I miss the grand times surfing at the Lots and the Outside Reef on big days at Ewa Beach Road break. You may never bring back the old days but you can hold them in your heart. I enjoyed waking up in the morning and seeing Clayton looking over the wall and getting ready to paddle out in the 70’s. It seems the longer you are away from Ewa Beach the more you miss it. I pray brother Butch is doing well. Haven’t talked to the Kendall brothers since the 2012 reunion. I have no idea what is happening with them. I guess Mike fell off the edge of the world. Nice that his dad and in laws left him all that inheritance, but I’m making it on my own. Someday when I pass him by, I will remember to rub it in his face, because I did it on my own. Surf out in Waikiki is great and been out at Ala Moana. Friends are friends. We are all from the same Ewa Beach surfing spirit, but some guys like to think they are maka maka. As for Mike, I will only remember him as a Kukai Boss. On the other hand Paul Shephard and the rest of the gang still got heart for the old friends, and so do I. I love you myEwa Beach brothers and sisters. Ewa Beach Forever.
I miss the grand times surfing at the Lots and the Outside Reef on big days at Ewa Beach Road break. You may never bring back the old days but you can hold them in your heart. I enjoyed waking up in the morning and seeing Clayton looking over the wall and getting ready to paddle out in the 70’s. It seems the longer you are away from Ewa Beach the more you miss it. I pray brother Butch is doing well. Haven’t talked to the Kendall brothers since the 2012 reunion. I have no idea what is happening with them. I guess Mike fell off the edge of the world. Nice that his dad and in laws left him all that inheritance, but I’m making it on my own. Someday when I pass him by, I will remember to rub it in his face, because I did it on my own. Surf out in Waikiki is great and been out at Ala Moana. Friends are friends. We are all from the same Ewa Beach surfing spirit, but some guys like to think they are maka maka. As for Mike, I will only remember him as a Kukai Boss. On the other hand Paul Shephard and the rest of the gang still got heart for the old friends, and so do I. I love you myEwa Beach brothers and sisters. Ewa Beach Forever.
Going from spot to spot in the 1960’s and looking for the perfect waves was a great adventure when you’re younge. Many of us who had the opportunity to go around the island and stop at the eateries that are since gone know what I mean. Memories are everything. your brain needs to be fried if you don’t remember the good times or what your friends did or sacrificed for you.The world has changed and many of our friends that we once surfed with have become only computer surfer’s. What happened to the wave riders? Let’s take it to the limit one more time. come on Safari with me. When is thenext reunion?
White Plains regular. Did some Hau Bush, Chicken Coops and Empty Lots too. And I would make the trek out to the other spots too. Back in a time when you could pull up to the sand at Waimea Bay and build bon fires. Impossilbe to get away with today. I recognize many of these names, looked up to most. At various times I hung with the Crouch’s, ran with Rex for a while. Went to school with Calvin, the Alama’s, and the Kaiwi’s. Lived on Ahona right where Ololani t-sects for some 30-years. Its been great reading these stories - back when a smoke was a smoke, and groovin’ was groovin’. Kam’s Co. terri beef plate, baby! Howzit, everyone!
Solly was a great guy, had many classes with him, Hawaii the melting pot. I am planning a cross country driving trip with my youngest son before his induction to the US Army next summer, now to squeeze in the 2015 Ewa Reunion, going Las Vegas next month Sept. 13-14 for the 50th Radford reunion, never going to be one nuddah one
My first small board was a 5’11" board made by Mike Turkimgton. I tried it out at Lanialea Beach on a ten foot day. In thosedays the beach was quiet and the waves had so muchower that they pushed me half way back to shore as I paddled out to the break. I duck dived all the way out to the lineup by pressing the nose of my board down and submerging completely, as the waves passed overhead. When the wave passed over, I angled my board up and resurfaced and kept paddling out to the lineup. when I got there, I sat on the boatd waiting for the perfect wave. When I spotted my wave, I stretched out ontop of the board with my head close to the nose and paddled vigorously. As I felt the water swell underneath my board, I snapped to a pop-up position in my goofy foot stance and rose to my feet. I rode the wave all the way in to the sand. when I started back to the road Kevin Johns, Kenny Kohler and Doug Kingsley where ready to paddle out. Maryanne Richardson was waiting in my 1950 Ford Woody for me.
