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Beachboy returns

Up Nuuanu, waterfalls peeking behind trees flashing by, past the Pali, snaking down Castle Junction beyond Hygenic Store, Chinaman Hat, Kaawa, and Kahana is a tiny restaurant with an add-on enclosed covered lanai, gravel parking and the kind of backyard, family atmosphere that was once all you had in Hawaii… before Sheraton and Hyatt and even before Hilton.

We walked in at 7:30 as dusk gathered behind the Koolaus, people busy eating plates of 30 shrimp for $14.95 and took two steps down to the concrete floor in the bar area where Buddy Fo was playing with his wife and bass player friend.

It was like stepping back into time.

I remember Waikiki like that. Old outdoor bars. Stone barbecues. Beachboys singing on the beach with their ukuleles. I was just a kid then. Fo remembers it better. He was a young man.

“I used to make $1 a lesson back then (surfing), but then plate lunch was 35 cents. Only the old time beach boys, Steamboat, could go on the grounds of the Royal. Kui Lee was my cousin. We joined the Coast Guard together. I remember we used to sit on the fantail in Cheasapeake Bay and he used to ask, how you like this song.

“I told him, ‘Naw, junk.”

Fo smiles that infectious grin that Hawaiians have that has won the hearts of people the world over. It is laid back, warm and knowing.

Fo started playing ukulele on the beach for tips. By 1958, he had formed a group known as the Invitations. They morphed Hawaiian and jazz with four part harmony, all excellent musicians. They were one of the first locals to do a national recording on the old Liberty label.

Songs like “Sweet Someone,” “Kiss Me Love,” and “Malia My Tita,” were local standards long before the Hokus.

Fo, not Ho, then went to Maui, where he played hotels and traveled. He spent five years in Las Vegas with Martin Denny. Learned in the shadow of the Rat Pack. Finally, he retired and bought an RV with his wife of 40 years, Sammi. They began living the RV life for 5 years before settling on Montana near Glacier National Park.

But Don Ho, not Fo, called him back. He returned to Punaluu about five months ago. He plays with Don three nights a week at the Waikiki Beachcomber and weekends at Punaluu Restaurant, just on the Laie side of Kahana Bay.

Sammi, a dancer and choreographer, does conga and Jason Takamaru drives out from town to do bass. Sammi does not like a wife of 40 years. She looks like one of those women you luck into on your second life.

Punaluu Restaurant is a kick to visit. At night, especially, it’s quaint with the kind of old time Polynesian flavor that once made Waikiki famous. The bathrooms are outside. The waitresses don’t wear uniforms. Buddy is dressed in shorts and slippers.

But the voice is ageless. Soft, deep, full bodied, easy going. He sings like your uncle tried to sing. He sings like the oldtimers. Well, he is an oldtimer.

“The kids walk in, we’re not doing reggae, they walk back out again. Mostly, we get the older crowd who live in the area, but we love to get town people over. The musicians, the young musicians dig it.”

Fo does everything from old standards to a song that Sammi wrote.

“Years and years, even in Montana, we’d sit in an RV park or there was a restaurant up there called Tiki’s, it was owned by the guy who bought Hotel Molokai, he loves Hawaii, people would hear us, they always ask for “Sweet Leilani,” “Blue Hawaii,” songs they grew up hearing.”

And if you’re lucky he’ll tell you the story about “Malia My Tita” and recording it behind the stage at Roosevelt High.

Wave Riders Surf Exhibit Returns to the Outrigger Reef this Fall

WAIKIKI - Surf's up at the Outrigger Reef on the Beach from September 12 through October 31, 2003, when the hotel proudly presents the second annual "Ka Holo He'e Nalu" (Wave Riders) Surf Exhibit.

Located in the lobby of the beachfront hotel, the free exhibit will offer guests a unique glimpse into the history of the Hawaiian sport of surfing through a variety of displays, photographs, surfing memorabilia and vintage Hawaiian surfboards.

On September 12, guests and visitors can witness a traditional Hawaiian blessing to welcome the exhibit that will occupy about 1,000 square feet of the lobby.

The exhibit, assembled by surfing nostalgia collector Rolland Tang, features a replica of a Hawaiian grass hut to showcase the lives of the early Hawaiians from the 1700's to the 1890's. Other historical exhibits will take viewers back to Captain Cook's arrival in 1778 with period etchings, writings, and quotes from Captain Cook and other explorers.

