CONTROLLING CHAOS Into the fray with Hawaiian Water Patrol MASTERS OF PUPPETS The hula ki‘i revival WANTING TO BELIEVE The Islands are a hot spot for UAP sightings
Our all-time bestselling style, the ‘Ohana sandal is the icon of island-inspired comfort.
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JUNE - JULY 2025
ISLAND INTELLIGENCE
18 / The Show Goes On
STORY BY KATIE YOUNG YAMANAKA
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDREW RICHARD HARA
21 / Sliding Scale
STORY BY LARRY LIEBERMAN
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MATT MALLAMS
STORY BY POMAI WEIGERT
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ELYSE BUTLER 25 / A Life’s Work
STORY BY MARTHA CHENG
/ Noodles from the Sea
STORY BY SARAH BURCHARD
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ELYSE BUTLER
/ The Box Brigade
STORY BY MARIA KANAI
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ELYSE BUTLER
DEPARTMENTS & FEATURES
32 /
Close Encounters of the Hawai‘i Kine
Whatever they are, folks in the Islands are seeing a lot of them
STORY BY CONNER GORRY
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDREW RICHARD HARA
42 / Return of the Puppets
Reviving the nearly lost art of hula ki‘i
STORY BY DAVID THOMPSON
PHOTOGRAPHY BY DEANNE FITZMAURICE
52 /
The Word for Ocean Is Kai Whether paddling, building or mentoring, Kai Bartlett lives a life of the canoe
STORY BY CATHARINE LO GRIFFIN
PHOTOGRAPHY BY HAYDEN RAMLER
62 / The Life Preservers
The Hawaiian Water Patrol safeguards surfers taking big risks in big waves
STORY BY ALEXIS CHEUNG
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MIKE ITO & MIKE COOTS
74 / For Those About to Rock Scenes from Hawai‘i’s golden age of rock ’n’ roll
WORDS BY LARRY LIEBERMAN
PHOTOGRAPHY BY PF BENTLEY/ SUNBUMS HAWAII
86 / Obon Voyage
The ancestors would smile upon Hawai‘i’s version of an ancient Japanese tradition
STORY BY MARTHA CHENG
PHOTOGRAPHY BY AKASHA RABUT
98 / The Curatrix
In a rapidly changing Hawai‘i, Emma Nakuina fought to preserve its past
STORY BY RONALD WILLIAMS JR
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY HAWAI‘I STATE ARCHIVES
108 / Events Calendar & Island by Island
143 / Hawaiian Airlines Information
160 / PAU HANA Find Dining
STORY BY ANNABELLE LE JEUNE
PHOTOGRAPHY BY LILA LEE
Now showing on your in-seat media player and at
THE KALO KID / How do you revive a place, a community and a culture in Hawai‘i? You plant kalo (taro). Robert Silva grows Hawai‘i’s staple food wherever he can find the wai (water), even in a place as unlikely as Lo‘i Kalo Mini Park in the Kalihi neighborhood of O‘ahu.
SHOOTING GIANTS / Pioneering cinematographer Mike Prickett has taken IMAX cameras into the pit at Teahupo‘o and survived the bends to make a career of filming the world’s biggest waves and the surfers who ride them.
BREAKING GROUND / Meet Jack Rabanal, a.k.a. Hijack, the “b-boy” who reps Hawai‘i at breakdancing competitions in the Islands and abroad.
Forget to take your copy of Hana Hou! from the seat pocket? Miss a story from a back issue? Want to share a story or a video you’ve seen on the in-seat media player or on the Hawaiian Airlines app? Hana Hou! is now online as well as on-screen. Visit our new web site at the link below or scan the QR code to view the current issue and selections from our archive.
THE PIZZAIOLO OF KAUMAKANI / While Hawai‘i is known for a lot of superlative things, great pizza isn’t usually one of them. But Xavier John Paul Machado had a dream: to create a pizza rivaling the venerated pies of New York and Chicago. With only YouTube tutorials and a pizza obsession, the teenager in a small, remote town on Kaua‘i now bakes with the best of them— ask any visiting East Coaster.
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CONTRIBUTORS
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Alexis Cheung
Andrew Richard Hara
Annabelle Le Jeune
Catharine Lo Griffin
Conner Gorry
David Thompson
Deanne Fitzmaurice
Elyse Butler
Hayden Ramler
Katie Young Yamanaka
Larry Lieberman
Lila Lee
Martha Cheng
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PF Bentley
Pomai Weigert
Ron Williams Jr
Sarah Burchard
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ON THE COVER
Easing the Consequences
The Hawaiian Water Patrol pushes over the lip as a huge set wave devours surfer Jake Maki’s board during the 2024 Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational at Waimea Bay.
PHOTOGRAPH BY MIKE COOTS
Conner Gorry
“I’m the perennial square peg in a round hole, partially because I grew up alongside a psychic brother in a haunted house with a ghost that threatened us on the regular,” says Conner Gorry, who wrote about the paranormal in “Close Encounters of the Hawai‘i Kine.” The offbeat and oddball are her jam, but she was ill-prepared to take on the UFO/UAP topic—“a fascinating and unsettling convergence of science, politics and industry, with a healthy dose of woo-woo and subterfuge,” she says. What most resonated with Gorry is the Hawaiian cosmovision of “star ancestors” dropping by to assure that the galactic family is healthy and stewarding the ‘āina (land) with aloha. “At the very least, an alien visitation to Hawai‘i would be a helluva party in one of our planet’s most majestic settings.” A writer, journalist and frequent contributor to Hana Hou!, Gorry splits her time between Havana, Cuba, and Hawai‘i Island; no UAP sightings in either place … yet.
Alexis Cheung
Growing up in Hawai‘i, Alexis Cheung was familiar with jet ski water patrol rescues. But watching the Hawaiian Water Patrol outrun massive waves at the Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational in 2024 deepened her respect for their skills and deep knowledge of the ocean. Reporting from the beach at Waimea Bay for “The Life Preservers” was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, she says. “Uncle Brian Keaulana was kind enough to answer my cold e-mail and let me shadow him and his crew all day.” One moment that didn’t make it into the story: A ski was pulled out of the water because a bungee cord got stuck in the engine. One guy flushed out the seawater by running the ski in the Waimea River, then shot himself from the river across the sand—a good fifty feet—and cleared it so the ski slid into the ocean. “All the Hawaiian Water Patrol volunteers on the beach cheered,” she says. Cheung lives in Brooklyn and flies home to the Islands every winter. Her work has been published in Harper’s Bazaar, Vanity Fair, T Magazine, New York Magazine and the Sewanee Review among others.
Deanne Fitzmaurice
For Deanne Fitzmaurice, one of the most rewarding parts of being a photojournalist is immersing herself in different cultures and connecting with people through their traditions. Her work on “Return of the Puppets” was no exception. Before this assignment she knew little about hula ki‘i, the ancient Hawaiian art of puppetry, but she was captivated by its symbolism and spiritual significance. “With over thirty years of experience as a photographer, I’ve been privileged to document powerful stories from around the world. One of the greatest honors of my career was receiving the Pulitzer Prize for my work capturing the sensitive story of an injured Iraqi boy,” she says. “My passion lies in visual storytelling, whether for publications, brands or nonprofits, always striving to tell compelling stories that resonate.” Fitzmaurice’s photographs have appeared in The New York Times, National Geographic and Sports Illustrated among others. See more of her work at @deannefitzmaurice.
Growing up in Waikīkī, PF Bentley’s first photography gig was with Sunbums Hawaii, a biweekly newspaper dedicated to the vibrant worlds of music and surfing. The 1970s was a golden era, a magical time in Hawai‘i “that will never happen again,” says Bentley. He attended many performances of now legendary rock acts that played in the Islands, with some of his favorite moments featured in “For Those About to Rock” in this issue. Shooting concerts proved to be an invaluable training ground. “The light was harsh and constantly changing, with subjects always in motion,” he says. “After that, working outside with natural light felt easy.” Bentley’s images capture the raw energy of these performances, preserving the spirit of an unforgettable moment in Hawai‘i’s cultural history. After his tenure at Sunbums, Bentley continued to work for two decades as a photojournalist and special correspondent for TIME Magazine and is a frequent contributor to Hana Hou! See more of his work at @pfbentley on Instagram.
PF Bentley
BY JOE SPRAGUE , CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, HAWAIIAN AIRLINES
Steering Us Forward
If your Hawaiian Airlines travel today or over the years took you through Kahului, Maui, chances are you crossed paths with our guest service agent Herbert Ito. Many of Herb’s current teammates were not yet born when he began greeting our guests on the Valley Isle in 1966, an exciting year for our company as we launched our first jet service with eightyfive-passenger Douglas DC-9s serving O‘ahu’s neighbor islands.
Over his nearly sixty years of service, Herb has witnessed many big milestones—the evolution of our brand, the launch of Hawaiian’s loyalty program, our transpacific expansion to the continental United States and internationally to destinations across Oceania and Asia.
It was during the peak of our global growth, in 2012, when a 22-year-old University of Hawai‘i graduate, Darren Ibarra, joined our consumer affairs team as an analyst after interning with us in his last semester. Darren worked with our reservations team and later supported the integration of all our guest support functions under our customer contacts group. If you ever needed help with your itinerary in the past thirteen years, Darren and his team likely helped walk you through a resolution.
In recognition of their dedication to our guests, Herb recently became our
Employee of the Year and Darren earned our Leader of the Year award at a dinner where we celebrated twenty “Kūpono” winners. Kūpono signifies someone who represents what is right, or pono, and who embodies our values of mālama (care), ho‘okipa (hospitality), lōkahi (collaboration) and po‘okela (excellence). The award comes with a koa outrigger canoe paddle, symbolizing exemplary service in steering Hawaiian forward.
These values are top of mind for me as I join Herb, Darren and our growing ‘ohana of more than thirty thousand Alaska Air Group colleagues on the important work of bringing Hawaiian and Alaska Airlines together—perhaps the most significant milestone in Hawaiian’s ninety-five-year history. Amid the busy summer travel season, we are excited to continue to introduce new and better services and products to our guests as part of our integration efforts.
Traveling through San Francisco, Sacramento, Phoenix or Los Angeles? You will notice that Hawaiian and Alaska already share lobby spaces at these airports we both serve, allowing guests flying on either airline to conveniently check in at the same place. More co-locations are on the way.
Our credit card holders who book travel on our websites also now receive
checked baggage allowances on both Hawaiian and Alaska flights. Our HawaiianMiles members enjoy a slew of enhanced perks, such as the ability to earn, transfer and redeem miles on both airlines, while HawaiianMiles members can link their account to the Alaska Mileage Plan to match their status and access our global oneworld airline partners. Last, we are grateful to the more than 250,000 Hawai‘i residents (and counting) who have already signed up for our Huaka‘i by Hawaiian program and are taking advantage of exclusive discounts and a free checked bag when traveling among the Islands.
That might seem like an extensive list of benefits, but the most exciting one is yet to come. By the end of summer, we will announce a single, unified loyalty program that will reward our Hawaiian and Alaska frequent flyers with the industry’s most generous benefits.
Until then, wherever your Hawaiian or Alaska Airlines flights take you, I hope you are enjoying not only our amazing new benefits but the special aloha of our teams.
Earlier this year we honored twenty employees who exemplify the values that guide Hawaiian Airlines. Among them were Leader of the Year Darren Ibarra (above left, pictured with Joe Sprague) and Employee of the Year Herb Ito (above right, with ramp chief Steven Wong and employee support manager Merle Bernades).
island intelligence
The Show Goes On
For every crisis that might have spelled the end for Hilo’s Palace Theater over the last hundred years—two tsunamis, termites, faulty sprinklers and a pandemic—the community has stepped up to keep it going. Not only has the theater kept a full schedule of music, films and productions, it’s listed on the Hawai‘i and National Register of Historic Places.
Now a century old, the Palace’s longevity is a legacy of perseverance, adaptability and ingenuity. “We’ve had this surge of people appreciating this gathering space again,” says executive director Phillips Payson. “You’re taking in the history of the venue, and you’re sitting in a seat your grandmother sat in fifty years ago.”
The Palace was ahead of its time. Built in the heyday of American movie theaters—the fifth theater in downtown Hilo—it was part of a small family of
cinemas owned by Adam C. Baker, from Maui. He billed the new Hilo Palace Theater as a state-of-the-art movie house with stadium seating for eight hundred, a grand lobby, a painted ceiling and, perhaps its crown jewel, a pipe organ to accompany silent movies.
Over the past century, the Palace kept pace with the changing entertainment industry and community needs. It was the first on Hawai‘i Island to show 3D and Cinemascope movies. Modifications extended the stage for live theater, along with an orchestra pit that doubles as a dance floor. The Palace is one of only a handful of locations nationwide that still features an original pipe organ, with its 1,406 pipes built into the walls of the auditorium. The organ is played regularly by various members of the Hilo Theater Organ Society. Its pandemic “Live From the Empty Palace”
video series was also nominated for a Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award and featured in a weekly program on PBS Hawai‘i.
The year-long centennial events include a live concert series featuring top Hawaiian music performers like Jake Shimabukuro, Nā Palapalai and the Mākaha Sons. There will be a summer celebration, a licensed Broadway fall musical production, special events, organ performances and movies with the new state-of-the-art laser projector. The Palace will get a “glow-up,” too, with a fresh coat of paint and repairs to complement its vintage red velvet chairs and new theater air-conditioning.
“You can feel the echoes of decades of experiences still reverberating here,” says Payson. “This is the year we can all come together to really make her shine.” HILOPALACE.COM
Rick Mazurowski plays the Palace Theater’s storied pipe organ (seen above) during silent movie nights. The organ, like the beloved Hilo theater (seen also on pages 16–17), is unique on Hawai‘i Island and almost as long-lived; it was installed in 1929, while the venerable grande dame of Hawai‘i theaters celebrates its centennial throughout 2025.
STORY BY KATIE YOUNG YAMANAKA
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDREW RICHARD HARA
A new dawn of live entertainment rises in Cirque du Soleil ‘Auana –a Hawai‘i-inspired production featuring a cast of powerful acrobats, talented musicians and singers, and profound hula dancers. Only at the OUTRIGGER Waikīkī Beachcomber Hotel.
STORY BY LARRY LIEBERMAN
Sliding Scale
Roy Urata’s RC (remote control) car catches the drift during Team Saikō’s weekly practice at ‘Āina Koa Park in Honolulu. Precision rather than speed is the goal, regardless of scale. “Our team graphics design is inspired by Signal Audio, which brought two competition drift cars from Japan in 2003 for an event at Hawaii Raceway Park,” Urata says. “That was my first experience of drifting, and it changed my life.”
Motors rev, wheels spin and slick, shiny cars speed along a course full of hairpin turns, hugging the lane lines and coming within a hair’s breadth of the walls. One after another, the tricked-out vehicles lose traction with the ground, sliding through switchbacks. This is drifting, a motorsport that prioritizes precision over speed. Victory goes to those with the best handle on inertia. But these drift cars are only one-tenth scale, and instead of steering wheels the drivers clutch remote controls with knobs for steering and triggers for acceleration.
“It’s an amazing sport at any scale,” says Roy Urata of Team Saikō, one of four clubs in Hawai‘i devoted to radiocontrol (RC) drifting; Saikō, on O‘ahu, started up in 2009. “A lot of the RC cars are based on real drift car bodies, and people can hand-paint and customize them to look like the real thing. It’s surprising how realistic a lot of the cars
are getting, compared to the full-size drift cars you can see on YouTube or in person at live drift events.”
At one of Team Saikō’s regular practices in ‘Āina Koa Park near Kāhala, multiple drifters guide their RC cars around an intricate temporary track laid out in white tape on the polished concrete pavilion floor. These drivers are preparing for regional and national competitions, where RC drift cars engage in “battles” to win points toward national rankings. Speed is not a factor, says Urata, who works for the state Department of Health when he’s not putting time in at the track. “It’s not a race. The goal is for the lead car to set a course, and then the chase cars try to mimic it.” Team Saikō has done well in regional competitions, but big international wins in places like Japan and Europe remain elusive. The 2025 World Championship, to be held at Super-G RC Drift Arena in Baldwin Park, California, is Saikō’s next shot at drifting glory.
The objective of drifting competitions (for both full-size and at scale) isn’t to be first across a finish line. It’s about achieving near-perfect synchrony among the cars. The cars and drivers pair up and take turns leading and following. When drivers are really in the groove, their cars mirror each other’s movements nearly identically, leaving almost no space between them. Speeding and sliding across the curves in graceful chaos, the poetry in motion of RC drifting is a lot more like tango than Grand Prix.
Getting started is pretty easy, says Urata. Competitors range from as young as nine to well past their sixties. A basic RC drift car kit can set you back a few hundred dollars, and it takes most drivers several months to get the hang of it. But once you’re hooked, you’ll be dreaming about the next turn.
From the Ashes
There’s a Hawaiian word—kuleana— usually translated as responsibility, duty, calling or even burden. You don’t choose kuleana, it’s said. Kuleana finds you.
Shannon Wianecki, a longtime Hawai‘i journalist and project lead for the Lahaina Fire Archive, saw a need and stepped up to fill it. Led by the Lahaina Restoration Foundation and funded by Maui County, the archive memorializes the 2023 wildfires that burned roughly seven thousand acres and caused some $3 billion in damage. One hundred two lives were lost, as was one of Hawai‘i’s most historic towns.
“This tragedy is still ongoing,” Wianecki says. “Doing this kind of work is hugely collaborative and cathartic.” Wianecki grew up on Maui and knows many who were impacted; her family had once owned a bakery at
the Lahaina Wharf Cinema. She has been gathering photos, videos, rescued objects and oral histories through word of mouth, social media and talk story sessions. The archive “is meant to be crowdsourced and created with the community,” she says. “The goal is to have all the demographics of Lāhainā represented”: Native Hawaiians, tour operators, restaurant owners, churches, schools, Filipino and Hispanic communities to name a few.
The Lahaina Fire Archive is about halfway through its initial collection period, having assembled a range of seemingly disparate items that together tell a story. One interesting entry is a set of fifty iPhone clips taken where the fire started, near Waine‘e Street in downtown Lāhainā. Each clip gets more intense as the smoke thickens. “This is so powerful, because you can really imagine the dilemma that each person
faced,” Wianecki says. Other items include a scorched cellphone and audio recordings of personal experiences from the staff at Star Noodle, one of the restaurants on Front Street. Many employees lost their homes and family members that day. The archive itself exists in a digital space to be accessed from anywhere, a library held in perpetuity. Selected items will be displayed at the Maui Sugar Museum in May 2025.
Collecting objects and stories that preserve a tragic history is a delicate, emotional process, but it’s a kuleana that Wianecki takes seriously. “I hope it continues,” she says, “so that we never forget but also find ways to heal.”
Since wildfires destroyed Lāhainā on August 8, 2023, the Lahaina Fire Archive has been collecting material—in physical and digital form—to memorialize the tragedy. Above left, a scene from days after the fire. Above right, Nelson Thomas recovers his Lahainaluna High School class ring from the ruins of his parents’ home upon returning for the first time since the fire.
STORY BY MARTHA CHENG
A Life’s Work
When Honolulu Museum of Art curators began assembling Satoru Abe: Reaching for the Sun, a retrospective spanning the prolific Hawai‘i artist’s seventy-year career, they knew people would be familiar with his work. Abe’s large-scale public sculptures grace Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, the Hawai‘i Convention Center and high schools across the state.
The curators wanted to introduce viewers to Abe’s larger body of work— but they didn’t expect that there would be so much of it. “Satoru was still producing work at such a rapid pace, with hundreds of paintings made in the last few years,” says Alejandra Rojas Silva, co-curator of the retrospective, on display until July 20, 2025. Late into his 90s, during the pandemic, Abe had produced more than a hundred
abstract paintings meant to hang in any orientation. “Today there is often a brighter spotlight placed on young and emerging artists,” says co-curator Katherine Love. “But Abe shows us that even an artist in his 90s may remain a vital creative force.”
Abe was born in Honolulu in 1926, “but for me, life started … in 1948, when I said I gon’ be an artist,” he said in a 2014 interview. “One day I realized that I’m very unique, that if I don’t create these things, they’ll never be existing in the world.” His career has spanned New York, Japan and Hawai‘i, where he returned in the 1970s and helped shape Modernist art in the Islands. HoMA’s exhibition showcases his fluidity in different media, including paint, wood and metal, and moves from his early ink sketches in the 1950s and 60s to the
starkness of his “white paintings” period to later works featuring elements of trees, seeds and leaves.
“He was very involved and eager to help select the pieces that would be included,” Love says. Especially significant to Abe were a portrait of a solitary figure from 1955 and a piece titled “Uncertain Landscape,” with dark splotches and moody, saturated colors, painted in 1995 “during a difficult time while his wife, Ruth, was ill,” Love says.
Abe passed away in early February 2025. Rojas Silva says, “We knew that Satoru was in his twilight years … but somehow we were still not prepared to lose him. This exhibition takes on a new meaning now, as a place to be with him and learn from his work.”
A retrospective exhibition of Satoru Abe’s work, Reaching for the Sun, opened at the Honolulu Museum of Art just months before the prolific Hawai‘i artist (seen above right) passed away last February at age 98. Among the works featured from a lifetime of production in multiple media is the 1971 copper sculpture, “Trees in a Box” (seen above left).
STORY BY SARAH BURCHARD PHOTOGRAPHY BY ELYSE BUTLER
Noodles from the Sea
W ay in the back of a takeout restaurant, behind a door marked “Employees Only,” there’s a laboratory where the next evolution in noodlery is growing in a fifty-gallon fish tank.
Six years ago, husband and wife Richard and Millie Chan opened Adela’s Country Eatery in Kāne‘ohe, O‘ahu, with their friend Adela Visitacion. Their specialty is noodles, house-made with local ingredients in a variety of colors: rose taupe kalo (taro), neon green
malunggay (moringa), yellow ‘ulu (breadfruit), purple ‘uala (sweet potato) and pale green avocado. Recently, Chan began to think about what was next and contacted the University of Hawai‘i to ask who was working on creating food products from the sea. Adela’s was already using the most sustainable ingredients from the land. Now it was time to tap into Hawai‘i’s largest resource. Rock Du of UH’s Department of Molecular Biosciences and
Bioengineering answered the call. Du studies the nutritional value of algae because it will help Hawai‘i, which has limited ag land and imports up to 85 percent of its food, on its path to food security. Meeting Chan was kismet: Du wanted to test his theories, and Chan wanted to make food from the sea. Together they created Aunty’s Hapa Hawaiian Food Lab and have been experimenting with noodle and cheesecake recipes using spirulina, ogo (seaweed) and sea asparagus grown from seed sourced at Olakai Aquaponics Farm on O‘ahu’s North Shore.