Remember the early 1960’s, when the air was clean and the waves had lots of room to ride. I have good memories of surfing with the Sadowski’s, Butch P, the Kendalls, Gene O, Caveman, theG Brothers, the Cueva’s, the Kendalls, P Shephard, the Eaton Brothets, Staton, and others from Rwa Beach. I love you my friends.
The surfer girls of Oahu have always held a special place in my heart. All of these women who rode the waves to glory did a great job, and will be remembered for all time to come. They were and are the real champions to the cause of the Surfing Industry. The women who rose in the ranks and archives of Surfing on the Islands have moved on to other goals in life, but will be remembered always as the true Hawaiian Lady surfers of this Land. Today Surfing and women are synonymous with each other. They have captured titles all over the globe, and many of them were the Island girls that we know and love today. So let’s give a big hand to the women surfers of the Islands. Good work girls, and keep riding those waves!
Donald Takeyama and Teressa Brennan at the Hunnington Beach Pier. They look really good together and they made a great Surf Team. Much Aloha and good memories to Donald and Teressa. You will be in our hearts always. Their surfing was more than a sport, it was artistry in the highest form and style. Donald built some beautiful boards, of which many have become treasured collectables.
Howzit I’m glad to see da ting stay going here- I got a lot of posts to catch up on. Here’s a pict from early '70 w/ a board I shaped and Rob Macdonald glassed. Aloha & Malama pono kakou. KE
After a good long run, the last of the old beach shacks at Shark Country will gone. Joe and Lori Gaynor have to be out by Feb 1st. They had a nice gathering at the beach where the Okamura’s have been for the last 50 years or so. Shark Country and Sea Wall have been exceptionally good this month. Jon Okamura’s wife has been shooting photos and posting them on her Facebook page for several years. She has thousands of shots from the last 2 weeks.
While our easy access is no more, the beach and the surf will always be there and we’ll find our way back “home” whenever she calls.
I rememba Big Wednesday eida 1965 or I tink it realy was 1966. Dawn in da morning, at Shark Country. Seen da waves at Empty Lot but checked out Shark Country. Nobody out, 12 to 15 waves, gota go. Beatiful lefts ending on the shore in the middle of the park area. I surfed all day untill school let out and then the crowd started to come out. I paddle out from Renos house . Aroud noon, I wiped out and slill have the scar on my chin. When I got to my board and started to padal back out, my board was all covered with blood, and I realized my chin was bleeding. I jigured no shark goin be in dez waters so I wen contiue to surf. Wen da braddas got out of school and started coming out I went in. Latas a movie came out. Big Wednesday. I wanda if that was da day? It was for me, one of da best days or maybe the very best day I eva had surfing a totaly uncrowded perfect day at Shark Country. No one in da wata, No one on da beach, jus da good old days. My heart breaks every day that money overthrows the Pono that our Fathers knew and taught us, and progress is just a word for Killing us and our Aina. To my braddas and my sistas, rememba us all, for we are the ones who saw Hawaii and our souls are all together. Bradda Paul
In the mid 60’s my dad would row a 14’ aluminum boat outside of Haubush and CPC park and we’d set crab nets. One weekend my dad took us out to catch crabs, my brother, sister and me. His cousin, who was living in Sonny Cordes’ house wanted to come along with her husband, so he took all of us. That day the surf started coming up as we headed out and it turned into a solid south swell. The waves were so big that they were messing up the crab nets, and dad was having a hard time rowing the boat to get them with the extra weight. Things got pretty scary and my dad’s cousin’s husband jumped off the boat and started pulling all the floaters together instead of just pulling them in one at a time. So we’re out there just beyond the sets and it looked pretty bad for us getting in. Reno and uncle Bill Mattson came to the rescue with their longboards and took us 3 kids in. Then dad rowed that boat in between the sets and caught a wave all the way to the beach. God was watching over him and us that day. Can you imagine the site of a 14’ aluminum row boat taking off on a solid 4 foot wave and riding in to the beach.
