The TV campaign told the story of a Polynesian surfer who managed to ride a very big wave, under pretty interesting circumstances: white horses were running with enormous power behind the huge wave.

“Surfer” was shot in Hawaii, won several prizes, based on “Neptune’s Horses”, an 1893 Walter Crane painting.

2. It’s tall…
Mauna Kea on the Big Island has a snow capped (and snowboardable) summit that scrapes 14,000 feet above sea level. Below sea level it goes down another 18,000 to the sea floor; which equals a total height of 32,000 feet. Making it the biggest mountain on earth. Mount Everest, in comparison, is a paltry 29,035 feet, and to make matters worse Everest has got 4-foot shorter in recent times due to glacial melting.

3. It’s been surfed for a long time…
They may have a strong claim to being the oldest surfing race on earth, having invented the whole deal, but the Polynesians/Hawaiians aren’t a patch on the Peruvian goat boaters that have surfed on waveski’s made of reeds since year dot. But as goat boating doesn’t really count then the Hawaiians can take the honor.

4. The Union Jack is on the flag…
Odd as it seems the Hawaiian flag has the British flag in its top left corner, much the same as the Aussie Flag. The rest of the flag consists of eight red, white or blue stripes that represent the eight main islands (Nihau, Kauai, Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe and the Big Island of Hawaii). It goes back to the early 19th century when the Hawaiians agreed to be a protectorate of Great Britain. The UK didn’t run the show, they ran their own affairs, but we looked out for them against the Frenchies and the Americans.

5. We’ve just moved in…
The Hawaiian chain was one of the last places on earth to be colonised by mankind. Earliest evidence suggests some traces of man around 100AD, but the Polynesians didn’t properly colonise the joint until 400AD. First contact with the western world was made on January 19th, 1778 by Yorkshires finest- Captain James T Cook; he first hit land on Kauai. Now home to the Irons brothers.

6. There’s no shelf…
It’s the lack of continental shelf that gives the waves so much power on the North Shore. As the Hawaiian Islands are all volcanic islands that have grown steadily up from the sea floor there is no shelf to slow up the waves. The Big Island of Hawaii is less than 500,000 years old, cos its so new and fresh the lava reefs there are extremely sharp as they haven’t had time to erode.

7. It’s far…
The Hawaiian Island’s are the most isolated bits of land on Earth. It’s over 2400 miles to the continental USA and the other Polynesian islands in the South Pacific. 24 miles is a long way to go in a canoe. 2400 is off the scale, especially when you consider the Polynesian explorers had no idea where they were going or if there was even anywhere to go to. They must have been so glad when they finally hit Waikiki.

8. Spelling is easy…
There are only 12 letters in the Hawaiian alphabet. Cool huh? The vowels: A, E, I, O, U and the consonants: H, K, L, M, N, P, W. So that’s why so many place names, like Waimea, Haleiwa etc have such a distinctive ring to them. It also shows that few surf spots go by their local names, Banzai Pipeline is hard to make from only those letters.

9. Good java…
Hawaii is the only state in the US that produces coffee beans. Considering how much coffee the Americans drink it’s very odd. The Arabica beans grown on the Big Island that are sold as Kona coffee make for a damn fine brew. Coffee is also grown on the slopes overlooking the North Shore of Oahu between Wahiawa and Waialua …

10. Lava lava lava…
Mt. Kilauea is the most active volcano in the world and has been since 1983. Which makes the mapmakers in Hawaii angry, because every couple of weeks they have to redraw the map of the island; as it keeps getting bigger. This might not be a problem soon as a huge fissure, known officially as the Hilina Slump, and unofficially as the ‘Big Crack’ is opening up and a 4,760 cubic mile chunk of the Big Island is poised to fall off. Cue much tsunami action for Oz… At the moment it’s moving four inches a year, but has moved up to 26-feet in one day.

[posted via slidemag]

Using knowledge handed down from “shapers” and surfers over hundreds of years, the craftsman sands here and there along the blank until, eventually, it takes shape as a one-of-a-kind product.

Each surfboard takes about 16 days to go from blank to finished product, including shaping, fiberglassing, sanding and painting. The eventual cost at a surf shop for all that craftsmanship is $400 to $600, on average, depending on the type of board.

