03/29/2018
Otalith. Odalith. Ohtahlith.
Not an easy word to say.
We chose the word Otalith because some of us are marine biology nerds.
And, we chose the word Otalith because we wanted a word to which we could connect our own meaning.
Sure, an otolith, also called a statoconium, is a calcium carbonate structure in the saccule of the inner ear - specifically in the vestibular labyrinth of vertebrates.
Translation: it’s the inner part of a fish's ear bone.
You can count the rings on an otolith in a fish to determine its age - like rings on a tree.
To us, Otalith was a word that meant good music, good people, good food & drink, family, community, surfing, summer and celebration & preservation of the nature around us. In five years, we donated over $15,000 towards local, regional and provincial initiatives such as Pacific Wild, the Clayoquot Biosphere Trust and the Jamie Collins Legacy Fund.
There are a lot of things we would do differently - no one ever said throwing a party for 2000 people in the middle of nowhere would be easy! However, there are a lot of things we would not change one bit. There are too many people we want to thank for making Otalith what it was. We will surely miss a few, but we’ll start here:
Anyone and everyone that bought a ticket to the show. You blew our minds. Thank you.
The volunteers that showed up for long hours and always had smiles on their faces.
The loved ones & friends that we asked too much of and gave too little to in return.
Tofino Brewing Company. Thank you for believing in us from day one.
Fletch - thanks for dreaming big with us and creating a brand that represented the festival and the West Coast so well.
LGC - thanks for your authority handling skills, community outreach, kindness, and fresh baked bread after long drives.
To the bands that traveled from across the street, down the peninsula, up the Island or across the border to play our shows - thank you.
The District of Ucluelet and the local RCMP - thank you for believing in us and helping us do it a little better every year.
The town and community of Ucluelet. Thank you for being such wonderful hosts.
The most sincere thanks to everyone onstage and backstage through the years but especially... Rob & Cindy, Geoff Johnson & Jesse Deslippe, Carrot Juice Ron & the Boulton Brothers Crew, Jason, Barry & Lu, Michael & Andrew, Robyn & Ken, Beth & Caitlin and Allie.
Otalith will not look the same in 2018 as we will be taking a break from the festival format. We do still plan on throwing smaller club shows in Tofino and Ucluelet - so please keep us on your radar and stay connected to our social pages for information.
And ...stay tuned for 2019.
For the record, it’s pronounced Oh Ta Lith - but please say it however you like.
Love,
Jonny & Ash