The current noodle iterations have a chow mein-like texture—bouncy like ramen but served like pasta, tossed with Adela’s signature sauces, such as garlic butter with portobello mushrooms, moringa sauce and coconut cream. By themselves the noodles have a faint brininess, but the allure is their nutritional value: high in omega-3 fatty acids, protein, vitamins and minerals. “It’s something new,” Du says. “In the beginning we had a lot of different opinions about the flavor profile, consistency, mouthfeel. But we’re getting close to perfecting it.”
Last Earth Day, April 22, Adela’s welcomed the public to Aunty’s Hapa Hawaiian Food Lab to learn about Du’s research and sample the new noodles. The saltwater tank is a miniature marine eco-farm. Inside, ogo from Kahuku thrives in clear water, kept clean by sea asparagus growing on top: The succulent acts as a protein skimmer and natural filter. The low-maintenance system is not only sustainable, it shows that anyone can grow these foods at home.
But until then there’s always the mad noodle science going on at Adela’s. “I’m not reinventing the noodle,” Chan says. “I just want to build food independence by replacing part of the grain with ingredients sustainably grown in Hawai‘i.”
Noodles made from “sea asparagus,” an alga farmed on O‘ahu’s North Shore, at Adela’s Country Eatery. The Kāne‘ohe restaurant has long been noodling around with sustainable, locally sourced ingredients.
STORY BY MARIA KANAI
The Box Brigade
K, make sure you got no gold chains, lanyards, jewelry. Don’t want ’em to get stuck in the shredder,” says Michelle Pieper to three half-awake boys outside Nānākuli Intermediate and High School’s admin office. Pieper demonstrates how to feed cardboard through a shredder—the material emerges corrugated. White socks peeping through crocs and black headphones resting above their ears, the teens get the hang of it quickly. Not bad, considering it’s 8:30 a.m. on a Saturday.
A Hawaiian-language teacher at Nānākuli, Pieper began researching composting during the COVID shutdown, “You know, when everyone got into farming.” She shared her findings in class because “you cannot study the Hawaiian language without studying the ‘āina [land],” she says. Now she and her students hold Sustainable Saturdays once a month. “We call ourselves Scrappahz Union 96792,” she says, the zip code referring to O‘ahu’s west side. People drop off cardboard in exchange
for CSA boxes from farmers, who in turn take home the shredded sheets for mulch and chicken bed linings.
Around 9 a.m., Lily Cabinatan arrives with mangoes and lemons from her farm, Top Notch Fruit, in Mā‘ili. Kids load shredded newspaper and cardboard stacks onto her truck. “First year I began putting the cardboard under the trees, I get plenny mangoes,” she says. “This helps trap moisture around the roots. And when mangoes drop, they don’t get bruised.”
While some, like the three boys, are just here to knock out community service hours for college prep electives, others like Jeremiah Magallones found ‘ohana in Scrappahz. “I was a kolohe kid,” a troublemaker, he says. “Grew up around addiction. That’s the reality of Nānākuli. I’d rather be doing this.” Now, Magallones attends leadership camps and speaks at town hall meetings. “He’s become a leader,” says a proud Pieper. Nānākuli School has a reputation: Its students are ready “fo’ scrap,” or
to fight. But Pieper sees past the stereotype. “These kids, I’m building relationships with them. Once they get to know you, they let their walls down. I have one boy with no electricity at home, so he would rather be with me. Another girl, both parents are out on the streets. I was born out and raised out here, so I know,” says Pieper, tearing up. “The name Scrappahz Union is our way of flipping the script in a positive way. Yes, we like scrap. We like your cardboard scraps, food scraps, newspaper scraps!” Scrappahz Union has won awards three years in a row—including $25,000 from American Savings Bank’s KeikiCo contest. They’ve used the money to buy shredders for schools on O‘ahu’s west side, Hawai‘i Island and Maui. Pieper’s dream is to hopefully see more schools create their own zero-waste programs. “Even Wai‘anae School,” she jokes. “There’s that rivalry but we’re still 96792.” @SCRAPPAHZ_UNION96792
Above left, Scrappahz Union 96792 member Keara Kilakaula-Aguiar shapes custom plant pots from recycled cardboard during a Sustainable Saturday event at Mana Mahi‘ai Farm in Leeward O‘ahu. The Nānākuli School students shred cardboard donated in exchange for produce and distribute the products for free, which both helps a community in need and creates a sustainable solution to Hawai‘i’s solid waste issues.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ELYSE BUTLER
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departments & features
STORY BY CONNER GORRY
Close Encounters of the Hawai‘i Kine
Whatever they are, folks in the Islands are seeing a lot of them
It’s 3 a.m. under an inky sky strewn with stars. To the east, the constellation Makali‘i (the Pleiades) rises, marking the Makahiki, the Hawaiian season of peace and abundance. All is quiet in Hilo save for some randy coquí frogs. Suddenly, a “very large, banana-shaped ship inside a radiant, flaming shield,” appears to a local stargazer and hovers over the Saddle Road between Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea before flying away.
Sighting 172492, submitted to the National UFO Reporting Center on October 19, 2022, lasted thirty minutes and was witnessed by two thousand people. Similar documented sightings from these latitudes—many inexplicable—date back to at least 1825, when British sailors on HMS Blonde observed an unusual phenomenon in the waters near Hawai‘i. “About halfpast three o’clock this morning the middle watch on deck was astonished to
find everything around them suddenly illuminated,” wrote Andrew Bloxam, the ship’s naturalist, in his diary. “Turning their eyes to the eastward they beheld a large, round, luminous body rising up about seven degrees apparently from the water to the clouds, and falling again out of sight, and a second time rising and falling. It was the color of a redhot [cannon] shot and appeared about the size of the sun. It was only visible for a few seconds and after its final
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDREW RICHARD HARA
ET-seeking tourgoers
the
departure some rays of light were seen in the same direction.” Being a man of science, Bloxam speculated that “it was probably a meteor or fireball. No sound was heard. It gave so great a light that a pin might be picked up on deck.” Meteor it might have been, though one is hardpressed to explain how a meteor might fall and rise—twice.
Reports of peculiar celestial activity over Hawai‘i, particularly on O‘ahu, Maui and Hawai‘i Island, continue two centuries later despite the very real, in some cases career-ending, stigma associated with so much as mentioning little green men. Physics-defying motherships, teardrops with tails and erratic, multicolored lights flashing along the coast: All have been sighted over Hawai‘i, but also in and around the ocean. The volume of odd reports by scientists, military personnel and citizen astronomers here and elsewhere is on the rise, forcing changes to traditional nomenclature. The term UFO, or unidentified flying object, with its historical baggage, is out. Unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP)—which include unidentified submersible objects (USOs), anomalous aerial vehicles (AAVs) and trans-medium craft able to move between water, land and sky—is in.
Most UAP sightings turn out to be banal cases of mistaken identity. Those dancing lights in the sky? Starlink satellites. Chunks of metal falling from the heavens? Space junk jettisoned from rockets and SpaceX craft. That specialized ship for harvesting Earth’s water to hydrate other worlds? Military drone. Meteors, blimps, Chinese lanterns, solar glint and camera anomalies: All have been reported as UAPs and later identified.
Richard Wainscoat tracks
near-Earth objects with the PanSTARRS telescope atop Haleakalā on Maui, the telescope that captured images of ‘Oumuamua in 2017, the first confirmed interstellar object to enter our solar system. Wainscoat clearly does not want to believe: There’s a simple explanation for why so many sightings occur in Hawai‘i, he says, and it’s not because the Islands are a magnet for interstellar or interdimensional beings. It’s just that Hawai‘i is more remote and darker than almost anywhere else. “Hawai‘i has lighting rules that benefit astronomers, plus animal species like turtles and birds.” As the state contact of the Hawai‘i chapter of DarkSky
International, mitigating light pollution is one of Wainscoat’s passions.
Not only is Hawai‘i dark, it’s also militarized—military bases occupy about 6 percent of the state’s area, including the Pōhakuloa Training Area on Hawai‘i Island, a 170-square-mile military training ground (the largest in the Pacific) located between Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea. Helicopters and bombers are common sights in these parts, and more than a few observant folks have mistaken high-tech military drones for UAPs. Nevertheless, past experience makes many locals circumspect (or downright suspicious) about official explanations. In the 1960s, US nuclear weapons systems were tested at Pōhakuloa, contaminating these slopes with depleted uranium, while sarin gas was tested in nearby Upper Waiākea Forest Reserve. Military authorities denied both for over forty years.
Plausible deniability about UAPs began unraveling in 2004, when US Navy pilots filmed a transmedium object exhibiting speeds and maneuverability beyond our current technological capabilities during training maneuvers near San Diego. The famous “Tic Tac incident,” with accompanying video, was leaked to
Hawai‘i is something of a hot spot for UAP (unidentified aerial phenomena) sightings. Some of that might have to do with the fact that people are actively looking. Above left,
on Hawai‘i Island use lasers and night vision goggles to search for interstellar visitors— or just space junk. Above right,
infamous “Tic Tac” UAP spotted off San Diego by Navy pilots in 2004.
Blue Topaz Sea Turtle Collection
The New York Times in 2017, breaking the story about a secret US Department of Defense program investigating UAPs. More top-secret programs surfaced once other journalists started digging, including Kona Blue, an aborted Department of Defense initiative to reverse-engineer alien technologies and exploit “non-human biologics.” (The code name had nothing to do with Kona, Hawai‘i—Kona Blue was just a smokescreen to conceal the program’s highly classified activities—and it was scrapped ostensibly because no alien tech was ever found.) Cue damage control. Documents were declassified, congressional hearings with military whistleblowers were held and some heads rolled. This flurry of events fanned the flames of public interest … and mistrust.
“Whenever something happens—the Chinese spy balloon fiasco or more recently the ‘drones’ over New Jersey—a whole new set of people enter the conversation. Then the government gets involved, and it becomes more complex sifting through the layers
to figure out what’s going on,” says Michael Ressl, moderator of the r/UFOs Subreddit, a community of over three million representing the spectrum of enthusiasts, researchers and skeptics. The pseudoscience, partial evidence, disinformation and secrecy permeating those layers creates a fertile substrate for conspiracy theories.
For many Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiians), there are no theories, no sifting; connection to the stars is in their lifeblood. The Kumulipo, a Hawaiian creation chant passed down for centuries and available in English thanks to Queen Lili‘uokalani, narrates the birth of the universe and all it contains. From the “slime which established the earth,” to the original Hawaiians’ descent from the constellation Makali‘i, the Kumulipo canonizes ancestral knowledge. The philosophy of universal interconnectedness is still actively subscribed to, particularly on Hawai‘i Island .
So it makes sense that if aliens were to make contact, they might phone Puna on the island’s southeast coast, a remote and rebel off-grid wilderness where Native Hawaiian traditions persist and mix with New Age spiritual beliefs—and where they’d be welcomed with open arms and minds.
In 1990 a lava flow buried homes, sacred sites and the Kaimū black-sand beach in Kalapana on this stretch of coast of Hawai‘i Island. As lava chugged toward the Keli‘iho‘omalu family home, they prayed and chanted for the lava to divert. It did, barely skirting their home before continuing its journey seaward, leaving hundreds of acres of steaming new land in its wake. After the flow fizzled, the late Robert Keli‘iho‘omalu, a konohiki (headman) of Kaimū and a noble in the reinstated Hawaiian kingdom government—one of the political-administrative organizations of the sovereignty movement vindicated by President Bill Clinton’s 1993 apology for US involvement in the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian kingdom—had an idea for this new land.
In Hawaiian mythology, the ancestors of humans came from Makali‘i, also known as the Pleiades. Residents of the Puna district on Hawai‘i Island, led by the late Uncle Robert Keli‘iho‘omalu, constructed the Hawaii Star Visitors Sanctuary in 2014 to welcome (or welcome home) any future interstellar travelers with aloha.
PHOTO BY PHILLIPS PAYSON
Most people—like those on Lisa Thompson’s Big Island UFO Tour (seen above and on pages 30–32)—look up, but some UAPs emerge from the ocean, while others are “trans-medium,” traveling between sea and air. Theories about underwater installations and portals ringing Hawai‘i fuel the intrigue.
Uncle Robert, as he was known, envisioned a welcome center and landing pad for “star ancestors”—the antecedents of the Hawaiian people who according to legend descended from the constellation Makali‘i—when they came to visit their Earth family and, hopefully, offer healing. “I feel in my heart they have the answer for us to better ourselves, not only politically, but physically and spiritually,” Uncle Robert said at the Hawaii Star Visitor Sanctuary inauguration in 2014. His proposal for the HSVS at Kaimū in Lower Puna was approved by the other nobles and passed by the House of the Legislative Assembly of the Kingdom of Hawai‘i later that year, according to Garry Hoffeld, HSVS caretaker and liaison between Kaimū nobles and the kingdom government. To create the ET reception pad, three groups searched the lava field adjacent to Uncle Robert’s for a mana-charged area, each independently settling on the same spot, says Hoffeld. They constructed a giant circle of lava boulders and an ahu (cairn) dedicated to Lili‘uokalani—surprisingly modest considering the HSVS’ potentially world-altering purpose.
The document establishing the sanctuary outlines a Hawaiian protocol for alien contact: Establish diplomatic relations with star visitors based on concepts of neutrality; promote cultural, educational and scientific
exchange; and maintain a space where extraterrestrial technologies can be safely demonstrated and developed for the benefit of humanity. “My dad’s idea to make a treaty with our brothers and sisters in the sky opens up a whole new era. We can share our aloha energy with them, and they can share their aloha energy with us; we can work together,” says Sam Keli‘iho‘omalu, Uncle Robert’s son, a Kaimū noble and signatory to the document establishing the HSVS.
Combining Island and alien aloha to benefit humankind is a potent concept falling within the chaotic Venn diagram of UAP science and research, the military-industrial complex, galactic diplomacy, New Age spirituality, Indigenous beliefs, billionaires with outer space aims and government psyops à la Men in Black. Competing agendas, economic interests and conflicts of interest muddy the waters, as do lack of transparency and incomplete data. In Hawai‘i they all overlap.
Some believe the Hawaiian Islands harbor secret underground bases for reverse-engineering extraterrestrial craft and performing autopsies on alien “biologics.” Others posit that petroglyphs in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park are space/time portals or that the menehune, Hawai‘i’s mythical race of small, industrious people, are alien ancestors. Meanwhile, galactic ambassadors fraternize with otherworldly civilizations
through remote viewing and pursue close encounters of the fifth kind (peaceful human–ET contact). Maybe it’s just the ayahuasca talking—one source admitted to frequently seeing alien craft while under the influence of this hallucinogenic brew used in ceremonies popular in East Hawai‘i.
Which brings us to Hawai‘i’s sacred geometry, the belief that certain designs are building blocks for the cosmos. According to this theory, when the apex of an imaginary triangular pyramid inside Earth is touching one of its poles, the other three corners touch near 19.5 degrees latitude north and south, creating stargates for intergalactic travel. The pyramids at Giza, the Sun and Moon Pyramids at Teotihuacán and Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea all fall along this latitude, giving rise to the hypothesis that aliens commute to our planet using portals on land and others below the ocean—lava tubes, for instance.
“Measured from the ocean floor, [Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea] are the tallest mountains on Earth and lie along this significant latitude. They are energy vortices, something I think is relevant to extraterrestrial civilizations and their behavior,” says Michael Salla, founder of the Hawai‘i-based Exopolitics Institute, a nonprofit dedicated to galactic diplomacy and research. Part of the explanation lies in lava’s ability to alter the magnetic makeup of rocks, affecting Earth’s magnetic field; where there’s lava, there are electromagnetic anomalies in the surrounding energy. Are the galactic shamans onto something?
Experts are divided. UAP data are often inconsistent or unreliable and exist across a dozen databases, with different reporting protocols. Some databases are run by private firms cloaked in secrecy, others by nonprofits vying for limited research funds and several by arms of the US government. As expected, some of the most intriguing, still inexplicable sightings are made by people who spend long nights under the stars, including fishermen, commercial and military pilots and Navy personnel. And those cases remain largely inaccessible, either because they are behind paywalls or are classified.
In 2023, NASA released its Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Independent Study, authored by a team of scientists, academics and commercial
A watershed 2023 report by NASA didn’t rule out potential extraterrestrial origins of some inexplicable sightings, calling UAPs “one of our planet’s greatest mysteries.” The American public agrees: 65 percent of ten thousand adults polled by the Pew Research Center in 2021 believe intelligent life exists on other planets.
aeronautical and engineering executives. After analyzing over one hundred unclassified cases, the report states there “is no evidence that UAPs are extraterrestrial … but a small handful cannot be immediately identified as known human-made or natural phenomena.” The Department of Defense UAP investigative unit, the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), found that up to 5 percent of the more than eight hundred reports they analyzed were “truly anomalous.” The Mutual UFO Network, a civilian organization with its own analytical team and database, says 3 percent of thousands of investigated sightings are inexplicable: The Tic Tac, for example, traveled up to sixty times the speed of sound, zipped from sixty thousand feet to sea level in seconds and churned the ocean surface, seeming to come from underwater. Twenty years on, the Tic Tac is still categorized as an “unknown” object.
Regardless of who slices and dices the data, there is no substitute for lived experience. Lying on a Puna lava field during the 2012 lava flow,
local TV host Kawika Singson freaked out when he saw something zoom across the night sky. “It was made of plasma, bluish-green and had a softness to it, in the shape of a ship. I don’t know what it was, but I know what I saw,” he says. The key to having these experiences, according to Singson and others, is to keep an open mind.
Lisa Thompson, a galactic ambassador, channeler and “starseed” (aliens born on Earth to help guide humanity into a more enlightened age), helps regular Earthlings connect with their personal galactic and cosmic energies. While Thompson’s infinity headline method sessions may be too dear (or daunting) for some, her Big Island UFO Tours are wildly popular. After sharing personal ET experiences and pointing out things typically seen in Hawai‘i’s skies—helicopters, satellites— participants don high-tech military night-vision goggles to (hopefully) get a glimpse of the atypical.
And often they do. Tori Lucifora says on one tour, she saw many very fast and bright high-flying UAPs while donning the goggles, as well as “a colorful, shape-shifting plasma
orb visible to the naked eye.” James Gilliland, founder of the ECETI Ranch (Enlightened Contact with Extraterrestrial Intelligence) in Trout Lake, Washington, “filmed twelve hundred ships in three months after moving to Hawai‘i Island.” He says they follow him wherever he goes and respond to his incantation to “power up.”
According to Gilliland, the best time for sightings is between 5 and 6 a.m. and “dark-thirty,” a half an hour after nightfall on a dark moon. Other expert tips for catching images of unusual sightings: Learn to use your camera for capturing low-light images, disable all filters and use a tripod. Include landmarks for scale and location and, when possible, grab some video. Choose whichever reporting database best fits your philosophy, upload and wait for the analyses to pour in.
And be ready, because you never know: As celebrations wound down on the inaugural evening of the Hawaii Star Visitors Sanctuary, Hoffeld and about thirty other people witnessed “three orbs rise from the lava, fly across the sky and then, boom! They shot off into nowhere,” he says. “Every night you see something you can’t explain out here.” hh
STORY BY DAVID THOMPSON
Return of the Puppets Reviving the nearly lost art of hula ki‘i
One summer afternoon on Kaua‘i in 1820, King Kaumuali‘i and Queen Kapule summoned two young missionary couples to their home near the mouth of the Waimea River. The Whitneys and the Ruggles had arrived on the island just a few days earlier, and the monarchs had arranged a fun surprise for them. When the guests entered the royal household, an elderly man seated
on the floor began to drum and chant. Behind him stretched a kapa (bark cloth) curtain. Above it appeared six “idols,” as one of the missionaries called them, which began to move in time to the music.
The missionaries were not amused. I n her journal entry recording the scene, Mercy Partridge Whitney wrote, “We were soon convinced of the folly & vanity of such an exhibition, &
as soon as politeness would permit, took leave of the King & Queen and returned home.” The negative review of Kaumuali‘i’s well-intended surprise is the first documented account of a little-known form of hula called hula ki‘i—a.k.a. Hawaiian puppetry. Abhorring hula in all its forms, Hawai‘i’s missionaries suppressed it with infamous zeal. Of course, hula never really went away, and neither did hula ki‘i.
Hula Preservation Society’s Maile Loo-Ching (seen above right) works to
moment backstage with dancer Meridith Kawēkiu Aki before a
with puppets in a scene from that show.
But while hula came roaring back, hula ki‘i has remained an obscure genre. Lately, though, it’s been having a moment. Last summer, in conjunction with the Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture, hula’s dancing puppets seized the limelight. They danced on the front lawn of Capitol Modern, the Hawai‘i State Art Museum, and for the rest of the year occupied its first floor in a curated exhibit. They appeared at talkstory sessions and turned up on local TV news. They flew back and forth over the Pacific Ocean to stage an elaborate theater production in Honolulu and San Francisco
Behind this upwelling of hula ki‘i energy lies a small collective of Hawaiian puppetry practitioners working with the Hula Preservation Society. The Kāne‘ohe-based nonprofit serves mainly as an oral history archive, but since 2009 it’s been a driving force in perpetuating hula ki‘i in the twentyfirst century. “It is a passion project,” says Maile Loo-Ching, the archive’s executive director. “It’s about educating the wider community and educating the hula community, too—because even a
lot of hula people don’t know about hula ki‘i, by no fault of their own.”
Just as the Hawaiian word “ki‘i” has many meanings including statue, image, drawing, doll, idol and petroglyph—hula ki‘i has many variations. A person and a ki‘i might dance together, or the ki‘i might dance above a screen with its person hidden below. The ki‘i might be a hand puppet, a finger puppet or an enormous puppet the dancer wears as a body mask. The ki‘i might be a carved figure made to dance by a person seated behind it. Or there might be no ki‘i at all, and the dancer simply assumes the form of one. “There’s so much diversity and nuance and variety in hula ki‘i, it’s quite extraordinary,” Loo-Ching says. “But that’s how hula is, too.”
