Post #351768 by GatorRob on Fri, Dec 28, 2007 2:37 PM

While I tend to lean more toward classic style tiki for my personal tastes, I also like a few stylized or interpretive tikis thrown in the mix. That's why I have this big guy (who is a tribute to the Barney West stylized Moai in front of the Mai-Kai) looking in on my home bar to keep an eye on things! This was carved by Wayne Coombs. It's carved from cedar, so that's where it gets it's sunburned face. But the sun will eventually render it a beautiful silver.

And speaking of Barney West, I had an interesting conversation with Leroy Schmaltz once where he told me that he wasn't much impressed with Barney's carving skills. That came as a bit of a shock! I don't think he cared for Barney's carousing ways either, but it does make for good stories. Perhaps, as you said, with Leroy being more of a classic tiki carver, he didn't appreciate Barney's style. But I think that's one of the things that makes the Mai-Kai so great: the mixture of the two. Especially with Barney's carvings being on such a GRAND scale.