Did he have an old Porsche 356 model, maybe brown? There was a haole family that lived on the other end of Ololani, and there were at least 3 kids who were all older than us, maybe graduated high school in the 60's. I remember a girl and possibly 2 brothers maybe just one brother. I never knew them because of the age difference. They lived where the street curved back towards Mailani and Ikulani.
Hey Butch, my cousin Brian dropped off the radar about 2 years ago. He and his family had a big fight over the school his dad owned, New York Technical Institute. Brian was principal, managing the school and working hard to keep it accredited. After his dad passed away, his sister and brother got their mom to agree to take over or something and that started a big riff in the family. The school eventually shut down. I haven't talked to Brian since the school closed, but just before that, Brian told me he was working on a new board design that he was trying to get patented. He didn't get into details, but called it WOW. Wings on wings or Wings on Water, I forget.
As far as going pro, Brian said he was all set to be Gerry's replacement in the bolt crew, but they wanted him to do things a certain way and he couldn't. He didn't like being told what to do or how to do things, so he walked away. I think he said some strong words when he walked away. Then he got serious about playing music with his friend Derek Elaban, and they had a group called Hawaii. All the guys in the group were Bowls surfers. I think the bass player may have been from Ewa Beach, his name was Jeff Medeiros. The last time I saw Brian was his mom's funeral, but we didn't talk. The band was there and they said Brian was working on a documenary about the band, and still trying to get the board out.
Brian grew up on a house boat at the Ala Wai Harbor. Bowls was his backyard, and he knew that wave so well. If you look at photos and clips of him surfing there's so much similarities to Gerry that you could almost get them mixed up. The key would probably be to look at the hands, Gerry had that certain way his right hand would be.
Back to work this week. Less than 2 months and I can start surfing again. Yeah!
Mom has seen it all and tells it like it is.and was. Listen carefully and remember well, for dez tings may neva be heard again. Hold dem tightly, remember dem forEWA, and be proud to have heard them first hand from our own OHANA. Thank you MOM…
Cleigh, Cal, Norman, An all my Braddas and Sistas. I am happy to be part of the Ohana that still has a light to share with us from the past. Our Kapuna keep us who we are and who we were and who we be. ForeEWA we we will be us as long as we will be. ForEWA Ewa Beach. ForEWA Bradda Paul…ALOHA…
Hey Paul, I saw a post that had a conversation about Ewa Beach with Cal’s mom and Thelma Parrish who was older and it was really good. Seems the Dowsett family (Parrish’s Kupuna) owned most of what we refer to as Ewa Beach, the Mitsuyasu’s owned a good portion too. My family came in about 1939-40 and it was to the Oneula side (west end), then about 1959-60 my dad bought his house in Leeward Estates. We probably would never have moved to Ewa Beach if they didn’t add Leeward Estates because all the rest of the homes are in the tidal wave evacuation zone. My grandfather worked for the Army Corps of Engineers and worked on most of the major Harbors in Hawaii. He showed my dad how destructive tidal waves can be by taking him to Hilo after the last bad one (1946?).
Howzit Harry. Dis is what its all about. Our history. Our Kupuna teach us and we must liston and hear the words or our past will be lost. We grew up with dez tings and dez generations before us. To know dez tings is is to bring full circle our lives now then and forEWA… We must not forget and capture all we can while our Kupuna can still remember it for us. We know what we have had, but to know what they had makes the bonds between us so much stronger. We are lucky to have these memories past down to us. So much we need to preserve as they have for our generations. I thank our Kupuna for saving our past so our generations to come will know where they came from forEWA…
Hey Paul, about 10 years ago I attended a community meeting in Nanakuli at the old Nanaikapono School. My great grandafther used to live right there next to the beach in the early 1900’s. He didn’t own the land, but he cleared it and made his house because there was fresh water nearby. There’s a tree still standing in the park there right next to the ocean where the house was. Sometime later the state made him move so he moved to where the school is and cleared that land and lived there. My great grandmother later received a beach front lot on the other side (Kahe side) of the beach when the Hawaiian Homes Act took affect.
During the meeting all these people were going on and on about Nanakuli and how they were the community and all. The stories my dad told me were before all those people moved in to where the communities are now. Most of the land was owned or used by large ranchers, just like Ewa Beach was owned be the Dowsetts. The land Mauka of Farrington Highway in Nanakuli was all Von Holt ranch lands.
When we were kids my father and uncle would take us to Nanakuli Beach on the homestead side. The water there has small rolling waves that are mellow and good for young kids, but on the side where my great grandfather’s house was, the waves are much stronger and pretty good for surfing or body surfing. I never saw this side of the beach until the day of the meeting. I called my father from that spot on the beach that day, and he pointed out the area where the house was. Down below the waves were really nice and there were a bunch of local kids riding them.
My relatives still live in the homestead on the beach. The Cordes and Kaahaina families have houses there, and my cousin lives on the Keaulana lot.
We were lucky to live in Hawaii in the days when the population was not a problem like today. The people were full of Aloha, and Ohana had a different meaning.
