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 it's very royal beginnings in the royal palm palace's of the Hawaiian Islands dating back to 1500-ish A.D.
Names like King Kamehameha and his Queen Regent, Kaahumanu were early and expert boarders in this, the sport of kings, and queens, known as "he'enalu" or wave sliding. Then, like an unfavorable onshore wind, enter the prudish purveyors of prosyletizing who followed in the footsteps of Captain Cooks 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 it's 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 and soon everybody was heading to the newly formed Surfing Nation ruled by true proletarian sons of the beach!
Kauai, reknowned as the Garden Island among the Hawaiian Islands, is a verdant Eden rising from the Pacific. Mountains and lush rainforest inland, and the coast awash aplenty in warm, inviting sandy beaches guarded by the leafy fronds of royal palms. A Pacific palace in paradise that is also home to some of the finest surfing in the world, with waves that will thrill and give the adrenalin rush the seasoned pro craves from a wave, 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, he or she has ever cranked up on the radio!
Beaches for experienced riders abound on Kauai, and surround 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 endless and to last forever. Other challenging stretches include Polihale, Shipwrecks, Tunnels, Cannons, Hanalei Bay and really Sixties sounding, Acid Drop!
Not all surfing is for the experts however, and there are plenty of beaches and expert instruction 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 you can hit the surf full tilt boogie!
Surfing, boogie boarding, and wind surfing, for the seasoned son of a beach, or the beginning boarder, Kauai has it all. It's more than an island, it's a framed work of art on a tropical canvas with a lush rainforest 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!