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Kauai’s Surf Nation sons of the beach !
 by Mike Marino
The Midwest is famous for having asphalt kickin' illegal drag races as the sport of choice on a Saturday night, but on the Garden Island of Kauai, the sport of kings is the wave pounding sport, and art of surfing! Surfing has been carved deep into the stone of pop culture through song by those ultimate sons of the beach, The Beach Boys, and the dynamic duo and beach team of Jan and Dean. What rustbelt kid hasn't had the ultimate dream of a Pacific paradise thrown in his face complete with palm trees, placid beaches, pineapples and poi, along with a hunger to "hang ten" and ride the wild surf. So grab your board and hawaiian shirt... it's time to hit the beach and catch a tubular wave, Amigo! The surfing bird flew long and hard in the 1960's thanks to a plethora of surf and turf flicks on the silver screen. Beach Blanket Surfettes like Annette Funicello certainly proved she could stuff a wild bikini, and in the process became our dream queen Pineapple Princess. Appropriately enough, the Surfing Nation had its very royal beginnings in the palm palaces of the Hawaiian Islands, dating back to 1500-ish A.D. Names like King Kamehameha along with his Queen Regent, and Kaahumanu were early and expert boarders in the sport of kings and queens known as "he'enalu" or wave sliding. Then, like an unfavorable onshore wind, enter the prudish purveyors of proselytizing, who followed in the footsteps of Captain Cook’s many masted schooners and subsequent colonization of the Sandwich Islands. Many island traditions and customs were banned, including surfing, as pagan and hedonistic. The haoli had landed. And my friends... the times they were a changin'! As the 1900's loomed on the horizon like a tsunami of change, surfing began to regain its wave of popularity through the skill and efforts of the legendary Duke Kahanamoku. The crippling kryptonite of colonial rule was bending, and once the "beach boys" hit the boards and the beach, there was no turning back. The surf was up. Soon everybody was heading to the newly formed Surfing Nation ruled by true proletarian sons of the beach!
 
DUKE KAHANAMOKU Circa 1915, NEW YORK The National Police Gazette Kauai, renowned as the Garden Island of the Hawaiian Islands is a verdant Eden rising from the Pacific. With its mountains and lush rain forest inland, the coast awash aplenty in warm with inviting sandy beaches guarded by the leafy frondage of royal palms. A “Pacific Paradise Palace” and home to some of the finest surfing in the world. With waves that thrill and give the adrenaline rush that seasoned pros crave, as well as moderate action for the novice beginner who simply wants to earn their sea legs, and live out the fantasy of every Beach Boy song that he or she has ever cranked up on the radio! Beaches for experienced riders abound Kauai, surrounding the island like a beautiful strand of sandy pearls. Pakala Beach gives a ride that is the mechanical bull of surfing with a break called, "Infinities" because the ride seems to last forever. Other challenging stretches include Polihale, Shipwrecks, Tunnels, Cannons, Hanalei Bay and the really Sixties sounding, Acid Drop! However, not all surfing is for the experts -- there are plenty of beaches and expert instructions for the beginner. Ski lodges have the "bunny hill" to get the Alpinist up and going, and surfing has their equivalent as well. The novice can get the feel of the board and a good dunking in the surf at beaches like Kalapaki on the North Shore and Brennecke Beach on the South Shore. There are plenty of surf shops and board rentals throughout Kauai so that you can hit the surf “full tilt boogie”! For the seasoned son of a beach or the beginning boarder, Kauai has it all; surfing, boogie boarding, and wind surfing. It's more than an island, it's a framed work of art on a tropical canvas with a lush rain forest backdrop. An island of waterfalls and canyons, and some of the most radical surfing on Earth. You can test your skills on challenging surf, and although you may not attain the status of legendary greats like Bill Hamilton or Linda Benson, you'll know the feeling of catching a wave with the salt and sun kissing your face. So hop in that '34 Woody and crank up the Beach Boys... your now a member of the Kauai Surfing Nation and a real son of a beach! KAUAI COAST
 
 
 
Mike Marino is a freelance writer of Pop Culture and Travel and a published author of  
"The Roadhead Chronicles Book." He can be reached at dharmabumroadie@yahoo.com
 
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