Hukilau 2004: Discuss!

{Post your Hukilau stories/thanks/etc. here!}

Evacuation? Don't let a little rain and a gentle breeze in the air (okay, about 4-6" and 85mph gusts) get you guys down! The reports back west thus far are pretty grim! Wish we could do an "insta message" w/Hukilauer's!!! Gimme an earthquake anytime...!
Mahaloz,
Holden

[ Edited by: smogbreather on 2004-09-25 00:14 ]

{subject line edited by martiki.}

[ Edited by: martiki on 2004-09-27 09:54 ]

Nightmare situation for me. I flew to Florida with my Mom, she was to visit her cousin who lived in Ft Lauderdale whilst I was at Hukilau. We flew in on Thursday, got in late and turned on the old boob tube in the hotel room just in time to catch the 11 O'Clock news. They were speculating as to when, where, if the hurricane would hit land or not and my Mom panicked. I told her not to worry, we'd see what happens the following day. This morning (Friday) she turned on the news bright and early to see Jeb Bush telling everyone to batten down the hatches. I went to take a shower and when I walked out of the bathroom she informed me she had called the airline and got us a flight out in 4 hours. From my window overlooking the harbor, there wasn't even a breeze flapping the flags on the boats. I was furious. Everyone I talked to there said the news makes it worse than it really is, it's just alot of rain and wind. I was willing to literally ride the storm out, but I have no idea what will happen. They are predicting it will hit late Sat, early Sunday but it has changed course so many times they can't accurately pinpoint where or when. I hope it makes a quick right and heads out to sea.

Your mom sounds like a woman of wisdom.

Personally, I would stick it out.

[ Edited by: Hakalugi on 2004-09-25 01:37 ]

The Fort Lauderdale / Hollywood International airport is going to shut down at 2pm today (saturday). And the city is starting a mandatory evacuation of the beaches and barrier islands now at 7am.
since I am not staying at the Bahia Mar I dont know how this will effect Hukilauers
staying there.

I just called down to the Bahia Mar and they are evacuating the hotels as of 8:38am this morning. Please be safe and still have fun everyone.

Just remember that you can always go to another "Hukilau". The most important thing is for everyone to make it out ok. This will just make next years even biger and better. Hope you are all ok!!

We got into Ft Lauderdale last night and were told immediately that we would have to evacuate at 7 am the next day (we were staying off of US 1, not at one of the Hukilau hotels). We left Ft Lauderdale at 6 am and are now back in Orlando.

We were bummed out about the Mai Kai, but we stopped in for drinks last night and they were so nice to us.....there were no tables for the dinner show so they put 2 chairs out in the dining area for us so we would have a chance to see it. The best part of the evening was when my boyfriend proposed to me in the Tiki Gardens :) We had 2 other amazing nights at the Mai Kai and he surprised me!

Needless to say, I'm sad about not seeing everyone or getting to buy stuff at the Bazaar, but better safe than sorry, you know :)

We were evacuated this morning, authorities have cordoned off the island. Gail force winds are hurling rain drops the size of half dollars in exess of over 100 miles per hour. Panic and desperation rule the streets. The high water mark is reaching dangerous new highs. Fedral agents have ruled this a disaster area. Dr. Z is reallly hungover. But,

Yet we endevor to persevere, we seek to overcome our hardship and reach the summit of Tikidom, The Hukilau. The Mai Kai has refused to close it's doors to the onslaught of the Hurricane. Kern has vowed have an all night Hurricane party at the Mai Kai. I plan to have many 151 Swizzles. Pray for me and get Z some aspirin.
Mahalo,
Al
Al

You guys for real having a hurricane party at the Mai Kai? Keep us updated, if possible --

Remember hurricane parties from when I was kid living in Fla. and then also in Okinawa (dad was in the Army). Fun -- if you don't get killed.

I could think of worse fates than being trapped in the Mai Kai --

Updates, if you can!

What a bummer about the evacuation this morning. Everything was so awesome at the Hukilau. The Thursday night boat ride was incredible around the "Venice of America" with delicious drinks and music. The luau last night was a blast. The late night party with mixologist Pablos FABULOUS!!! We really thought that the evacuation would be cancelled. We were hoping anyway.

At 6am with a tiny headache this morning, we called the front desk at the Bahia Mar to find out that it was a go and we had to evacuate. We never even got to say good-bye to anyone.

We were lucky because no one was on the road as we zipped up the 95 to Neptune Beach. I just hope everyone that flew in is able to get out without any problems.

Hurrican season in Florida this year has been the pits! Usually, the state gets one hurricane. Will it ever end?

I just spoke to Caroline at the Mai Kai and she said all is a go and they will be open
all nite!! Incredible!!

I survived "the Hukilau". I had a total blast!!! I really enjoyed meeting all of the TC'ers!!! Everybody was so nice a friendly. Last night I left "the Call of the Tiki" party early enough so I could see the Mai-Kai. I am sooo glad I did!! That place is amazing. I really wished I could be there tonight, but Me and my fiance booked an emergency flight out of there at 8:00 am (we got to the airport at 4:30am), this morning before that bitch "Hurricane Jeanne" hit. We have been up all night and now we are back in California, so I am going to get some much needed rest. I will report more later. I hope everyone that stayed is safe right now!!!
Later,
Spermy

[ Edited by: The Sperm Whale on 2004-09-25 15:03 ]

[ Edited by: The Sperm Whale on 2004-09-25 15:05 ]

[ Edited by: The Sperm Whale on 2004-09-25 15:07 ]

After a great time partying till nearly dawn in Al and Shelly's room, I hit the hay at 5am.
Couple of REMs later and I'm up at 8am hearing the sucking sound of people evacuating the island. We had to go somewhere and the hurricane was (and still is) headed near our place in Orlando, so we packed up and left all too soon.
Wanted to stay and spend more money in the bazaar, but was really looking forward to the MaiKai. I called to let them know I would not be there, and they said that because of the cancellations, they were madly trying to reschedule everyone to the first show. I hope someone enjoys our seats, they always put on a heck of a show.
Just got everything boarded up and have holed ourselves in. I need to drink some more rum....