On the other side of the globe, dozens of workers, many of whom were raised on farms and may have never even seen the sea, are engaged in the same activity – almost.

Trained by shapers from Australia and the United States, these Asian workers produce dozens of boards a day for $2.50 an hour plus lodging in a crowded dormitory.

Many of them have no idea what a surfboard is used for; it’s just another toy bound for Western markets and for people who have the time and standard of living to afford a hobby. Time spent on each board: several hours. Eventual cost at a surf shop or major retailer: $300.

And there’s the rub.

• Share everything , Play fair
• Put things back where you found them, Clean up your own mess.
• Don’t take things that aren’t yours.
• Don’t hit people, and Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody.
• Live a balanced life – learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.
• Be aware of wonder.

Fulghum makes the statement that if any one of us takes these concepts and extrapolate it into “sophisticated” adult terms … and apply it to family, life, work, or the world … that it will always hold true and clear and firm as a solid base for good moral living. I believe him, and it’s quite possible that this author and Unitarian clergyman has single-handedly provided surfers all over the world the true key to zen-like surfing! If you take the ideas he has written about, and apply it to the manner by which you surf, and the attitudes that we carry as we surf … well, wisdom also lies in the surf amidst the flowing waves of the ocean.

Share everything: We all know the image of the lone surfer ripping down Banzai Pipeline by him or herself. The isolated surfer carving long sweeping turns at a point break at sunset is also a common dream for the log riders. However, if you talk to almost every surfer, their most treasured surf sessions are peppered with a common element – good surf AND good friends. Surfing as a rule is all about sharing the good times with other people. Hooting and hollering, cheering each other on when waves are good and wipe outs are gnarly. Irrespective, it’s all about sharing the good times … you get some good waves, and you revel in the experience. And sometimes, even if you had it all the way, you let your friend HAVE the wave. It’s part of having fun … sharing, that is, and it’s only fair! Oh, just so we are all clear about this … ‘dropping in’ on another surfer falls under the “Don’t take things that aren’t yours” category!

Clean up your own mess: This particular gem would solve almost all of our environmental and ecological issues as a planet! Put things back where you found them AND clean up your own mess. A simple solution would be the 20 foot rule. Simply ensure that you take care of the area around you within 20 feet! You don’t have to go out of your way to clean up after everyone and everything … but as you walk around, to and from surfing, make sure you pick up the trash and garbage you see along the way! Take care of you, the environment, and the planet around you 20 feet at a time!

Don’t hit people: When you have a six foot spear being propelled by tons of water, hurtling down a spray of ocean water … it sometimes is an unfortunate reality that we surfers may occasionally collide with other ocean dwellers. It’s inevitable, it’s painful and it is something that we all have been a part of (as hurtler or hurtlee, either way, it hurts!) in the water. However, by not observing proper ocean rules and good etiquette, we could endanger other people and creatures in the water more than we need to! An inattentive surfer and a careless surfer can be equally dangerous out in the water, so don’t hit people inadvertently by not being aware of the rules and proper water manners! AND WHEN YOU DO get to the point where you hit someone or ALMOST hit someone, do the right thing and ensure that you say “sorry” no matter who was at fault. At the end, we all have to learn to take care of each other out there!

Live a balanced life: As participants on a lovely dance between board and water, balance is always weighted heavily in our minds. Balance. But there’s more to it, since surfing alone cannot fulfill us. We need play, work, love, life, and learning to round us off … always. Even when the waves are good, we need to know the balance as to when good is something we need or something we are blessed with. I know surfers in the Great Lakes area who WAIT months and months at a time for ONE wave to come, and they revel in it with such joy and pleasure when it comes. I also know of surfers who curse surf sessions in Hawaii when they do not catch all the waves they can at a surf break or if they don’t get perfect chest to head high waves all the time. Balance. (It also needs to be placed with ‘perspective’ eh?)

Be aware of wonder: Touch the water … feel the ocean. Be amazed at the beauty around you! After one particularly uneventful surf session, where I caught half a wave that debatably actually caught me, I was murmuring to myself how the session had been barely worth my time. At that point, a giant green turtle popped it’s head out of the water – as if on cue – and made me laugh in a startled surprise. He was reminding me to never take myself too seriously, and that beauty, especially in the ocean was not just in the waves. Sometimes, we all need a reminder … So Fulghum the wise clergy was right all along.

