Kahiki Big Moai Rebirth

So, what do you have planned for this Skip?
Are you going to do more to restore it?

To restore it is my plan.
But then I have a lot of plans
for a lot of things.
Just don't know what plans will
get done or fall by the wayside.

Hi,

I’m a reporter with The Columbus Dispatch. I’m working on a story about the 10-year anniversary of the Kahiki’s demise. I’m asking around for any memories minor and major and checking in on any Kahiki-related projects. Could you please try to give me a call? Anyone else is welcome to call as well.

Thanks,
Elizabeth Gibson
Metro News Reporter
The Columbus Dispatch
614-461-8561 (office))
614-461-7580 (fax)
[email protected]

Follow eagibson on Twitter.

Will do.

Just got done with talking to Elizabeth.
It was a lot of fun!
I blabed on for about 1.5 hours.
Talked about all things tiki.
Article should be out on the 25th or 26th.
The 10 year anniversary of the Kahikis demise.

Just talked to Elizabeth and this will be in the Dispatch on Weds.

Please post a link when it comes out. Sounds great.

Sorry I did not post a link Trav I just saw this request all these years later.

So they say the other Moai is up for sale/free if you take want it.1/3/2019
I don't know if this is true.
Don't know if it is a 'Hey get this out of here" demand that is being made by a landlord or city, maybe even a wife that is tired of the thing.

Or some other reason.

I know we would not have had ours in our back yard if my wife had not insisted that we take it also for free, that is if you don't count the $300.00 bucks needed for the crane rental.

The crane guy often asks "you ever get that tiki god up" say this in a deep hillbilly accent and picture a guy old guy with a long white beard that looks like a moonshiner saying it.
A great tree work guy Bill Cox.

We were told at that time they needed the Moai out of that warehouse as they were tearing the warehouse down and Moai would be destroyed if we did not take them in a few days.
The warehouse has since been torn down.

BUT ours is falling apart.
It still looks ok sitting on it's back as it has for all these years.
Remember it was damaged when we got it and it sat in a warehouse for some time before we got it.

The thing is the mesh that holds on the cement to the rebar is rusting off as the wire used to hold it down breaks free so the cracks that were in it now can and some parts have fallen off.

Had I got it up all those years ago it may have done the same thing only now it would be standing and falling apart. ("that's what she said" Ha!)

What needs to happen now to make statue right is the whole outside needs to come off, New wire mess needs to be put back on with a wire that will not rust and then have cement reapplied and painted.

It might be best to raise the thing and affix it to a pad in an upright position before adding cement to outside.

Had talked to a California person about moving it there years ago, and would have done that as this person could have made it happen but that did not and will not at this date ever happen now.

Then I would have gladly taken the heat from the "Kahiki stuff needs to stay in Ohio" whiners.
(I think Kahiki stuff preserved in any local is great and even sent a Kahiki velvet to France, Awesome)

At this time I take the heat from the "He is s selfish greedy collector hoarding the statue for himself" people.

Don't know if the reason for these attacks are because of a real desire to keep the Kahiki stuff at home or a need by some to smear my name in any way they can as often as they can but I think it is a bit of both really.

Hey what can you do ya do the best you can and that's all you can do.

At this time I have not the money or the physical ability to do what is needed to make this thing right, and if I do make it right and sell our house will it all be for naught as the new owner of our house may not love the Kahiki as we did.

Once thought of a go fund me for the fixing of the statue but think those are a bit like begging.

Side note the mug sold to fund the fixing of these statues was not sold on my behalf and we had nothing to do with that, also the one statue that was moved to the Grass Skirt and fixed was funded by many people and that helped that go well plus it was in much better shape being inside most of it's life and fixed to be put in the Kahiki eggroll factory years before it's move.

Whew, That was a lot.
Hope that may answer any questions that may come up about the other Kahiki Moai I got the Left statue as you faced the building you could tell by the paint on the top Knott as it was a lighter color red.

Always thought it was funny that I got the left wing and Greg got the right wing statue, they took the right because it was in better condition than mine.

It is pronounced "Mo eye" not "mowwaa" like a jersey person would say it, a person we knew used to say it like the Jersey person way.

He will most likely post telling all how much more he knows about this than I, amazing as he never even went to the Kahiki once.

Good luck finding a new home for this guys brother, sister?
It would be nice to save them both, Maybe Viagra could sponsor getting these things up.
We could paint them blue?

Hey HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!
I vow to be less timid this year, Ha!