In addition, memorabilia of the legendary Waikiki beach boys, including the late, great Duke Kahanamoku, Hawaii's Ambassador of Aloha and father of modern surfing, will be on display showcasing the era that shaped Hawaii's famous surf culture. Vintage Hawaiian surfboards will be on display around the lobby for guests to enjoy and admire. The exhibit traces the evolution of surfboards from a wooden plank used by early Hawaiians to today's modern surfboards of colorful lightweight materials. Perhaps some guests will be inspired to experience first hand the rush of riding a wave by taking a surflesson from the Hans Hedemann Surf School located at the hotel.

The Ka Holo He'e Nalu exhibit is the creation of Roland Tang, who has been gathering surf memorabilia for over 15 years. His collection includes over a hundred boards dating from early 1900 through the 70s, which he has found in Hawaii and on trips to California, Florida, New York, and New Jersey.

Fronting the surf exhibit will be another means by which the early Hawaiians rode the waves -- the hotel's newest cultural artifact, a 90-year-old Hawaiian sailing canoe named Hoaloha (friend). Master canoe builder/restoration expert Tay Perry recently restored the 25-foot solid koa canoe after a painstaking two-year process. Over the last 50 years, Perry has not only restored sixteen different canoes, he has also built four outrigger canoes completely from scratch.

Ka Holo He'e Nalu (The Wave Riders) Surf Exhibit and the sailing canoe Hoaloha are just two examples of the Outrigger Reef's continuing efforts of offering its guests, visitors and Hawaii residents truly authentic and unique island experiences.

33rd ANNUAL OKTOBERFEST RETURNS TO ALA MOANA HOTEL

Hawaii’s largest, longest running and most authentic Oktoberfest returns to the Ala Moana Hotel October 7-12, 2003, with the familiar clamor of cowbells, polka, hearty sing-a-longs, flagons of beer and menu of authentic German dishes. As one of Hawaii’s most anticipated cultural celebrations of the year, Oktoberfest has become a popular gathering spot for locals and visitors alike since the celebration began at the hotel 33 years ago.

“People really enjoy getting together with family and friends to experience the German music, food and all of the cultural aspects associated with Oktoberfest,” said John Cushnie, general manager of the Ala Moana Hotel. “It’s a great time to be at the Ala Moana Hotel and we’re looking forward to another fun and exciting year.

This year’s Oktoberfest promises to be an exciting affair with a menu featuring a medley of mouthwatering Bavarian dishes, a large selection of German beers, and all the schnapps you can handle in a variety of flavors. Executive Chef Ryan Day shares his German heritage with a menu of dishes including Bratwurst, German Sausages, Sauerbraten, Giant Knackwurst and Pig Knuckles. Entrees are complemented with a selection of traditional side dishes such as dumplings, potato salad and sauerkraut. Desserts such as Apple Strudel with Vanilla Ice Cream and Black Forest Layer Cake will top off the night.

An Oktoberfest wouldn’t be complete without the kegs of German beers flowing from the taps all night long. This year’s selection will include Ayinger Dunkel, Paulaner, Bitburger, Isenbeck, Becks, Spaten, St. Pauli Girl, and Lowenbrau. For the non-beer drinkers, Louis Guntrum wine and a variety of German “Schnapps Bude” including Barenjäger, Goldwasser, Rumple Minze, Kleiner Feigling and Jägermeister will also be served.

Oktoberfest at the Ala Moana Hotel’s Hibiscus Ballroom runs Tuesday through Thursday from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 6 p.m. to midnight; and Sunday from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Admission is $5 per person during the weekday (excluding Friday) and Sunday, and $8 on Friday and Saturday. Tickets may be purchased through the Ala Moana Hotel’s Concierge beginning September 1.

KOHALA COAST, Hawaii -- Danny "Kaniela" Akaka is the cultural compass or spiritual guide at Mauna Lani, and if you're wondering how to properly pronounce his Hawaiian name, the new Web site www.maunalaniculture.org can help you get it right.

The Web site is part of Akaka's ongoing effort to spread the wisdom of Hawaiian culture, particularly the rich heritage of Kalahuipua'a, the land and ancient fishponds that are the piko, or spiritual center, of Mauna Lani Resort. Accurate pronunciation of "Kalahuipua'a," and other potentially confounding words, can be heard on the Web site by clicking on highlighted terms.