Loo-Ching’s first encounter with hula ki‘i came in the late 1990s when, after returning home from Stanford University with a degree in artificial intelligence, she became a hula student of Winona Beamer, the renowned Hawaiian educator, musician and kumu hula (hula instructor). Hula ki‘i was one of several
rare hula genres that Auntie Nona, as Beamer was widely known, performed and taught. As a child, born in the 1920s, she had seen her great-grandmother perform it, squatting behind a tall ki‘i, chanting and laughing as she made it dance on the floor. Her grandmother showed her a different approach, where dancers operate hand puppets with heads made from young coconuts. That’s the style Auntie Nona adopted.
Auntie Nona included hula ki‘i in broader hula programs built around historical themes. In the late 1940s she toured the United States, Canada and Mexico in an old hearse with her hālau (hula troupe) and their coconutheaded companions, performing a show depicting the evolution of hula from pre-missionary times into the twentieth century. In later years she incorporated hula ki‘i into community enrichment programs, using puppets to celebrate Hawaiian culture and bring myths and legends to life. “She knew that ki‘i would be a way to really draw people in,” Loo-Ching says.
Auntie Nona and Loo-Ching jointly founded the Hula Preservation
The
promote hula ki‘i, a.k.a. Hawaiian puppetry. Here she shares a
hula ki‘i performance in San Francisco. On the opening page, dancers merge
Society, which grew organically out of an interview with the teacher that the student videotaped for reference. Before long, scores of Auntie Nona’s hula world peers were sitting for LooChing’s camera, talking about hula history and Hawaiian life in general in the twentieth century. Auntie Nona grew so fond of her student she made her a hānai, or adoptive, daughter. But Loo-Ching was not Auntie Nona’s hula ki‘i protégé. That was the role of another student, Mauli Ola Cook. Originally from Connecticut, Cook came to Hawai‘i to study modern dance at the University of Hawai‘i in the late 1970s. Later, with funding from the Hawai‘i State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, she did an apprenticeship in hula ki‘i under Auntie Nona. During a year of long weekends, Cook formally learned from her “beloved auntie and mentor” all aspects of hula ki‘i, from gathering coconuts to writing and performing skits and mele (song). Cook settled on Kaua‘i and became an arts educator and storyteller. She has shared hula ki‘i with generations of
schoolchildren, as well as library patrons, hospital patients, youth correctional facility residents and cable TV audiences. She and her hula puppets have been at it for more than thirty years, albeit not nonstop. “I’ll let the ki‘i rest for a couple of years sometimes, and then they start squawking at me from under the bed—‘Auntie Mauli! We want to get out of the box! Let’s do something!’” Cook says.
In 2018, as an eruption of Kīlauea was reshaping Hawai‘i Island’s lower Puna coastline, nearly a thousand people descended upon Hilo for an international hula conference, Ka ‘Aha Hula ‘o Hālauaola. Among them was a kumu hula from California, Māhealani Uchiyama, who signed up for one of the conference’s many workshops. It was a three-day training in hula ki‘i, led by Cook and Loo-Ching. They covered how to create ki‘i, bring them to life and dance with them, all in the Beamer tradition. Uchiyama was enchanted. “I just thought they were the coolest thing,” she says.
“And I wondered, ‘How can I bring this to my hālau and get it implanted there?’”
Back home, Uchiyama got grant funding to enlist Cook and Loo-Ching to train her hula dancers in hula ki‘i. Before long her Māhealani Uchiyama Center for International Dance in Berkeley was abuzz with women sewing tiny costumes and hot-gluing seashell faces and raffia hairdos onto little coconuts. “You can’t just go to ‘Aloha Hula Supply’ and buy a ki‘i,” Uchiyama says. “If you’re going to dance with a ki‘i, you have to make it. You personalize it, and it becomes an extension of yourself when you dance.”
Her dancers’ two years of hula ki‘i training, both live and on Zoom, culminated in an elaborate theater production, a hula ki‘i extravaganza called Wai Ola: ‘Aukele and the Waters of Life. Cook wrote the script, basing it on the epic Hawaiian folktale of ‘Aukelenuia‘īkū, a hero whose journey is fraught with peril, including ten jealous brothers who want him dead. The brothers are played by ten hand puppets operated by ten of Uchiyama’s dancers.
Hula ki‘i may include finger puppets, hand puppets, carved-wood figures and enormous body masks the dancers disappear into. Sometimes the dancers simply move as if they themselves are puppets. Above, a hand puppet on display at the Capitol Modern, the Hawai‘i State Art Museum, in 2024.
‘Aukele is played by both a live dancer and a puppet. Cook narrates and LooChing serves as ho‘opa‘a, the chanter and drummer, helping to build a lush soundscape for the ancient story.
In one of the attempts on ‘Aukele’s life, his brothers throw him into the pit of a man-eating lizard-woman, Mo‘oinanea. But rather than devour ‘Aukele, she sees his goodness and offers him help. Uchiyama operates Mo‘oinanea. The original puppet cast in the role—which had gray dreadlocks much like Uchiyama’s—proved hard to work with. With a head made from an oversize gourd mounted on a pole, it towered over her like a giant cake pop in a dress. It was top-heavy and unwieldy. Before the show played in Honolulu and San Francisco in 2024, Uchiyama turned to Auli‘i Mitchell, a kumu hula and master hula ki‘i practitioner on Hawai‘i Island, for help.
Ordinarily, the hula ki‘i Mitchell makes are small, hand-held figures carved from wood. His Mo‘oinanea was a departure. Eight feet tall and more lightweight and lizardlike than the original, it exemplifies the body-mask
style of hula ki‘i. Uchiyama disappears inside of it. She’s seen only when Mo‘oinanea bestows gifts upon ‘Aukele, and then it’s only her hands that appear.
Mitchell first encountered hula ki‘i in the 1980s when his mother, Aana Cash, a master kumu hula (and childhood friend of Auntie Nona’s), sang to him a mele that her father had sung to her. She knew it was for hula ki‘i, but that was all she knew. Mitchell was in his early twenties then, already a kumu hula himself, teaching under his mother. “She gave me the song and challenged me to find the true meaning of hula ki‘i,” he says.
He started in a storage room in Honolulu’s Bishop Museum, where he saw a hula ki‘i family of three—a mother, father and infant—all carved from wood, probably in the nineteenth century. “After seeing the originals,” Mitchell says, “I was lost in it.” He recreated the characters in papier-mâché, took a seated hula position behind them and taught himself how to make them dance. Working with the Elderhostel
program in Hilo at the time, he had a ready-made audience to help hone his performances. When humidity eventually took its toll on his papiermâché partners, he laid them to rest. Before making his next set of ki‘i, he traveled to Washington, DC, to see a group of six Hawaiian puppets at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History. Representing stock characters from Hawaiian folklore, they have names like Nihiaumoe (Midnight Prowler) and Makakūikalani (Royal Boaster). They once danced for kings, from King Kamehameha III to King David Kalākaua. In 1886, during Kalākaua’s fiftieth-birthday jubilee, they stole the show during the intermission of a four-act drama at the Honolulu Opera House. Rising up from behind a screen, they danced hilariously to the beat of the ho‘opa‘a. The crowd demanded an encore.
These are the same puppets that University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa anthropologist Katharine Luomala stumbled upon in 1966, when she opened the wrong drawer at the Smithsonian
Four kumu ki‘i, or masters of Hawaiian puppetry, comprise the Hula Preservation Society’s hula ki‘i collective. Seen above at last year’s Hula Ki‘i Day presentation at the Capitol Modern, they are (from left): Kapono‘ai Molitau, Taupōuri Tangarō, Auli‘i Mitchell and Mauli Ola Cook.
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Hula ki‘i performances can range from the sacred to the comical. Above, Tangarō performs an oli (chant) before dancing with his hula ki‘i, which he wove from wicker and modeled after an ancient ki‘i in a museum. “His name is Pāulihiwakalaniohilo,” Tangarō told the crowd. “But I call him Frank.”
and found six little faces looking up at her. That surprise encounter launched her on a scholarly study of hula ki‘i resulting in her 1984 book, Hula Ki‘i: Hawaiian Puppetry. It was this book that led Mitchell to meet these royal puppets himself. “When I saw them it was literally like they were lying down sleeping,” he says. “I felt attached to them immediately. I wanted to awaken them.”
Each is about a foot tall with movable arms, no legs and long gowns that hide the puppeteers’ arms. Back in Hawai‘i, Mitchell took a mallet and chisel to some driftwood and taught himself to carve ki‘i like the royal puppets at the Smithsonian. “When I started they looked really spooky,” he says. “Then they started to look like me, and then they took on their own personalities. And now I’m able to go between the world of humanlike and godlike.”
On the front lawn of the Hawai‘i State Art Museum last summer, a curious crowd gathered for Hula Ki‘i Day. Loo-Ching and the four masters of the Hula Preservation Society’s hula ki‘i collective presided, with a few dozen hula dancers assisting.
Cook told stories and danced sweetly with hand puppets and dancers from Kaua‘i and O‘ahu. Mitchell drummed on an enormous ipu (gourd) as students of his from various points on the globe performed seated hula, moving the jointed arms of little wooden figures they themselves had carved. Among their mele was the song passed down from Mitchell’s grandfather.
A kumu hula from Maui, Kapono‘ai Molitau, led his dancers through both the seated form of hula ki‘i and the body form. In one number the dancers stood with their knees bent and unmoving, as if they themselves were statues of Hawaiian gods. Moving just their arms and faces, they illustrated the oli (chant) “Auwe! Pau Au i ka Manō Nui, E” (Alas! I’ve Been Consumed by the Great Shark). It’s based on a Hawaiian proverb noting that the blossoming of the wiliwili tree coincides with shark mating season. “So when you see the pua [flower] wiliwili blossom here in Hawai‘i,” Molitau told the audience, “no go jumping in the ocean unless you want to mate with the manō.”
Taupōuri Tangarō, a kumu hula from Hawai‘i Island, took the stage with
a tall black ki‘i woven from rattan. “His name is Pāulihiwakalaniohilo,” Tangarō said. “But I call him Frank.” Sitting onstage behind Frank—who somewhat resembles a laundry basket with mother-of-pearl eyes and a mouthful of dogs’ teeth—Tangarō danced him to life, lending Frank his arms as if they were Frank’s own. In another number, Tangarō took the form of a ki‘i himself in a humorous, unapologetically risque dance—the kind of thing that would have had missionaries looking for the earliest opportunity to excuse themselves.
As part of the thirteenth quadrennial Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture in June 2024, Hula Ki‘i Day drew a demographically diverse audience from Hawai‘i and other Pacific islands. The festival theme was “Ho‘oulu Lāhui: Regenerating Oceania.” Before Tangarō performed, he told the crowd that hula ki‘i never died—“It just went to sleep for a while, and we’re the people who are waking it up.” In his closing remarks Tangarō circled back to connect hula ki‘i with the Ho‘oulu Lāhui theme, telling the crowd, “There’s a whole lot more of our culture that’s waiting for you to wake it up.” hh
The Word for Ocean Is Kai
Whether paddling, building or mentoring, Kai Bartlett lives a life of the canoe
STORY BY CATHARINE LO GRIFFIN
BY HAYDEN RAMLER
Voyager 47 Club Lounge at OUTRIGGER Reef Waikiki Beach Resort
Kai Bartlett (seen on the opening page and above in his workshop at Kai Wa‘a on Maui) enjoys designing canoes as much as paddling them. “I love the process of designing, especially hand-shaping,” he says, describing the satisfaction of carving a square block of foam into a sleek vessel.
The wind is whipping as Mānaiakalani, Kai Bartlett’s power catamaran, idles beyond the surf break at DT Fleming Beach on Maui. The crew clambers between the roof and gunwale to unmount three OC1s—one-man canoes—and Bartlett’s wife, Kealani, jokes that this is a nerve-wracking form of cardio training. These are brand-new Velas, Bartlett’s latest model, ready to be tested on their inaugural channel crossing. Each carbon hull is twenty-one feet long, weighs fifteen pounds and costs $5,000. One misstep and they’re gone with the wind or smashed against the boat—not how anyone wants to start this expedition.
Thirty minutes of nimble teamwork later, the Velas are rigged and ready. Moloka‘i, their destination, beckons from across the white-capped swells of the Pailolo Channel. This is the kind of adventure Bartlett lives for: him and his friends, wind at their backs, troughs at their bows, trading
all their worries for twenty-six miles of adrenaline-fueled glory.
Bartlett fell in love with the ocean as a kid growing up in Kailua, O‘ahu—fishing, diving, sailing, surfing. It wasn’t until he blew out his knee snowboarding that he gave solo paddling a shot. The freedom of being able to draw his own lines on a wideopen canvas of blue water satisfied both his inner athlete and artist, and he was hooked. At the time, the 20-year-old was pouring fiberglass for OC1 builder John Martin, so his understanding of how to paddle a canoe developed hand in hand with how to manufacture one. He went on to hone his skills with Karel Tresnak at Outrigger Connection and canoe designer Brent Bixler before launching his own operation, Kai Wa‘a Hawaiian Ocean Canoes, in 2001.
Bartlett became adept at navigating the east side surf runs on his OC1, learning from roughwater cowboys like Wayne German and Pat Erwin. It was at Lanikai Canoe Club,
home to a dynasty of paddling champions, that he embraced six-man (OC6) paddling and the mindset to be the best. “When I first showed up, Gale Berengue was our coach, and you couldn’t slack. You almost had to exceed expectations every time,” Bartlett recalls.
“Kai was an instant star not just because of his talent but because of the miles he put in on his OC1, long before he got in his six-man with the other novice paddlers. They built a crew around him and rocked the house,” says Lanikai paddling legend John Foti, recalling how Bartlett’s novice crew became state champions in 1999. “Kai rolled up the ranks a lot faster than anybody because of his tenacity, his talent and his willingness to put in the time—and enjoy all the pain and suffering that comes with that.”
Nurture or nature, Bartlett has both. For three decades he has been a relentless competitor and a regular on the podium. He has won
“When he’s making boats, the guy is burning the midnight oil all the time,” says Bartlett’s teammate Kekoa Cramer, seen above paddling Kai Wa‘a’s latest one-man model, the Vela. “He never had a schedule. The schedule was now until it was done.” Bartlett’s watercraft, now sold in seventeen countries, are prized for their performance in open-ocean conditions.
the Moloka‘i Solo—the race across the Kaiwi Channel from Moloka‘i to O‘ahu that’s considered the world championship for OC1s—five times. He’s also won ten times with a relay partner and three times in an OC6. In 2001, Bartlett’s Lanikai crew won the third leg of Hawaiki Nui, the only time a Hawai‘i team has ever won any part of the three-stage, interisland marathon in French Polynesia. “My dad has eightynine medals,” boasts Bartlett’s 5-yearold daughter, Keliana. That number might be missing a zero.
One of Bartlett’s most memorable victories was the 2005 Moloka‘i Relay with Patrick Dolan, who was a high school junior at the time. Dolan first caught Bartlett’s attention as a determined 14-year-old—he’d paddled two miles offshore on a ramshackle converted surfski to join the Lanikai men for training. “I was blown away to see him out there. So I offered up one of our boats just to know he was on a
safer product,” says Bartlett, who took Dolan under his wing. “Pat showed his grit early on—he was hungry. When he sticks his mind to something, he accomplishes it.” Dolan won the 2024 Moloka‘i Solo, setting a new course record that broke his former one. He dedicated every stroke of his race to Bartlett, who was also the best man at his wedding. “I could ask Kai anything about paddling. A lot of the mistakes people make I was able to bypass because he gave me the answers,” Dolan says. “Kai’s never asked me for anything. He’s only given.”
Perhaps Bartlett’s most definitive win was the grueling 2007 Moloka‘i Solo. With stiff headwinds and a new course that added six miles to the usual thirty-two, a third of the field quit mid-channel. “Kai passed us in Hawai‘i Kai smiling. Winning that long solo on a bad day—that’s a cut above,” recalls former Lanikai coach Pat Erwin. “With his mental ability and physical talent,
he could have done anything. I’m glad he chose canoes. This sport would be different if he hadn’t.”
Bartlett moved Kai Wa‘a to Ha‘ikū, Maui, in 2003. He was dating waterwoman Lauren Spalding, who was preparing for the 2004 Olympics in flatwater kayaking. Both were maniacal competitors. (Spalding has won more Moloka‘i races than any paddler, male or female.) In 2005 they had a daughter, Lea, who got a double dose of the “extreme” gene—she’s now 19 and excels at running horses around barrels at terrifying speeds.
The fringe benefit of headquartering Kai Wa‘a in Ha‘ikū was its proximity to one of the most exhilarating downwind runs in the state, from Māliko Gulch to Kahului. Some days Bartlett would paddle the nine-mile run three times— he knew it so intimately, he dissected it into five distinct sections. “Kai has a
different inner tick, a level of pushing that most people don’t have. One time, he did Ke‘anae to Lāhainā, one crack. That’s over forty miles,” says Spalding, noting that he’s not motivated by beating or impressing others. “It’s just his inner thoroughbred that wants to run. He wants to catch the next wave and go as fast as he can.”
Bartlett’s mother, Mary, a competitive runner, modeled his discipline. “Bottom line, he trained harder. If his friends trained five days, he’d do six,” says his dad, Tom. “He’d do morning sprints and afternoon distance, all the while building canoes.”
“When you train like that, you get on a high. It’s like you want more. I wanted more,” Bartlett says. His attitude keeps him from getting burned out: “Main thing is keeping it adventurous and keeping it fresh. It’s nothing to get too stressed out over—it should be fun.”
“Kai was vicious in the Kaiwi channel,” says former Team Primo teammate Will Reichenstein. “The way he would chase bumps was unlike anybody I’ve ever had as a stroker,” the person in the first seat, who controls the pace. “He would take a huge wave in the face, we’d drop in, he’d take another huge one in the face and he’d still keep going for the next one and the next one and the next one.”
Reichenstein started working for Bartlett in 2013. This was pre-mass production, when there were only a handful of canoe makers, and each boat was painstakingly hand-built. It was a labor of love that Bartlett was willing to teach, and Reichenstein
For Bartlett, a favorite adventure is paddling interisland. Above, Bartlett and friends cross the Pailolo Channel between Maui and Moloka‘i.
“It’s been humbling to witness the amount of people in the world who love Kai,” says Bartlett’s wife Kealani, pictured here with Kai and their daughter Keliana. Since Kai’s battle with cancer began in 2022, Kealani says, “So many people are checking in. That’s a testament to the life he’s lived.”
wanted to learn. “There wasn’t a lot of hand-holding. It was ‘Hang on tight,’” recalls Reichenstein, who now makes his own canoes in California. “The way he taught was very cut and dried, very specific. Eventually, if you did it that way, you’d be able to do it yourself.”
In 2017, Kai Wa‘a turned all his manufacturing over to Ozone, which transformed the industry by manufacturing canoes in China and distributing them across the world. Today, Bartlett’s OC6, OC2, OC1 and surfski models are distributed in seventeen countries, from Brazil to Singapore to Russia, and Kai Wa‘a is one of the sport’s three principal brands, along with Puakea Designs and Kamanu Composites (which still manufactures its canoes in Hawai‘i). Bartlett’s Ares OC1 model, known for its ability to surf waves in the open ocean, is still considered one of the best, even after ten years on the market.
Bartlett’s passion and rigor applies as much in the canoe as in the shop.
He turned the small club at Wailea, Maui, into a powerhouse. Wailea (formerly Team Primo) was the first Hawai‘i crew across the line in the 2024 Moloka‘i Hoe. “A lot of my best experiences have been in the six-man. I’ve had some fun, great experiences in the one-man, but it’s like the title says—‘one man’—so you get to share it with yourself,” says Bartlett, whose teammates at Wailea are like brothers. “When one of us wants to barbecue, we’re all barbecuing. We’ve had a lot of priceless runs together, where we’re not just doing a run but camping on another island.”
In 2012, Bartlett met Kealani Kimball, a Division I volleyball player at Loyola Marymount and successful sports marketer in Los Angeles who had been planning a move back to Hawai‘i. “I wanted to slow down and be back in the ocean and enjoy where I was from, and Kai represented all of that,” she says. Kealani now manages Kai Wa‘a, freeing Kai to design. They married in 2015 and had a son,
Kaiākea, and a daughter, Keliana. “Kai’s very salt-of-the-earth core. His decisions are driven by lifestyle and community, and he wants it to be about his family,” says Kealani. “I think you fall in love with someone because of who they are. Kai’s all about the ocean and getting out and doing things, so I can’t help but enjoy those moments with him because I see him at his happiest.”
In November 2023, Bartlett was inducted into the Hawai‘i Waterman Hall of Fame, and Reichenstein flew to O‘ahu to celebrate. “I’m not aware of anyone else who designed, built and manufactured his own boat and won a lot of races with that boat,” he says. “He’s always taking it to the next level of ‘How can I make it better?’” says Reichenstein. “Now he’s designing boats with double amas [outriggers], opening up the sport to the whole para [people with disabilities] world. I remember calling Kai to say ‘Hey, I just shaped my first ama. I haven’t been this addicted to something in I don’t know
The family that paddles together: Both Kai and Kealani’s parents live on the south shore of Moloka‘i, where they paddle regularly. Naturally, when the grandkids visit, the ocean is their playground. Keliana (left rear) and her friend Kaua‘ihi (front) get ready to race against older brother Kaiakea (right), with Lāna‘i in the distance.
how long.’ And he goes, ‘Yeah, man, I get it.’”
On January 7, 2022, Bartlett woke up with a nosebleed after months of feeling fatigued. He checked into the emergency room and was life-flighted to O‘ahu. COVID protocol at the time didn’t allow for visitors, so he was alone when doctors informed him he had cancer. “For five days I was stuck in there by myself. I felt lost and definitely scared of what the future had to hold,” he says. In staring down the unanswerable question of why, he considered the chemicals he’d been exposed to from decades of building boats. “I wasn’t angry but I was sad. I just had to dive into it headfirst and fight it.”