That was probably the first time I remember the big waves at Hau Bush when the waves would be one big wall from Hau Bush to Sandtracks, but I also remember days when we went out with the motor and the surf was up. It’s a lot easier to get in and out between the waves with the motor and uncle Ted Farm had that wired.
Those of us, like myself, who left Ewa Beach take our memories in our hearts forever. Those who were lucky enough to remain, I salute them and wish them my best. If I could turn the time back and make better choices than I did, I sure would. But that is not the case. There is no time machine or magic to make up for a life of mistakes. In my case I loved to surf, but I also loved drugs, alcohol, sex and rock’n’roll. With a combination like that, there was only one trail for me. Down! It took six years in a federal prison for me to realize that my life was an complete tragedy. Today I am finally finishing my PhD in English Literature and creative writing. Some may say, “Too little, too late!” In that case I agree with them totally. I let down a lot of friends, family and especially my parents with the choices I made, and I Am Truly Sorry! Today, I am finishing the final drafts on my epic fiction novel trilogy and a young adult fantasy book. Were some gave up, I move forward, because I am clean & sober. I have aspirations to someday have a vacation home on the Ewa Beach oceanfront. I surf the downtown circuit now at Ala Moana and Waikiki, but Ewa Beach still has my favorite spots to ride the waves. I am planning on getting published within a few months and then start on my other books. I will keep everyone updated, when they are on the shelves. I have also wrote some contemporary Hawaiian slack-key selections and in the process of hooking up with Gary Mansho to form a Blues Band. You can take the boy out of Ewa Beach, but you can’t take Ewa Beach out of the boy. My love and aloha to all the brothers and sisters.
Eh Naky, best of luck on the publishing and marketing of your book. I hope it sells well and you get to buy that beachfront house at Lots. That would be coming full circle for you. I always enjoy coming home to Shark Country and surfing with Joe and all the home boys. It’s been a while since I’ve been out there and I miss her.
It’s always a pleasure to hear fro you Harry. God Bless the wonderful family. Working feverishly on my writings. Looking at some old Victorian designed houses in Oregon and Washington State to hope up Bread and Breakfast businesses, but I also want a refuge in Old Ewa Beach. It has always been like an Oasis for me. I have finally found my calling, and I’m running for the roses. Feels real good to be high on life without the synthetic high. Sure miss the Gardner’s. Anyway, they’re sleeping with the angels now.
Wow! Someone is going to have to document this thread. Old east-side grom that frequently visited relatives and friends in ewa beach. Just chicken skin reading through the threads and running into very familiar names. Marshal Crum was one of the east side shapers that put up with me as a grom always asking for shapes only to f-it up on the glass job. Awesome dude and glad to know he’s still at it. Calabash uncle Harry Nii from Ewa helped build our house extension back in the 70’s. Not sure if he’s related to the Ewa Beach Nii’s that was mentioned in this thread but chances are good. I would always go to Hau Bush to pick limu off the beach with family there. It was the wonder years for me as my surfing started to get stronger after graduating from high school in '84. It was a time when surfers started to get real agro and it was best to keep to yourself or set yourself up for a fight. Regardless, I learned to live with it and we were really blessed with the uncrowded surfing options back in the days. Visited O-beach on occasion. Ewa is definitly not the secret spot anymore.
Ewa Beach is a surfers paradise. It is the gem of Oahu and a place where champion surfers walked. Riding the waves in this town, whether it be at Empty Lots, Sand Bar, Outside Reef, Shark Country, Haubush, John’s Beach, O Beach, Tree Stumps, Capehart’s or The Wall, you will always be pleased with the ride. The spirits of many surfers who have gone before us will remain there always. Waking up before dawn was a natural ritual for the Ewa Beach Surfer. With so many spots to surf, we could have our own safari in our own back yard. Surfing Ewa Beach is a fantastic and awesome experience. Ewa Beach is like a beautiful song. Ewa Beach is forever! Until the next wave rolls in, Naky Boy