(¯*•..(¯•..¤(¯*•.(¯•..¤(¯*•.(¯•..TIKISKIP..•´¯).•´¯)¤..•´¯).•´¯)¤..•´¯)
"I wonder what it is that always makes the Rodneys choose the wrong side"

Thanks for bumping this thread, Skip.

Don't be too proud for a gofundme campaign to help cover repair costs for this; no doubt there are plenty of tiki people who would contribute to preserve Kahiki history.

Maybe Mark Sellers of TikiCat, the one who bought the Reichek tiki collect over a year ago, could take it off your hands for use in his next project....

"Maybe Mark Sellers of TikiCat, the one who bought the Reichek tiki collect over a year ago, could take it off your hands for use in his next project...."

That would be a good use for this statue.
Also thought about the Columbus Zoo, that would be a great place for it as well.

BUT the zoo got lots of the lights and other stuff from the Kahiki and was told it was put outside and not treated well so don't know how that ended up.
Wonder what shape the Kahiki stuff at the zoo is in now?

The best place would be right in the middle of Tokyo as a million people would see it everyday and it would be people from around the world.
That would make the interest in tiki get bigger sure can tell you that.

I'm not looking to get rid of it really but do fear that when we leave the new people may get rid of it.
Would ask them if they wanted it and try to place it somewhere if we could before they would destroy it.

Don't know if we would miss Mowing around the Moai with my lawn "Mowwa" or be glad not to mow around it any Mowa.

Ha! no the person were talking about is not even from New York, we like the Jersey accent.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsH--fbw7M4

Here is a bit of an update on the Kahiki Moai this is the one from the left as you faced the Kahiki front door.

The concrete had to be taken off as it was all falling off, the wires that held it on were rusting to a point Where they were not holding on the screen that held the concrete on the rebar.

Somebody had said you could have as least covered it to protect it but that would not have kept the condensation and freezing snow and other weather from getting to it anyway.

The damage was bit more noticeable after an author for the Kahiki book Myers I think it was put her foot through the eye area of the statue I should have not told them to go ahead and get on it for pictures. Hey, I guess this makes them the last people to be on top of the old Moai before the tear down.

I joked about how that would bring bad luck to her.

But the two guys who removed the concrete took only a bit over 3 hours to remove the concrete but did start to bust up the top knot it was perfect before that, I should have watched them closer.

But about a month after that Tim Swanky Glasner and his wife Stephany came by for a visit, Tim wrote the book on the Mai Kai and told me about some of the improvements being made to the Mai Kai sounds like it will be even better when they get done.

It was great to see the Glasner's again as Tim was the first TC persons I ever met way back when.

The Mai Kai is not a small tiki bar and we need it to be around for as long as we can keep it around.

I told him I would help in any way that I can as it is the best tiki restaurant/bar we have ever been to!

Eye hole and last time the concrete was on. Top knot damage. Kinda cool to see how it was made my wife thought it would make a cool topiary. Tim and Stephany by the Moai.

Ha! after reading this stuff rom LONG ago I saw this. "At this time I take the heat from the "He is s selfish greedy collector hoarding the statue for himself" people."

So funny how time works things out one of the guys saying that above last I heard had LOTS of the Kahiki stuff in his house bought by a group of people, but it's in his house.

Heck at least I paid for this myself, who's greedy now?

Have over the years sold Kahiki items I got from the Kahiki sales to tiki restaurants and bars so they can have and display these items for all to see over the years.

And did not get even close to OA auction prices.

for some reason, the current status of the moai reminds me of the end of "Planet Of The Apes."

Yeah, I do miss the concrete.

But I want to get a picture of it in the winter with the ice and snow defining the rebar.

That should be cool.

The rebar was just rusted away in some spots that you never would have seen if not for removing the concrete.

Glad I got to see you guys before you left town.

Hope you like the new place. You can't miss Ohio winters.

Not sure if you saw it, but last week Spike did another Breezeway Cocktail Hour episode on the Kahiki's Headhunter cocktail which featured a picture of Swanky and the Big Mai skeleton here:

https://youtu.be/aciaTVqJCPs?t=236

DAMN I did not see that!

But how many times did I sit with Skip the Kahiki bartender WANTING drink recipes and he said nothing Damit.

My TC name is a tribute to Skip Davis that bartender by the way. Man, he was so fun and funny, he's why we went to the Kahiki!

BUT Tim and I were talking about that drink a few weeks ago, (and Tim I found some dark rum so I can make Mai Tais now)

Anyway, the Moai does look so bad, but that had to happen if anybody wants to fix that thing right.

