Posts Tagged ‘Waikiki’

Pay homage to Duke Kahanamoku by paying homage to the Ocean at the 9^TH Oceanfest commencing Sunday August 22th 2010 through Saturday August 28^th 2010 with an awesome variety of events scattered the length & breadth of Waikiki.

Beach volleyball, surfing and other water events, films, parades, ceremonies & commemorations, but no matter the event the key ingredient is friendship the shared joy of sharing the joy of the Ocean sheltering these Islands providing these Islands with the very essence of life.

The festivities surge into life Sunday August 22^nd at 10AM at the Duke Kahanamoku Lagoon, at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, with the Ho’omana Opening Ceremony.  The calendar is strangely silent Monday but Tuesday at 7AM celebrate Duke Kahanamoku’s 120^th birthday with a sunrise blessing & lei draping ceremony at Duke’s statue at Kuhio Beach.  A plethora of activities follow, see the schedule below, but do take special note of two highly recommended events.

Friday August 27^th at 8PM mosey on over to the Outrigger Reef Hotel for a free film, “Pacific Vibrations.”  “”John Severson’s classic surf documentary, easily one of the all-tim best surf films, featuring Billy Hamilton and Corky Carrol and a soundtrack including Cream, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Steve Miller and more.  It has been remastered in High Definition for a whole new generation of surfers, beach lovers & environmentalists alike to discover and enjoy.”

Beach Volleyball is growing in popularity discover why at Queen’s Beach Saturday August 28^th 2010 starting at 8AM with the 2010 Corona Beach Volleyball Tournament: “The teams are comprised of a female, an Open and “A” division male player, and an open division setter.  The teams are formed from a “draw” format; each setter will draw their team members names from a “hat.”  32 players are invited to participate forming four teams.

There are two pools of four teams and the top two teams from each pool will advance into a single elimination bracket.  The championship match will be played around 3:00 pm.  Some of the featured players are: Brad Lawson, an All American from the 2010 Stanford Cardinal NCAA division one champioship team, Stein Metzger, former Olympian and All American from UCLA, Tony Ching, All American and University of Hawaii standout.  For more information please contact Randy Morris at (808) 389-7633.”

There will be plenty to do all week long so head on down to Waikiki and celebrate with Oceanfest 2010.

Sunday, August 22

• 10am Ho’omana Opening Ceremony, Hilton Hawaiian Village, Duke Kahanamoku Lagoon

Tuesday, August 24

• 7am Sunrise Blessing, Duke’s Statue, Waikiki, Honoring Duke’s 120th Birthday
• 8:30pm Toes on the Nose/Gidget Kick-Off Party featuring Sashamon at Jimmy Buffet’s

Wednesday, August 25 – 7:30am-5pm

• Kicker Audio Presents: Toes on the Nose Rabbit Kekai Classic
• Gidget Pro Longboard
• Cabana’s Pool Bar and Nashville Waikiki Tandem Championships

Thursday, August 26 – 7:30am-5pm

• Gidget Pro Longboard
• Kicker Audio Presents: Toes on the Nose Rabbit Kekai Classic
• AccesSurf Challenged Athlete Surfing
• C4 Waterman Surf SUP Race

Friday, August 27 – 7:30am-5pm

• Hawaiian Airlines Duke’s Legends Surf Classic
• C4 Waterman SUP Surfing Championship
• 4-6pm Duke’s Waikiki Beachboy Celebration – Duke’s Restaurant, Waikiki
• 8pm Free Movie: Pacific Vibrations – Outrigger Reef Hotel, 7:30pm, limited seating

Saturday, August 28 – 7am-5pm

• 5pm Waikiki Lei Parade & Draping Ceremony – Duke’s Statue, Waikiki
• Hawaiian Airlines Duke’s Legends Surf Classic
• Maui Jim Presents: 2010 Hawaii Paddleboard Championships – Duke’s Race
• Duke’s Waikiki Ocean Mile Swim
• Corona Surfing Expression Session
• Outrigger Hotels & Resorts Surf Polo Tournament
• Corona Beach Volleyball Championships, Presented by Outrigger Hotels & Resorts
• 6pm The Great Hawaiian 105 KINE Luau, – Waikiki Aquarium. Tickets $60 available online
• 8pm Free Movie: The Ride – Outrigger Reef Hotel, autographs at 7:30pm, limited seating

For more Info go to http://www.dukefoundation.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=29&Itemid=62

Waikiki’s ‘Sin City’ turns Twenty-One and celebrates with a Vegas themed night of fun & frolic Friday August 6^th 2010 starting at 8PM.  Fusion-Waikiki with its two levels of alternative thrills, two dance floors & two DJs and multiple bars, celebrates that magical number: Twenty-One/21 rhymes with Fun – - – shuffle the cards and see if you get the coveted Jack of Hearts!

The (in) famous Gender Bender Lip Gloss Review will entertain the crowd, expect surprises (!), an exclusive appearance by Marilyn and the Boys (the Rat Pack is Back), and naturally the Men of Fusion will bust ‘it’ out after Midnight.  On this special occasion there will food plus door prizes.