Biopsies confirmed an advanced stage of multiple myeloma, an incurable blood cancer that develops in plasma cells, and a week later Bartlett began chemotherapy. For the past three years, he has been constantly fighting, undergoing treatment after treatment, from a stem cell transplant to different
types of immunotherapy. In the summer of 2023, he suffered neurotoxicity as a side effect, which resulted in severe shoulder pain and muscle soreness, plus a loss of ability to express emotion, which muted his hearty laugh. Today he’s on a new antibody treatment that has put the cancer in remission for now, and his neurological state is improving.
“A good day for me now is getting in the water, getting a workout in even though it’s difficult, getting some stuff done around the house, spending time with the kids,” says Bartlett, who focuses on designing boats when he can’t paddle them. “That to me is a good day. It means I was productive.”
The best days are when he gets to be in his element—like surfing his canoe across Pailolo. “With everything he is going through, he went twenty-six miles and didn’t blink, all smiles the whole time,” says Wailea teammate Tyson Kubo. It’s phenomenal, considering his workouts typically last an hour and he’d had treatment just the day before. “There were moments I thought I had to throw in the towel, but
I knew I had to finish it. I felt compelled to do it,” Bartlett says, his will as indomitable as ever.
Kai is at the wheel as Mānaiakalani whisks the gang back across the channel from Moloka‘i to Maui. Kealani’s mom, Camie, waves a flag from their yard as the boat passes, and Kealani waves a pink towel in response. Whales slap and breach all the way back, and everyone stares at the sea in silent appreciation.
“When he gets in his one-man or the six-man, he’s Kai Bartlett. We always say he has a shield ready for battle,” says longtime Wailea steersman Kekoa Cramer. “My favorite times are afterward, being able to drive the boat back with him. We’re out there for five or six hours. Maybe we’re dragging lines or having a beer, and he’s smiling and light and able to be the same as the ocean. That’s the Kai that is in his comfort zone, just flowing with everything.” hh
The Life Preservers
The Hawaiian Water Patrol safeguards surfers taking big risks in big waves
Waimea looks like the inside of a washing machine. Its normally crystalline waters churn with a ferocious, foamy whitewash (soup, surfers call it) that surges with such intensity it swallows the famous jump-off rock, towering at twenty-five feet, like a snake might devour an egg.
A handful of jet skiers rev their engines, the purring sounds lost among the thundering of the waves. They zigzag parallel to the shore, wakes invisible in the violent eddies. Just when it seems that the sea will swallow them, they make sharp, perpendicular turns, zooming away from the oncoming froth, then veer parallel to the coast again—an oceanic cat-and-mouse game—until the moment is right to hurl themselves directly into the wall of water. After punching through, they speed toward the lineup, where the best big-wave surfers in the world compete in surfing’s most prestigious, gnarliest contest, the Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational.
Terry Ahue, one of the leaders of this group of jet skiers, known as the Hawaiian Water Patrol, observes from the beach with a patch over his left eye from a recent surgery. The rising sun is barely above the horizon, but already the highway, hills and beach around Waimea are swarming with spectators. “This was our first rescue of the day,” Ahue jokes, gesturing to a radio in a waterproof case. “It fell off a ski.”
That low-stakes save was a warmup for HWP’s main job: rescuing surfers in the monstrous sets. “The Eddie” runs only when wave faces consistently reach forty feet or taller—about the height of a four-story building. “The bay calls the day,” goes the saying, meaning that Waimea decides whether the annual competition will run at all, and the day has been called only eleven times over the past forty years or so. Thanks to a storm 1,300 miles north of Hawai‘i, the felicitous combination of good winds and giant swell made last December’s Eddie one for the record books.
While the competitors focus on the waves, HWP tracks everything else: the swell, the changing tides, currents, surfers bobbing in the ocean or waiting on shore to be taken out for their heat, the crowds on the beach that risk getting washed out by a surge. “I feel much safer when they’re out there with me,” says big-wave maestro Kai Lenny after returning from his first heat. “We can push the limits when we have guardian angels nearby.”
Ahue and fellow lifeguard
Brian Keaulana founded HWP in 1985. “We were using a rescue board, fin and tubes, and we’d be out there trying to save people on a day like this,” Ahue says, gesturing to the bay. They’d use their limited vacation time to patrol contests like the Eddie and the Pipe Masters. During the 1985 Eddie, Keaulana had the idea to use jet skis for rescues. “I was a competitor and I wiped out,” he recalls. As he gasped for breath between sets, his friends Squiddy Sanchez and Herbie Fletcher, a tow-in surfing pioneer, came barreling in on stand-up jet skis to check on him. Even though they couldn’t rescue him, “I flipped out that someone came into the impact zone,” Keaulana says.
That night, Keaulana bought all the personal watercraft (PWC) magazines he could find. Yamaha had launched the world’s first sit-down model, the Wave Runner, that year. Ahue and Keaulana wanted to test the hypothesis that they could use jet skis to rescue surfers in big waves. “Stay out in front,” the rental guy in Hale‘iwa said, and so Ahue and Keaulana promptly rode to Pipeline and Velzyland and all the way to Turtle Bay, nearly seven miles away. They practiced saving one another—with little success—until they hit on an idea: the sled, a buoyant board secured to the back of the jet ski that surfers could grab onto. (The early iterations, made with Melvin Pu‘u, a former lifeguard and another founding member of HWP, were makeshift: bodyboards drilled
OPENING SPREAD / Driver Abe Lerner and cinematographer Larry Haynes of the Hawaiian Water Patrol (HWP) motor out to the lineup during the 2023 Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational at Waimea Bay. HWP has pioneered life-saving techniques in big waves using jet skis. Surfers, in turn, take bigger risks when HWP is on duty—making the sport both safer and more spectacular.
TOP / John John Florence and Koa Rothman hang onto the sled, which HWP invented after the 1985 Eddie Aikau, on a ski driven by Kyle Pao at the 2024 Eddie.
BOTTOM / The HWP land crew monitors the swells and tides to keep surfers and spectators safe during the contest.
FACING PAGE / HWP keeps an eye on surfers making massive drops, but there are moments, like this one at the 2024 Eddie, when ski drivers have to look out for themselves or get cleaned up.
with holes and fitted with handles made from water hoses.)
Today, Ahue and Keaulana, now 72 and 64 years old respectively, are revered for pioneering the use of PWCs for ocean rescues. Along with Pu‘u, they lobbied to change state laws and allow the use of jet skis for rescues in 1991. They have written curricula for Hawai‘i’s Ocean Safety lifeguard teams and travel the world teaching their techniques. They coordinate and perform stunts for big-budget movies like Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and television shows including the Hawaii Five-0 reboot. In addition to contests, the organization generates income from film stunts and ocean risk management training programs.
It’s obvious the ocean community holds them in high esteem. Every surfer at the Eddie—Kai Lenny, Kohl Christensen, Koa Rothman, Nathan Florence—pays respect and embraces Ahue and Keaulana as they walk the beach. Even saying “Hawaiian Water Patrol” and “Uncle Brian Keaulana” gets me $10 off parking, entrance to the cordoned-off, police-patrolled beach zone and access to the staff-only bathroom (two Porta Potties manned by a security guard). To be in their orbit is to be a VIP.
The contest starts at 9. Light, variable winds whip the sea mist into a haze. Ahue and Keaulana stand on the beach with preternatural steadiness, their tan faces etched from a lifetime in the sun. They talk pidgin and everyone calls them uncle.
I stay on the beach with the allvolunteer HWP land crew. From here the ocean looks nothing like it does on the livestream, where drone shots reveal the water’s aquamarine brilliance and the waves’ heavy tubes. Mostly the sets look massive and white, and the surfers seem like they’re falling in semivertical lines down the faces.
The volunteers are a motley crew, dressed in something like a makeshift uniform: dark sports sunglasses, hats, boardshorts and black technical long-sleeve shirts with HWP’s name and logo: a ki‘i pōhaku (Hawaiian petroglyph) riding a jet ski. One
volunteer, Tanoai Reed, is a dead ringer for Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson: all traps, no neck, dimples and a shaved head. (Turns out Reed is the Rock’s stunt double.) At 15, Tia Haunui Helm is the youngest volunteer. “It’s my identity,” he says, braces gleaming. “Being a waterman and learning from the greats.” The oldest is 58.
Recruitment for HWP is informal and local-style. “There is no application,” says volunteer Josh Sumait. Every ski operator and volunteer is someone in the group’s husband, son, nephew, coworker or friend (Sumait is Ahue’s sonin-law). The work is seasonal, based on the winter swells. For everyone involved it’s more of a lifestyle than a reliable job.
“Game day is part of our training,” says Clif Botelho, a contractor for HWP and Honolulu Fire Department member, when asked how HWP prepares for the Eddie. “But it doesn’t happen very often.” In other words: The only way to be in the conditions is to be in the conditions. Instead of fire, these guys undergo trial by water. “Creating safety where safety does not exist” is one of HWP’s tenets. To do it, they devise an operational logic within the otherwise ungovernable sea. They separate the contest area into two sections—inside where the waves have broken, and outside near the lineup—each with three safety zones: red, yellow and green. During the Eddie there are no green zones, only red and yellow. The “safest” place in the water is the “keyhole,” an entry/ exit point at the eastern end of the beach, where a phalanx of jagged rocks jut at unforgiving angles and the shorebreak is as harrowing as the big takeoffs outside. This is where surfers, surrounded by fans a few feet away, launch into the maelstrom before paddling hard to the nearest jet ski, which ferries them to the lineup. This assist is for timekeeping reasons, as each heat is only forty-five minutes. (All competitors surf two heats and can catch a maximum of four waves each round.) The Eddie forbids towins, where a jet ski pulls a surfer into a huge wave. “Eddie wouldn’t tow,” goes the saying here, a play on the contest’s oft-repeated phrase, “Eddie would go.” Eddie Aikau was the North Shore’s first lifeguard, stationed at Waimea. He was
FACING PAGE / Skis weigh nearly a thousand pounds when waterlogged, requiring many hands to maneuver them.
an exceptional Hawaiian waterman, surfer and sailor. He died after paddling for help when the Polynesian voyaging canoe Hōkūle‘a capsized off Moloka‘i in 1978. The rest of the crew was rescued, but Aikau was never seen again. The competition began in 1984 as a way to celebrate his legacy and reputation for surfing waves over thirty feet, when no one else would go.
While the Eddie is sometimes called the Super Bowl of surfing, a more apt comparison for HWP is a combination of Formula 1 and an ultramarathon. “We’re not the star drivers,” says volunteer Kyohei Brewer. “We’re putting on the tires.” Land crew guys like him wrangle the jet skis when they come ashore. They sprint up and down in the sinking, calf-burning sand at a moment’s notice to execute their duties. At least fifteen people are needed at any time to attend one ski.
During a routine catch-the-ski-onthe-beach moment, one machine did a perilous 360-degree roll on the sand, nearly crushing Sumait and Justin Camacho. “It coulda been bad,” Sumait says when he returns to the beach, his eyes glinting. A thin stream of water
ABOVE / Ski operator Kamakani Froiseth and grabber Kamu Davis at the 2025 Da Hui Backdoor Shootout.
OPENING SPREAD / A massive closeout set during the 2022 Eddie sends jet ski operators gunning for shore.
TOP / Driver Pomai Hoapili and a water cinematographer relax during a calm moment at the 2025 Da Hui Backdoor Shootout.
BOTTOM / Land crew volunteers haul a jet ski up ‘Ehukai Beach during the finals of Da Hui Backdoor Shootout.
FACING PAGE / Noland Keaulana punches through the lip at the Da Hui Backdoor Shootout. “I feel much safer when they’re out there with me,” says big-wave surfer Kai Lenny. “We can push the limits when we have guardian angels nearby.”
FOLLOWING PAGE / Jeff Okuyama cruises Waimea Bay before the start of the 2023 Eddie.
buoyed the waterlogged ski, which can weigh about a thousand pounds, saving them from injury, he says. “You could say that about the whole day,” Camacho laughs. “Coulda been bad—but wasn’t.”
Camacho’s assessment comes not even midway through the contest, suggesting it’s going to be a long afternoon. But when a ski landing onto the beach goes right, it’s a cinematic moment. Like skiers outrunning an avalanche, the driver guns toward shore while gargantuan waves chase them. The skis glide onto the beach, sometimes a good fifteen feet up from the waterline. Though it looks effortless, it’s anything but.
“You want a carpet of water,” says Pu‘u, pointing out the thin layer of whitewash sinking into the sand. The slightest bump in the water or fold in the sand could send a ski flying at the wrong angle, hurling the driver over the handles. Pu‘u is quick to say that he, Keaulana and Ahue didn’t invent that maneuver. Keaulana’s father, Buffalo Keaulana, another storied waterman, pioneered it using a Boston Whaler at Mākaha.
The ski operators are in the water an hour before the contest begins, and they stay out until the last heat is over unless their ski malfunctions. The grabbers—the guys on the back of the ski who physically grab the surfers— work in two shifts. The goal is to make rescues between five to ten seconds: to motor into where a surfer has wiped out before the next set comes in. The water unit all eats lunch—a buffet of breakfast burritos and manapua (bao buns) wrapped in tinfoil with oranges and Red Bulls sealed in Ziploc bags—while they’re working in the ocean. Compared with the surfers, who rest on the beach for roughly four hours between heats, these guys are endurance athletes.
“Let’s effing go!” shouts Tiare Lawrence, one of the ten women competing. She grabs her “gun,” a surfboard shaped for big waves, and heads for the water, her pink-and-white
rashguard becoming a speck against the sand. It’s round two, heat two, and the ocean is peaking. The surfers dig hard to make it over the crests.
“How were those big waves?” Ahue, seated in a beach chair, asks when Lawrence returns. “Freaking scary!” she says. “I’m just happy I stood up on two waves.” Lawrence, who was born and raised on Maui, views the patrolmen as her brothers. “I feel protected when I can look out into a channel and know they have my back,” she says. There’s a lot at stake for her: “I’m a single mom of two kids. I have to go home at the end of the day.” When I ask Liam McNamara, the contest director and brother of renowned bigwave surfer Garrett McNamara, what it means to have HWP involved, he says, “It means we don’t run unless they say we run. It means we know nobody is going to die. At the end of the day, this won’t ever happen without them.”
As the event progresses, everyone agrees there’s more jet ski carnage than the last Eddie in 2023, which means the conditions are gnarly. Earlier in the morning it seemed that the waves wouldn’t be big enough. No longer. “It’s legit Eddie Aikau,” Botelho says of the swells after working as a grabber during the second round.
At one point deep into the afternoon, Pu‘u and his 15-year-old son, Noa, struggle during a launch from the beach. The engine sputters, and a wave knocks Pu‘u into the whitewash. Noa clambers up from the sled and into the driver’s seat, trying to regain control. But his dad had pulled out the kill switch—which turns off the ski and keeps it from motoring away—so Noa sticks his finger in the ignition, trying to restart the engine. Another wave comes, hurling the ski vertically into the air and catapulting Noa off. (They retire the ski, and Noa walks around icing his shoulder for the remainder of the contest.)
In another nail-biter moment, Noland Keaulana, Brian’s nephew and current Ocean Safety lifeguard,
capsizes his ski in the shorebreak. It bounces like a bumper car into the air, then rolls, sending Noland and his grabber into the swirling soup. It takes almost thirty volunteers and a few lifeguards to haul it down the beach. Miraculously, the ocean pushes the ski upright all the way toward shore, but Noland and his companion don’t pop up for a few long seconds. After flushing the engine of seawater, Noland shakes it off and heads back on duty.
“It’s straight carnage,” says Chris Stacy, a North Shore lifeguard who’s working as a grabber. “There’s a bunch of chaos, guys going for broke and sending it at the biggest event in the world.” Stacy has just finished his shift, and his wetsuit is still soaked. His eyes are dilated with adrenaline. “What does the water feel like?” I ask. He looks out to the horizon, almost frustrated by the futility of articulating the ineffable. “It feels like mini earthquakes,” he finally says. “It sounds like rumbling thunder, and when the water crashes down, you feel the shaking. It’s scary, honestly.”
Surfing big waves is always a life-or-death proposition. In January 2023, Noland and HWP saved and resuscitated Kala Grace, who was knocked unconscious during the Da Hui Backdoor Shootout at Pipeline. Although these surfers are experts, the best in the world, and the feeling on the beach is convivial, the specter of mortality—that massive wave, the pounding shorebreak, an unforgiving reef—is always close by.
“People come here to fulfill their fantasy and get whacked by reality,” Brian Keaulana says. It’s almost the end of the contest, and his demeanor throughout has been like an ancient tree in a storm: completely unwavering. While Keaulana is talking about surfing big waves, the subtext runs deeper: To the uninitiated, Hawai‘i is paradise, and the ocean is a peaceful backdrop for vacation photos. Many don’t understand its power or sufficiently respect it. Just before the Eddie, two visitors drowned in high surf at Shark’s Cove, a popular North Shore snorkeling spot.
“If you don’t like learn in school, the ocean going to teach you and hold you underwater, and you’re gonna pray to God,” Keaulana says as we watch the
final heat. As he sees it, the ocean is their academy, their church, and they are its lifelong students and disciples. “You practice the process and everything falls into place,” he says of preparing for the Eddie. “If you let your emotions control your actions, that’s when everything falls apart.”
“Outside set coming in!” Keaulana alerts everyone on the radio. “Oh, that’s one bombah. It’s one big one!” The swell rises and peaks fast. “Oh, thirty seconds, thirty seconds,” until the final heat is over. The surfer wipes out. “Who is that?” Keaulana asks. A muffled voice comes through the line. “That was Chad?” Chad is his son. Keaulana goes quiet. One wave crashes, then another. There’s no word on whether Chad has surfaced yet. The horn blares, ending the contest. I don’t dare ask a question. Finally someone radios, confirming Chad is OK.
“Pau—contest ova,” Keaulana exhales, using the Hawaiian word for “finished.” It’s almost nine hours after HWP first launched into the bay. The sun has mellowed into a postcard sunset for which Hawai‘i is known: sherbet skies and an orange orb setting over a still pumping quicksilver ocean. Amateur surfers, salivating all day, immediately paddle out.
With Keaulana’s call, the remaining jet skis bolt toward shore. It looks like the end of an action movie, but there is no dramatic climax, which means HWP, along with Ocean Safety and the numerous state organizations involved, has done its job. By the end there are no deaths or severe injuries. Mark Healy popped an eardrum. Greg Long tore his left medial collateral ligament (again). Laura Enever gets a gash on her right thigh from her board in the whitewash. Ross Clarke-Jones shredded his left hand on his gun’s damaged fiberglass. Everyone in the HWP section, many of whom have been there since Saturday night, snaps up their colorful beach chairs. They shake the sand from their towels, take down the pop-up tents. The small shantytown, erected only for the competition, will be gone by nightfall.
A few hundred feet away, the winners are crowned. The surfers stand onstage as a small crowd of diehards gather around. Landon McNamara wins
first place thanks to a perfect-scoring wave during round two and pockets $50,000. During this hullabaloo the water patrolmen heave the skis onto trailers and hitch them to pickup trucks. There is no podium, no press, no photographers, no lei, no kids waiting for autographs. “I wish they would give the water patrolmen a trophy,” I’d overheard a woman say earlier in the day. “They’re busting their asses.”
Unlike surfing, this job is all guts, no glory. But glory isn’t really the point. As Momi Pu‘u, Mel’s wife and Noa’s mother, said before the contest’s start, “You hear some heavy stories.” Two years ago a surfer thanked her son after Noa pulled him out of the water. “You saved my life!” But there are funny tales, too, she says—the way you laugh to keep from crying. “‘Holy shit, we’re gonna die!’” she recalls a guy named Mikey Red telling her husband. “But they made it,” she shrugs. Then she says what strikes me as the ultimate reward for HWP: “You live to tell your story.” hh
WORDS BY LARRY LIEBERMAN
For Those About to Rock
Scenes from Hawai‘i’s golden age of rock ’n’ roll
There are a lot of great things about living on islands in the middle of the ocean, but a happening live music scene isn’t really one of them. Many of the biggest acts don’t bother with the cost, logistics and shortage of venues. But for half a century Hawai‘i has also been a favorite stop for some of the world’s most popular musical groups as they crisscross the globe on international tours.
The ones that do make the detour are rarely disappointed. In the 1960s
and ’70s artists like Jimi Hendrix, Aerosmith, KISS and other up-andcomers of that generation boosted their popularity with performances in Hawai‘i, where enthusiastic, musichungry audiences filled auditoriums, arenas and dormant volcanoes.
The state’s largest indoor concert arena, the Honolulu International Center (HIC), opened in 1964 and was renamed the Neal S. Blaisdell Center in 1976, after the Honolulu mayor who saw the project to completion. During the 1970s, Diamond Head Crater was also
as a venue for large and now legendary outdoor musical festivals.
PF Bentley attended many of those shows as a photographer for Sunbums Hawaii, a local music and alternative newspaper. In the 1970s, Bentley was shooting in black-and-white with his first camera, a hand-cranked Minolta SRT100. Through his 50mm lens, Bentley captured images that define a golden pre-internet era, when live concerts were the apex of musical entertainment, radio ruled the airwaves, vinyl was king and record stores were still a thing.
ABOVE / Paul Stanley shock-rocks Honolulu on Leap Day, February 29, 1976 at the HIC arena. It was the only time KISS ever played in Hawai‘i.
FACING PAGE / Alvin Lee, guitarist and singer for Ten Years After, shows Honolulu how he’d love to change the world, just like he did at Woodstock.
OPENING SPREAD / Kenny Loggins strikes an iconic rock pose, borrowing a page from the Pete Townsend playbook during a 1975 concert at the HIC arena.
PREVIOUS SPREAD / Often called “Hawai‘i’s Woodstock,” the Diamond Head Crater Festivals held between 1969 and 1977 featured acts like Journey, Styx and the Grateful Dead, along with Hawaiian artists like Cecilio & Kapono. Also called the Sunshine Festivals, these free, all-day events sometimes drew crowds of more than seventy-five thousand. Here, a band takes the main stage at the seventh annual festival in 1975.
LEFT / With his magnetic stage presence, vocal virtuosity and unrivaled fashion sense, Sly Stone adds new meaning to the phrase “belt it out” at the Sunshine Festival in Diamond Head Crater.