Here we are battened down, nailed up, picked upand ready as can be. its almost 7 o'clock and the winds are raging pretty bad already. So far I think we have had Near hurricane force Gusts, nothing sustained. The eye should hit us un the face around midnight, give or take awhile.
HukiLau was Fantastic, again, Great meeting everyone. It was a "Dream Come true" event and I couldn't have asked for more, but more would have been nice. Good luck to anyone who is still there , wishn I was too. More later if we are still powered up

Shecky #60, evacuated to the mainland, has survived thus far, and even came out to take an EARLY afternoon peek. He posed for a picture or two just to let TCers know he's ok.

http://www.sevenpleasures.org/gallery/albums.php

Fear not, he's safely back in his box now- and if worst comes to worst, it even floats.

Oh, and we're still alive too! The power's still on... but from here, it gets interesting.

[ Edited by: Sabina on 2004-09-25 17:56 ]

Well we just got home, our dissapointment of having to leave early and miss seeing the Mai Kai was easily overshadowed by how wonderful it was to be at the Hukilau and meet so many of the wonderful TC Ohana. It will take me a week to process all of the wonderful moments that AngeLuau and I experienced. I think if it was not for having to come home to kids we would have stayed. We ended up finding out at 7:30 that we could make the last flight that United had out so off we went and sadly because of our sudden departure we missed out saying goodbye to the many many people that I can now put faces with and hopefully call friends. My final Hukilau moment, was of leaving Capt. Al's suite and taking a picture of his smiling face.

[ Edited by: Tiki-Toa on 2004-09-25 18:08 ]

Talked to Doctor Z on his cellphone today, (he is indeed hungover). Mandatory evacuation from the Bahia forced them to move inland about 5 miles to a budget hotel that had some rooms available. Sugar Caddy Daddy, Martiki (Martin & Rebecca), & Wersmo derinc and others had made headquarters there as well. Still just a couple of miles from the Mai Kai. They were still planning to party at the Mai Kai through the Hurricane, with the knowledge that they may be stuck an extra day or two until the airport opens again. What troopers! Wish I was riding out the hurricane in style with them.

all i got to say is that i salute the tc'ers staying at the mai kai tonite. what an incredible bonding experience! i know i would rather be there than at some government manufactured public school gym (sans alcohol). i would imagine that the mai kai does not have windows, so you guys must be safe and sound. (as any true tiki bar would not have windows!) may you all have a safe memorable night, and do tell us the stories once everything is in the clear. :)

Hukilau was a blast. So sad to have to leave early tho. Thanks to Swanky and Kiliki for all their hard work to make this years event unforgettable.
We did go to the MaiKai Friday evening before the Hukilau. Glad we did. It's an awesome place. However, I don't think I'd ride out a hurricane in it. Right now we're sitting in our cement block dwelling, plywood over the windows and doors, waiting for the eye of Jeanne to pass by in a few hours. I'm feeling a bit uncomfortable... After the beatings we've taken over the last 6 weeks, there is no such thing as the news oversensationalizing these things.
I will be posting some pics of I bella di Waikiki who entertained us in our room, for drinks of course, after the cruise Thursday. What a crazy bunch of Italians. Lukey sure loves running around in his underwear. Was looking forward to seeing them and the Vodkanauts tonite at Skippers Smokehouse, but it's not to be.
Rockin'Roxy and Baaad to the Bone Brent, hope you all made it back safely. We looked for you Saturday morning just in case you didn't get out Friday nite, but you were long gone. Hope to see you again next year.
Tikilee and Marian, where are you??? Hope the airport floor wasn't too uncomfortable.
Anxious to hear from all of you who rode out Jeanne at the MaiKai.

On 2004-09-26 09:13, Voodoo Val wrote:
I will be posting some pics of I bella di Waikiki who entertained us in our room, for drinks of course, after the cruise Thursday. What a crazy bunch of Italians. Lukey sure loves running around in his underwear. Was looking forward to seeing them and the Vodkanauts tonite at Skippers Smokehouse, but it's not to be.

We've postponed the Sunday night show at Skipper's with I Belli and The Vodkanauts to Tuesday night. Info here:

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=11056&forum=4&0

It'll be a relatively early night, starting at 8, over at 11. Hope you can make it!

Morning after, checking in;

We're fine, although severely dissapointed we were so close and yet so far from the Mai Kai festivities- guess this is what it feels like to be an adult. (Damn grown up 'responsible' decision making!) On the up side, the truck's ok, we're ok, and we never even lost power last night, so who are we to argue, when all around us is such a mess.

No local news reports of emergency mid hurricane evacuations of the Mai Kai, so assumedly everyone had a great night. The barrier island evacuation order has been lifted too.

Of course, from here, Jeanne gets to visit on up the coast through to Maryland :( So we may or may not be done yet.

But for now, we're going to see whether the Mai Kai is open tonight, or if they're completely partied out. We leave for Key West on Monday.

I was one that had to leave on Saturday and missed the Mai Kai. I had commitments on Monday and Tuesday and could not wait for the airport to re-open (Monday? Tuesday?). I rented a car and drove back to Charleston.

I was sorry to miss the Mai Kai night. Still, the weekend was a blast. I talked with Kiliki today and she said the Mai Kai party went off great. The hardcore Tiki-ites held steadfast in the gails of the storm.

It was great seeing everybody again. I am proud to be a member of such a great ohana.

Aloha and muchos mahalos to one and all.

Tiki Bob

[ Edited by: tikibob on 2004-09-26 12:11 ]

Confirmed- the Mai Kai will be open tonight- we'll be at the first show. Anyone still in town (who's not in bed with a Hurricane hangover to end all hangovers!) please feel free to join us.

So we are having our own sort of mini Hukilau, just with a pause button in the middle of the weekend.

I'd love to hear some details about the Mai Kai show(s). Did both shows happen? How many Hukilauers made it? Hula Kitten and I are extremely disappointed to miss the show. But I called over 30 hotels, motels and flop houses Friday night and got the big donut from all of them. So, we bailed out before Jeanne started ragin' on us and headed over to St. Pete for the rest of our vacation. Well, Jeanne caught up to us and blew the roof off of our lodgings. Never fear, we moved to another section of the hotel that is still nice and dry (for now). So besides telling our friends what a great time we had at the Hukilau party we can now tell them we survived a hurricane (I hope). Oh yeah, one more thing: Minutes before we walked into the Call of the Tiki party we found out (thanks to EPT and a sufficient urine flow) that we're GOING TO HAVE A BABY! It's our first and is TWO years in the making. And no matter what, we are NOT naming him/her Jeanne!

