are going to Pern at their own expense.

John A. Burns, Hawaii’s delegate to Congress, recently wired an official of the Waikiki Surf Club supporting the fundraising campaign, pointing out that acceptance of the invitation to send Hawaii’s surfing champions would be of tremendous value to the Islands. He asked for the “fullest support of all the people of Hawaii.”

Several receiving points have been set up for persons wishing to contribute to the fund. Readers of this newspaper are invited to send their contributions to the “Surfers to Peru Fund” care of The Honolulu Advertiser. Or they may bring their contributions in person to the cashier’s counter in the Advertiser building.

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"PUBLIC ASKED TO HELP PAY COST OF SURFERS' TRIP TO PERU" (Star-Bulletin, Feb 7)
One of Hawaii’s best-known beach boys, a young surfboard riding champion and a housewife have asked for public help in entering a Peruvian surfing meet next month. The housewife is Mrs. Ethel Kukeau, a tall, blonde and handsome sportswoman who believes the gentler sex can be as much at home soloing on a surfboard as behind an apron. If she gets to Peru, Mrs. Kukea hopes to remain long enough to convince a few of the women there that they should try the sport. Mrs. Kukea has taken first place in the women’s surfboard riding event at Makaha for the past two years. The mother of three surfers, she also is a swimming and gym instructor.

The Surfers to Peru Fund Drive also would help pay the expenses of Conrad Canha, winner of the most recent Makaha senior men's surfboard riding event, and Rabbit Kekai. Kekai has also won the Makaha event, steered a winning outrigger canoe across the Molokai Channel in the Aloha Week race, and awed thousands with his agility at coconut tree climbing. He's almost as much of a Waikiki landmark as seaweed on the beach after a southerly storm.

The three appear in movies that will be shown to aid the drive at 7:30 pm, February 15, at the Hawaiian Village Long House. The drive has been endorsed by Delegate John A. Burns. He called the invitation to Hawaii surfers to compete in Peru a “signal tribute to the long, persistent effort of unselfish backers seeking to restore Hawaii to its former position of eminence in aquatic sports."

Contributions for the drive are being received at Surfers to Peru Fund, Post Office Box 2299. Further information may be obtained by telephoning 72-9421.

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"FIVE SET FOR PERU SURF MEET" (Advertiser, Feb 13)
Two men and three women surfers will compete in the International Surfing Meet at Lima, Peru, starting March 8. They are Conrad Canha, Rabbit Kekai, Ethel Kukea, Betty Heldreich, and Anne Lamont. To raise funds a benefit surfing movie will be shown at the Long House in Hawaiian Village on Friday at 7:30 p.m. and a professional wrestling show will be sponsored at the Auditorium on Sunday evening. Fifty percent of the wrestling tickets sold by the fundraising committee will be contributed to the fund. Reservations for either event can be made by phoning 99-9094 or 72-9421. The Advertiser is also accepting contributions to the fund.

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"SURFERS-TO-PERU FUND NEEDS $1,500 MORE (Star-Bulletin, Feb 18)
Three outstanding Waikiki surfers are not even halfway on their journey—moneywise—to represent Hawaii at next month’s international surfing meet at Miraflores, Peru. Almost $1,500 more is needed to add to the $1,000 already contributed for Mrs. Ethel Kukea, Conrad Canha and Rabbit Kekai. More than 350 people who attended a benefit showing of surfing movies last night at the Hawaiian Village Long House contributed $400 to the fund, according to Mrs. Ethel Gately, committee chairman. There are 10 days left before the trio hopes to leave, along with Betty Heldreich and Mr. and Mrs. George Lamont, who will pay their own way. Duke Kahanamoku is the honorary chairman of the fundraising drive.

Contributions can be mailed to Surfers-to-Peru Fund, Post Office Box 2299. Further information may be obtained by phoning 72-9421.

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"SURFERS-TO-PERU FUND $900 SHORT" (Advertiser, Feb 26)
A last-minute appeal for contributions to the Surfers-to-Peru Fund has been made by Mrs. George Lamont, one of those heading up the drive to send three local surfers to the International meet in Lima. Mrs. Lamont said today the fund is $900 short of the $2,500 goal. Contributions may be sent to Post Office Box 2299. Those who cannot get their donations in the mail in time for tomorrow night’s deadline may call 72-9421 or 50-1065 and the money will be picked up.

Money is being raised to send Rabbit Kekai, Ethel Kukea and Conrad Canha to the meet, which opens March 8 and closes March 23. Mrs. Lamont and Betty Heldreith also will compete but they will travel at their own expense. The surfing party, headed by Mr. Lamont, leaves Thursday by Pan American plane and will arrive in Lima on Sunday. The surfers will be guests of the Waikiki Club of Lima.

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SURFERS OFF FOR PERU (Advertiser, Mar 1)
Hawaii's surfing champions left last night for Lima, Peru, to participate in the International Surfing Championships meet which opens March 8 and closes March 23. They are flying to the states by Pan American Airways. Conrad Canha, Rabbit Kekai, Ethel Kukea, Betty Heldreich and Anne Lamont are the five surfers who will represent Hawaii in the Club Waikiki-sponsored meet at Lima. The surfers took with them a Hawaiian flag to be presented to the mayor of Lima. The flag is the gift of the SurfRider Hotel in Honolulu.

[Note: Conrad Canha won the men's division of the 1957 Peru International; Canha, Rabbit Kekai, Ethel Kukea, and Betty Heldreich all won various paddling events held in conjunction with the surfing contest.]