LEFT / Aerosmith front man Steven Tyler signs LPs at Ala Moana Shopping Center in 1975. The band’s hit “Walk This Way” was conceived during sound check at the HIC arena in 1974, when Aerosmith opened for the Guess Who.
RIGHT / Slow hands were a perfect fit for Hawai‘i’s laid back vibe when Eric Clapton performed for the local crowd at HIC in 1975.
NEXT SPREAD / A lei-draped Peter Frampton (right) comes alive alongside bassist Stanley Sheldon at HIC in 1976. Frampton was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame forty-eight years later.
ABOVE / An uplifting moment on the HIC stage in September 1976 as Roberta Flack kills it softly with her song.
FACING PAGE / The Temptations step into the spotlight at HIC in 1975.
STORY BY MARTHA CHENG
Obon Voyage
The ancestors would smile upon Hawai‘i’s version of an ancient Japanese tradition
PHOTOGRAPHY BY AKASHA RABUT
Summer is Obon season in Hawai‘i, when Japanese Buddhist temples host celebrations in memory of departed ancestors. As with most traditions imported to Hawai‘i, bon dances have acquired a distinctive Island flavor. On the title page, 12-year-old Kamryn Sakai has been attending bon dances since she was five; here, she’s wearing her grandmother’s kimono. Above, dancers at Kaua‘i Soto Zen Temple’s bon dance fold their thumbs inward to make their hands look smaller and more graceful.
Preparation for the Flying Saucers begins hours before the dancing starts. On a warm summer afternoon in Hanapēpē, volunteers at the Kaua‘i Soto Zen Temple butter about four thousand slices of Love’s Bakery white bread ahead of the evening’s bon dance. The sandwiches of ground beef and American cheese will be pressed into pie irons set up over gas burners, then flipped over the fire until golden brown.
“This has been going on forever,” says one of the volunteers over the clanging of the pie irons. “In the old days they used to make them over kiawe [mesquite] charcoal.” The temple takes credit for originating the Flying Saucers in the ’50s, though as with many flying saucer stories, the facts are hard to verify. But the snacks are now the signature food of Kaua‘i’s bon dances, and every summer the Japanese Buddhist temples around the island pool together their pie irons to make the sandwiches. “The churches are so small
now that everybody helps each other,” the volunteer says.
Temple memberships and the number of Japanese Buddhist temples in Hawai‘i have dwindled over the decades, but you wouldn’t know it from the bon dances across the state—the one held at Soto Zen, the largest on Kaua‘i, attracts about two thousand people each night. Throughout the islands, come summertime, the thrum of taiko drums and glow of paper lanterns strung from the temple rooftops to the yagura (a raised platform around which the dancers circle) signal bon dance season, when every weekend the different temples hold a festival to honor ancestors. They have also become the temples’ largest fundraisers of the year, giving them a carnival-like atmosphere with merch, like temple bon dance tenugui—hand towels used in some of the dances or worn as headbands or draped around the neck—and lanterns fashioned from soda cans; game booths that might
include a toilet bowl toss or goldfish scooping; and stands selling food from Flying Saucers to tteokbokki (Korean rice cakes).
Hawai‘i’s bon dances evolved from the Buddhist traditions that Japanese laborers and priests brought to the Islands in the late 1890s and early 1900s. On the plantations, Japanese communities built temples that functioned more like churches and community centers, hosting weddings and funerals in addition to baseball games and sumo matches. And every summer, the living came together for Obon season to welcome home the spirits of the dead.
Bon dances are said to have originated when a close disciple of Buddha, Maha Maudgalyayana (in Sanskrit) or Mokuren (in Japanese), discovered his deceased mother was suffering in the realm of hungry ghosts— beings whose desires can never be satisfied; no matter how much they gorge,
Best friends Crystal Kamakea, Chelsey Chikahiro and Chloe Kamakea have been to eight bon dances together. Last summer, they wore kimono borrowed from Chikahiro’s grandmother.
they starve. Distraught, he asked the Buddha how to free her. The Buddha told Mokuren to prepare a feast for the monks returning from their summer retreat. He did and his mother was released. He danced with joy and gratitude, and it’s said that this was the very first bon odori, or bon dance. Obon in Japan, where it usually lasts a week in August, is one of the biggest holidays in the country. In Hawai‘i the season spans the summer, and the bon dances are primarily associated with the temples: Each puts on a one- or two-night event (in the Islands “bon dances” refers to both the events and the dances themselves) that have become some of the most distinctive festivals in Hawai‘i.
A few years ago I learned of the precariousness of many of Hawai‘i’s Japanese Buddhist temples, some of them more than a century old, tucked all over the Islands, from now-industrial areas of Honolulu to remote corners in Hāmākua, Hawai‘i Island, and Hāna, Maui. Though Buddhism was once a dominant religion in Hawai‘i, the number of active temples has declined from almost two hundred to about fifty, their aging congregations ever shrinking. Emerging from the pandemic, coupled with the Buddhist philosophy that nothing is permanent, I felt an urgency to see these cultural touchstones before they disappear. The bon dances, open to all ethnicities and faiths, were an invitation.
In central O‘ahu, at the Waipahu Soto Zen temple, a pyramid-like structure made of volcanic rock with a shingled roof, I met a man who
ABOVE / While traditional tabi tend to resemble socks that are worn with sandals, modern designs include these tabi kittenheel shoes, just one example of old-meetsnew at the bon dances.
FACING PAGE / The win Kamakea sisters look forward to Obon season each year, and to helping perpetuate the tradition—what were once festivals to honor ancestors are now also fundraisers for the temples serving aging congregations.
remembered attending the festivals since 1953, when the temple his grandparents helped found was on the nearby sugar plantation (the original temple was built in 1908; a new one was constructed in 1973). He reminisced about eating shave ice and staying out late with friends—and here he was, returning seventy years later.
Reaching Koboji Shingon Mission in Kalihi means traversing an alleyway and squeezing past a dumpster to get to a temple hemmed in by homes. Its festival has a small, neighborhood feel but huge taiko vibe, with full-body ecstatic drumming by the performers.
The Shinshu Kyokai Mission on busy Beretania Street reflects Hawai‘i’s multifaith and multicultural population: The neighboring Central Union Church offers parking on its lawn, and concessions at the dance include oyako don (chicken and egg rice bowl) and laulau (a Hawaiian dish of pork wrapped in taro leaves).
At the Jikoen Hongwanji Mission, a temple rooted in Hawai‘i’s Okinawan community, I learn that most bon dances in Hawai‘i blend Japanese and Okinawan
“My grandmother was ‘the dresser’ for many dancers for as long as I’ve been alive and beyond,” says Tammy Miyazaki Puu, seen above adjusting the obi that her niece, Caiya Abat, wears for the Līhu‘e Hongwanji Mission’s bon dance on Kaua‘i. “It’s a tradition in our families that will continue for a lifetime, as we feel it’s important to pass these cultural practices to the next generation.”
traditions, the latter contributing eisa, a folk dance set to drums and the three-string sanshin, as well as andagi (Okinawan doughnuts), a staple at bon dances across O‘ahu. But only Jikoen has lion dancers, like those brought out in some areas in Okinawa during Obon to scare off any malicious ghosts following the spirits of returning ancestors.
The warm glow of lanterns in Honolulu’s Shingon Mission contrasts with the fluorescence of the neighboring McDonald’s and tall commercial buildings, built long after the centuryplus-old wooden temple. Its bon dance was the same weekend as the Lāhainā
Hongwanji’s would have been, but that temple had burned to the ground in the fires earlier that week. The Reverend Reyn Yorio Tsuru of the Shingon Mission told the attendees, “Keep in your thoughts those you’re dancing for and why, and the traditions we are keeping alive tonight.”
Hula and bon odori intermingle during the halftime show around the yagura at the Kaua‘i Soto Zen Temple. Leilani Rivera Low and her hālau (hula group) dance alongside Japanese folk dancers; some of their
movements, like a graceful sweep of the arm, echo each other. Gerald Hirata, the president of the temple, started these cultural performances in 2009, when he became what he calls a “born-again Buddhist” and returned to the temple of his youth, which was founded in 1903— the first Japanese Zen Buddhist temple in Hawai‘i and the Americas. When the sugar industry started shrinking in the 1970s, the temple was moved from the plantation to Hanapēpē town.
“I’ve always defined myself as a plantation boy who just grew up in this dusty little enclave in the middle of the sugarcane field,” he says. “My
grandfather settled early in [McBryde Sugar Plantation] Camp Two, working a plantation all of his life. My dad was born and raised in Camp Two. I was actually born in the hospital and raised in Camp Two and Camp Three.” Hirata left the plantation for college and work, and everywhere he went, he would trace connections to Kaua‘i. He served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Botswana, the antipode of Hawai‘i—literally the farthest he could get from home. He went from an island surrounded by the ocean and threaded with rivers and waterfalls to a landlocked nation, where rain is so valued that pula, which means
“The goal is not just to keep the tradition alive, but to show our community members and whoever is interested in
be dressed,” says Dulcie Yano, who assists dancers with their elaborate attire, like
hula, “There’s a certain form to follow,” she says.
rain in Setswana, is the national motto and also the name of its currency.
Hirata’s experiences away always seemed to underscore the preciousness of home. He returned to Kaua‘i in 1991. He had looked forward to bon dances when he was young, but when his father died, they took on new meaning. “I thought I could be with him again during Obon season,” says Hirata. He also discovered that the bon dances he remembered from his childhood had changed little, especially in comparison with those on other islands. “The younger generation like the faster dances, the more modern styles,” he says, “so you will see a lot of those dances incorporated on O‘ahu”—at one bon dance in Honolulu, the playlist included the Beach Boys. “But Kaua‘i is very slow to move in that direction. We’re still very traditional.” (Not that this precludes a crowd favorite on both O‘ahu and Kaua‘i: the Pokémon Ondo.)
The earliest Japanese immigrants to Hawai‘i brought their regional bon dances—the Iwakuni Ondo, from
Yamaguchi prefecture, remains a popular bon dance throughout the Islands. And at the Kaua‘i Soto Zen temple, the nights end with the betcho dance, which possibly originated from the Fukushima or Niigata prefecture and evolved into a uniquely Kaua‘i number. Despite its lewd name (“betcho” is slang for women’s genitals), it’s “just a fun, lively dance,” Hirata says— one that stretches ten minutes or longer, as if to tire everyone out for the evening. Originally just drumming, singers in Hanapēpē have added lyrics like the “Kau Kau Song,” listing Hawai‘i’s multicultural comfort foods, from miso soup to Filipino adobo to Kaua‘i’s ever-popular Flying Saucer. “When people come to Kaua‘i, and even the Japanese nationals, they’re just blown over by the festival, and they say, ‘This is what I remember in my grandma’s time,’” Hirata says. And aside from the songs and dances, there’s also simply the feel of it: On O‘ahu the bon dances take place primarily in parking lots, whereas Kaua‘i’s spread over fields of grass.
In 2023 the temple received a $20,000 grant from the National
the
Endowment of the Arts. That year, the program featured a performance of the hole hole bushi, the songs sung by the issei (first generation) of women plantation workers as they stripped leaves from sugarcane stalks (hole hole is the Hawaiian term for dried cane leaves, and bushi is Japanese for tune), akin to the blues sung in cotton fields in the South. The programs are part of Hirata’s mission to maintain traditions, as the fifth- and sixth-generation Japanese in Hanapēpē grow more distant from their ancestors’ culture, while also “thinking about how cultures mix and how they can grow together,” Hirata says. Hence the mash-up of hula and bon odori: “Old traditions continue because of new ideas,” he likes to say.
The last time Alison Brock wore a kimono was for her okuizome, or hundred-day birthday, when she didn’t really have a say. She promptly threw up on it. Donning one “is not my cup of tea,” she says now. And yet she’s
dancing
proper way to
kimono, obi, yukata and happi. Similar to kendo or taiko or
Veteran dancer Tea A‘awapuhi (seen above) has a different kimono for every bon dance.
here in the bon dance dressing room at the Kaua‘i Soto Zen temple, helping others into theirs because the other dressers “are getting old—not going to have anybody when they’re gone.”
Brock’s mother, Dulcie Yano, is among the group of elders dressing the dancers and anyone who comes in with a yukata (a light, summer kimono) and obi (sash). At one time, proper attire was required at Kaua‘i bon dances. A 1933 Kaua‘i newspaper article stated that “all participants will be required to wear the customary kimonos and efforts will be made to have them properly worn during the course of the dance. This is being done to improve the slovenly appearance of the dancers that has spoiled the beauty of numerous other dances this season.” Now the rules are more lax (though there is talk of bringing back some of the protocol to push back on the proliferation of skimpy clothes). But here a steady stream of women and children into the dressing room still prefer to wear a yukata, and they come for help getting into their clothes.
When Yano was growing up in Hanapēpē, her mother dressed her for the bon dances the best she could (“I remember a lot of safety pins,” Yano says). But as she became more serious about Japanese dance, “I realized that there were these ladies manning the dressing room, and so you just show up with your garments, and they would
“I like [Obon season] because it’s a good time to remember where you came from and whom to be grateful to for allowing us to stand on their shoulders and to continue,” says Gerald Hirata, president of the Kaua‘i Soto Zen Temple in Hanapēpē. “You find it in all cultures. It’s a universal kind of thing.”
dress you and tie you up and then let you go out. The whole idea was they knew the right way to dress you.” The right way, which meant no safety pins. It meant knowing how to tie the obi smooth and tight across the waist, sometimes with the help of cardboard; to know to lower the collar in the back for younger women to show off the nape of their necks; to dress for dancing, when you need more room to raise your arms; to wrap the kimono left over right (the reverse is reserved for dressing the dead). When her sensei passed away in 2017, Yano stepped in to fill the void, to help alongside volunteers like Pearl
Shimizu, who has been working in the dressing room for about fifty years. Shimizu first learned how to dress people in kimono by watching—these days, she also learns the multitude of ways to tie an obi from YouTube.
Like the Flying Saucer makers, the dressers help at the bon dances across the island. Kaua‘i is small enough that people can—and do—attend all the dances. The Kauai Buddhist Council coordinates the bon dance schedule among the six temples and sets the dance list, so it’s the same at all the temples. This makes it easier to learn the movements to each dance and
participate, unlike on O‘ahu, where each temple sets its own playlist. A few months before Obon season, each temple will usually hold practices for people to brush up on the choreography—many of the movements are abstract, though for some dances like the Tanko Bushi, a coal miner’s song, motions include shoveling coal, shading eyes from the sun and pushing a cart of coal.
“I just love dancing for my family,” says Lianne Tanaka in the dressing room as Yano cinches Tanaka’s yukata. “I showed my grandpa this kimono before he passed away, so hopefully he’ll see it.” Normally, she tries to go to all the
bon dances on the island, but this year she fractured her toe trying to dodge a cockroach. “I’ll take it easy and won’t do the fast songs. Fortunately, it was just the beginning, so hopefully I’ll recover by the rest of the bon dance season. This is my favorite time of year.”
When the last dancers have been dressed, Yano pulls on a happi, a straight-sleeved coat, simpler than a kimono, for herself. She makes her way to the dance circle, to join her daughter and her granddaughter, under the lanterns that light the way for the living and the spirits reuniting with their families. hh
STORY BY RONALD WILLIAMS JR.
The Curatrix
In a rapidly changing Hawai‘i, Emma Nakuina fought to preserve its past
Emma Nakuina wasn’t one to suffer bullies. For instance: On a weekend afternoon in February 1897, she and a few women were sitting on the lawn of the Bishop Museum in Honolulu, watching military drills, when a museum employee approached and told them to leave. Emma refused, and in one account of the incident, she tossed a lawn chair, barely missing the office window of the museum’s curator, William Brigham. The women eventually packed up and left, but
Emma returned the following morning to file a complaint charging Brigham with “gross incivility and insulting treatment.”
Call it chutzpah, moxie, spunk or just plain intolerance for BS, but Nakuina’s determination made her not only a force for overly officious museum staff to confront, she became one of nineteenth-century Hawai‘i’s most formidable women, one whose name is rarely mentioned among other female luminaries of the Hawaiian Kingdom
but who left a legacy of learning and the preservation of knowledge that has lasted to today.
Emma Kailikapuolono Metcalf was born in Mānoa, O‘ahu, on March 5, 1847, to ali‘iwahine (chiefess) Kailikapuolono and an American ship captain and sugar baron, Theophilus Metcalf. Her parents’ status afforded her the highest level of education in the Islands—both Native and foreign. From her mother, Emma learned Polynesian traditions and
Native scholar Emma Nakuina (seen on the title page) tirelessly advocated for the preservation of Native knowledge and culture. She worked for the Hawaiian Kingdom government as “curatrix” of its national museum and later as a judge. Nakuina was among the first Kānaka ‘Ōiwi (Native Hawaiians) to attend O‘ahu College (seen above), considered the top Western-style educational institution in the Islands.
The Hawaiian National Museum under Nakuina held some of Hawai‘i’s most sacred artifacts, including several lei nihoa palaoa (seen above), the whale ivory pendants strung upon a lei of human hair.
history, while her father’s connections helped her secure a spot in the elite Western-style O‘ahu College. Emma received instruction in seven languages, including Greek, Latin and Hebrew, and she was fluent in French, German, English as well as her first language, ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i (Hawaiian language). Her extensive training in the ways of the Hawaiian world caught the attention of the kingdom’s leaders, who brought her into their evolving constitutional monarchy as a “Custodian of Laws.” Nakuina became an expert on the legal history of the Hawaiian Kingdom, serving mō‘ī (kings) Kamehameha IV, Kamehameha V and David Kalākaua over three decades.
In 1874, at the age of 27, Nakuina was named curator of the Hawaiian National Museum and Library. The museum had been founded two years earlier under Kamehameha V, but at the time it was more an aspiration than actual museum. The new monarch, Kalākaua, embraced cosmopolitanism as a way to heighten global awareness of Hawai‘i’s status as an independent nation. This meant an expanded budget and mission for the National Museum under Nakuina, who insisted that her title be changed to “curatrix.”
The new curatrix spearheaded an aggressive drive to procure not only Hawaiian artifacts but also related ‘ike (knowledge) that would help ground
the grass is always greener on the side we care for
isn
t just a chore or a service it ’ s a craft one that we just happen to have a passion for
Among the treasures in Nakuina’s care was this feather cordon from the fifteenth century, the Kā‘ei Kapu o Liloa, now in Bishop Museum. Constructed of feathers of the ‘i‘iwi and ‘ō‘ō birds along with human teeth, it afforded its possessor the right to rule. Curating such objects was no small kuleana (responsibility), as from a Hawaiian point of view they carry the mana (spiritual power) of their current and former owners.
Hawai‘i’s future in its past. The Hawaiian National Museum under Nakuina housed many of the most historically significant and invaluable items from “Ka Wā ‘Ōiwi Wale,” the Native-only Era, that is, before contact with the West. One such treasure was the Kā‘ei Kapu o ka Lani Līloa, a stunning, eleven-foot-long feather cordon with human teeth sewn into its ends. The dramatic piece, crafted in the
early fifteenth century, symbolized the right of its owner to rule. It had been passed by the Hawai‘i Island ali‘i nui (high chief) Līloa to his son Umi. In the late eighteenth century, Kamehameha I obtained the Kā‘ei Kapu, and almost a century later Kalākaua had the piece displayed in the Hawaiian National Museum. Alongside the feather cordon was the sharkskin pahu o La‘amaikahiki
(the drum of La‘a-from-Kahiki), one of the last great Polynesian navigators. In 1889, in a significant development, businessman Charles Reed Bishop founded a new museum just outside of downtown Honolulu in honor of his recently deceased wife, Princess Bernice Pauahi, a descendant of the Kamehameha line. In 1891 a majority of the contents of the National Museum were transferred
on loan to Bishop’s museum. The kingdom’s royal portraits remained in government custody and are displayed to this day at ‘Iolani Palace. In 1898 the Republic of Hawai‘i Legislature transferred ownership of the contents of the National Museum to the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, notably “without pecuniary consideration.” Not one to take a back seat to someone
Nakuina’s book on Hawai‘i was filled with ancient stories of the Native people. Published by the Hawaii Promotion Committee in support of tourism to the Islands, it exemplified her belief that understanding Hawai‘i’s past was essential to ensuring its people’s future.
less knowledgeable than herself—and especially not a Boston-born outsider like Brigham—Nakuina left the museum world and turned to other venues in which she could work for the preservation of Hawaiian knowledge.
Nakuina tirelessly challenged Kānaka ‘Ōiwi (Native Hawaiians) to achieve what many non-Hawaiians claimed were beyond their inherent racial abilities. In doing so, she fearlessly confronted some of the most respected institutions of the day. In 1917 the Kamehameha Schools were beginning their fourth decade educating young Kānaka ‘Ōiwi. Nakuina was part of a three-member committee—along with two male attorneys—tasked with reporting on whether the institution were fulfilling its founding mission. Their report was heavily critical, noting that many staff of the School for Boys suffered a “terrible malaise,” which the report blamed on the fact that “it seems that whenever the higher positions in the schools become vacant, the trustees
fill the vacancies from persons on the mainland.”
In addition, Kamehameha Schools had adopted a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program early in its creation, and the committee observed that “too much time and attention was given to the performance of military drills and not enough to academic work. … [A] military institution was not provided for in the will of the princess and the establishment of such institution does not come within the scope of the trustees’ duties as defined in the will.” In a final criticism, especially troubling to Nakuina, the report noted, “Your committee saw no effort being made in the boys’ school to teach Hawaiian history.” While the report rocked the campus and the community, the school’s then-current priorities aligned with those of powerful elites remaking America’s new island territory into a more familiar place. Once the immediate furor subsided, the school proceeded as before.
In the midst of this troubling investigation of Kamehameha Schools, Nakuina again came to loggerheads with
Brigham. A prominent guest had arrived in the Islands—wealthy businessman Benjamin Keolaokalani Pitman—and Bishop Museum trustee William Owen Smith asked Nakuina, the foremost expert on the museum’s collection, to guide Pitman and his party through centuries of Hawai‘i’s past.