In the aftermath of the storm, you may want to take a walk on the beaches and see what's washed ashore. And please return home safely, all those who have travelled far.

Sabu

Still in Florida. Was soppose to leave today but our flight got pushed back til tuesday. Did the whole sleep on the floor thing at the evacuation shelter. Some locals brought inflatable matresses and mats with pillows and blankets. All we had was our luggage. Big thanks to Motiki for the company and bubblewrap. We used the bubble wrap as bedding. It was kinda funny when Motiki rolled over at night though, sounded like a drive-bye shooting. At the courtyard Marriott right now. Thanks for thinking of us Val and Mike. Were tired, sore, and cranky, but other than that were doing all right. Cant wait to se your hotel room party pics :)

Whew! Just made it back to Atlantis! We had to evacuate the hotel so I stayed with my crazy Cuban relatives in Miami. We had a hurricane party!
Well, the Hukilau was a blast while it lasted. Thanks to everyone I met for a great couple of days. I had a ton of fun with my group of sailors! The fire & hula dancers at the Bahia Mar put on an amazing show as well!
Hey Dave & Rebecca from Purple Orchid folks & Doctor & Mrs. Z: Y'all back in town yet? I'm thinkin' about Monday night at the P.O. for a cocktail...say around 9ish?

Made it...me and Jen got back about two hours ago, with much thanks to her stunt driving ability from Daytona to Waynesboro...(one hellacious trip). Have to give her props, pure and simple. We witnessed a good degree of damage and emergency procedure..little food or gas for a good 200 mile stretch through A1A Florida as well..

BK,

Did you and Jen have to travel the A1A route instead of I-95? Was 95 closed?

TB

Well I think Pomaika i (newly engaged) and Ukulares (newly soon-to-be-parents) win the prize for the biggest surprises at the Hukilau! Best wishes and congrats all around!

The rest of us got the mere surprise of being evacuated/kicked out of the Bahia Cabana and Bahia Mar (and in fact, every hotel along the strip) early Saturday AM. Most of us had the sh*tty task of driving around for hours looking for lodging, but most seemed to have found something....or left town. Hooray for us hardcores!! Woo HOOO! We showed that bitch Jeanne that NUTHIN' keeps us from the Mai Kai!

What a restaurant. Even though they were not even opened yet, they let many groups (like our Houston contingient) drop off their stuff in the back banquet room and hang around until hotels were found, etc. (Picture suitcases and hotel room bedspreads & pillows stacked up under the genuine New Guinea artifacts decorating the space!) Not to mention that they forewent going home to their families to wait out the hurricane so they could let US have our PARTY! Does hospitality GET any better that that?!

Sadly, the crowd was diminished to only one show, instead of the sold-out two, but it was a DOOZY! They even worked up a never-performed-before-at-the-Mai-Kai number: "Hukilau"! Complete with audience participation and dance instructions for all. Needless to say, we all knew the words beforehand :wink: . (The words were frequently changed to "Oh we're going....to a hurricane...a hurri hurri hurri hurri hurricane...")

Some highlights:

• the Mystery Boy Drink Dance (in honor of Teri Oldknow, owner of the Starlight Drive-in in Atlanta and the soon-to-be Tiki-something Drive-in in SoCal!),
• the ever-entertaining Kink Kukulele,
• Humuhumu's birthday dance,
• the "Lovely Hula Hands" dance performed by a dancer of many decades' experience in honor of her son Randy's birthday that night. Standing ovation. What beauty, poise and grace, the kind that only comes with the years.
  (Not that the Mai Kai dancers didn't knock my SOCKS off! AMAZing!!! Damn my British Isle genes - I want to be a Polynesian Beauty and dance at the Mai Kai!!!),
• The after-party, complete with "Elvis: Live from Hawaii" on bigscreen TV. I'm still hoarse from singing along at the top of my lungs,
• Finding my cellphone, which had been lost in the sand on the beach, and
• My flight's arriving home 15 minutes early.

Personal Lowlights:

• Jeanne. duh
• Finding that my water-and-sand-logged cellphone no longer functioned (thus not revealing the phone numbers lodged in its memory),
• Finding that all cellphone stores, along with EVERYTHING except the Mai Kai, were closed, and
• Waiting 3 hours at the Houston airport for my ride to find me (since I couldn't call when we somehow missed, since my cellphone didn't work. arrrgh.)
• ADDENDUM - Learning that my SIM card, with ALL my phone numbers on it, was destroyed in my cellphone when the battery burned up!! Noooo! I'm emailing people asking them for their phone numbers again, so be on the lookout, those who'd given me their numbers in the past!

Final tally: the good FAR outweighed the bad!!!

And all the evacuation and forced closing fuss - for what? A rainstorm. Not even CLOSE to how bad a typical storm is in Texas or Georgia. Now, that was Fort Lauderdale proper. I'm sorry to hear of roofs being blown off in other cities, etc. and yes, better-safe-than-sorry blah blah, but DANG! I was having FUN! And I was loving seeing everyone!

Sorry that I never got to say goodbye to many (or even meet some of you) before we were split, but we will do this again!

THANK YOU TIKI KILIKI AND SWANKY!!! And to all the others who performed and who volunteered their time to help out with the myriad details to make it all run smoothly (e.g., James T and his crack crew stage managing the Friday night show). My first Mai Kai weekend experience was CERtainly unforgettable!!!

TIKI: Now, more than ever

[ Edited by: Formikahini on 2004-09-27 09:32 ]

[ Edited by: Formikahini on 2004-09-28 08:22 ]

My overwhelming anal retentiveness insists on organizing the shit out of everything, so let's try to keep this from spreading to thirty different threads. Post Hukilau stuff here!