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The crowded line-up has become more than just dangerous for surfers of all levels, it has become a powder keg for potential disaster when it comes to the sheer number of people taking up the latest and greatest in the watersports milieu. And if you are one of the many who have decided to join the surfing community, you will eventually fall into one of two distinct categories of ‘new‘ surfers - short term or long term.

Right from the beginning, it is crucial to determine which of the two separate categories of “newbies” you will fall into, as they will determine HOW you should pursue professional guidance. Yes, lessons are necessary for any beginning surfer … but which avenue of higher learning you pursue will cement whether or not surfers at a local break will chase you off, or reluctantly welcome you into the fray.

Short term surfers are often daring vacationers or reluctant volunteers, recruited into surfing by friends or slick promotional materials from TV or films. It is common in surfing communities to see tourists, and locals alike, paddling out into the great blue yonder to experience – if not just for a short time – what surfing “is all about”. Places like Hawaii’s Waikiki and Sydney’s Bondi Beach are prime locations to find short term surfers, renting foam top surfboards or the likes, or being recruited into lessons by slick surf shop “instructors”. These places are quite convenient and well suited for short term surfers, often offering one or two hour lessons to the newly initiated “surfer”, often times guaranteeing that the student will stand up and catch a wave during their first session. And honestly, what excited short term surfer could refuse such a deal?

These surf shop instructors often specialize in the quick surf lesson. Geared for beginners who more than likely will only surf at that particular break a handful of times, the lessons are pointedly aimed at standing up on the board, and staying upright during a quick ride. All too often ignored, however, are the unnecessary rules of the line up, and the ever important surfer’s etiquette outline. Understandably, there is little need for short term surfers to indulge in figuring out who has the ‘rights’ to a wave in a crowded line-up, or the required etiquette to follow when taking off on a wave. Short term surfers need to know how to stand up, stay upright, and paddle back out to the instructor standing in waist-high waves for more of the same. These surf breaks are often part of the unspoken surf factories, attracting hundreds upon hundreds of beginner surfers on a regular basis … producing short term surfers who will move on or move away, or the next category of beginner surfer, the long term beginner surfer.

This post is the first in a 2 part article about newbie / beginner surfers, surf school instructors, and the art of surfing. Part 2 is located here.

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Taking a small volcanic rock home may not seem like much of a big deal—until the curse settles in. Many vistiors returning rocks report all manner of bad luck striking them; the death of family pets, the loss of a job, a sudden illness- all of it and more are linked back to a belief that the act of taking a rock from Hawaii is bad mojo. This is the legend behind the superstition, and the reason why people who believe it are willing to send rocks back to the Islands, at times personally returning the stolen rocks as an act of redemption.

Is it true? Some say that this legend is a result of modern Hawaiian park rangers; those stalwart protectors of nature, who grew tired of seeing visitors making off with the local landscape. Sure, a small rock or a bottle of sand from a beach is no big deal…unless of course a million people, annually, walk off with the same souvenir!

The “thievery” has gained such notoriety that a website has popped up offering a return service for those unwilling to return to the islands in order to return their ill-gotten booty. Volcano Gallery.com offers a unique service in actually returning lava rock to their proper destination, as opposed to the toss it out the back window approach most hotels in Waikiki and Maui have adopted when dealing with hundreds of packages containing lava rock received each year. The website promotes their approach in this manner:

“Once we receive the returned lava rocks we will carefully wrap them in a leaf of the Ti-Plant, which is commonly associated with Good Luck. Your lava rock(s) will be returned at a special location in Volcano close to the home of Pele, the Hawaiian Fire Goddess and Creator of Lava. The lava rocks will be returned to Pele along with an offering of orchids to ask for her forgiveness … for a voluntary donation of $15.00″

Whether or not you believe in the legend is not the point … the belief that anything natively Hawaiian, such as sand, rock, or pumice, will effect bad luck on whoever takes it away from Hawaii is more about respecting where you are, where you are going, and how you treat everything else in between.