After a greeting on the museum’s front steps, where Brigham shook Smith’s hand but snubbed Nakuina’s, the party met Pitman and a group of about twenty. Brigham drew out treasured ‘ahu ‘ula (feathered cloaks), explaining the construction and provenance of each. At several points Nakuina leaned over to Pitman and whispered her own explanation of the cloak in question, often contradicting Brigham. According to the complaint Smith filed after the incident, Brigham became enraged, saying, “I wish no other person to talk or make explanations while I am explaining these matters.” He repeated the demand looking directly at Nakuina and adding, “especially by such a person.” Smith reported, “His manner and tone were angry and offensive and attracted the attention of all present.” Nakuina left, followed by Pitman, who offered her one of his cars to take her home.
Brigham’s account, told to the museum trustees, didn’t much differ from Smith’s, except to add that Nakuina was “an old hag” who had “contradicted everything I said to Mr. Pitman.” He further described her as “someone I despise” and wrote, “If my duties force me to shake hands with every moral leper who forces herself in, then the sooner they cease the better.”
The museum’s board wrote to Brigham expressing their “regret that so many similar complaints” had been filed about him. “As Trustees of an institution founded in honor of a Hawaiian woman, we cannot be so unfaithful to our trust, or act so inconsistently with our obligations, as to vilify or antagonize those whose good name we are pledged to guard: nor can we countenance such conduct in one occupying your position.” In response to being fired, Brigham wrote to his friend, Sanford Dole, that he was looking elsewhere for a position—in a white man’s country.
In 1920, at 73, Nakuina’s mission to promote Native knowledge was still
reaping rewards for her people. The Hawaiian-language newspaper Ka Nupepa Kuokoa—one of the few to survive into the 1920s—reported the news of her being hired at the University of Hawai‘i’s Teachers’ College. In a column titled “He Mau Moolelo Hawaii Imua o ke Kula Kumu” (Hawaiian Stories Presented at the Teachers’ College), the paper explained, “I waena o na hana ma ka papa kuhikuhi no ke Kula Kumu, o keia makahiki o na moolelo kahiko kekahi o Hawaii nei, a o Mrs. Emma M. Nakuina ka mea nana e hoakaka kau ana.” (Inside the syllabus of the Teachers’ College this
year are ancient histories of Hawai‘i nei. And it is Mrs. Emma M. Nakuina who is teaching them.) Her course covered ten histories, including “Ko Kakou pili o ka lahui Maori o Nu Kila” (Our ties with the Māori of New Zealand); “Na mea i pili ia Pele ame kona mau kaikaina ame Hiiaka” (Things relating to Pele and her younger sisters and Hi‘iaka); and “Ka hanau ana, na mea ano mai amen a hana a Kamehameha I” (The birth, the important things and accomplishments of Kamehameha I).
Change was the overarching theme that dominated the Hawaiian Islands during Nakuina’s lifetime. Embraced
by some and opposed by others, it was inevitable to Nakuina. She dedicated her life to learning and sharing tools to ready her people to survive what was to become of them. “Drawing from the strength of her bilingual and bicultural education, Emma Nakuina greatly expanded the audience for Hawaiian intellectual thought within traditional stories and histories written in a language this broader audience could access—English,” says Ku‘ualoha Ho‘omanawanui, a Native scholar, poet, artist and professor of Hawaiian literature at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. “In doing so, she was one of the first to combat the
Ali‘iolani Hale (seen above) has been home to the Hawai‘i Supreme Court since 1874. The coral and cement building, dedicated by Mō‘ī (King) David Kalākaua, was also the site of the Hawaiian National Museum under curatrix Nakuina. Today, the famous statue of Kamehameha I fronts the building.
negative stereotypes of our people as backward savages.”
Nakuina shared her final story in 1929, passing away at the home of her son, Frederick W. Beckley Jr.—the University of Hawai‘i’s first Hawaiianlanguage instructor—and her nine grandchildren, on April 27. Today, almost a century later, those inspired by her life still make pilgrimages to O‘ahu Cemetery in Nu‘uanu to pay their respects and assure that this dedicated woman’s legacy and kuleana (responsibility) will be carried on by the next generation of Native scholars. hh
O‘AHU
‘IOLANI PALACE
Kū a Lanakila JUNE
BISHOP MUSEUM AFTER HOURS
Second Fridays
Museum exhibits are open for viewing from 5:30 to 9 p.m., along with cultural demonstrations, keiki activities and a night market with food trucks and local vendors. Bishop Museum, bishopmuseum.org
HOMA NIGHTS
Every Friday
Honolulu Museum of Art remains open until 9 p.m. with opportunities to explore the galleries, stargaze in the courtyards and enjoy live art experiences and music. Honolulu Museum of Art, honolulumuseum.org
KŪHIŌ BEACH HULA SHOW
Saturdays, First and Third Tuesdays
Authentic Hawaiian music and hula shows by Hawai‘i’s finest hālau (dance troupes) and Hawaiian performers. Shows will be canceled for parades, street fairs and bad weather. Free. 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Kūhiō Beach Hula Mound, (808) 843-8002
KILOHANA HULA SHOW
Sunday through Thursday
A modern take on the historic Kodak Hula Show featuring mele (songs) that honor Waikīkī and dancers from six awardwinning hālau across Hawai‘i. Presented by the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement. Free. 9:30 a.m. Tom Moffatt Waikiki Shell, blaisdellcenter.com
KŪ A LANAKILA!
Through 8/10
This exhibition delves into the ways Kānaka ‘Ōiwi (Native Hawaiians) asserted their presence and sovereignty during Hawai‘i’s early territorial period through cultural and political expressions. Bishop Museum, bishopmuseum.org
JEFFERSON STARSHIP
6/7
Legendary rock band Jefferson Starship celebrates fifty years of music with their Runaway Again World Tour. Hawaii Theatre Center, hawaiitheatre.com
Lonohana Chocolate Factory Tours
711 Queen Street, Honolulu
Tours offered multiple times per week. Check lonohana.com for tour availability.
lonohana.com
(808) 517-4475
Lonohana Estate Chocolate is a vertically integrated chocolate company based on O‘ahu producing chocolate exclusively from cacao that is 100% Hawai‘i-grown. We grow cacao on the North Shore of Oahu in Hale‘iwa and use that cacao to create our line of premium chocolate bars at our Chocolate Factory in Honolulu.
We offer in-depth 90-minute tours at our chocolate factory - the only one in Honoluluseveral days a week. You’ll learn about how we grow cacao on the North Shore and make our chocolate using vintage machines.
Each tour concludes with a comprehensive chocolate tasting, where participants will have the opportunity to savor the authentic flavors of cacao grown in Hawai‘i, as well as a selection of seasonal treats.
All ages (8+) are welcome. Great for families and small groups. Tours are limited to 12 guests. We look forward to hosting you at our Chocolate Factory tours. Mahalo!
Pan-Pacific Festival
K-LOVE LIVE IN HONOLULU
6/7
A concert sponsored by American Christian radio network K-LOVE with performances by Chris Tomlin, Tauren Wells, Zach Williams and Zeo Worship. Tom Moffatt Waikiki Shell, blaisdellcenter.com
PAN-PACIFIC FESTIVAL
6/13–15
An annual three-day celebration of the cultures and people of Japan and the Pacific. Expect an eclectic assortment of cultural arts, crafts, food and stage performances. Waikīkī, panpacificfestival.org
HSO HAPA SYMPHONY— KEOLA BEAMER
6/14
Slack key master Keola Beamer graces the stage with Hawai‘i Symphony Orchestra, showcasing his iconic classics and fresh compositions in a way only a symphony orchestra can deliver. Hawaii Theatre Center, hawaiitheatre.com
KING KAMEHAMEHA FLORAL PARADE
6/14
Floral floats, pā‘ū (skirt) riders and marching bands traverse the streets of Honolulu beginningat King and Richards streets and ending at Kapi‘olani Park, where a ho‘olaule‘a (celebration) follows. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Honolulu, (808) 586-0300
SIX: THE MUSICAL
6/17–29
From Tudor queens to pop icons, the six wives of Henry VIII remix 500 years of historical heartbreak into a celebration of twenty-first-century girl power. Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall, blaisdellcenter.com
HALE‘IWA ARTS FESTIVAL
6/21&22
This annual festival features artists, musicians, dancers, storytellers, demonstrations and children’s art activities. Hale‘iwa Town, haleiwaartfestival.org
ALOHA PEARLS & SCHWARTZ
O‘ahu, Maui, Hawai‘i Island, and California
Adorn yourself with the beautiful, natural, sustainable Tahiti Pearls gifted from the Pacific Islands. At Aloha Pearls & Schwartz, we strive to be Hawaiii’s premier supplier of South Sea Pearls, especially Tahitian Pearls. Learn to craft your own pieces in small jewelry group classes with local artisans, or load up on supplies, tools and 14K, gold fill and sterling silver findings, and gemstone beads.
BATTLESHIP MISSOURI MEMORIAL
Arizona Memorial Place, Honolulu
Complete your Pearl Harbor experience. The USS Missouri is no ordinary ship—it is America’s most historic battleship. Home to 2,700 sailors, nine 66-foot-long guns, 1,220 projectiles and a deck big enough to host a surrender ceremony presided over by General Douglas MacArthur. Learn even more about the ship’s history with an add-on Captain’s Tour and Chief Engineer’s Tour. Shuttle service from the Pearl Harbor National Memorial Visitor Center is included with admission.
Honolulu Museum of Art presents a major exhibition focused on Mary Cassatt, the only American included among the French Impressionists, and her enduring legacy in the world of modern art and in HoMA’s collection. Honolulu Museum of Art, honolulumuseum.org
MAOLI—LAST SIP OF SUMMER TOUR
6/27&28
Award-winning band Maoli developed its unique sound by fusing the elements of country, R&B, soul, rock and reggae. Neal S. Blaisdell Center, blaisdellcenter.com
WAIMEA
SUMMER CONCERT
6/28
Waimea Valley’s summer concert series returns with performances by Kala‘e Parish and Kalena Kū, Amy Hanaiali‘i, Jerry Santos and Kanani Oliveira Hula Studio. 2 p.m. Waimea Valley, waimeavalley.net
JULY
KAILUA ANNUAL INDEPENDENCE DAY PARADE
7/4
The Kailua Chamber of Commerce presents its annual Independence Day celebration. 10 a.m. Kailua, kailuachamber.com
MŌ‘ILI‘ILI SUMMER FEST AND BON FESTIVAL
7/5
Dust off your yukata (summer kimono) for this year’s Mō‘ili‘ili Summer Fest. Eat andagi (Okinawan donuts), play festival games like kingyo sukui (goldfish scooping) and dance around the yagura (raised stage). Washington Middle School, moiliilisummerfest.org
SUMMER BY THE OCEAN FESTIVAL
7/19
Enjoy ‘ono (delicious) food and drinks while browsing clothing, jewelry, art, crafts and more along Kalākaua Avenue. A portion of the event’s proceeds benefit the Wounded Warrior Ohana. Waikīkī, millwoodohanaproductions.com
PRINCE LOT HULA FESTIVAL
7/19–20
Hālau (hula troupes) from around the state perform in Hawai‘i’s largest noncompetitive hula celebration with activities for people of all ages. Local food and refreshments will be available. Frank F. Fasi Municipal Civic Grounds, mgfhawaii.org
INTERNATIONAL ‘UKULELE FESTIVAL OF HAWAI‘I
7/20
Founded by Kazuyuki Sekiguchi, member of Japan’s Southern All Stars, this festival features performances by leading artists from Hawai‘i, Korea and Japan, along with food and craft vendors. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Kapi‘olani Park Bandstand, ukulelepicnicinhawaii.org
FARMLOVERS FARMERS MARKETS
Hale‘iwa, Kaka‘ako, Pearlridge, KailuaTown
Immerse yourself in local food culture at any one of our Farmers Markets. Taste the true Hawai‘ i. Experience our local farmers, culinary masters, and artisans. Fresh locally grown produce. Tropical fruits and vegetables. Come Hungry! Leave happy. Our chefs cook healthy, Island-style grindz. Need a gift? Our local artisans have you covered. Hale‘ iwa (Thurs) Kaka‘ako (Sat), Pearlridge (Sat), KailuaTown (Sun).
Offering guests the boldest flavors and the highest quality ingredients of Mongolian cuisine since 2022. No artificial colors, flavors or preservatives used. The amazing range of skewers made fresh daily include lamb, beef brisket with tendon, grilled oyster, Big Island abalone and grilled eggplant. The restaurant also offers fabulous new dishes and chef’s specials: crawfish, spicy stir-fry, Maui venison meat, and grilled fish, adding a new taste experience to an already stellar menu.
(808) 955-8868 khanskewer.com
Schedule: 6 departures daily from 10:00 AM (45 min)
Honolulu Zoo Society’s Wildest Show Summer Concert Series
EVENTS : O‘AHU
QUEEN LILI‘UOKALANI KEIKI HULA COMPETITION
7/24–26
Swing over to the Honolulu Zoo for the annual Wildest Show concert series. The after-hours event features live local entertainment from award-winning musical artists and popular Hawaiʻi performers.
Guests will also enjoy pre-concert family activities including Conservation Stations, animal-themed drawing contests for keiki, and animal trivia. Proceeds from the concert series will benefit the Honolulu Zoo Society.
Experience the Honolulu Zoo like never before - a wild, unforgettable experience is waiting for you!
$10 Members
$15 Non-members
$5 Children aged 3-12 Free Keiki 2 years and younger
Hundreds of young hula dancers compete in the world’s longest-running keiki hula event, held in conjunction with a local arts and crafts showcase, a special exhibit by Hawai‘i State Archives and more. Neal S. Blaisdell Center, blaisdellcenter.com
WAIMEA SUMMER CONCERT
7/26
Waimea Valley’s summer concert series continues with performances by Kainani Kahaunaele, Kala‘e Camarillo, Ho‘okena 3.0 featuring Moon Kauakahi and hula by Nani Dudoit. 2 p.m. Waimea Valley, waimeavalley.net
CURLEY QUE CLASSIC
7/26
This Kansas City Barbecue Societysanctioned contest features teams from around the country and opportunities for attendees to dig into their tasty submissions. Kaiser High School, curleyqueclassic.my.canva.site
MOLOKA‘I 2 O‘AHU PADDLEBOARD WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
7/27
The world’s premier open-ocean paddleboarding race features a 32-mile course across some of the state’s roughest seas. Starts at Kaluako‘i Beach on Moloka‘i and finishes at O‘ahu’s Maunalua Bay, molokai2oahu.com
PRESCRIPTION: MURDER
7/31–8/10
Pat Sajak and Joe Moore star in this mystery thriller inspired by the TV series Columbo, featuring Sajak as a psychiatrist involved in a murder plot and Moore as Lt. Columbo investigating the case. Hawaii Theatre Center, hawaiitheatre.com
Queen Lili‘uokalani Keiki Hula Competition
NORTH SHORE SOAP FACTORY
67-106 Kealohanui Street, Waialua
Watch our master soap maker when you visit North Shore Soap Factory! Come for the soap, stay for the stamping. Customize your bar at our stamping station. Book a Behind-the-Scenes Tour* to see how we handcraft Hawaiian Bath & Body® soaps and skin care products. Local art, gifts and more. Find us in the big, coneshaped building!
(808) 637-8400
northshoresoapfactory.com
THE TRIBE
It has long been said about surfers that they seem to have an unusual camaraderie and language amongst them selves no matter where they are in the world, with an almost Tribal connection… This book is designed to help people that do not surf, or are new to the sport and are not familiar with the surfing language and culture. Surfers around the world are united in one common cause, which is there love for life, surfing, and the Ocean.
@sunsetpublishingllc
sunsetpublishingllc.com
O‘ahu
MAUI MOLOKA‘I LĀNA‘I
MANA’E - MOLOKA’I
JUNE
WILDLIFE WEDNESDAYS
Wednesdays
Join naturalists from the Hawai‘i Wildlife Discovery Center every Wednesday and learn about humpback whales, monk seals and more Maui wildlife. 10 a.m. to noon. Whalers Village, (808) 661-4567
JOHN CRUZ
“ISLAND STYLE” SERIES
First and third Wednesdays
Nā Hōkū Hanohano award-winning singer-songwriter John Cruz has built his career telling stories through songs about everyday people and experiences. His ongoing “Island Style” series celebrates the ties that bind. 7 p.m. ProArts Playhouse, proartsmaui.org
KANIKAPILA THURSDAYS
Second and fourth Thursdays
Maui artists perform live music, and families can participate in giant yard games. 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Queen Ka‘ahumanu Center, (808) 877-3369
KĪHEI FOURTH FRIDAY
Fourth Fridays
A monthly community street party with food trucks, entertainment, crafters and kids’ games.6 to 9 p.m. Free. Azeka Shopping Center, kiheifridays.com
QKC KEIKI CLUB
Third Saturdays
Monthly crafting and creativity activities for kids presented by Queen Ka‘ahumanu Center and Handmade Gifts & Decor. 10 to 11 a.m. Queen Ka‘ahumanu Center, (808) 877-3369
MAUI IMPROV MONTHLY SHOWCASE
Last Sundays
Beginner and experienced performers improvise live theater on stage. 6:30 p.m. ProArts Playhouse, proartsmaui.org
SPECTACULAR POLYNESIAN HULA SHOW
Fourth Sundays
Polynesian dance and hula at QKC’s center court. 1 to 2 p.m. Queen Ka‘ahumanu Center, (808) 877-3369
AN EVENING WITH TOMMY EMMANUEL, CGP
6/5
Tommy Emmanuel CGP (certified guitar player) is a world-renowned acoustic guitarist known for playing multiple parts simultaneously. Maui Arts and Cultural Center (MACC), mauiarts.org
Paddle Imua
Spectra Fest
SEA-TO-TABLE CUISINE
6/8
A floral parade through the heart of Kaunakakai starts at 6 p.m. and ends with a ho‘olaule‘a at Moloka‘i Community Health Center. Kaunakakai, (808) 658-1888
6/8
Celebrate World Ocean Day with family friendly activities, a coral feeding demonstration and marine naturalist presentations. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Maui Ocean Center, mauioceancenter.com
SPECTRA FEST 2025
6/9–13
This community festival includes livepainted murals with Hawai‘i Walls, a film screening, educational workshops by CreativeMornings and concludes with a celebration and urban market at the Branches at Royal Lahaina Resort. Free. Lahaina, spectrafoundation.org
NĀ KAMEHAMEHA
COMMEMORATIVE PĀ‘Ū PARADE & HO‘OLAULE‘A
6/21
Maui honors the Kamehameha lineage. Pā‘ū parade begins at 9:45 a.m. and runs along Ka‘ahumanu Ave. Ho‘olaule‘a featuring hula, Hawaiian music, food, keiki activities, exhibits and crafters and artisans. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Queen Ka‘ahumanu Center, (808) 877-3369
CORAL SPAWNING NIGHT
6/27
Witness the phenomenon of coral spawning, which coincides with the lunar cycle. Rice coral spawning stations will be set up throughout the aquarium along with various activities and diver presentations. 6 to 9 p.m. Maui Ocean Center, mauioceancenter.com
MAKAWAO PARADE
6/28
Now in its 57th year, this annual parade celebrates the spirit of Makawao town with a procession of pā‘ū riders, community groups, classic cars and rodeo royalty. Makawao, makawaoparade.com
KĪ HŌ‘ALU GUITAR FESTIVAL
6/29
Hawai‘i’s top slack key guitar musicians perform in a laid-back setting with local food favorites. Free. 3 to 7 p.m. MACC, mauiarts.org
JULY
MAKAWAO RODEO
7/4–6
This annual rodeo celebrates paniolo culture with traditional rodeo competitions such as barrel racing, calf roping and bareback bronco riding, all with a few Hawaiian twists. Oskie Rice Arena, (808) 757-3347
KAPALUA WINE AND FOOD FESTIVAL
7/10–13
World-famous winemakers, master sommeliers, celebrated chefs and industry insiders come together for a series of tastings, festivities and gourmet meals at this nationally acclaimed food and wine extravaganza. Various locations, kapaluawineandfoodfestival.com
PADDLE IMUA 2025
7/13
A race that benefits children with special needs on Maui, beginning from Māliko Gulch to Kanahā Beach Park. The race is open to multiple watercraft including stand up paddle, OC1, surf ski, windsurf and more. Kanahā Beach Park, discoverimua.com
MOLOKA‘I HOLOKAI
7/18&19
A celebration of ocean sports and community featuring a race from Maui to Moloka‘i with festivities to welcome the paddlers on day one, and familyfriendly events, cultural demonstrations, live entertainment and more on day two. Various locations, molokaiholokai.com
SHARKS AFTER DARK
7/19
The Masquerade Ball edition of Sharks After Dark, Maui Ocean Center’s 21-andolder nights, features live music, dancing under the stars, specialty food and beverages, diver presentations and more. 6 to 9:30 p.m. Maui Ocean Center, mauioceancenter.com
JIM JEFFERIES
7/25
Australian comedian Jim Jefferies returns to Maui with all-new material as part of his Son of a Carpenter Tour. MACC, mauiarts.org
MOLOKA‘I 2 O‘AHU PADDLEBOARD WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
7/27
The world’s premier open-ocean paddleboarding race features a 32-mile course across some of the state’s roughest seas. Starts at Kaluako‘i Beach on Moloka‘i and finishes at O‘ahu’s Maunalua Bay, molokai2oahu.com
HUI NO’EAU VISUAL ARTS CENTER
2841
Located in Upcountry Maui at the historic Kaluanui Estate, Hui No‘eau Visual Arts Center is a community arts center offering art classes, cultural workshops, exhibitions, and events. Explore the 100-year-old Kaluanui home, enjoy artwork by local artists, or take a self-guided tour of the scenic 25-acre grounds. Supported in part by the County of Maui.