Or pictures here:

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=11058&forum=4&7

No reason not to post pics to this thread as well, just thought it might be nice to have the download intensive thread separated out for dial up users. Particularly power outage forced dial up users!

On 2004-09-26 13:35, Ukulare wrote:
GOING TO HAVE A BABY! It's our first and is TWO years in the making. And no matter what, we are NOT naming him/her Jeanne!

First...CONGRATS Ukulare and his wahine on the baby!! Second..sorry to not have met you (or others that I thought I would get too on Sat.)!
And Third....the name Jeanne will leave a bas taste in my mouth for some time to so I do not blame you.
Fourth...sorry for not being able to say thank you to Swanky and Tiki Kiliki for doing such a great job and putting on such a great event, cannot wait for next year!
Mahalo to....Al and Shelly for having me and AngeLuau to the suite....Pablus for the wondeful drinks, but your in trouble :wink: for corrupting Angeluau (actually she was so happy to have her first time be with you)...Tikiwahine and DrunknMunky for bringing the Scope...errr...abisinthe...Flounder for just being Flounder and Megan what a sweetheart too....Tiki Tony was great to meet you along with, Swampfire, Wes form House of Tiki, and it was great too see again Jimmy Robinson and Elise (and yes I think Elise and Humuhumu are long lost twin sisters), Cybertiki and Wahine with Christina the Ballerina, Doctor Z and Dolphin Tiki for being so much fun around (still think gas stove is better)and Z what the hell was in those shots?...McDougal you better have more carved for next year...Joe and Donella Vitale such a great couple!....Kreepytiki folk you all RULE!!! Jaksin, Loon, and PenGoddess so cool to meet you all cannot wait to get with you guys again!....KGeoff and Wahine, wow what another great couple to know! BambooBen and Mrs.Boo MAHALO so much for everything...Polypop for getting to sign the PBOT and for giving me so many ideas on how to make it even more fun at Hukilau, Jungle Trade was cool to finally meet you, along with SUGARCADDYDADDY!!You da MAN! Tiki Diablo also such a great guy to meet! Lake Surfer, man you cannnot get a break can you brah? Man I know I missed someone somehow someway but what a great first tiki event!! Next year we get there earlier and stay longer, bring more money, more booze, cheesecurds for Crazy Al, and more Midwesteners!!!

[ Edited by: Tiki-Toa on 2004-09-27 12:20 ]

On 2004-09-27 08:22, tikibob wrote:
BK,

Did you and Jen have to travel the A1A route instead of I-95? Was 95 closed?

TB

We took I-95 all the way up to 25. It got pretty dirty in Jacksonville, but the wind calmed a bit by the time we got out of Brunswick. We stopped at the Georgia state line to grab something to eat and Dave heard someone mention that I-95 was being closed south from St. Augustine.

Jen

Glad to hear you made it back, Jon.

Kelly and I packed up and headed out on Saturday morning too -- we crossed Alligator Alley and went on an outlet mall shopping binge.

We were sorry to miss the Mai-Kai, but we're only 4 hours away, so we can always go back.

It was great to meet so many of you. This was such a weird year for hurricanes -- hopefully next year won't be as much of a problem.

Formikahini, thanks for the evocative summary! I'm very happy to hear that not only did at least a few people manage to enjoy the Mai Kai Saturday night, but that also--from the sound of it--everyone made it home in one piece...and found their home still in one piece.

I am not at ALL surprised to hear of the Mai Kai staff's incredible generosity and hospitality. How awesome. How magical. How TIKI!! I'll be making time to go there as often as I can so long as the Mai Kai and I are both on the planet.

You know, I have a strong belief that Fort Lauderdale owes a considerable debt to the Tiki Gods. Notice how the hurricanes keep missing the Mai Kai? :wink: I suspect it's no coincidence.

Well, I kinda wish I'd gone (especially as, not having to be home Monday, I could've stuck it out at the Mai Kai Saturday), but the home-buying process kept me here in Vallejo. Good news is I got one! and when I build the home bar, there's going to be a special shrine to the Mai Kai.

Not to mention, nothing (not even hurricanes) will keep me from the Hukilau next year!!!

XOX tikivixen

p.s. but maybe it'll be held in June, just in case?!? lol

See I knew I would forget something..Mahalo too.....Humuhumu for the dance......Mogambo and Christian for working so hard..Tiki Kiliki and MrSmiley for the food when we learned there was no where to get pizza at 1am+....ThePugs you both rock!...Benzart for the bamboo cup (by the way can you drink from that?)...Bongofury for the gift(I had one for you that I was going to give in return, but well Jeanne ruined that)...Keigs and Heather such a great couple to talk too, it was great getting to know you!...Mosaic Larry for letting me take pics of his tattoo....Crazy Al for the stories....Shelly for the cork tiki necklaces :)....Tikiwhaine for my Fezmonkey...Jaksin for the gift....Flounder my painting rocks!!....too everyone who signed my mug...Floratina for being so silly...Johhny$ and Waikiki Kitty loved meeting you both!.
Ok I think I got everybody that time.

Well i posted this in general before, but i've been told to post it here...

Well i just got back yesterday from Florida, we had a blast on the Tiki Boat it is soo sick, and the Mai Kai was the bomb. Luckily we took Bamboo Ben's advice and went the day before for happy hour, and chilled and had dinner by the outside waterfalls and tons of tikis, the place is truly amazing. Went to the Raddison vending and night show, that was fun too.... Bought way too much stuff. The next day we had to evacute the Bahaia on saturday morning and go to Miami for a lockdown in our room. We just continued parting and watched the hurricane news on 2/3rds of the tv channels. We were spose to go to the MaiKai second show but it got cancelled. Had to transfer flights and do a layover in Houston that made our flight even longer. Then to come home and forget where we parked and left my parking ticket in my car, DOH!!! We finally found it.... All and all we had a great time until the hurricane.
I will be posting a photo page from our trip soon on this & other posts.
Thanks for a great time considering everything..

Biff

Well Stacey and I thought we would be staying in a shelter Saturday night but as luck would have it we bumped into Swanky on the way down in the elevator and he refered us to a contact for a hotel, thanks Swanky. I pictured us sleeping at mid-court in the high school gym with all of our luggage. Had a great dinner Sunday night at the Mai-Kai, enjoyed a shrunken skull, swore the puffer fish winked at me after that drink.

