Performer: Split Enz
Songwriter: Neil Finn
Original Release: Waiata
Year: 1981
Definitive Version: None
When I made my Hawaii tapes
in 1984, I pulled out Waiata from Jin’s record collection to add this song,
much to Jin’s surprise. I thought you didn’t like new wave, she said. Some of
it. It might have been the first time I surprised Jin with a song that I liked.
It wouldn’t be the last.
When we went to Hawaii, with
the exception of when we went to the Big Island, the day’s activities mostly
revolved around going to the beach—sometimes more than one. It makes sense,
right? (Actually, we did go to the beach on the Big Island one day—the now-gone
black-sand beach near Kalapana.)
The first Hawaiian beach we
went to was Waikiki downtown. It was fairly basic, which is why it became the
first beach overrun by hotels, resorts and tourists. (I understand they all are
like that now.)
The family beach was Ewa
Beach, which is close to where the Naval vessels come in and out of Pearl
Harbor. To the north on the Leeward shore are Nanakuli and
Makaha.
Those were my favorite
beaches, and we probably went to Nanakuli more than any other beach while we
were in Hawaii. First, it wasn’t too far from the homefront. Second, it had the
best waves. They were big enough to play in but not so big that you felt
overwhelmed. Makaha was like that but a little bigger—and a little farther away
from home.
Once while at Nanakuli, I
got a different perspective about swimming in the ocean amongst the waves. A
teen-age girl—an Islander—came to swim, but before she went in, she genuflected
on the beach. Dad saw it, too, and said how it was a show of respect to the
power of the ocean. It definitely is something not to be taken for granted.
One day, Dad wanted to take
us up to the North Shore for shave ice at Matsumoto’s, which meant a trip to
two legendary beaches—Waimea Bay, namechecked in The Beach Boys’ Surfin’ USA;
and Sunset Beach, home of the world-famous Banzai Pipeline.
The shave ice was a
disappointment—think: snow cone with the ice cut a bit finer (meh)—and the
beaches were eye-opening. Both, of course, are known for their huge waves and
surfing, but as we learned, that’s a seasonal thing. The Banzai Pipeline was
more the Banzai Flatline. I mean it was as flat as Torch Lake when there’s no
wind. Forget 60-footers, these were more like 60-millimeterers, at best.
Both beaches made for good
swimming, if you like calm waters. At Waimea, people jumped off a big rock near
the beach into the ocean. Apparently, in the winter, that rock is inaccessible
because of the waves. The next day, we were back at Nanakuli, where we had a
lot more action.
Laurie never has been to
Hawaii, so at some point, I have to take her there. In all likelihood, we’ll go
in the winter when the big waves are rolling in on the North Shore. I doubt
I’ll do any swimming that day.
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