For many, the word aloha is associated with a greeting. But for Gerry Lopez, aloha is a way of being. Rooted in Native Hawaiian values, it helps guide how people treat one another, the land and themselves, plus it’s a core value of the namesake snowboarding event he founded. The Gerry Lopez Big Wave Challenge will be held for its 14th year at Mt. Bachelor March 26 to 29, 2026. [Photo above: Chauncey Sorenson, by Grant Myrdal]
Much of the aloha behind the Big Wave Challenge is inspired by early Hawaiian surfing contests that Lopez, a resident of Bend for the past 30 years and one of surfing’s big-wave pioneers, experienced when he was a kid, before professional surfing events existed. “The surf contests were a kind of celebration, a gathering of all the different surf clubs and the different families and communities that would all come out to support,” Lopez said. “It was a real celebration of aloha. It wasn’t like this dog-eat-dog thing. It was: Come, we have this surfing contest, someone’s going to win and others aren’t gonna win, but afterward we’ll all eat and have a good time.”
Surf Culture Inspires Bend’s Snowboarding Event
If surfing is the trunk of the board-sport tree, snowboarding is the branch that reaches to the mountains, but shares its roots in self-expression, style and progression. Similar to early snowboard events in the ‘80s and ‘90s, the Big Wave Challenge event harkens back to a time when contests felt less like a competition and more like a community gathering, paralleling the events from Lopez’s childhood days. Many participants are focused less on winning and more on having fun, being in the moment with others and having the shared experience of witnessing the creativity on a course that changes every year.
Hosted by Mt. Bachelor since 2010, and inspired by the mountain’s wave-type terrain and Lopez’s own love of snowboarding. The Big Wave Challenge has been infused with community spirit from the beginning. Across the years, it has raised money for a number of causes through registration fees, auction items and donations. This snowboard-only competition gives riders of all ages and abilities the opportunity to express their creativity on a world-class, custom-built, surf-inspired course made up of banks, hips, spines and quarterpipes.
The Gerry Lopez Big Wave Challenge also translates the aloha spirit of generosity and care into meaningful action by directing all proceeds toward local individuals and organizations in need. Individuals like Pat Malendowski and Michele Schnake, two long-time Central Oregonians, have each significantly contributed to the sport of snowboarding locally and globally, and are both battling cancer. This year, 100% of proceeds from the event registration and online auction will be used to support Malendowski and Schnake in their treatment. The Big Wave Challenge also partners with organizations like Oregon Adaptive Sports and Urban Surf 4 Kids to provide access to board sports.
Lopez characterizes the event as a collective achievement rather than a personal one, and he showcases the spirit of aloha through humility by crediting the success of the event to everyone involved. He emphasizes that without the efforts of the whole community—specifically mentioning the volunteers, Mt. Bachelor and the individuals who participate—the event wouldn’t be possible. “Everyone always thanks me for the event, but it’s really not me; it’s everyone. I always want to say, ‘No, no, thank everybody else,’” said Lopez. “It’s a lot of people coming together and making a big effort on their part. I think everyone showing their aloha pumps up the whole event.” Even by deflecting praise and highlighting the contributions of others, Lopez demonstrates that aloha isn’t just something you say; it’s something you practice. Read more about the Big Wave Surf Challenge here.
Tune in to the full interview with Gerry Lopez on Bend Magazine’s “The Circling Podcast” with Adam Short. As always, our podcast can be found on all major podcast platforms.