It was great meeting everyone. Tiki Tao, lets trade again. Duke Carter, love the book, Crazy Al great talking on the dinner cruise, Poly-Pop great seeing you and Tiki Diablo agian, Flounder love the new mug, Wes, Smokin tikis, Tiki Tony I wish we had more time to talk, Benzart great meeting you and your wife (I l love the new pendant) the two crazy guys at the pool who were stalking us. I'm sure I missed a tone of people, sorry.

Had fun with a great bunch of west coasters.....PolynesianPop, Jungle Trader, TikiTony, and Tiki Diablo. None of us had been to Hukilau and most (or all) never to Florida. I think we overwhelmed Jungle Trader with our no worries attitude. We were waiting for him to kick one or all of our asses at any given moment. Fortunately he was the one who kept us somewhat organized and is a good sport. Hanging with a bunch of artists and seeing/ meeting the vendors was quite inspiring.
Thanks to Swanky and Tiki Kiliki and all involved for an outstanding event under difficult circumstances. After our early Saturday evacuation we joined the search for a hotel. With cell help from Alnshely, King Kuke, and Mogambo, we found rooms near the Mai Kai. Tony, Danny, and I shared a room at the luxurious "Bali Hai". Thanks to the Mai Kai for a great time and offer to let us sleep there if we could not find a hotel or couldn't leave due to the storm......what a fantastic example of the ultimate Polynesian restaurant/bar. It was surreal to be inside and totally separated from the weather, until you stepped outside. Added alot to the overall experience. Dug the Tahitian dancers hip-shakin dance off.............mmm.....Tabu Ti....... Did not make it to the after party. We noticed a Mexican-Cuban restaurant-nightclub open across the street from our hotel so Tony dashed over for a midnight snack and some Mariachi music. At some point Danny came back and slept on the floor with a bath towel for a blanket. After a morning dip in the pool we hooked up with our crew and joined Mogambo, Christian, and King Kukelele for a Japanese buffet near the Mai Kai for lunch. All you can eat sushi and Japanese food for $9.95! Good stuff. Basement Kahuna stopped by and we all said our good-byes. Tony, Adrian, and I went to the airport and the rest were off to Key West. Glad to see some of our TC friends old and new. Hope to see you all again soon. While the storm was an adventure for me I do not want to make light of the impact it had on all in it's path. Hope all made it through O.K. with minimal damage and good health. Aloha!

Well... Amy, Logan and I got home tonight all intact, but unfortunately it sounds like we missed the biggest fun at the Hukilau. We were up at 5:30 Saturday morning to check the weather and the status of the evacuation notice, surprised by the relaxed attitude the Bahia Cabana staff had ("folks had a late night, we'll wake them up in a while") we found a few Hukilau folks trying to figure out what to do. They seemed as concerned as we were, just having seen the weather reports that had the hurricane making land right in our area. As much as we wanted to be at the Mai-Kai, we had nowhere to stay in Ft. Lauderdale but we did have a place in Tampa– my Mom's house.

We already had plans to go be in Tampa on Sunday in order for family to visit with little Logan and to celebrate our birthdays (Amy's was today and mine is tomorrow). So we thought we were just pushing up our plans a bit and dodging a hurricane. That's what we THOUGHT. While it was certainly not as intense as when it slammed into South East Florida, Jeanne had plenty left in her when she paid us a visit. We lost power just in time to watch the neighbor's fence come into my Mom's yard and to see two big oak trees on one side of her house come down (one hit the roof, but thankfully did not damage it). Needless to say, it was a little stressful. We were glad we could be there for my Mom– but we could not help but wish we were either at the Mai-Kai, or at home in our own safe little Tiki hideaway.

Our route North to Tampa took us through Punta Gorda, I have not seen that kind of devastation first hand before. We really felt for the people in communities who have been hit so hard this year. My Mom is still in the dark and now her phone is out, but her house is pretty much undamaged. I only hope that the rest of our Florida tiki family faired as well.

Despite the crazy ordeal the hurricane brought with it, we had a great time at the Hukilau. We were thrilled to meet more of the wonderful Tiki Central folks. I'll save everyone the roll call and just suffice to say we were very impressed with how warm and friendly everyone was. I really appreciated all the people who went out of their way to say hi and introduce themselves. I am very happy to be able to say I have many new friends. it was also great to see many we already knew and to be able to catch up and share some time with. Congrats to Swanky and Kiliki for putting together such a fine event.

We are so disappointed that we had to miss out on the cornerstone event of the Hukilau that we may have to invite Chicago area folks to our place real soon to have our own little Hukilau in honor.

-Duke

It’s 7 am and the dawn is breaking after a troubled 24 hours of trees falling and squalls coming from different directions and frustration at every corner, including no power here or at work.

Angela and I are safe and sound and wondering about the rest of the ohana who live here in “The Sunshine State.”

And also, thinking about the Hukilau and how much I enjoyed it.

IMO – it should be exactly the same next year, sans hurricane.

There will be lots of posts describing the events, complete with pictures and apt commentary, so I’ve only a few observations I’d like to share.

First – it was cybertiki and Joelle who provided most of the rum, limes and lemons and mixers in the suite party. Without asking for a dime he picked it all up and put it in KGeoff’s room. BTW – thanks to the Neptunes and KGeoff & Marian for the hook-up.

One moment that was telling was the first time I entered the vendor area and looked around at all the wonderful art and items that were available. I saw Jungle Trader and Polynesian Pop sitting at a table and I asked if I could take a seat with them. They obliged and kept their discussion going... it was about Hawaiian history. I didn’t chime in... oddly, I just listened and enjoyed the company of people who had similar thoughts and interests.

Crazy Al has 2 speeds: all out and neutral. No in-between... and he adds a lot of life (zazz?) to whatever situation he’s in. He and King Kukulele work together well to keep it up-tempo and hilarious. Lots of fun to be around.

Tiki Wahine and DM are a lovely couple and DM gave me a huge surprise with the bone through the nose. Never saw it coming but it fit just right.

