Waikiki - Honolulu, Hawaii
Posted by: 
heringermr
N 21° 16.290 W 157° 49.370
4Q E 622125 N 2352650
This surfboard is marker #2 on the Waikiki Historical Trail.
Waymark Code: WMJG8C
Location: Hawaii, United States
Date Posted: 11/14/2013
Views: 23
Waikiki means "spouting water" because it was a vast marshland fed by man streams. You are in fact standing on what was the mouth of an old stream, the Kuekanunahi. From ancient times Waikiki has been a popular surfing spot which is one of the reasons why the chiefs made their homes and headquarters here for hundreds of years. Though it's been called "the sport of kings," everyone surfed. Surf spots had their special names and the most famous in Waikiki was Kalehuawehe or "take off the lehua." It was so named when a legendary hero took off his lie of lehua blossoms and gave it to the wife of the ruling chief with whom he was surfing. Romance and surfing often went together.
Believe or not, by 1900 surfing had nearly died out in Hawaii partly because of missionary opposition to the sport which took people away from worship and other religious obligations. Waikiki has some of the best summer waves in the world. The swells vary in height from 2 to 8 feet and on rare occasions, have reached as high as 35 feet. A ride can easily extend a hundred yards or so. The longest ride recorded took place in 1917 when the great Duke Kahanamoku caught a 35-foot wave and rode it to shore, a distance of a mile and a quarter.
Group that erected the marker: The City and County of Honolulu
URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: [Web Link]
Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary:
2586 Kalakaua Ave
Honolulu, HI USA
96815
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Visit Instructions:
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