Post #14215 by Sabu The Coconut Boy on Tue, Nov 19, 2002 12:10 PM

Last Sunday, after Sabu attended church like a good Coconut Boy, he stopped at some thrift stores on Venice Blvd in Mar Vista to look for some Hawaiiana. He was unsuccessful, finding mostly a lot of Crap-iana and Cheap-Clothes-iana, but looking across the street, he spied the Mar Vista Lanes bowling alley and his well-developed tiki-sense began tingling, just like Spider Man's. (In fact, in a battle to the death between Sabu The Coconut Boy and Spider Man, Sabu would always find the Bali Hai mug hidden in the box of LPs faster than Spider Man. I use the term "Battle to the Death" figuratively here. It would actually be more like a "Massacre")

Anyway, something drew my attention to this old Sixties bowling alley.

Yes, something about that column on the left-hand side of the building, hidden by the hedge:

As I approached, it began to take on a familiar shape:

Ah Ha! From the side, our friend the tiki reveals himself!

I apologize for the darkness of the photo, but this is a big-lipped tiki with enormous eyes that cover most of its head.

I quickly checked inside the bar, the bowling alley, and the coffee shop, but could find no other tikis. The coffee shop was promising with all kinds of dark, cave-like grottos and stonework, but if there were other tikis at one time, they no longer exist. The bowling alley itself is pure atomic design. The bowling balls are painted bright, fifties colors and the place was full on a Sunday afternoon with families and lots of kids. The coffee shop was likewise packed. I'm glad to see this place is doing a thriving business.

Does anyone else know anything about the history of the Mar Vista Lanes on the corner of Venice Blvd and Grand View? Doesn't it seem unlikely that there was only one tiki for the entire building? Wouldn't they have had more at one time? Has anyone else out there found this besides me? I would appreciate any information. Thanks.

Sabu