Falernum is great. See the Falernum taste-off thread in Tiki Drinks, shortly.
Yes, Martiki returned the bottle of Falernum that he gave to me and then callously stole.
Thanks, braddah.

The ohana here can SMELL rum from a distance of up to a mile. Dr. Z needed a taste of something good so I invited him and Dolphin Tiki up to our small room to taste some premium rums. Mogambo grinned and so he was invited as well... on our way upstairs I passed SugarCaddyDaddy and asked if he would like to join us and before 5 minutes were up, Martiki and Rebecca – ChikiTiki – Jungle Trader – bongofury – Polypop – Humuhumu – Kava King and Queen and probably some others were tasting Pampero Anniversario, Zacapa, El Dorado 15 yr and Cruzan Molasses... or was that rum. Crammed into that small space, we each took tastes from the wooden spoon I brought with me since I couldn’t bear to pour any of that good stuff into a styrofoam cup. Good time.

Bamboo Ben and Mrs. B don’t need sleep.
They brought the funk at all times and were very cool just to hang around with. The bar Ben built was absolutely awesome. Ben talked Johnny Knox into taking a hit of lime juice up his nose. Yes, he’s THAT convincing. I saw it myself.

AGWA is the world’s best liquer. Thanks, Dr. Z. That stuff kept me rocking until 6 am and I got up at 8 am with no ill effects other than hurricane-itis.

The artists here are truly the best in the world.
I couldn’t bear to walk around anymore because I had no money to spend.
Incredible though. If I had a few grand to spend I would have walked away with a piece from every carver and artist. Benzart – breathtaking work. Each carver has unique styles and incredible talent. I bought 2 things – a crazy al mug and a chikitiki (diablo) mug. Although I kid Flounder a lot, he seems to borrow from a tahitan influence with all of that color he brings to his fantastic pieces... and then, all earth tones on burlap with those killer mug paintings. Of course, with maikainagirl at his side – it’s easy to be inspired.

I’m picking up a TikiTony tiki within the next few months.... elemental, with flair.

The music was just perfect. Billy Mure had the time of his life. The Vodkanauts ripped – (see you tomorrow). King Kukulele – I hate him. Hate isn’t a strong enought word. How he hits it every time leaves me weeping. AND he’s funny. I hate people like that.
I Belli... wow – that’s nothing but sheer dedication to a true love. Johnny Knox was a perfect fit to start things off... although I didn’t think so when I heard about it – but now I trust Swanky even more than I already did.

I have to say a word about bongofury treating me to a fantastic gift. I won’t elaborate except to say “thanks, they do smoke.”

It was great to see some of the Califonia ohana I’d already met and great to meet others – and some new fun folks like Kiliokapela (sp? - Houston dude) and Toa and their loves. It was an honor to meet Keigs. See my buddy B.Kahuna. Meet tikibars and the muggler. Kava King and Mrs. King are forever my king and queen. You INVESTED your falernum. Formikahini and Humuhumu with the table dance left me and Mano pretty much breathless. Dolphin Tiki was a blast, finely-tuned, subdued expressivness is fun to watch when imbibing Agwa.

I have to say that my conversation with and hanging out with Al was a real highlight of my trip. Rusty Key and I talked about his demeanor and gregarious nature all the way home and regreted not hanging out longer with him and the beautiful, incredible Shell of the Pacific. No wonder you west coasters want to be around them as much as possible.

I miss all of you already and am looking forward to seeing some bands tomorrow night and THE King on Thursday.

I probably left someone out that I’ll repost on later but it’s early in the morning and I’ve had little sleep for days.

12:37 am on Tuesday – hey, the power came back on after 39 hours or so.

C' Al – no way did you make that flight.

And finally, Kiliki and Swanky are the consummate hosts.
Thanks for a great party. I know it took it’s toll on your lives, but if you could – a least keep it going until the Mai Kai’s 50th in a couple years.

Duke, Amy, Chip and Andy - see you soon - at the Lagoon.

[ Edited by: pablus on 2004-09-28 13:39 ]

About ready to go to bed now. When I wake up it will be back to the same old daily grind... Hukilau 2004 was the break I needed. Unfortunately, its all over now.

I know the hurricane displaced a lot of travelers on their trip this year but the good news is it looks like all of us TC'ers made it home ok. I too, don't want to make light of the impact that this hurricane made but for me, the hurricane almost seemed like a blessing. It really brought out the best in all of us and helped illustrate what a great group of people TC is comprised of.

Some of the highlights for me:

Evacuation Day -- Saturday my travelling buddies Jungletrader, Tiki Diablo, Tiki Tony, Bongofury and I evacuated the Bahia Cabana in the morning. We spent about 4 hours or so looking for another hotel/motel room (most were either closed or booked to capacity). But we were not alone - Alnshely, Floratina, King Kukulele were going in one direction while Mogambo and his assistant Christian went the other direction. Being from Southern California, it was a little eerie for me. It was dark and stormy and everything we drove by was closed and boarded up or being boarded up. We all communicated regularly on our celfones in an effort to book as many rooms as any of us could find to make sure we all had shelter. Our group actually drove out to the Everglades before we found a room when I checked in with SugarCaddyDaddy. As luck would have it, he found a room at the same motel where a lot of other TC'ers were relocated (our room sat between Humuhumu's and Martiki's). Wes (of House of Tiki) even got one with a Heart Shaped Jacuzzi! Simultaneously, Mogambo and his group found shelter as did Alnshely and their group. We had roofs over our heads - No more worries!

The Mai Kai Dinner Show -- What an incredible experience this was! Because of the hurricane, just about everything in town was closed and boarded up but not the Mai Kai. The show was excellent, the food was excellent, the drinks were excellent and the staff was so professional. King Kukulele even told me that one of the entertainers approached him and said how appreciative they were that we were willing to come out in a hurricane to watch them perform -- he replied by telling him that WE were the ones that were honored that they would come out in a hurricane to perform for US. After the show, the bar stayed open until about midnight with an impromptu set of musicians to entertain us. A highlight for me was when Patrick, one of the Restaurant Captains (a 25 year employee), gave me a private historical tour of the restaurant and their operations. He even showed me around their corporate offices in the back (no thatch, no blowfish!). Did you know the Mai Kai has their own softball league? There's about 5-6 teams that play every season for a championship, and the teams are all made up of Mai Kai employees. They've got a wall in the employee break room with pictures of all the winning teams from the past 20 years. Did you know that Bob Hope's favorite table was Table 3, top and center to the Floor Show? Its in the area where the old bar used to be over looking the main dining room. Did you know that when astronauts returned to Cape Canaveral after a mission, their first meal after decompression is always at the Mai Kai? Patrick had lots of other great info he shared with me too! But the highlight on Saturday was....

