Post #383170 by Mongoloid on Wed, May 28, 2008 9:09 PM

I lived in Waikiki in the early 90's a half block from the Duke statue and used to surf the warm waters of Queens, 3's, Rock Piles, Canoes, on a daily basis with a smile and never took one minute for granted. I would see Rabbit and the new breed of beach boys and the aloha they would show to tourists fresh off the plane from Kansas and they would take surfing lessons and catch their first wave of their life and would experience the meaning of the word stoke. I can only imagine the days of Waikiki before all the high rises and Gucci stores lined Kalakaua avenue and the simplicity of the lifestyle. The Duke was a true ambassador of aloha and will forever remain important to Hawaii's history. I was there vacationing for New Years 2008 after staying on Maui for Christmas and must say the development that is viewed as "progress" in Waikiki is a little overwhelming and disheartening, alot of the mom and pop places have been replaced by Nike Towns and strip malls. Waikiki will always be a part of me, my experiences and nose rides i reflect on quite often, but with change comes new perspectives and for me those were my good old days.

Aloha nui loa