Bonus Pop Culture Reference: In one episode of the 70’s show The Brady Bunch the gang had visited a shrine to Pele and removed a rock (in this case it was a miniature statue). Without even leaving the island they were plagued with bad luck, from a giant spider crawling in their suitcase to a near-death wipe out while surfing, the Brady Bunch had to return the idol in order to lift the curse and return home safely to the Mainland.

[ Original Artwork by Wardell Brown ]

I was going to assemble a list of my favorite activities, and I was on the internet looking for pictures to post when I ran into this GREAT article about doing Waikiki on a cheap dime or for free! How serendipitous! And in these tough economic times, it helps to be able to vacation or stay-cation without spending much, or even better, anything at all.

Here is the list, compiled in 2008 … so be aware that some places/locations may have changed or times been modified.

FREE Stuff in Waikiki: Starting at the airport end of Waikiki (opposite of the Diamond Head end), here are a number of free attractions.

The Gilligan’s Island Harbor: Remember where the 3 Hour Tour started from at the beginning of the TV show? Well, it’s here at Ala Wai Yacht Harbor. Check out some rather large pleasure craft. It’s at the airport end of Waikiki between Hawaiian Prince and the Hilton Lagoon. Nothing special, but well worth a photo!

US Army Museum of Hawaii: Awesome displays and artifacts from both Hawaiian wars and WWII.

Waikiki Beach: Just have a swim, paddle, snorkel, body-surf, sun bake, sleep, whatever floats your boat!

Royal Hawaiian Hotel (the big pink, and recently renovated old-looking one): Free tours 2pm Monday, Wednesday, Friday.

Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center (In the Fountain Courtyard): Torch Lighting ceremony nightly from 6 to 6.15pm. 30 minute Polynesian show 6.15pm Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Polynesian show 10 to 11.30am Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday. Hula Lessons 10am Monday, Friday. Lei-making lessons 11am Monday, Wednesday. Ukulele lessons 10am Tuesday, Thursday and 11.30am Monday, Wednesday, Friday.

Sheraton Moana Surfrider (Big white columns, looks like an old Plantation Inn) Free tours at 11am and 5pm, Monday, Wednesday, Friday. DON’T MISS GETTING YOUR PHOTO TAKEN ON THE FAMOUS ROCKING CHAIRS!

Wizard Stones of Kapaemahu: On Kalakaua, beside Police Station. They are said to contain the secrets and healing powers of four sorcerers.

Duke Kahanamoku Statue: Just Diamond Head side of the Wizard Stones. Hawaii’s most decorated athlete, who brought surfing to the world.

Hula Mound: Most nights of the week there is some form of free entertainment at the Hula Mound (200m Diamond Head side of Duke’s Statue on Kalakaua), at 6pm. Hula shows predominantly.

Oceanarium Restaurant: From the hotel lobby of the Pacific Beach Hotel you can easily see a massive aquarium that divides two restaurants (very expensive food). Divers feed the fish at noon, 1pm, 6.30pm and 8pm.

The Wall (and Groin): Built on top of a storm water outlet, this is a great little walk out to the end, to get a different view of Waikiki beach. You can watch surfers and boogie boarders at very close quarters.

Sunset at the Beach festival (EXCEPT August): Every Saturday and Sunday, except in August, the Mayor throws a beach party. Queen’s Surf Beach. Hawaiian bands perform from 4pm to sunset, then when darkness falls, a huge screen is set-up to watch a feature movie! Tables and chairs are set up. Food stalls galore, with nothing over $US6!

Free concerts (EXCEPT August) Sunday 2 to 3pm, the Royal Hawaiian Band, at the Kapiolani Park Bandstand. Friday 5.30 to 6.30pm, different Hawaiian groups each week, at the Kapiolani Park Bandstand.

Kapiolani Park and Beach Park: Gorgeous, well manicured place for relaxing. On weekends, the locals relax, swim, and grill on the barbeque.

Waikiki Historic Trail: Look out for the surfboard markers with historical information about a particular area. 23 in total, you can walk it all in one day, or just complete sections whilst visiting other nearby areas. Definitely print out the text and map from www.waikikihistorictrail.com.

Walk along Waikiki beach at sunset: Sample the outdoor Hawaiian shows at the beachfront hotels. See musicians playing at Sheraton Moana Surfrider’s Banyan Veranda, Duke’s Canoe Club or poolside performers at Sheraton Waikiki.