At Fusion-Waikiki the party doesn’t end until 4AM.  It is smart to say that you will be attending so to their facebook for further info.

Happy Anniversary Hula’s Bar & Lei Stand celebrating 36 years on Thursday July 8^th 2010.  Forever young, what was once a queer oddity on the corner of Kaliamoku Street and Prince Kuhio Avenue is now a must-visit vital element of the Waikiki party scene encamped on the 2nd floor of the Waikiki Grand Hotel at 134 Kapahulu Avenue with an incredible view overlooking Queen Kapiolani Park.

Always lively, the friendly staff welcomes all no matter their preferences only asking that patrons be in the mood for fun, be prejudice free and respectful of others.  The fun never stops at HULAs but officially their 36^th Anniversary Party begins at 7PM.

There will be live entertainment, food, complimentary drinks, terrific drink specials, lots of surprises, plus the usal great music mix and dancing.   $10 cover, proceeds benefit the HGLCF (Honolulu Gay & Lesbian Cultural Foundation presenter of the Rainbow Film Festival – In memory of Adam Baran).  Then at 2AM obtuse ancient laws against liquor sales bring the evenings fun to a conclusion.  For more info scope out  their facebook.

It is difficult to write about Cyril Pahinui without using superlatives bordering on the hyperbolic, he is truly a living legend, a gifted slack key guitarist with a voice emotive and compelling, Cyril Pahinui provides a perfect middle of the week break from the mundane cares of the World every Wednesday from 5:30 to 8:30PM at Ka Kani Pila Grille at the Outrigger Reef on the Beach.

Kani Ka Pila Grille reflects Outrigger’s determination to “not just to provide a venue with great music, but to give real Hawaiian music a place it could call home,” quoting Luana Maitland, events manager, a woman seeped in Hawai’i’an culture & tradition, “Hawaii has deep musical roots, and Outrigger has long supported the perpetuation and sharing of our artistic heritage,” Maitland said. “In our homes and at our family parties, it’s not unusual for someone to pick up an ukulele or guitar and begin playing, and maybe someone else will get up and start dancing a hula. That’s the spirit we are evoking at Kani Ka Pila.”

Cyril Pahinui is the very spirit of Hawai’i’an music, the son of Gabby Pahinui, Cyril’s childhood was a university level musical education listening to his father and friends play and sing: “slack key masters Leland “Atta” Isaacs, Sonny Chillingworth, and Ray Kane, along with David “Feet” Rogers, Joe Marshall, and ukulele virtuoso Eddie Kamae.”  Reap the benefits of that rich education every Wednesday, July 7^th, 14^th, 21^st, and 28^th 2010 from 5:30 to 8:30PM at Kani Ka Pila Grille the place for excellent music and onolicious Island cuisine.

Treat yourself to a free traditional Hawai’i’an style Hula show most every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday from 6:30 to 7:30PM on Prince Kuhio Beach by the famous statue of Duke Kahanomoku (Uluniu & Kalakaua Avenue).

Bring a beach mat or a low back beach chair, kick back relax with a beverage and pupu and enjoy the sights & sounds of Hula: music & song and the rhythm of the dance, courtesy of the Honolulu Mayor’s Office of Culture and the Arts, one of the more practical uses for tax dollars.

Weather and special circumstances permitting, here is the schedule for July 2010.  Note cameras are strongly encouraged (check out our our review of the Olympus Waterproof Cameras, you could take pictures from the water then!

Tuesdays

Ainsley Halemanu and Hula

Halau Ka Liko O Ka Palai

Thursdays

Joan “Aunty Pudgie” Young

and Puamelia

Week-ends

July 3 Kale Pawai and Halau Na

Pua Mai Ka Lani

July 4 NO SHOW – Happy

Fourth of July!

July 10 Coline Aiu and Halau

Hula O Maiki

July 11 Shirley Recca and Halau

Hula O Namakahulali

July 17 Joan S. Lindsey and the

Joan S. Lindsey Hula Studio

July 18 Leimomi Ho and

Keali’ika’apunihonua

Ke’ena A’o Hula

July 24 Kapi’olani Ha’o and

Halau Ke Kia’i A O Hula

July 25 Colsen Ina Kanei and

Halau Kawaianuhealehua

July 31 Shirley Recca and Halau

Hula O Namakahulali

Schedule is subject to change without notice. For more info on hula shows, call 808-843-8002

Monday might be the start of grueling work week but one can always lessen the sting by enjoying the cool ambience and terrific food at Kani Ka Pila Grille at the Outrigger Reef on the Beach while listening to one of Hawai’i’s best multitalented artists.

Singer/composer/musician Sean Naauao plays every Monday evening between 6PM and 9PM beginning July 5^th, continuing July 12^th, 19^th, and the 26^th.  Kani Ka Pila translates into “Let’s Make Music” and that is what Sean Naauao was born to do, his talent and his fun personality are the perfect cure for the work week blues.

