Hawaii - The Honolulu Surfing Museum

By David Ellis

The first Europeans to sight the Hawaiian sport of surfboard riding were Captain Cook and his men from the decks of the Resolution and Discovery off the Big Island Hawaii in 1778.

But remarkably the normally inquisitive Cook took little interest. It was his First Lieutenant on the Discovery, James King who took it upon himself to write of the islander’s amazing dexterity “guiding their planks of wood on the swell…(in a way) I did not think possible without being dashed to mummys  upon the shore’s sharp rocks.”

Yet despite King’s enthusiasm zealous missionaries who always followed quickly in the footsteps of Cook and co, had almost killed-off surfboard riding within a century, denouncing it as “pursued by heathens clothed only with loin-coverings.” 

A copy of Lieutenant King’s fascinating observations is on display at a museum that opened this year in Waikiki, and which is dedicated to the history of Hawaiian “HE’e Nalu”….  “wave sliding.”

And those early anti-surfing missionaries would doubtless be even more horrified at just where that museum to the wave-sliding heathens is housed: in a bar at the very grand OHANA  Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel across the road from the world’s most famous strip of sand.

The Honolulu Surfing Museum was the idea of American singer, songwriter, restaurateur, bar-owner and surfing tragic, Jimmy Buffett and houses an amazing collection of surfing history, memorabilia and trivia from his own collection and from others associated with the sport, in films and on TV.

For anyone with even the merest interest in surfing, it’s a must-visit when in Honolulu. Central is a vast collection of surfboards dating back to the 1930s, near-3m jobs created from balsa and redwood and including one used by Hollywood actor George O’Brien when he took surfing lessons on Waikiki under legendary Duke Kahanamoku.

Earliest examples of fibreglass boards are also on display, and there’s one owned by Kathy Kone Zuckerman who was immortalised as “Gidget” in the film of the same name (in which she was played by Sandra Dee) – having earned her nick-name from fellow Malibu surfers because she was a 155cm (5ft 1in) “girl midget.”

By contrast there’s the world’s only metal surfboard that’s just-under 3m long and made of aircraft aluminium. It was crafted by hotrod mechanic Henry Weir in 1996 and fashioned after the board used by Marvel Comics’ super-hero, “The Silver Surfer” to “surf through earth and the universe.”

Marvel and the comic’s creator agreed to allow the board to be made on the condition that it be a one-off. Not that they need have worried about there being a rush on the board’s popularity: at 44kg (97-pounds) when it was put in the water it sank like a stone.

And on a wall behind the bar is the board ridden by “Lt Col Wm Kilgore” (Robert Duvall) in the movie “Apocalypse Now,” and on another wall a mock-up of Kilgore’s Huey helicopter and the Yater surfboard he used in the movie.

There’s also surfing paraphernalia from other movies including “Ride the Wild Surf,” a priceless gold ring worn by Captain Cook on his last ill-fated visit to Hawaii – and a unique collection of ukuleles once owned by Bing Crosby, Mickey Rooney and Duke Kahanamoku.

And a TV screen shows clips from classic surfing movies and the evolution of Hawaiian wave-sliding.

The museum is immediately adjacent to the Jimmy Buffett Restaurant on the Upper Lobby Level of the OHANA Waikiki Beachcomber.

This amazing eatery  seats 500-guests indoors or poolside, but don’t think its some vast quick-turn-over fast-food joint: dining here is a memorable experience of grazing leisurely through buffalo wings, gargantuan servings of nachos with chilli, cheese, guacamole (avocado) and other trimmings, a choice of soups (try the corn and crab,) and American, European and Asian salads.

Steak-lovers should check-out the 12-ounce (340-gram) New York Strip with creamy mashed potatoes, grilled vegies and a side of chilli-garlic sauce, or have a go at the BBQ pork ribs basted with guava sauce, various seafoods – or man-mountain American ‘burgers and sandwiches.

And of course Americans’ favourite desserts: Key Lime Pie, New York  Cheesecake and Chocolate Hurricane –  warm dark chocolate brownies with ice cream, hot fudge, whipped cream and chopped macadamias.

Ohhh yeah!

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