(808) 572-6560
SURFING GOAT DIARY
3651 Omaopio Rd, Kula
Surfing Goat Dairy, nestled on the slopes of Haleakalā in Maui’s Upcountry, is evolving from a commercial dairy into a culinary agro-tourism haven. Visitors can experience the sweet magic of our goats and their milk. Book an interactive tour, or simply enjoy our award-winning cheeses and freshly made culinary offerings, like our famous Goat cheese chocolate truffles.
surfinggoatdairy.com
(808) 878-2870 huinoeau.com
Baldwin Avenue, Makawao, Maui
HAWAI‘I ISLAND
KĪLAUEA
JUNE
UNDER THE NEW MOON
Last Tuesdays
An evening of Hawaiian storytelling with Kumu Keala Ching, live Hawaiian music and hula performances. Bring your own beach chair or mat. No coolers. Free. 5 to 6:30 p.m. Outrigger Kona Resort & Spa, nawaiiwiola.org
KOHALA NIGHT MARKET
First Wednesdays
A monthly community event featuring local products for sale, live entertainment, food trucks and service booths. 4 to 7 p.m. Kohala Village Hub, (808) 889-5471
HO‘OULU FARMERS MARKET & ARTISANS FAIR
Wednesdays and Fridays
A market featuring 100 percent locally made, grown and created products and live entertainment. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Outrigger Kona Resort and Spa, bigislandmkt.com
HALEKI‘I FARMERS MARKET & CRAFT FAIR
First Saturdays
Local crafts and art vendors, keiki entrepreneurs, fresh food, ‘ohanacentered outreach, sustainable-living resources and live music. Free. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Kona Grill House, (808) 960-7728
YOUTH ARTS SATURDAYS
Second Saturdays
Keiki of all ages are welcome to join guest artists and local organizations in making a variety of creative projects. Free. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. East Hawai‘i Cultural Center, (808) 961-5711
FRIENDS & LOVERS
6/1
Waimea Community Chorus presents their 30th Spring Concert, singing songs of friends and lovers. The show will include hits from Bill Withers, The Beatles, Bruno Mars and more. Kahilu Theatre, kahilu.org
S. TOKUNAGA ULUA CHALLENGE
6/5–8
The largest shoreline fishing tournament in the state includes both barbed and barbless hook categories. Edith Kanaka‘ole Tennis Stadium, stokunagastore.com
HAWAI‘I KUAULI PACIFIC & ASIA CU LTURAL FESTIVAL
6/6–8
This three-day event will be packed with food, fashion, cultural expressions, keiki hula, cultural workshops and fireknife competition. King Kamehameha Kona Beach Resort, hikuauli.com
STREET EATS
6/7
Ali‘i Drive transforms into a food truck festival with ‘ono eats, live entertainment and hula performances. 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Historic Kailua Village, historickailuavillage.com
KING KAMEHAMEHA DAY PARADE
6/7
A floral parade through the heart of Kailua-Kona, with pā‘ū riders representing each of the Hawaiian Islands. The parade starts at 9 a.m. and ends with a ho‘olaule‘a at Hulihe‘e Palace. Kailua Village, konaparade.org
UNDERCURRENT
6/7–7/27
Artist Emily Moores will create a unique whimsical environment reminiscent of an underwater scene using cut paper patterns, fabric, inflatables and other materials. Suli T. Go Gallery, kahilu.org
KŌKUA KAILUA VILLAGE STROLL
6/8
Ali‘i Drive transforms into a festive, pedestrian-only marketplace filled with music and art. 1 to 6 p.m. Kailua-Kona, historickailuavillage.com
NORTH KOHALA KAMEHAMEHA DAY CELEBRATION
6/11
A day-long cultural festival with floral parade and ho‘olaule‘a to honor King Kamehameha in his North Kohala birthplace. North Kohala, kamehamehadaycelebration.org
DIRTY CELLO
6/28
Dirty Cello brings a fusion of blues, rock and Americana to the stage. Led by virtuoso cellist Rebecca Roudman, this dynamic band redefines the possibilities of the cello. Kahilu Theatre, kahilu.org
Parker Ranch Annual Rodeo
AHUALOA FAMILY FARMS
45-3279 Mamane Street, Honoka’a
Stop by “The Nuthouse” and see what’s crackin’! Ahualoa Family Farms grows, processes, and produces delicious 100% Hawaiian macadamia nuts and 100% Hāmākua coffee in Historic Honoka’a town, the gateway to Waipio Valley. Come in for free samples, relax on the lanai, enjoy a cup of coffee and take home your favorite macadamia nut flavor. See you at The Nuthouse!
(808) 775-1821 ahualoafamilyfarms.com
Volcano Village
Experience Hawaii Grown Tea Tours & Tastings on the summit of Kilauea Volcano. Agroforestry farming within native rainforest accompanied by apapani songbirds. Nearby Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Hawaii’s first generation tea growers fostering global relations maintaining the artistic integrity of Hawaii’s unique tea culture. Advance reservations encouraged.
University of Hawai‘i at Hilo 600 ‘Imiloa Place, Hilo
Embark on a uniquely Hawaiian voyage at ‘Imiloa in Hilo! Immerse yourself in our cutting-edge Planetarium, traverse our interactive Exhibit Hall, and wander through our lush outdoor native garden. ‘Imiloa is ideal for family visits, educational experiences, farm-to-table dining,and unforgettable events. Inquire about our membership discounts to make the most of your journey!
(808) 932-8901 imiloahawaii.org
VOLCANO ART CENTER
Volcano, Hawai‘i
Volcano Art Center (VAC) is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1974 to promote, develop and perpetuate the artistic, cultural and environmental heritage of Hawai‘i through art and education. Experience exhibits, classes, concerts and signature programs including Hula Arts At Kīlauea and free, weekly guided forest tours, supported in part by Hawai‘i Tourism. Join us in celebrating the unique arts and culture of Hawai‘i!
(808) 967-8222
volcanoartcenter.org
TEA HAWAII & COMPANY
EVENTS: HAWAI‘I ISLAND
2025 Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament
JULY
HILO BAY BLAST
7/4
An annual all-day celebration with a classic car show, keiki activities, food trucks, music by the Hawai‘i County Band at 7 p.m. and a fireworks display at 8 p.m. Hilo Bayfront, (808) 961-8706
PARKER RANCH ANNUAL RODEO
7/4
Hawai‘i Island ranchers participate in horse races and rodeo events with Parker Ranch cowboys. There will be food and mementos for sale. Parker Ranch, parkerranch.com
GREAT WAIKOLOA RUBBER DUCKIE RACE
7/4
An all-day fundraiser for United Cerebral Palsy Association of Hawai‘i, with a rubber duckie race, live entertainment and a fireworks display over Kings’ Lake. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Kings’ Shops at Waikoloa, kingsshops.com
KŌKUA KAILUA VILLAGE STROLL
7/20
Ali‘i Drive transforms into a festive, pedestrian-only marketplace filled with music and art. At 4 p.m. there is a free Hawaiian music concert at Hulihe‘e Palace. 1 to 6 p.m. Kailua-Kona, (808) 936-9202
HILO ORCHID SOCIETY ANNUAL SHOW
7/25–27
The largest and most comprehensive orchid show and sale in Hawai‘i features thousands of orchids, food, entertainment, lectures, demonstrations and craft vendors. Edith Kanaka‘ole Stadium, hiloorchidsociety.org
2025 HAWAIIAN INTERNATIONAL BILLFISH TOURNAMENT
7/26–8/2
One of the oldest and most prestigious sportfishing events in the world, anglers at this annual tournament compete for titles and prizes while promoting marine conservation and sustainable fishing practices. Kailua-Kona, hibtfishing.com
KAUA‘I
KĒ‘Ē LO‘I AT HĀ‘ENA STATE PARK
Alakoko Plant Swap
JUNE
TODDLER TUESDAYS
First and Third Tuesdays
Dance and sing along with the Showtime Characters and featured guests followed by photos. 11 a.m. Kukui Grove Center, kukuigrovecenter.com
KAUA‘I CULINARY MARKET
Wednesdays
A weekly farmers market featuring fruits, vegetables, flowers and a cooking demonstration. 3:30 to 6 p.m. The Shops at Kukui‘ula, (808) 742-9545
MAKAI MUSIC & ART FESTIVAL
Wednesdays
A weekly gathering with performances by local musicians and an assortment of handmade jewelry, crafts, art and more from local vendors. Free. 1 to 5 p.m. Princeville, Makai Lawn, (808) 318-7338
ALOHA MARKET
Thursdays
Fresh fruits and vegetables, noodles, spices, jewelry, clothing, art and more. Hula performance at 12:30 p.m. every week. Free. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. NTBG South Shore Visitor Center, (808) 742-2623
ALOHA FRIDAY ART NIGHTS
Fridays
Each Friday night, Kress Street fills with live art demonstrations. From music to murals, artists share their craft with the community. Kress Street, Līhu‘e, (808) 652-1442
HANAPĒPĒ ART NIGHT
Fridays
Hanapēpē town comes to life with food trucks, street performers, live music and opportunities to talk story with local artists and gallery owners. Free. 5 to 8 p.m. Hanapēpē, hanapepe.org
HANALEI FARMERS MARKET
Saturdays
Locally grown fruits and vegetables from Kaua‘i’s North Shore along with freshsqueezed juices, locally made honey, fresh-baked goods and arts and crafts. 9 a.m. for seniors, 9:30 a.m. to noon for general admission. Hale Halawai ‘Ohana o Hanalei, (808) 826-1011
ANAHOLA NIGHT MARKET
Last Saturdays
Live music, food and handmade products from over twenty local vendors. 4 to 9 p.m. Anahola Marketplace, (808) 320-7846
DOWNTOWN LĪHU‘E NIGHT MARKET
Second Saturdays
Locally made crafts, gifts, food trucks, baked goods, live entertainment and more. Featuring more than fifty vendors each month. Free. 4 to 8 p.m. Kress Street, Līhu‘e, (808) 652-1442
ALAKOKO PLANT SWAP
Sundays
This weekly market offers plant lovers the chance to buy, sell or trade a variety of greenery. Free. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Alakoko Shop, (808) 652-1442
LOCAL TREASURES MARKET
First Sundays
An outdoor market showcasing products from local artisans, crafters, food trucks, bakers and vintage vendors. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Kaua‘i Veterans Center, (808) 635-4314
WAILUA BAY CREATORS FAIR
Fourth Sundays
Artisanal goods, clothing, accessories, handsewn items, jewelry, photography, wood carvings, home decor and more accompanied by live music and local food vendors. 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Hilton Garden Inn, Kaua‘i, Wailua Bay, (808) 746-2162
TASTE OF HAWAI‘I
6/1
This annual event dubbed “the ultimate Sunday brunch” offers unlimited food and drink plus live music. All proceeds support Rotary Club of Kapa‘a and its multiple projects. 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Smith’s Tropical Paradise, tasteofhawaii.net
DRAG RACING
6/7
National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) drag racing featuring some of the state’s fastest cars. 2 p.m. Kauai Raceway Park, dragracekauai.com
Drive from Point A to Point Beautiful
Enjoy the freedom of going wherever you please. Right now, save up to 35% off base rates. Plus HawaiianMiles members can earn:
500 miles on rentals of 2 days
1,000 miles on rentals of 3-4 days
1,500 miles on rentals of 5 days or more
This special offer is good at participating Avis and Budget locations in the United States through HawaiianAirlines.com/Cars.*
*
Car reservations must be booked through HawaiianAirlines.com/Cars to qualify. Rental must be completed by July 31, 2025. The 1,500 bonus miles offer is available for residents of the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Korea traveling to Hawai‘i, the U.S. and Canada for a limited time only. For complete Terms and Conditions, please visit HawaiianAirlines.com/AvisBudget.
Soto Zen Bon Festival
PRINCEVILLE NIGHT MARKET
6/8
This monthly festival features live music, pottery, paintings, apparel, jewelry and more than forty local artisans. Free. 4 to 8 p.m. Princeville Shopping Center, princevillecenter.com
KAUA‘I POKE FEST
6/13&14
Featuring live entertainment, professional and amateur chefs creating unique and delicious dishes for everyone to try and more than 1,000 pounds of ‘ahi poke. Koloa Landing Resort, kauaipokefest.com
KING KAMEHAMEHA DAY CELEBRATION AND PARADE
6/14
This parade and ho‘olaule‘a celebration honoring Hawai‘i’s first sovereign features flower-bedecked pā‘ū riders, hula hālau, live music and more. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Historic County Building lawn, Līhu‘e, (808) 586-0300
DON BRADEN QUARTET
6/21
A world-class saxophonist, flutist, composer and educator, Don Braden’s jazz career has spanned over forty years. Sheraton Coconut Coast Luau Pavilion, kauai-concert.org
SOTO ZEN BON FESTIVAL
6/27&28
The largest bon dance on Kaua‘i, a Japanese Buddhist tradition that honors the spirits of family members who have passed away through joyful music, dance and community gathering. All are welcome. 5 to 10 p.m. Soto Zen Temple, Hanapēpē, (808) 346-4650
JULY
DRAG RACING
7/4&5
NHRA drag racing featuring some of the state’s fastest cars. 2 p.m. Kauai Raceway Park, dragracekauai.com
PRINCEVILLE NIGHT MARKET
7/13
This monthly festival features live music, pottery, paintings, apparel, jewelry and more than forty local artisans. Free. 4 to 8 p.m. Princeville Shopping Center, (808) 635-2572
KŌLOA PLANTATION DAYS
7/18–27
This annual celebration honors the plantation heritage and modern-day vitality of Kōloa and Po‘ipū over ten days with a rodeo, festival parade and more. Kōloa, koloaplantationdays.com
HANALEI BAY SWIM CHALLENGE
7/26
A competitive swim fundraiser for Namolokama o Hanalei Canoe Club, hosting more than two hundred swimmers from around the world. 8 a.m. Hanalei, namolokama.org
Waipā Cultural Foodways Program:
Food and Farm Tours
5-5785A
Kuhio Hwy, Hanalei
Weekdays ongoing
waipafoundation.org/food-and-farmtours/
Ever wonder how Hawaiian people lived sustainably in ancient times? Or which cultural practices around farming and food continue to be utilized today?
For over 30 years the Waipā Foundation has been exploring how traditional values can guide modern practices to create vibrant, abundant natural resources and healthy, thriving communities. Waipā is a 1,600-acre ahupua‘a on Kaua‘i’s North Shore—a living learning center hosting thousands of lifelong learners annually.
Join our guided tours to learn about the deep cultural relationship between our people, food, and ‘āina. Walk and ride with us to explore the food systems and waterways within the valley. Journey from Halulu Fishpond, through lush farmlands, orchards, gardens, and lo‘i kalo (taro fields), to the cool uplands of Waipā Stream. Along the way, learn about practices that have fed Hawaiian communities for generations.
Savor a light continental breakfast, a mid-morning tasting, and a delicious five-course lunch featuring fresh, Waipā-grown ingredients.
Immerse yourself in Waipā and its vibrant community and be inspired to aloha ‘āina.
Food, Farm & Lei Experience
Kīlauea, Kaua’i
Weekdays Ongoing
commongroundkauai.com
Experience the beauty and flavor of Kauai at Common Ground. Set on a 63-acre historic agricultural property that was once home to a guava plantation, Common Ground is a destination unlike any other. Take a leisurely walk to a 100 year old stone dam and waterfall, enjoy a tour through our lush food forest, savor a farm to table dining experience and learn the art of lei making. At Common Ground, we celebrate connections- whether it’s with nature, culture or one another, our experiences are rooted in place and designed for visitors and kama’aina young and old.
Our guided tours invite you to explore the wonders of regenerative agriculture and the critical piece it plays in the future food systems for the island. Savor an incredible meal crafted by our expert culinary team, featuring 100% locally sourced ingredients. Each dish tells a story of our commitment to sustainability and community, allowing you to truly appreciate and experience the beauty of Kaua’i and its people.
Join us as we set the table for a regenerative future!
HORSES ARE GOOD COMPANY
Browse our showroom of fine quality goods for men, women, horses, the home and garden. Now featuring: Abilene, Billy Cook, Blundstone, Carr & Day & Martin, Hario, Haws, Justin Boots, Kimes Ranch, LC King, Mauviel, Montana Silversmiths, Mu’umu’u, Palaka, Pāpale, The Tailored Sportsman, Thorogood, Tony Lama, Toyo, Vinyl Records and Western Aloha. 4427 Papalina, Kalāheo
(808) 378-2116
horsesaregood.com
KAUAI BAKERY
3-2600 Kaumuali‘i Hwy, Suite 1526, Lihu‘e
Kauai native owned and continuing The Garden Island’s Kauai Bakery legacy. Centrally located, minutes from landing at the Lihue Airport. Begin your day with a savory manapua, sweet pastry, cakes, classic malasada or variety of filled malasadas including Ube, Guava, Haupia, Lilikoi, Mango, Dobash to name a few. Can’t decide? Try our Kauai Bakery Malasada Flight and sample every flavor!
ADVERTISING IN HANA HOU! GETS SEEN. PRINT. DIGITAL. IN-FLIGHT.
“We have a great partnership with Hana Hou!, and our advertising gets strong results. We don‘t advertise anywhere else and are pleased with the business generated by our ad in Hana Hou!—both in person and through website sales.”
BRYCE ZANE Sales Manager, Dole Hawaii
(808) 320-3434
@kauaibakery
“Hana Hou! has been our most important form of marketing communication to customers since we started advertising in the magazine in 2000. To achieve the greatest impact, our new ‘Collections’ are introduced first in Hana Hou! and there is no doubt that our advertising in Hana Hou! has contributed greatly to our success.”
COLE
SLATER
President & CEO, Maui Divers Jewelry
“Our advertisements in Hana Hou! magazine received an excellent response. Our ad reached our target audience, generating significant interest and engagement, resulting in positive outcomes for Kuilei Place.”
ALANA KOBAYASHI PAKKALA Executive Vice President, Kobayashi Group.
KILAUEA FINE JEWELRY
Ahuimanu Shopping Center, Kīlauea
Experience the beauty of Kauai with timeless, handcrafted jewelry from Kilauea Fine Jewelry. Specializing in Tahitian and South Sea pearls, ethically-sourced diamonds, gemstones, and custom designs, they offer unique pieces to complement every lifestyle. Visit their Kīlauea and Old Kapa‘a Town locations to explore a stunning collection, including the durable Kāne men’s line. Commemorate your island visit with exquisite jewelry that will be treasured for generations.
Step onto the legendary greens that hosted the PGA Grand Slam of Golf from 1994 – 2006. Between lush mountains and rugged ocean cliffs, Poipu Bay Golf Course features 18 championship holes that are visually stunning as they are challenging. Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., Poipu Bay Golf Course is one of the most highly acclaimed resort courses in Hawai‘i.
(808) 742-8711 poipubaygolf.com
Explore the enticing beauty of Lāna‘i with one of EXPEDITIONS ecofriendly, USCG certified, daily cruises. Snorkel, hike, drive, tour or just Lounge on Lāna‘i! Aboard Expeditions, you’ll enjoy spectacular views of Maui County, including the islands of Maui, Lāna‘i, Moloka‘i and Kaho‘olawe. For three decades Expeditions has been providing the most reliable, affordable inter-island travel between Maui and Lāna‘i. (808) 378-4089 saltywahine.com
Aloha Welcome aboard
E nanea i kā mākou ho‘okipa, a e luana i ka lele ‘ana!
Please enjoy our hospitality, and have a relaxing flight!
In Hawaiian culture, mea ho‘okipa means "I am your host." This phrase expresses the spirit of hospitality you'll find on our flights, whether you're traveling to the Neighbor Islands, between Hawai‘i and North America or within the Asia-Pacific region. If there is anything that we can do to make your flight more enjoyable, please don't hesitate to let us know.
We prioritize the privacy and safety of our guests and employees. We do not tolerate physical, sexual, verbal and digital harassment or assault, including unwanted photography/ videography. Guests should immediately report unwelcome behavior to an employee; those who feel uncomfortable reporting in person may do so anonymously by calling the Hawaiian Airlines Ethics and Compliance hotline at 1-888-738-1915 or by visiting hawaiianairlines. com/ethicsreporting. Guests may also report incidents to the FBI by contacting their local FBI office, calling 1-800-CALL-FBI or visiting tips.fbi.gov. Any crime committed onboard our aircraft is a federal offense.
144 / In-Flight Meals
145 / Streaming Entertainment on A321neo Aircraft
146 / In-Flight Snacks, Souvenirs and Beverages
148 / Terminal Maps
150 / HawaiianMiles Partners
152 / Route Map
154 / The ‘Ohana Pages
In-Flight Tastes of Hawai‘i
Delicious Complimentary Meals
It’s true. We’re one of the only airlines left in the country to serve you a complimentary meal at mealtime in the Main Cabin. You’ll find Hawai‘i-inspired meals on select flights to and from Hawai‘i, always served with our unique brand of Hawaiian hospitality.
Above top: Wade Ueoka and Michelle Karr-Ueoka
Bottom: Chuck Furuya
Left to right: Chef Eric Oto of Hoku’s at the Kahala Resort and Spa, Chef Robynne Maii of Fete Hawaii, Chef Dell Valdez of vein at Kaka‘ako, Executive Chefs Wade Ueoka and Michelle Karr-Ueoka of MW Restaurant, Chef Chris Kajioka of Miro Kaimuki and Chef Jason Yamaguchi of Mugen Waikiki.
Hawaiian Airlines Featured Chef Series showcases star chefs
Hawaiian Airlines’ in-flight service shares the sights, sounds and tastes of Hawai‘i, and when it comes to our First Class meal service, that means exciting, varied Pacific Rim cuisine with our Featured Chef Series. This esteemed collaboration showcases some of Hawai‘i’s most dynamic chefs creating menus for meals served in our forward cabin.
The Featured Chef Series is overseen by Hawaiian Airlines Executive Chefs Wade Ueoka and Michelle Karr-Ueoka.
Sit back and enjoy Hawai‘i’s vibrant food culture and our distinct onboard experience.
A taste of tradition
Executive Chefs Wade Ueoka and Michelle Karr-Ueoka opened MW Restaurant in Honolulu in 2013. Their cuisine combines inspirations from travels around the world with Hawai‘i’s culinary traditions and local bounty. To sample MW’s latest creations visit their new location at 888 Kapi‘olani Boulevard in Honolulu.
MWRestaurant.com
Wine pairings by our Master Sommelier
Chuck Furuya has a passion for the world’s oldest fermented beverage and holds the distinction of becoming only the tenth person in the United States to pass the rigorous Master Sommelier examination, in 1988. You can find Chuck at Chuck Furuya Uncorked on YouTube.
Starlink In-Flight WiFi on A321neo and A330 Aircraft
In-Flight WiFi
Hawaiian Airlines is proud to be the first major airline to offer Starlink WiFi onboard our A321neo and A330 aircraft. It is fast, free internet available for everyone right when you board. Switch to Airplane Mode and connect to “ Starlink WiFi on HawaiianAir ”
Note: Starlink WiFi is not available on our B787 aircraft at this time.