The rebar was bad in spots you never would have seen if not for removing it.

Another funny story I had a plumber come over to fix some plumbing in our house and he was a tiki nut! I sold him some lights even, but he took pictures of that Moai in our yard and put them online and many people said "I want it" always thought people knew where it was.

So, if I don't fix it I would like to have it moved to a place where it would be fixed, even to move it the concrete had to come off as it would tear up our new driveway and sidewalk moving it with the concrete on as well.

At a loss of around six thousand dollars.

Thanx for posting that!

So I did watch that Spikes Breezeway Cocktail Hour and on the first one with the Coors beer we did not have Coors beer here in Ohio at that time I don't know if the Kahiki could have got it but don't think that they could.

And on the Guava, you need to think that was way back in the sixties and maybe Guava was the new hot juice drink at that time or they might have wanted to put Guava in that drink just so you would go "oooh Guava that sounds exotic" and buy one.

Who knows, I do remember that the drinks at the Kahiki for me were all booze, you closed your eyes and tried not to taste them, when Skip made them for us anyway, Jim tried to make a good drink.

I mostly got Bud so I could still walk at the end of the night and Barb got the drink in a pineapple so she could eat the pineapple.

One night a friend and I were trying to get through a big drink in a big bowl and we were trying not to stop drinking till we were done with it.

Well with only two sips from being done Skip the bartender came by and poured that bowl to overflowing, we should have been happy.

Late night the odd people and stripers (like off work to have a drink) would come in, somebody might have had other stuff people wanted, who knows.

One night a lady came in and wanted a no booze Mai Tai, Skip laughed and told me he gave her a glass of sweet and sour with Orgeat on the rocks with mint!

Ha! what a place!

Ok so the Kahiki Moai after 16 years at our home in Dublin Ohio is on the move again.

In April I was asked if I would sell it and I said yes but then I had told at least four or five other people that I would sell it over the years before.

It almost went to California.

The price was about the same amount of money I had paid to move it and what little work had been put into it.

We did not want to sell it but to keep it would be wrong as we do not have the time, energy or money this project needs.

THIS is why the concrete had to come off so it would not mess up our new driveway and the concrete had to come off in renovation anyway as the wires holding the wire mesh to the rebar was rusting and was no longer holding the concrete on.

Four guys were able to just pick it up and carry it to the truck.

It went to Huli Huli a tiki bar here in Ohio and I do feel that that will be a good place for it and that it will indeed get fixed this time.

Good luck Huli Huli and will post any updates as they come up.

Here are some blurry photos. I think my camera also did not want to see it move.

[ Edited by tikiskip on 2022-12-11 04:41:14 ]

Good on you Skip!!! You’ve been a good caretaker for years. Keep us posted on it’s next chapter.

Nice! Fingers crossed that it will get the restoration and display it deserves!

Thanks Skip!!

This will be a great restoration project and I can't wait to see it resurrected and the top knot ablaze with fire again!!

Cheers and Mahalo, Jeff

Best wishes on a successful restoration!

I do feel that Huli Huli will get it done as you need cash to do it and he will have that.

Plus, he can hire professionals to do it.

This started in April of this year so it took some time to get this done.

We had three days to get these things moved or we could not take them when we first got this moai as they were going to tear down this warehouse to build the baseball stadium, heck they tore down that whole area, blocks.

There is a whole saga surrounding these moais and fixing moving them over the years that will most likely never be told.

Unless you catch me at the Windward some night.

There could be a whole chapter for Bill Cox alone. Ha!

No one has ever sat down and heard the Kahiki stuff I have seen/known over the years it's a bit odd. They have missed out on a lot of Kahiki stuff by doing that. Lots of Kahiki info came from here on Tiki Central.

ALL of the Kahiki warehouse items (there were a lot) almost went to California. Lots of drama surrounding the last sale of Kahiki items from that warehouse.

All they have ever done is ask for the Kahiki drink recipes they think I might have, can tell you here and now I did not give any to any person writing a book about the Kahiki.

Side note the Moai Barb and I had is the one on the left I could tell by the off color of the top knot when we first got it.

Always teased Greg about me getting the left-wing tiki and him getting the right-wing tiki.

[ Edited by tikiskip on 2022-12-14 06:47:49 ]

Can't wait to see the big fella at Huli Huli after restoration!

Wow! Somehow I missed seeing this earlier. Looking forward to seeing the resurrection!