The Hukilau Hurricane Afterparty -- A small handful of the left over diehards were invited to Dave Levy's home (son of Mirielle Thornton, owner of the Mai Kai). As the caravan lined up in the valet parking area, we noticed one of the employees packing a Toyota 4runner with bottles of fresh fruit juice and a cooler full of ingredients from the bar. When we arrived at Mr. Levy's home we were welcomed with open arms. Elvis live in Hawaii blasted merrily over the Hi-Fi bigscreen entertainment system. We danced, drank homemade Rum Barrels, laughed and partied with the whole Mai Kai family - the Thorntons, Kern (the manager), Amber (one of the dancers) to name a few. You'd never know there was a hurricane just right outside! What a surreal experience -- and our hosts made us feel like part of the family.

All in all, it was an excellent trip for me. As I said before, I don't want to make light of the impact that this hurricane made for those that were displaced but for me the hurricane made the real difference in my trip. It was great to finally meet a lot of the TC'ers I've interacted with as well. Another treat -- watching Pablus perform the song he wrote for TC, "It feels so good to pass a smile along."

Now back to reality...

**Poly-Pop ***

He who dies with the most broken mugs WINS!

[ Edited by: polynesianpop on 2004-09-27 23:34 ]

What an amazing time!

It was nice to put faces with names and to meet some of the west coasters. I'm just glad I don't live near Mr. and Mrs. Bamboo Ben and Crazy Al, they are bad influences. LOL Oh, and Humuhumu! Not a bad influence but there is no way I could ever keep up with her!

Thanks Swanky and Kiliki

I think my highlight would have to be watching Billy Muir and his partner performing. You could tell it was the highlight of their long lives. After all this time then to be in the limelight again. Awesome!

I love you all, with the exception of Pablus of course.

WOW.
We survived a Hurricane. Who's going to make a shirt?
It was a beautiful thing to meet alot of the east siders and to bond with my brothers in the little mini-van. I'm glad I was outvoted too guys. Chikitiki went to Key West....man I'm jealous.
As we were driving around looking for a room the mini-van (sorry Poly Pop) was picked up by the Hurricane and threw us all (Bongofury, TikiTony, ChikiTiki, Poly Pop and myself) into a building about 50 ft. away after glancing off a coconut palm tree. It landed on the driver's side so I was able to open my door and pull everyone out. I don't know who it was but I could hear somebody crying "Where's my mommy, I want my mommy". After I pulled all the guys out singlehandedly, we were able to push the van back up on it's wheels. We survived by eating coconuts that fell off the tree. I cut them up and handed them out to the guys in equal portions. I also rubbed some of the coconut juice on Bongofury's head to ease the pain of the bump on his head. After that we changed his name to Bongofurry cuz his hair was a little different. Chikitiki was whimpering a little as I hugged him and wiped away his tears. Tikitony kept whispering "Surfs up dude" so I knew he was delirious. Poly Pop hugged me and cryed out, "Where's Pablo, my little Guatemalan friend?" When I yelled out to them "Who's your daddy?" they all yelled back "You are Jungle Trader, thank you for rescuing us". It was surreal cuz they all said it at the same time.

Seriously brethren, the Mai Kai is truly an Oasis among a concrete jungle. If you haven't been there, you need to go. There's no place like it on earth. Thank you everyone for your hospitality. The rum tasting party in Pablus room was a lotta fun. Thanks Pablus. And thanks for the dance I Dream of Tiki. Swanky and Tiki Kiliki, thank you both for all your hard work. It was good to meet all of you. Next time I'm hittin' The Keys. Damn you Chiki.

Wao Nahele Kalepa Kumula'au Hale

[ Edited by: Jungle Trader on 2004-09-28 08:34 ]

Back home finally... I have to go to bed soon to make up for the hours I missed last night... got in at 3 am this morning and had to return the van at 7:30. Hukilau was a lot of fun but I was very disappointed that it came to a crashing end... at least for me.

Thursday... the drive down... woke at 8 am after driving from 10 am to 2 am the previous day. Turned on CNN and they had Jeanne poised to nail where I was headed. I hoped for the best and pushed on. Checked in at the Cabana bewildered fron the long drive and the great music poolside. Overwhelmed by greetings from TC'ers BK, Tiki Tony, Keigs, Bamboo Ben (thanks for the beer!) Al and everyone else. Went up to the party suite and mingled, had some drinks and ran more drinks up to James and Martiki. Finally went to bed.

Got up the next morning and headed over to the Mar to unload and set up. Who could ask for better neighbors then Jimmy and Elise and Poly Pop and Danny! Great talking with you guys all day. Jeanne continued to threated all day. Good storm track, bad track, good track.

Many mahalos to all those who purchased one or more of my tiki creations! Your support and kind words are so appreciated!

The party Friday was great! It really looked like Jeanne would miss us but the evac order for the next morning was crappy. I loaded up for the next morning hoping everything would be a go Saturday anyhow. Went up to the party room and the scene was crazy... no one would have known a hurricane was 90 miles away!

Woke up to the alarm at 5 am Saturday.... 2 hours of sleep. Turned on the TV... the track was due west... Vias and I were the 3rd ones to check out of the Cabana. We got gas where we could and were going to go to Tampa to meet friends headed there from Melbourne. Instead he chose to board up and ride it out. We decided to head to the Gulf across Alligator Alley. Kept calling, no hotels anywhere. We drove somewhat leisurely up the Gulf side thingking we were somewhat safer. As Duke said, the damage in Punta Gorda area was amazing and sad. I had driven all around the outside of Florida and had seen all the hurricane damage... this was the worst. We stopped in Tarpon Springs for dinner then headed north for the border. More gas stations without gas... We tried to get a room in Valdosta GA but everything was booked... we continued on through feeder band rains to just south of Atlanta... next morning found out Valdosta got flooded... Spent time in sunny Atlanta touring King's grave, Coke Musuem, Underground, Olympic Park. Headed north again to just north of Chattanooga (sp?) Yesterday had a great day... went to view a TVA dam and then to Lynchburg and toured Jack Daniel's. Highly recommend the tour, even if you don't drink whisky! Headed north, hit Louisville skatepark on more time and pushed on to home. Got in at 3 am.... exhausted.