USAGE GUIDELINES
The following is not permitted with our in-flight internet service:
• No voice or video calls
• No Livestream broadcasting
• No viewing obscene/offensive content
Mele
Collections to suit your musical tastes
Hawaiian Airlines offers DJ-hosted, curated audio programming devoted to musical styles from across the globe, ranging from award-winning Hawaiian music to jazz and K-Pop.*
FEATURED CHANNELS INCLUDE:
Island Favorites
A collection of the best in Hawaiian music, from classic to contemporary.
‘Ukulele Wizards
A celebration of Hawai‘i’s iconic instrument and those who use it to make musical magic.
Wings of Jazz
Explore the Island jazz scene with some of Hawai‘i’s top artists.
Classic Jawaiian Rhythms
The melding of Hawaiian melodies with Jamaican rhythms creates a uniquely Island groove.
*Available only on A330 and A321neo aircraft.
Stephen Inglis (left) and Pali Ka‘aihue (right).
In-Flight Snacks and Souvenirs
Pau Hana Snack
Keepsake blanket, popular local snacks, souvenirs and sundries are available from the Pau Hana Snack Cart. Cabin crew will advise when the cart is heading down the aisle on domestic flights or is open in the galley on Australia and New Zealand flights.
Selections and quantities are limited and may vary. To print receipts of in-flight purchases, visit HawaiianAirlines.com/receipts.
Popular Local Snacks
Waiākea Hawaiian Volcanic Water in Refillable Bottle, 22 oz.˙˙
Hawaiian Chip Company Taro and Sweet Potato Chips
Island Princess Caramel Macadamia Nut Popcorn
Kona Chips Furikake Chips
Samurai Furikake Popcorn
Snack Packs ˙
Made in Hawai‘i Snack Sampler K Choco Caramel Popcorn, Choco Mochi, Lightly Salted and Maui Onion Macadamia Nuts, Mele Mac
Waiākea Hawaiian Volcanic Water in Refillable Bottle
In-Flight Beverages
Juices
Passion-Orange-Guava* (POG)
Pineapple Orange Nectar / Apple / Orange
Mott’s Tomato / Mr. & Mrs. T Bloody Mary Mix
Hot beverages
Lion Coffee* / Tea
Soft drinks
Coke / Diet Coke / Sprite
Diamond Head Strawberry Soda
Canada Dry Ginger Ale
Milk (Lowfat or Whole)
Club Soda / Tonic Water / Flavored Sparkling Water
Cocktails
Mai Tai (Kō Hana)
Pineapple Daiquiri** (Kō Hana)
Old Fashioned** (On the Rocks)
Spirits Rum (Koloa Rum)
Vodka (Ocean)
Scotch (Dewars)
Whiskey (Jack Daniel’s)
Gin (Tanqueray)
Koloa Pineapple Passion*** (Koloa Rum)
$10.00
$10.00
Wines & Champagne
Summer Club Pogmosa Sparkling White Wine with Passionfruit, Orange, Guava
Mionetto Prosecco Sparkling Wine Split
Woodbridge Cabernet Red Wine Split**
Woodbridge Chardonnay White Wine Split**
Red or White Wine Half Bottle**
Red or White Wine Glass***
Beers
Big Swell IPA (Maui Brewing Co.)
Bikini Blonde Lager** (Maui Brewing Co.)
Da Hawai‘i Life Lite Lager (Maui Brewing Co.)
Hard Seltzer Dragon Fruit** (Maui Brewing Co.)
Heineken**
$8.00
$10.00
$9.00
$9.00
$9.00
$9.00
Complimentary beverages provided by
*Complimentary on Neighbor Island flights.
**Available for purchase on Neighbor Island flights.
***Complimentary glass of wine on flights to/from New York, Boston, Austin. Complimentary glass of Koloa Pineapple Passion on flights to/from West Coast North American cities. $8 per glass thereafter.
All beer, wine, champagne and spirits available for purchase on North American flights. Complimentary in First/Business Class.
Alcoholic Beverages
Only alcoholic beverages provided by Hawaiian Airlines and served by Flight Attendants may be consumed on board the aircraft. No alcoholic beverages will be served to persons who appear intoxicated or to those under 21 years of age.
Hawaiian Airlines’ complimentary items may change or vary from time to time, and availability can be affected by aircraft schedule changes.
Beverage menu is subject to change. Some items may not be available on all flights and/or classes of service. Beverage availability is limited. Beers, wines, spirits, snacks and sundries are available for purchase with major credit/debit cards only.
˙ Snack box components are subject to availability. Please see snack box for list of included items.
˙˙ Available on select North America flights only.
GF Gluten-Free
K Kosher
A mile flown is a mile earned. Join HawaiianMiles for free and earn miles every time you fly with us or earn miles with our hotel, car rental, and shopping and dining partners. With miles that never expire, the sky is the limit. Visit HawaiianAirlines.com/Join/HanaHou.
Redeem across our expanded network
Your miles have more value than ever before. Transfer miles between HawaiianMiles and Mileage Plan™ at a 1:1 ratio for no charge, then redeem across Alaska’s 30 oneworld® and global airline partners.
Make sure you have accounts in both HawaiianMiles and Mileage Plan. Miles can only be transferred between accounts owned by the same individual.
and start earning every day
You’re invited to join Huaka‘i by Hawaiian, our new program exclusively for Hawai‘i residents.
Membership is free and gives you special perks when flying between the Hawaiian Islands. You just have to be a HawaiianMiles member who lives in Hawai‘i.
Register now for free membership
Status match with Alaska’s Mileage Plan™
Pualani Elite can get the MVP treatment on Alaska Airlines. Simply link your HawaiianMiles account to Alaska’s Mileage Plan and have your status matched across both programs.
Even better, if you’ve earned elite-qualifying miles (EQMs) in both HawaiianMiles and Mileage Plan in 2024, we’ll award you the highest possible status based on your combined EQM total.
Huaka‘i by Hawaiian
SOUTH KOREA
The ‘Ohana Pages
Fostering Future Pilots
Horizon Air, the regional airline subsidiary of Alaska Air Group—which includes Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines—is paving the way to the flight deck for aspiring Hawai‘i pilots … without them leaving the Islands for training. The program, the first of its kind in Hawai‘i, provides pilots with a path to potentially join Horizon Air while easing the financial burden of training.
Local students are invited to apply and can obtain the necessary experience and flight ratings through flight schools in Hawai‘i at their own pace. Once selected, participants in the Horizon Air Pilot Development Program will receive a $12,500 flight training stipend, a conditional job offer at Horizon Air (upon graduation and meeting hiring requirements), pilot mentorship and networking opportunities, exclusive access to company events and personalized support throughout their training.
Headquartered in Seattle, Horizon employs nearly 3,500 people and operates a fleet of 44 Embraer E-175 jets. The airline serves more than 50 destinations on the West Coast and beyond, with crew bases in Anchorage, Alaska; Boise, Idaho; Everett, Seattle and Spokane, Washington and Portland and Medford, Oregon. More than 430 students nationwide are enrolled in the Pilot Development Program.
“We are very excited to provide pilots from Hawai‘i not only an opportunity to join us at Horizon but also a path to eventually come home to Hawai‘i to fly the rest of their careers,” said Carlos Zendejas, vice president of flight operations for Horizon Air. “Horizon’s seven pilot bases and the communities we serve in the Pacific Northwest and beyond offer students some incredible flying experiences while they build their time.”
In February, employees from Horizon, Alaska and Hawaiian joined Hawai‘i Lt. Governor Sylvia Luke and nearly 60 student pilots at the Honolulu facility of Pacific Flight Academy, which was co-founded by Hawaiian Airlines
Airbus A330 First Officer Babak “Bobby” Nikkhoo.
“Being born and raised in Hawai‘i, it was always my goal to be able to serve my community here at home,” said Anais Rodriguez, a student pilot at Pacific Flight Academy. “This program is a game-changing opportunity for aspiring pilots from across Hawai‘i to be able to train in state and potentially advance into careers with a world-class airline.”
Horizon Air anticipates a steady need for skilled pilots as the company grows to support the combined global network of Alaska and Hawaiian. Prospective local aviators can learn more and apply at careers.alaskaair.com/careeropportunities/pilots/pdp/.
Mahalo, Million Milers
Every flight brings guests closer to earning one of the airline industry’s
most coveted honors: Million Miler status. Hawaiian Airlines’ Million Miler program celebrates the globetrotting loyalty members who achieve this impressive milestone with a commemorative bag tag crafted from metal salvaged from a retired Hawaiian Airlines aircraft, lifetime Pualani Platinum status and the privilege of extending Pualani Platinum status to a household member.
As of early March, 23 HawaiianMiles members have met or surpassed the million-miles-flown mark—the equivalent of circling the globe 40 times—and were inducted into a select group of 885 Million Milers, which is about 0.04 percent of all HawaiianMiles members.
Kaua‘i resident Elizabeth Goyne Freitas turned Million Miler this year by flying to destinations like Los Angeles— her preferred stopover on long-haul European adventures—or nonstop to
Hawaiian Airlines Airbus A330 First Officer and Pacific Flight Academy co-founder Babak “Bobby” Nikkhoo (right) and Ian Misaro, assistant system chief pilot of Hawaiian Airlines, in the pilot seats of one of Pacific Flight Academy's training aircraft.
Hawaiian Airlines’ Million Miler program celebrates members who achieve this milestone with a commemorative aluminum bag tag, lifetime Pualani Platinum status and more.
Sydney, Australia. For Freitas, flying with Hawaiian Airlines, no matter the destination, is a must.
“Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of traveling with friends, family and even solo. One thing remains constant: the incredible sense of community on every Hawaiian Airlines flight,” Freitas explained. “The camaraderie between passengers and crew always makes every flight feel like an extension of our Island home.”
Freitas has taken approximately 1,008 paid trips with Hawaiian Airlines— add in rewards travel and that number is much higher. Twenty years ago, when she first joined HawaiianMiles, she would’ve laughed at the thought of ever reaching Million Miler status. Yet today, she’s sharing her favorite travel memories and planning her next epic journey.
“One of my favorite memories is my first trip to Australia in 2008. I had saved up miles for a Premium Cabin upgrade, and I was beyond excited—like a kid in a candy store! But just as I was about to board, I hit a snag: my passport didn’t meet the six-month validity requirement. Hawaiian Airlines handled the situation with professionalism and kindness, guiding me through it so I could still make
my trip,” she recalled. “When I finally boarded, the flight attendant welcomed me with a warm smile and a refreshing drink, making me feel truly special with that simple act of genuine hospitality.”
Many cherished memories also began on Hawaiian for O‘ahu resident Stephanie Faletagaloa. Her love for travel took root during business trips and flourished when she turned her focus to visiting bucket-list destinations. Nearly 15 years later, Faletagaloa is still jetsetting to places she once only dreamed of visiting, often with her friends who call themselves “The 808 Sistahs.”
‘Ohana is everything to Faletagaloa. When she’s not collecting passport stamps, she’s attending weddings, graduations, birthday celebrations and family milestones from California to Massachusetts. But family is never far from her journey.
“I have a cousin who works for Hawaiian Airlines in American Sāmoa, my best friend is a guest service agent in Honolulu and I often travel with my family and friends. I’ve met so many amazing employees and made lifelong friends from all over the world. To me, flying on Hawaiian Airlines means being with ‘ohana,” said Faletagaloa.
HawaiianMiles members can see how close they are to being a Million Miler program member by referencing the lifetime mileage tracker in their monthly mileage e-statement or by contacting the HawaiianMiles Service Center.
Mana Up!
In February, Mana Up and Hawaiian Airlines announced the launch of a collaborative retail collection, featuring an assortment of products designed by nine Hawai‘i-based companies. This exclusive collection, which began rolling out in August 2024 to celebrate the airline’s 95th anniversary, builds on a deep-rooted partnership that that goes back to Mana Up’s inception in 2018, furthering both organizations’ shared mission of bringing Hawai‘i to the world.
Hawaiian Airlines has long been a champion of local businesses and cultural storytelling, and this collection continues that commitment by featuring products that pay homage through unique flavors and scents, along with heritage prints from the airline’s archives. The collection includes:
ava + oliver: A lunch bag and silicone bib featuring a print used on Hawaiian Airlines’ flight attendant uniforms from the 1970s. Its retro, colorful motifs are a nostalgic nod to Hawaiian Airlines’ rich history.
AVVA (Ambassadors with Aloha): Stylish streetwear collection featuring a sweatshirt, sweatpants, T-shirt, shorts and hat featuring the iconic 1970s Hawaiian Airlines logo.
Bradley & Lily: Postcards and notebooks with nostalgic designs and a simple vintage Hawai‘i look that resonate and bring back memories for travelers and locals alike.
Jules + Gem Hawai‘i: A puakenikeni and guava-scented candle, hand sanitizer and car freshener inspired by the scents of the Islands.
Hawaiian Rainforest Naturals: A Travel Easy essential oil roll-on blend
and hydrating Hibiscus Mist designed to ease travel stress and promote relaxation for flying.
Pono Potions: A POG mixer inspired by Hawaiian Airlines’ POG cuplet, this beverage enhancer is crafted with 100 percent real fruit purée, cane sugar and fresh citrus juices, perfect for cocktails or mocktails.
Surf Shack Puzzles: A limited-edition travel-themed retro postcard puzzle is a fun and unique way to send aloha and a little “piece of paradise” to friends and family.
Tag Aloha: A collection of trendy bucket hats, pareos and beach towels featuring prints honoring Pualani’s iconic hibiscus from 1973 to the present day.
ua body: A three-pack amenity box featuring a new fragrance, Hibiscus—a bright, floral and slightly sweet scent designed to honor Pualani and the hospitality she represents.
“As Hawai‘i’s airline, we remain dedicated to celebrating local businesses and sharing their stories with the world,” said Alisa Onishi, director of brand and culture at Hawaiian Airlines. “Our partnership with Mana Up reflects this commitment, celebrating both our 95-year journey and the creativity and entrepreneurial spirit across our islands.”
For more information and to shop the collection, visit the Mana Up x Hawaiian Airlines collection at houseofmanaup. com/collections
Remaking Maui
In February, the Hawaiian Airlines Foundation awarded $150,000 in grants to three Maui organizations leading the recovery efforts following the devastating August 2023 Maui wildfires. Now part of the Alaska Air Group, the Foundation was established to support Hawai‘i programs that promote environmental sustainability, educational advancement and the preservation of Hawaiian culture. Both Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines share a long history of supporting nonprofits and programs that are important to local communities
in Hawai‘i. Each nonprofit organization received $50,000 to further their impactful work.
During a gathering to honor the awardees, Ben Minicucci, CEO of Alaska Air Group, highlighted each carrier’s continued support of Hawai‘i’s communities. “Even though Alaska has served Hawai‘i for more than 17 years, we know that our responsibility to these Islands will be much greater in the years ahead as we join with Hawaiian Airlines, which has been Hawai‘i’s airline for the past 95 years and counting. We feel this deeply and appreciate input from the community, and from all of you, to help us serve the people of Hawai‘i well for generations to come.”
The three recipients of the Hawaiian Airlines Foundation grants were: Pūnana Leo o Lahaina, a Hawaiian language immersion preschool established in 2016; Lahaina Public Library, a cornerstone of the community since its opening on March 4, 1956 and Treecovery Hawai‘i, which has been instrumental in addressing the environmental impact of the wildfires. The campus of Pūnana Leo o Lahaina and the Lahaina Public Library were both destroyed by the wildfires, which also destroyed over 20,000 trees in Lahaina and Kula.
“We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines for their continued support and aloha as we rebuild the Pūnana Leo o Lahaina, focusing on our foundation of ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i [Hawaiian language] and aloha ‘ohana,” said Kumu (teacher) Karyn Kanekoa of Pūnana Leo o Lahaina. “Aloha ‘ohana is a vital and cherished aspect of Hawaiian culture. The overall success of ‘ohana and community rests on the responsibility of its members. Therefore, we extend our heartfelt mahalo to Hawaiian and Alaska for embracing this responsibility. E Ola Ka ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i! [Long live Hawaiian language!]”
Lahaina Public Library, which was built on Moku‘ula, the former royal taro patch of King Kamehameha III, was a 4,540-square-foot library housing approximately 21,000 volumes. The grant will assist in establishing a temporary location, slated to open during the summer.
“Public libraries are community hubs that bring people together to read, learn and connect. They are comfortable living rooms of the community where people find new stories, use technology and find spaces to dream,” said Stacey Aldrich, State Librarian of the Hawai‘i State Public Library System. “We are very grateful to the Hawaiian Airlines Foundation for supporting our future Lahaina Public Library space where our friends and neighbors will be able to connect and heal.”
Meanwhile, Treecovery Hawai‘i is committed to growing and planting trees free of charge for affected families and businesses. The grant will support its ongoing efforts to care for surviving trees, as well as the cultivation, maintenance, transportation and replanting of new trees for future generations.
Baggage Free
Want to chase that perfect swell in Hawai‘i, tee up at year-round balmy golf courses, or take in the Islands’ scenic coastal views while biking? Hawaiian Airlines is now accepting surfboards and bicycles, in addition to other sports equipment including golf clubs, as standard checked baggage on every flight.
“Hawai‘i is synonymous with surfing and many ocean and land-based activities that draw visitors from around the world,” said Sandra Wang, product manager at Hawaiian Airlines. “We are excited to extend this new benefit to our visitors and kama‘āina so they can enjoy their favorite sports and hobbies in Hawai‘i and anywhere they travel in our network, including Asia, Oceania and the US continent.”
Guests who book tickets with the Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard receive two free checked bags, which can now include sports equipment, on eligible flights. With Hawaiian Airlines joining Alaska Air Group, travelers can also bring their sports equipment as a standard checked bag on flights across the combined carriers’ network.
Take advantage of these exclusive cardmember benefits and more:*
• Get t wo free checked bags, which can now include sports equipment, on eligible flights
• Receive a one-time 50%-off companion discount
• Earn 3x HawaiianMiles for every $1 spent on eligible Hawaiian Airlines purchases Apply today. Ask your Flight Attendant for a special in-flight application.
Find Dining
Eat only what you can catch or pick within a twenty-mile radius of your house. Ready? Go.
Last summer, chef Yuda Abitbol did just that: For ninety days he aimed to eat only foods he foraged, hunted, fished, grew or traded with others doing the same. He sourced nearly every ingredient locally, even salt and pepper, cacao and cinnamon. The point was to highlight food insecurity in Hawai‘i, where over 80 percent of our food is imported and residents pay some of the highest prices in the nation. Which seems odd in a place known for abundant vegetation, reefs and rain, and blessed with a year-round growing season. Before Western contact, the Hawaiian Islands once sustained a million people by some estimates. But those times are gone, and ag lands have become housing and golf courses, and the million-plus of us here today shop at Costco. By showing that it’s possible to eat 100 percent local, Abitbol wanted to prove that, maybe, it doesn’t have to be this way.
Easier thought than done. The ninety-day challenge wasn’t Abitbol’s first—he’d completed a thirty-day
challenge last August—but it was his longest. He got pretty far but lost it on day fifty-seven. “I just wanted pho so bad,” he says. It wasn’t just the cravings, though: The realities of everyday life— traveling, moving homes and preparing back-to-back private dinners—made scouring the forest nearly impossible.
Abitbol has always eaten wild foods. He was born in Kahalu‘u, O‘ahu, and moved to the continent during his formative years. He cut his culinary teeth in high-end, high-stress kitchens but didn’t flourish in that environment. One renowned chef fired him, saying he’d never make it. But Abitbol could do what his mentors couldn’t: whip up a gourmet, foraged, wood-fired meal in the middle of a forest. Working in tony restaurants, Abitbol noted that so much of what they served was imported, even ingredients available locally. Today, back in Hawai‘i as a private chef, Abitbol hunts and gathers everything he can and shares his knowledge of foods that might be growing in the backyard.
His private dinners aren’t the only way he educates. His Saturday foraging classes teach participants what part of the forest they can eat. They’ll typically follow a stream (hence his tour company’s name: Follows the Wai, “wai” being Hawaiian for fresh water). “Most of the food plants grow along streams,” he says. “Plus, if you get lost, you can usually find your way back by following the water.” On the trail, Abitbol plucks dainty Chinese violets, bursting Surinam cherries, bunches of peppercorn. He’ll use them to infuse vinaigrettes, salads, marinades and more.
Participants also learn about invasive species—mainly the edible ones. “The best way to control pests,” says Abitbol, “is to eat them.” When he comes across native plants like māmaki, he’ll pull nearby weeds or prune the damaged leaves. The plants
don’t have to be edible to be useful. A fuzzy Koster’s curse leaf is “nature’s toilet paper,” Abitbol says, picking one for later. Then he points to the plant’s ripe berry. “Those look perfect, but don’t eat too many of them,” he warns. “You’ll regret it.”
Has he ever regretted it? “Once, and it wasn’t my fault,” he says. “I was poisoned.” When he was 19, Abitbol met a girl on the beach, who’d made tea from a plant she had just learned about. Belladonna boasts an elegant, bell-shaped flower but is highly toxic when consumed. Abitbol spent five days hospitalized in a coma. But then he researched everything he could about belladonna. Horrible as it was, the experience inspired his interest in edible plants and set him on a path to become a forager.
As rewarding (and economical) as foraging can be, it’s not by itself a solution to Hawai‘i’s food insecurity. But, Abitbol says, if everyone ate closer to home, adding just one local ingredient to their dishes, it would reduce the cost of local produce and make it more accessible. Just be willing to make adjustments: “Your diet isn’t going to be the same if you try to live fully local. You have to eat things like ‘ulu [breadfruit] and kalo [taro].”
And you’ll have to be resourceful. In his kitchen, Abitbol reaches for peppercorn he harvested himself. (It’s next to a jar labeled “Three ants honey” from Hawai‘i Island, so named because of the three ants floating in it.) He sprinkles it onto gnocchi made from ‘ulu he harvested from his yard the day before, local eggs mixed into the gnocchi flour. The grated Italian cheese means it’s not 100 percent local, he shrugs, but close enough. hh
Chef Yuda Abitbol attempted the extremely difficult: eating only what he could hunt or forage locally (like the ‘ulu, or breadfruit, he's pictured with) for ninety days. Spoiler alert: He was derailed by pho.