A long-standing Mauna Lani program featured on the site is the Turtle or "Honu" program. Up-to-date maps showing the actual ocean travel of released turtles bearing satellite transmitters (part of a Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center NOAA satellite tracking study) are posted on the site, along with photos of the appealing marine creatures. The Web site also describes cultural events hosted by Mauna Lani at the Eva Parker Woods Cottage.

The "talk story" format of the culture Web site is intended to give an "in-house" glimpse of Hawaiian culture in action to an internet-wide audience, and features Akaka's perspective on living Hawaiian cultural values and wisdom in the 21st Century. Conceptually designed and maintained by Leilani Hino of the resort's Communication Education and Culture Department, www.maunalaniculture.org includes a section about the ancient fishponds, with detailed pictures of fish and wildlife, planned for expansion with a plant section in development. Other site areas include "Ancient Wisdom," and the "Mauna Lani 'Ohana.

Hawaiian culture has experienced a renaissance in recent years, whereby its music, dance, language, food and healing arts can be found across a vast cultural diaspora both in and outside of Hawaii. The rebirth of these ancient traditions is receiving welcomed responses, and this heartfelt appreciation has led to a new openness for Hawaiiana. What has often times been mere entertainment can now be explored in a legitimate contemporary cultural setting, with real spiritual connections to ancient traditions and ways of life.

Mauna Lani Resort is ideally located on the Big Island's Kohala Coast, 25 minutes north of the Kona International Airport. It features the award-winning Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows, nestled oceanfront and surrounded by acres of preserved, ancient Hawaiian fishponds. Amenities include two 18-hole championship golf courses, tennis courts, and Mauna Lani Spa.

Ageless Waikiki Duo moves to Neptune Garden

The curtain is rising once again for Keith and Carmen Haugen. The renowned music and hula duo staged their first opening night in 17 years at their new home, Neptune's Garden at the Pacific Beach Hotel. Following their August 19 opening, they'll be keeping dinner guests entertained every Tuesday and Wednesday from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

For the past 30 years, the talented couple has entertained visitors and locals with contemporary and traditional Hawaiian songs and dances at venues throughout Waikiki. They have also traveled the world, performing in major U.S. cities; in exotic locales like Australia, Thailand, Iceland, and Finland; and on luxury cruise ships. Carmen danced the hula for the Queen of Thailand at her palace in Bangkok in honor of the monarch's 45th birthday

Throughout their careers, Keith and Carmen have shared their talents through live performances, recordings and classroom instruction. Keith is an award-winning composer of more than 200 Hawaiian songs including "Mokupuni Nui," "The Lei Maker," "Brown Skin Woman," and "E Hula Mai 'Oe." Popular local artists Led Ka'apana, The Lim Family, Ohta-San, and The Sounds of Aloha- just to name a few- have recorded Keith's songs. When Keith isn't entertaining, he teaches Hawaiian language and music to Hawaii's keiki at Star of the Sea School. Carmen, who is said to have "the loveliest hula hands," enjoys teaching this distinctive Hawaiian dance form..

Waikiki shop introduces rocker’s bags

LeSportsac at the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center became one of the first stores in the world to carry a line limited edition handbags and accessories designed by Gwen Stefani, the Grammy-award-winning lead singer for pop band No Doubt. Stefani and LeSportsac are collaborating to design the L.A.M.B. line.

This limited edition collection of handbags and accessories combines
LeSportsac's signature rip-stop nylon and grosgrain logo tape with leather
trims, woven guitar straps, antiqued metal hardware and colorful linings, and
will make its debut this fall. Products will be printed in an Old English
font with Stefani's favorite words -- "love," "angel," "music" and "baby."

"We are thrilled that L.A.M.B. for LeSportsac will be sold at our shopping
center," said Charlian Wright, Corporate Marketing Director for the Royal
Hawaiian Shopping Center. "We hope this innovative collection will give
visitors and residents another reason to venture into Waikiki."

Stefani was named to Vogue's 2002 Best Dressed List and her creative style
continues to portray her as an icon in fashion, as well as in music. Her
signature outfits and lifelong passion for creating her own clothing designs
have culminated her decision to launch her new fashion label. L.A.M.B. for
LeSportsac will be Stefani's first time venturing into the fashion world.

LeSportsac, Inc. was founded in 1974. The company revolutionized the
accessories industry one year later with its introduction of the Classic
Collection of fold-in-a-pouch rip-stop parachute nylon bags and luggage. The
LeSportsac bag has become an American classic around the world. Products are
sold in over 15 countries and are popular across the globe.

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Steve Lent • Publisher | Alvin Koo • Editor | Alden Ng • Production