As I gaze over Waikiki from my Oahu Vacation Rental and see the surf instructors below I think back to the early days of Waikiki when the tradition of the Waikiki Beachboys began.
From the 1920s to the 1950s, a group of water sports instructors working on the beaches fronting the Moana and Royal Hawaiian Hotels came to be known as the Waikiki Beachboys. One of the most famous of the Beachboys was the legendary Hawaiian waterman and Olympic champion Duke Kahanamoku. In 1911, Duke and other local watermen founded Hui Nalu (Club of the Waves), and many of the club’s members eventually became Waikiki Beachboys.
The clients of the Beachboys were mainly well-to-do visitors to Hawaii who wanted to learn to surf or to go for a ride on an outrigger canoe in the waters of Waikiki.
Tthe Beachboys became good friends with many visitors and taught them about Hawaiian culture and the spirit of Aloha. Many Beachboys played musical instruments, and they were also known for their amorous adventures with their female clients.
After the United States entered World War II in 1941 when Pearl Harbor was attacked, Martial Law was imposed in Hawaii and the carefree lifestyle quickly changed. Sadly the era of the Beachboys came to an end.
The Waikiki Beachboys Canoe Club was formed in 1973 with the goal of restoring the original idea of Waikiki Beachboy including not just surfing but also canoe paddling and the Aloha spirit.
Now when I walk along the busy Waikiki shoreline and see the local instructors still sharing their knowledge with the visitors I think back to those early days when the spirit of aloha was shared with so many people from all around the world. The Beachboys have been very kind to me also on this wonderful stay in the Hawaiian Islands, and as I head back to my Oahu Condo near the beach I am still basking in th warm glow of the surf, sun, and sand, and the Hawaiian Aloha Spirit.