‘Distinguished gentlemen’ of Kaua‘i ride motorcycles for men’s health – in style

The Hawaiian island of Kaua‘i is a quiet and laid-back place: Qualities reflected in the everyday dress of many resident men.

A T-shirt, board shorts and slippers – known as flip-flops to many on the United States mainland – constitute a popular outfit often completed with a cap and sunglasses. In short, the Garden Isle is not likely to be considered a hotbed of high male fashion. Even the iconic aloha shirt, with its collar and buttons, carries a certain aura of informality.

Yet on May 26, a group of local motorcyclists gathered to show off their sartorial side for a good cause. The first-ever “Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride” on Kaua‘i raised money for men’s mental health and suicide prevention, as well as prostate and testicular cancer research.

“The event this year, worldwide … raised about $7.5 million to donate to the Movember Foundation,” said Kaua‘i ride organizer Jon Dunning, who first encountered the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride while on a motorcycle tour of the United Kingdom several years ago.

“A lot of the guys that I had written with there had just come from riding in the Gentleman’s Ride in London … It seemed like a really cool program to be a part of,” said Dunning, who participated in a Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride in Honolulu the following year. “I rode with those guys over there, raised a bit of money and thought it would be a great opportunity to do something here on Kaua‘i as well.”

The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride is an annual global event that’s raised $45 million for its official charity partner, the men’s health nonprofit Movember, since 2012. Riders – no matter where they may be in the world – don their most dapper duds to participate.

“I think awareness of men’s mental health needs to be addressed here on Kaua‘i … I’ve lost friends to suicide on this island,” said rider Josh Rowray. “[The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride] was something that was needed. I thought it would be super beneficial and fun.”

In the United States, approximately four out of five suicides are men, according to Movember. In other terms, males make up 50% of the population but nearly 80% of suicides, per the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Rowray sported swept-back hair, a gray three-piece suit and a dress shirt with an open collar during the May 26 ride. His friend Dunning opted for a newsboy cap, vest, rolled-up sleeves and waxed mustache. Their fellow riders were similarly well-dressed.

Neither Rowray nor Dunning typically goes in for such a distinguished look.

“I wear board shorts and T-shirts every day,” Rowray laughed. “We dress up for church and I dress up for date night. Those are the two occasions.”

The Kaua‘i men’s event was postponed by one week due to inclement weather; the rest of the world rode on May 19. Several of the ride’s 11 registered motorcyclists were unable to attend the rescheduled date, but those who could deem the day a success.

“It was a perfect first time … Everybody had fun at each of the stops, and we got to hang out and talk,” said Rowray. “Guys need time with other guys where they can say, ‘Oh, yeah, I need to talk about this,’ and ‘I’m not the only one going through this.'”

The distinguished gentlemen of Kaua‘i raised over $1,300 through individual donations and local sponsors including Rainbeau Jo’s café in Līhu‘e and the Kaua‘i branch of Rising Sun Solar. Photographer Trevor Sweaza documented their trip from Keālia Lookout on the East Side to Kōloa on the South Shore.

In addition to highlighting classic men’s fashion, the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride also platforms vintage bikes. Dunning currently rides a 1971 Honda CB350.

“I think old machines, whether it’s a bike, a car or a 4×4, you’re more connected to them in a way that you just can’t be with a modern vehicle because everything’s mechanical,” Dunning said. “There are no modern electronic gadgets relating your inputs through a computer … It’s a point of pride for some to know that they’re the ones keeping this bike, this machine, alive and on the road, and if not for their hands and hard work, it’d have probably been sent off to a scrap pile decades before.”

According to Rowray, who grew up rebuilding midcentury Harley Davidson bikes with his father, you don’t have to be a real gearhead to enter the vintage motorcycle community.

“The benefit that we have now is, there’s a YouTube video that you can just go and watch,” he said. “Or I’ll call up a buddy and say, ‘Hey, I’m getting this problem. I’m having a hard time in third gear’ … and he’ll know the answer. So you don’t really have to have a whole lot of knowledge. Just know lefty-loosey, righty-tighty.”

Willingness to ask for help and to acknowledge difficulty is important, Rowray continued, noting it goes beyond simple mechanics.

“Most men that work on old motorcycles are fixers by nature, and we really don’t need anybody to fix something for us, because we can fix it ourselves. That’s just our stupid macho attitude, like, ‘Yeah, I got this,’ but sometimes you don’t,” he said. “Sometimes you do need somebody else’s help.

“The same way that I can now go watch a video or ask a friend for help on my motorcycle, I should be able to do that, too, with as far as getting checkups for whatever, even though it may be uncomfortable,” Rowray continued. “‘Hey, I’ve got to get a colonoscopy or get my prostate checked’ … I should be more open to that. But it’s hard whenever you have that ‘I can fix it myself’ attitude.”

Rowray, Dunning and their fellow distinguished gentlemen are already preparing for next year’s ride, scheduled for May 18, 2025.

“We’re definitely looking forward to doing it again here … [This year] was definitely a learning process,” Dunning said. “As far as next year goes, we’ve created a platform that we can build off of and make it a bit bigger.”

The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is a hotline for individuals in crisis or for those looking to help someone else. To speak with a trained listener, call 988. Visit 988lifeline.org for crisis chat services or for more information.