Harry , its kinda cool that you mentioned nanakuli ranch in your post . My grandfather Kong Sing Lau , and a guy named Bob Deering were the original owners of the ranch and gave it its name which is still being used today . There were 2 companys renting space from my grandpa , EE Black Construction and Grace Pacific . When i tell people this story , they all say thats not the way it was … when i tell them to show me proof , they can’t do it … when they tell me the same , i show them all the 8 mil films my family took and there jaws just drop . I have a bunch of pics but don’t know how to post them . My uncles who surfed back in the day , said the waves at the park were killer and so were the waves at tracks and kahe point .
Hey Cal, I get one story about the ranch back in the day.
There were 2 families living next to the ocean in the early 1900’s. One was the Zablan family and the matriarch was Abby (I think) Zablan. The other was my great grand parents who were Cordes. One day when my grandfather was visiting he and my uncle went across the highway into the ranch to pick oranges. There were really good oranges growing somewhere there. Anyway, Mrs Zablan found out and told the ranch people and they came over and had some words with my great grand parents. When the homestead opened later, Mrs Zablan and my great grandmother were the first 2 to get lots. Mrs. Zablan took the lot closest to the beach, so my grandmother took a lot on the other side (Kahe Pt side). She never forgave Mrs Zablan for getting my grandfather and grand uncle in trouble. My family’s lot is actually in a nice spot because there’s a little cove and you can launch a small boat from the cove.
My dad has pictures of the shore break waves at Nanakuli where my great grandparents lived that are a good 10 feet high. He and his high school buddies are in the foreground ready to run up from the water, so you know the waves are really big. I think my brother posted it here somewhere.
Aloha Cal and Harry. Let us keep on digging and unearth the past that will one day be forgttin. Let that not happen, Keep it strong in our hearts and minds so it may carry on forEWA. Da history of our Aina and Ohana must be known and remebered, for time is passing and too much may be forgottin and lost. Dez tings we dig up and share will enhance our people and bind us more strongly together and bring back da old days of da HAWAIIAN style life dat we grew up wit.Some how too much has been forgottin. Too much has been lost. And way too much has been changed. To know dez tings can not change anyting, but it can bring our Ohana closer togedda dan we realized.You talk story wit one guy you never meet before, you fine out he know da same guys and da same stories you know. and you una stan dis is Hawaii, dis is Aloha, dis is Ohana, and dis is y we all same. We jus one bunch people carrying on one tradition. To keep Hawaii Hawaii. To live da way we were taught to live and to carry on da ways of our generations past, will at da least keep our Ohana together forEWA…Bradda Paul…
Harry, I wen try read all da post, but I goin read um again couple times, in case I miss somting.Rite on Bradda. Mahalo.
Kupuna Arline Eaton has passed away. On December 5 in the evening she went ahead of us on her journey. As our “Mom” and Kupuna, she has gone ahead to show us and bless the road we will all travel. This was and is her destiny, to teach and guide us. She came before us and has gone before us, to show us of our past, to preserve our past, streghten our lives, and prepare our future. We will miss her now but we know that when our time is at hand, she will grasp us with open arms and bring us all together again. That is what she has always done.
I miss you now Mom, but my future you will hold for me and keep guiding me so that I will never be alone. You have taught me well the meaning of “Keiki O Ka Aina I Ka Pono”
Aloha my Ohana. Kupuna Arline Eaton’s Services will be on Jan 25 at 1:30 Am at Kawaiaha’o Church and a Paddle Out and informal get together will be on Jan 26, Sunday, beginning at 10:00 Am at Ewa Beach Park. Bring your boards, talk story, swim, surf, play, and join in to the celibration of the life and soul of Kupuna Arline Eaton. Give Her back to the home she and all of us came from. Give her back with all of our ALOHA…
If you were born in Ewa Beach, you will understand me when I say that Ewa Beach has a peace of my heart that will always be there. I miss waking up in the morning and looking over my sea wall and watching Herbert Pruse, John Sadowski, David Cueva, Paul Shepard, Nathan Moody, and the Kendall’s paddling out on big days at the Lot. Ewa Beach is where my heart will always be, and some day soon I will be back again and find me a place back with my friends.Until the next big waves roll in.
Paul Shephard and I played the guitar together and surfed the waves at Lots for many years. Surfboards and guitars have always been part of my life. I love the waves and I love music. I am working on my final draft of my epic fiction Novel that has extended to 907 pages. Hope to get my ISBN number shortly and send it off for publication, so I can start on a sequel. Just purchased a great Gibson Jazz Guitar from the Johnny A series.
Aloha my Dear Kupuna. May the Lord Jesus Christ greet you at the gates of Heaven and take you to your room in His Father’s mansion. I will miss you dearly from the very bottom of my heart. You will always remain in my mind all the days of my life. Sleep with the angels Enei.
was talking to Butch P’s brother in law, Craig Powell and he confirmed that Butch had a pain in his chest for a while and only recently was diagnosed that he had 5 clog arteries… he was walking with the angels and lucky the doctors figured out that he needed immediate bipass surgery…unbelievable cuz anyone who knows or sees Butch know that he looks like the epitamy of good health…i was told he is doing well from his surgery and taking mile walks…
Mahalo KE AKUA for leaving our friend to surf with us another day…
