Editors Note: Disruptors is a series examining the most groundbreaking moments in surf history. Check out more historic moments here.
When: 2014
Where: Kauai
What: Professional surfer Dustin Barca builds a platform for sustainable agriculture and a cultural revival in Kauai as he runs for mayor.
A mayor that surfs, especially in Hawaii, isn’t exactly the most groundbreaking concept in the world. But a professional surfer running for mayor, now that’s something we don’t see every day. And in 2014 Dustin Barca did exactly that, with the literal running included.
While out running errands with his family one afternoon, Barca came across a campaign supporting the incumbent Mayor Bernard Carvalho. Carvalho’s supporters were associated with the same companies Barca knew were responsible for slowly killing his home of Kaua’i. “There is a bacteria on the reef in Hanalei Bay that doesn’t exist anywhere in the world,” he told ESPN in May of 2014. “It’s killing the reef. There are a lot of big chemical companies – such as Dow and Monsanto, among others – that test in the hills and fields around Kauai, and what we’re seeing on the reef at Hanalei, it’s no coincidence. And it’s not the only place our environment is being heavily impacted. It’s affecting our lives, our children, and it has to be reigned in.”
So he took action. He immediately decided to run for Mayor of Kaua’i County (remember, the running part is still coming), registering as an independent.”I would do anything for my island. I would lay down my life for it. I’m not a politician. I’m not a pro surfer. I’m not a pro fighter. I’m not an activist. I’m just a man,” he said. Putting that “man of the people” platform to the test, Barca’s most memorable and unique campaign moment came in his own personal marathon. It started with sailing from Ke’e Beach to Polihale State Park. He then circled the island on foot, jogging the entire way and stopping to talk story with the locals. He spent the marathon learning what was most important to voters, spanning a little less than 100 miles in four days.
In the end, he didn’t win the election, taking 34 percent of the votes. But his campaign did heave a solid blow to the status quo. Incumbent Bernard Carvalho had taken 77 percent of the votes in 2010 with his closest challenger taking just 16 percent. Now, after four years and Barca’s campaign aimed at ridding the island of harmful GMO’s and returning the people of Kaua’i to their historical and cultural roots, Carvalho was earning the approval of nearly 20 percent fewer voters. A small victory in Barca’s overall vision and mission: “We need innovative ideas, rooted in our historical and cultural knowledge, to ensure that our economy is delivering a high quality of life and not compromising the things we value.”
The professional surfer didn’t come up short in the grand scheme of things – he actually reminded us that fostering change is literally a marathon.
