Big news today for the surf world—the International Olympic Committee officially announced that surfing will be included as a gold medal sport in the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games. The IOC approved the sport, in addition to skateboarding, karate, baseball/softball and sports climbing, for its proposed program. All that’s left to do is a formal […]
Indie Honolulu record label Aloha Got Soul’s founder Roger Bong has been dropping the needle on rare and out-of-print local music for over six years now, unearthing sounds from Hawaii’s grooviest era: the 1970s and ’80s. Since documenting, digitizing and dispersing relatively unknown made-in-Hawaii recordings on his blog, it’s blossomed into a definitive contemporary guide to music
Like the Islands themselves, olelo Hawaii (Hawaiian language) is a living part of the native culture. This relationship between land and language can best be displayed by the number of Hawaiian words and terms that exist for rain: there are more than 200. In a new book, Hanau Ka Ua—Hawaiian Rain Names, author Collette Leimomi Akana, with her
Upon uniting the Hawaiian Islands in 1810, Kamehameha I laid the foundation for a strong monarchical tradition and through his governance reestablish peace and restore the economic climate of the Islands previously ravaged by civil wars. Kamehameha is credited for cultivating overseas trade and interfacing with nations outside Hawaii, but he’s also remembered for instituting
In Hawaiʻi, June 11 is a state holiday known as King Kamehameha Day, a celebration of the Islands’ most famous historical ruler. King Kamehameha, also known as Kamehameha the Great, united the Hawaiian Islands in 1810, and according to Walter Murray Gibson, the prime minster of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi appointed by King Kalākaua who
Did you know that Hawaiians meticulously fashioned traditional clothing, and even bedding from the white inner bark of the wauke, or paper mulberry tree? Kapa is the Hawaiian word for barkcloth, and more commonly known as “tapa.” It’s made by beating the bark until it is smooth and soft and then texturing it and dying
Major chicken skin moment. The Hokulea arrived in New York City, sailing into North Cove Marina this morning. The majestic ship passed by the famed New York City skyline and the Statue of Liberty making for some of the most historic and iconic images in the ship’s history. Thousands came out to greet the vessel,
When exploring the uncharted deep seas of Hawaii, you’re bound to make some big discoveries. Recently, scientists announced they encountered a sponge the size of a minivan during a deep-sea expedition last year. They believe the 12 foot by 7 foot creature to be the largest known sponge on the planet. It was found within the
Following a resounding response to non-profit Mana Maoli’s video for “Hawaii Aloha,” a new live version featuring more than a dozen local musicians and 10 Hawaii public charter schools, you can now take this beautiful part of the Islands with you everywhere in your pocket. After hearing the rendition many have been writing and calling
First time visitors probably don’t think of cattle ranching and cowboys when they envision tropical Hawaii, but on Hawaii Island in particular, the history of paniolo (Hawaiian cowboys) runs deep. Visitors to cool, northerly Waimea will soon see why so many say that Hawaii Island cattle are among the happiest in the world: They graze
A new Hawaii Island festival will celebrate kalo (taro) overlooking Hawaii Island’s northerly Waipio Valley where it has been cultivated for generations. The first Waipio Kalo Festival, will take place at Koaekea near the Waipio Valley lookout from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 4. Though at first blush a community festival celebrating
Prepare to be transported back in time… Hawaii in 1924, specifically. In this silent film simply titled “The Hawaiian Islands,” black and white waves lap against the shores, people shop at the Japanese-owned stores in the city district, workers tend to sugar canes plantation fields in the hot sun, Hawaiians pound poi and surf the