Kalakaua at night: Street Performers and buskers abound. Also enjoy the antics of the mentally deranged homeless (I know that’s not PC but it is free and entertaining).

ALSO … NOT FREE, but CHEAP:

Waikiki Aquarium: $US9, supposed to be quite good. A great place to identify all of the fish you will/have seen snorkeling.

Honolulu Zoo: $US6, how good is that. Just be aware that it closes at 4.30pm. Occasionally they have a jazz night after hours.

see the full article and video HERE.

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As a visitor, when you arrive in Hawaii, you are often greeted with “aloha,” a word that almost every person with access to reruns of Hawaii Five-O knows, at least loosely. But it’s so much more than a mere greeting, much like singer Billy Joel pines about essence and spirit of New York, “aloha” is a state of mind.

The etymology is all over the interwebs, and just a simple Google Search or Wikipedia look-up away … but really, what does it mean toyou? What does it mean in your daily life? An unknown author posted these responses from 5 year old kids on the internet classifieds site Craigslist, and it had resonance so we republished it:

• My tutu says aloha is the old way, the way people used to be. And also aloha is the way it is today, because it’s the only way to keep the old ways alive if the very, very old people are gone.
• If you swallow a rainbow and some drips out of your mouth when you smile, that’s aloha.
• Even though some people live in fancy houses and have alot of toys, aloha makes us all the same.
• It should be a flavor of ice cream because it’s that good.
• Aloha means I remember you even though I haven’t met you before.
• Aloha means you treat everyone nice, even if they smell bad.
• Aloha is like when a puppy licks your face, only it’s not so sticky.
• Aloha is the way we live.

The last one is the essence of it all … smile, let it DRIP out of your mouth, even though they may be smelly. Aloha!

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Hand-made in Hawaii, the Pickle is advertised as an environmentally friendly wax remover that uses 100% recycled ingredients. Using the specially formulated contents of the little green bag and some good old fashioned elbow grease, some simple rubbing gets your surfboard clean and free of old wax … ready for reapplication or the occasional repair.

The Pickle does not preclude wax scraping – you still have to scrape the excess wax off your stick, which is why the Pickle comes with its very on wax comb. After most of the wax is removed, it is the Pickle’s job to get your stick back to the smooth, shiny, and clean glassed surface. We liked being able to take all the wax off the surfboard for damage inspection, spotting spider cracks and small nicks that would have otherwise gone undetected as it stayed camouflaged by old wax.

The best aspect of the Pickle is that it uses to liquids or chemicals to clean your board, a definite plus for reducing the mess and the fuss. That being said, it is still best and recommended that you Pickle your board outside where there is plenty of fresh air available … as the Pickle does produce some chunky powder-like residue as it cleans your board. Recycled ingredients or not, you still should seep up the powdery-wax residue that is the result of a clean surf stick.

For our test with the Pickle we used an often used, never completely cleaned or unwaxed since it left the store 9’2″longboard. Set on some old saw horses outside (where we received some unwanted attention from office mates) we went to work on using the comb included with the Pickle kit. We immediately saw how difficult this task was going to be with the flex comb included, and we struggled to get the wax off this nose-to-tail,rail-to-tail wax-covered board. A quick run to the hardware store for a plastic scraper (for 90 cents!) and we were off and running, getting most of the chunked-on wax off the board in only 2 Jack Johnson songs in the iPod.

Holding the pickle in your hand is much like holding a silk nylon stocking filled with sawdust … pliable and almost like a green sea cucumber doubling as a hackey sack. It will take a lot of rubbing and some pressure to get the remaining wax off any board, and our board was no exception!

A constant turning of the Pickle was a definite must, allowing the contents of the bag to do its job as the wax rubs and mixes with the contents and scrapes it off the surfboard surface. If you are sensitive to dust and/or powder residue, make sure that you wear a breath mask or some form of nasal/mouth covering to prevent inhalation of the wax/powder mixture!

The Verdict: The pickle does what it claims to do, which is provide a clean and wax free surfboard, of course always with a lot of help from your own muscles and some good prep work.

Surfers can take some time and wax their board ahead of time instead of begging for wax at the beach (see Matuna’s Wax article) , get a decent wax job from a clean board, and even help maintain the environment by using a “green” product.