Great meeting everyone! I hope to maybe return next year... to no hurricane.

Hope all in Florida are safe and damage is minimal... you are all brave souls.

[ Edited by: Lake Surfer on 2004-09-28 08:35 ]

Well, I cannot express how cool and crazy this weekend was, or how great it was to be around friends and Ohana.. (the greatest people on Earth) once again. Tim...You're a friend and a brother, and on the tops of the totem, and as patient and tenacious a guy as anyone could ever hope to meet... Christy, your presence in a room can cut right through the fog and make anyone feel like they're home. You both deserve the biggest props in the world for making huge adversity in this event into a grand save...To Kern Mattei, my friend and the greatest host in Ft. Lauderdale proper, Pia, and entire the staff of the Mai Kai who very unselfishly came out guns blazing make the evening magical for all the 140-or-so brave souls who attended...my hats off to you all. You created an evening that will never be forgotten. To owners Dave Levy, Mrs. Thornton, and the Mai Kai friends and family who threw a very warm wonderful after party at Dave's OWN HOME for us close-it-downers, you are very, very generous and gracious hosts and thank you for making us feel like family as well. To the amazing Ken (Keigs) and Heather Pleasant...the man, the myth, the legend and the great woman beside him....it was a blast, and an honor, and a pleasure, and we have got some turkey talking to do. The original Witco catalogs you brought are amazing. I have got to meet Mr. Westenhaver, too. We need to do something soon. To Formikahini...You know, what can I say...Me casa su casa? I feel like I've known you all along. (Alice has that effect on people)...it was a highlight to hang out with you again. Boobam Boo and Mrs. Ben...You're da man...and you're da woman. I miss you already. The first two peeps I saw at this Hukilau, and what better ones? Al-it just wouldn't have been a Hukilau without you there, bro. Still crazy (after all these years?). I miss you and Boo man already. Casey Jones...the man behind the rebirth of one of the greatest Tiki motels ever, Caliente Tropics, always charming, witty, and generous. Polynesian Pop...That Book Of Tiki reads like a who's who. You are a genius. It was a pleasure to meet you, and thanks so much for the Moai...Mr. Gallardo, one of the best there is..and NO, YOU DA MAN. Thanks for the tees and tiki necklace! I'm wearing it right now as I type. TikiToa and his lovely Wahine, this man is everywhere and always entertaining. Thanks for a fun time hanging out with you. Paul...Officer and a Gentleman...and a helluva uke player (and player in general), SugarCaddyDaddy, always a pleasure, and I'll PM you my number to talk about the possibilities. Kava King and Queen, do you guys just wanna move in? Kukulele... could pull a two hour show out of a lipstick tube. That's why he gets paid the big bucks. HIRE THIS MAN. And thanks for the floor and the incredible entertainment. Benzart and his family...considering the monumental accomplishments of this man, he is one of the most humble, approachable, and self-effacingly nice individuals on God's Green Earth. You are one of the greats in our collective tiki history, my friend. Ikitnrev, I hope they build a new Tiki bar in DC soon. Good to see you again at Mai Kai... Mr.Smiley, my hat's off to you for your wardrobe and charm. James T., the most traveled man in tiki, your work preceeds you, and I only hope any of that material was helpful. Whatta weekend. Al and Shely..you are born hosts. Thank you for the hospitality..I always enjoy seeing you two greatly. I'd love to see your bar in person. Martiki my fellow agent..."The sun soon sets on Mariborsol...the white bird flies at noon"...Just kidding. What a helluva lot of fun...and soon again I hope. Humuhumu the dancing queen...the most jet-setting woman on the Tiki Scene...(Hey, that rhymes...get it to Kukulele!). Christopher and his lovely Wahine...fishing may never be the same..or partying either. Lakesurfer..We all missed you Saturday and it was great to meet you. Your work is great. TikiTony..See his picture next to "Southern California" in the dictionary..Very cool carvings and a very great guy. Doctor Z...Yeah, what WAS that stuff in the glass? Mogambo...I see Cannes in your future..and all the cavendish you desire! Nice to meet you. Mr. and Mrs. Cyber and their very talented Christina..you stole the show. Hope to head down to Mai Kai again soon with you. Jungletrader...man this one was like a who's who of tiki carvers..a truly great guy and I'll get your Teko out this week...just PM me where it needs to go. Tiki Bob, you are everywhere, my friend! Duke, happy hunting..Hope you enjoy the vintage tiki and always a pleasure to talk shop with you. See you soon. To all the list of other great people I saw there- Teri, Kreepy Tiki Jaksin, Bongofury, Flounder, Joe Vitale, Dolphin, Neptune, Kaiuageoff, Marian, Chiselslinger (man..yet ANOTHER great tiki carver there)and his lovely wahine Elise, and all the great people, anyone and everyone, I haven't mentioned (chastize me if I haven't!). It's been a great Hukilau and who could ask for a more wonderful Tiki Ohana. Soon again I hope. Mahalooooo!

We got home late Sunday night -- driving through some really high winds and dark clouds -- only to find our home in great shape with the electricity still on! How lucky can one get?
As said on another thread, we had a wonderful time with new friends and old friends from far and near -- even if we had to skip the Mai-Kai show like many other Floridians...
On that point, Marian and I are wondering if there is a desire to do a make-up date at the Mai-Kai? We could probably go sometime in November if others are into doing that. KG

[ Edited by: Kailuageoff on 2004-09-28 10:31 ]

Hi. I live in Lighthouse Point (Broward County) and I think it sounds like a great idea to do a meet up at Mai-Kai in Nov., I can let all my people know too!