Kani Ka Pila Grille is the heretofore successful effort to revitalize the Hawai’i’an music scene by providing a place where legendary artists as well as those new to the scene can share their love of music, it is a delightful venue, an oasis in the heart of Waikiki, a perfect place for friends to gather at the end of the day and with Sean Naauao playing the perfect place to regain one’s smile, to reinvigorate soul for the rest of the week.

The 31^st Annual /Pan-Pacific Festival celebrates friendship love diversity and the similarities between two Island nations, Japan and Hawai’i, though over the course of 31 years the Pan-Pacific Festival, or Matsuri, has come to encompass all of the lands touched by The Pacific Ocean.

Hula has become a shared heritage; there are an estimated 200,000 practitioners of this time-honored dance in Japan.  Many of these Hula fans travel to Hawai’i to share and to showcase their love of Hula so many in fact that the Pan-Pacific Hula Festival runs for two days and on both days is scheduled so that everyone can participate in the King Kamemeha Day celebrations before settling down on Prince Kuhio Beach for a dazzling display of Hula.

Part One of the Pan-Pacific Hula Festival runs from 5PM to 10PM on Friday June 11^th 2010 at the Hula mound by the Duke Kahanomoku statue on Prince Kuhio Beach.  Part Two is on Saturday June 12^th 2010 from 4:30PM to 10PM.  This is a festival the competition between groups/halau from across Japan is friendly, a shared love of Hula, a delightful excuse to hang out at the beach with hundreds of your newest best friends.  Joining the halau from Japan will be a special exhibition performance by local Halau O Napuala ‘Ikauika ‘Iu led by Kumu Hula Sally Yoza.

Afterwards linger in Waikiki, explore the many delightful clubs and restaurants, the ambiance of the beach at night.

Duke Kahanamoku Beach has risen up an has been named one of the top 10 beaches in the nation, this according to Stephen P. Leatherman, director of Florida International University’s Laboratory for Coastal Research, also known as Dr. Beach.

Duke Kahanamoku Beach – which sits in front of the Hilton Hawaiian Village and Fort Derussy, enters this year’s list at #6. The yearly beach rating system that “Dr Beach” uses is based on a 1-to-5 rating system on 50 different criteria. Some of the rating criteria include sand softness, water temperature, and wind/rip currents.

The listing of Duke Kahanamoku Beach as one of the nation’s top 10 shows Hawaii the importance of beach maintaining and preservation. Waikiki Improvement Association President Rick Egged said yesterday, “We’re very proud of Duke Kahanamoku Beach.”

For those of you that follow this yearly list, last year’s #1 beach was at Hanalei Bay on Kauai, this year it was not ranked at all. That beach is still arguably the #1 beach in the nation, but according to survey rules, being selected as the #1 beach automatically retires it from the list.

One other Hawaii beach was featured in the top 10 as well. Hamoa Beach – located on Maui, came in at #9. Look for both of these beaches to move up on the list next year. According to Leatherman, the beach that is ranked #1 yearly also brings with it a 20% bump in tourism; something Hawaii could definitely use. Here is the entire 2010 top ten list…

1. Coopers Beach, Southampton, N.Y.

2. Siesta Beach, Sarasota, Fla.

3. Coronado Beach, San Diego

4. Cape Hatteras, Outer Banks, N.C.

5. Main Beach, East Hampton, N.Y.

6. Duke Kahanamoku Beach, Waikiki

7. Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod, Mass.

8. Beachwalker Park, Kiawah Island, S.C.

9. Hamoa Beach, Maui

10. Cape Florida State Park, Key Biscayne, Fla.

It’s that time of year again. The time where the “Losties” as they’ve come to be known, begin interjection their theories of the hit abc TV show lost into everyday conversations. The watercoolers, lunch, dinner, in the line-up at straight-outs.

If you weren’t one of those that made it down to Waikiki to watch the season premier of Lost with thousands of others, you’ll be watching tonight for sure. Speaking of watching Waikiki, NPR this morning had interviews of people that literally made the trip from around the world to be the first of their town to see the Lost season premier, pretty amazing.

Tonight, at 7:00 pm HST you can catch a lost recap which will take you through all of the seasons up to this point. Tell you about the love square that Kate, Sawyer, Jack, and Juliet form. Tell you about Hurley and Jacob, and all the other crazy twists that last season threw at us.

Then, at 8:00 pm, be ready for the final season of lost to begin.

Throw Da Shaka Concert was a huge success in 2009 as it took the Waikiki Shell (directions below) by storm. Well, it’s back for more and this year looks to be as good as last year. On January 23rd, Lost Cost Sound brings you Throw Da Shaka 2010.

In this years lineup, Siaosi, Fiji, Ten Feet, Rebel Soujahz, Mana’o Co., Kiwini, Laga, and from New Zealand, 3 Houses Down. That’s not it, there will be even more local artists joining in on the festivities as is usually the case for a Waikiki Shell event. If you’ve been there, you’ll know what I’m talking about.

Tickets are $15, $25, and $40 and can be purchased in advance from TicketMaster. Parking, as you know if you’ve been there, will fill up fast so try and find street parking if you can or get there early.  The concert will be from 5:30 until the music stops (usually around 10 P.M.)