'Handsome, strong boy'. A Fairy Tale of Surfing, Waikîkî Beach, Honolulu, O'ahu, Hawai'i, USA
In his children's book Two Surf Stories, Fred Van Dyke (1930-) writes about the 'handsome, strong boy', Makua, and Kila, the monk seal, who taught him to surf the biggest waves. The story is one about the merits of love and respect for family - and people at large - and for the oceanic environment.
A sculpture of the tale was erected on Waikîkî Beach: you can see Makua on his surfboard and in the shadow on the left just make out Kila.
Surfing - 'invented' in Hawai'i - was apparently first a royal sport. Only the Chiefs surfed art this place called Waikiki - 'spouting water' - where Kuekaunahi Creek entered the Ocean. Appropriately, the amazing hotel in the distance is called the 'Pink Palace of the Pacific'. It was inaugurated in 1927 and is today officially the Royal Hawaiian Hotel.
But just like Surfing, though a 'royal' sport, is no longer only for Chiefs, so also most of the guests of the Hotel now are not of royal blood.
Around 1900, American missionaries were very much against surfing. They considered it heathen and a detriment to especially what has been called 'the protestant ethic'. I guess they lost their battle. If you take a good look at surfers on Waikîkî Beach today you will see many emblems of Christianity in their tattoos, the chains they wear etc. But the hordes of the homeless and destitute here shock anyone willing to see... Christian or not.
'Handsome, strong boy'. A Fairy Tale of Surfing, Waikîkî Beach, Honolulu, O'ahu, Hawai'i, USA
In his children's book Two Surf Stories, Fred Van Dyke (1930-) writes about the 'handsome, strong boy', Makua, and Kila, the monk seal, who taught him to surf the biggest waves. The story is one about the merits of love and respect for family - and people at large - and for the oceanic environment.
A sculpture of the tale was erected on Waikîkî Beach: you can see Makua on his surfboard and in the shadow on the left just make out Kila.
Surfing - 'invented' in Hawai'i - was apparently first a royal sport. Only the Chiefs surfed art this place called Waikiki - 'spouting water' - where Kuekaunahi Creek entered the Ocean. Appropriately, the amazing hotel in the distance is called the 'Pink Palace of the Pacific'. It was inaugurated in 1927 and is today officially the Royal Hawaiian Hotel.
But just like Surfing, though a 'royal' sport, is no longer only for Chiefs, so also most of the guests of the Hotel now are not of royal blood.
Around 1900, American missionaries were very much against surfing. They considered it heathen and a detriment to especially what has been called 'the protestant ethic'. I guess they lost their battle. If you take a good look at surfers on Waikîkî Beach today you will see many emblems of Christianity in their tattoos, the chains they wear etc. But the hordes of the homeless and destitute here shock anyone willing to see... Christian or not.