Post #735743 by MadDogMike on Thu, Jan 22, 2015 2:38 PM

I had seen and posted the first part of this story a while back, now I found the exciting conclusion of the story.

April 9, 1963 - Imperial Valley Press
A 6-foot tiki god, which weighed more than 300 pounds, was stolen from the front of El Tiki Restaurant in Imperial. Ben Wilson, the restaurant's owner, said he was busy with customers most of the afternoon and when he went outside at 7 p.m. to turn on the outside lights he discovered the tiki missing.
April 12, 1963 - Imperial Valley Press

El Tiki Restaurant’s tiki god is home-complete with a new and brighter face.
The 6-foot, 300-pound-plus wood image had a black face and orange eyes when it was stolen from in front of the restaurant Saturday.
Ben Wilson, restaurant owner, said he found the tiki god in the driveway of the restaurant when he opened this morning. He said someone had done a “terrific job” repainting its face with brighter colors.

So was this the beginning of the devolution of Tiki? Brightly colored Tiki faces in California in 1963? Maybe we can't blame it on Florida or Jimmy Buffett? :lol: