Waikiki

Waikiki, meaning “spouting water,” was once a vast marshland fed by many streams, including the old stream Kuekaunahi at whose mouth this place stands. From ancient times it was a popular surfing area, helping make it a center where chiefs established their homes and headquarters for hundreds of years. Although surfing was called “the sport of kings,” it was practiced by everyone. Surf breaks had special names, and Waikiki’s most famous was Kalehuawehe, or “take off the lehua,” named for a legendary hero who removed his lei of lehua blossoms and gave it to the wife of the ruling chief while they were surfing together. Romance and surfing often went together. Mark Twain wrote of trying surf bathing at Waikiki in 1866 and failing spectacularly. By 1900, surfing had nearly died out in Hawai’i, partly because missionaries opposed a sport that drew people away from worship and other religious obligations. Waikiki has some of the world’s best summer waves, with swells ranging from 2 to 8 feet and, on rare occasions, reaching 35 feet. A ride can extend a hundred yards or more. The longest recorded ride there occurred in 1917, when Duke Kahanamoku caught a 35-foot wave and rode it a mile and a quarter to shore. Already famous as an Olympic champion, Duke Kahanamoku later introduced surfing to Australia and demonstrated it along the California coast.

Urban Honolulu, Hawaii · United States