Kaipo and Marsha “Down Under”

BY GAVAN CONWAY — This past January, Outrigger purchased the Management Rights to the former Holiday Inn® property in Surfers Paradise, Australia. To help Outrigger Surfers Paradise (ASP) staff better understand the “Outrigger Way,” Kaipo Ho and Marsha Kapu took Outrigger’s unique style of Ho‘okipa (Host) training to the property. As always, their visit was an exciting time for all the staff who learnt about Outrigger’s Values style of Management and had fun at the same time. Amongst the many highlights of the visit were the hula lessons in the foyer attended by over forty staff members and some very interested guests.

The main event of the visit was a very special Cultural Ceremony with a mixing of Outrigger’s Hawaiian culture represented by Kaipo and Marsha who performed both song and chant and the Indigenous Australian culture, professionally displayed by the Jaran Dancers (Jaran means fresh water). The songs and dances performed by Jaran are part of the heritage of the local Yugambeh people. To symbolise the coming together of the two cultures, Kaipo Ho and Jaran Director Graham Blanco mixed water from Hawai‘i with local water. It was a very moving occasion for Outrigger’s newest team and something everyone will remember for some time.

Kaipo and Marsha amongst a group of Outrigger Surfers Paradise staff during training

The ASP Management Team with Kaipo and Marsha: Jared Lewis, Murray Blunden, Aron Farrell, Leah Matters, Sandi Neale, Marsha Kapu, Sharone Hale, Olivier Maokhamphieu, Grant James and Kaipo Ho

Kaipo Ho and Graham Blanco prepare to mix the waters

Kaipo Ho, Graham Blanco (center) and Marsha Kapu with members of the Jaran Dancers