Mai Tiki - Wayne - Gets his...

Wayne has been helped Hukilau since the beginning and for next to nothing. We have had the chance to get to know him and find his just one of the most genuine, wonderful people out there. So we wanted to recognize his work at Hukilau. We asked Bamboo Ben and Crazy Al to put something together and we were going to surprise Wayne with it on the stage of the Mai Kai Saturday at Hukilau.

Well, Wayne ended up boarding up 3 houses and his business and had to miss Hukilau this year. So I dropped by his place on my way home and gave him the plaque.

He really loved it and thanks Ben and Al. He was grateful for people doing something nice for him.

A bit of the plywood from the shop.

One of the big guys (14 feet tall) down and covered with mud.

One of the huge pieces he made for Hukilau's stage.

The other piece and little message from Wayne for Jeanne.

The Swank Pad Broadcast - If it's Swank...

[ Edited by: Swanky on 2004-10-02 13:05 ]

[ Edited by: Swanky 2006-03-07 16:35 ]

Wayne loved what Al and Ben made for him. When he showed it to us yesterday, we thought he was going to cry. He was amazed by the little Mai-tikis on it. Wayne said it's the only time he thought it was cool someone ripped off his style for a tiki project.
Swanky, it was really nice of you to deliver that to him in person. He and Beki were seriously bummed they couldn't be in Ft. Lauderdale.
KG

Wayne, my hat is off to you. One of the greats.

Who's idea was it???

I ""RESPECT"" WAYNE.

I met Wayne last spring when I was in FL. He gave me a tour of the workshop, chatted a bit and gave me some carving tips. That's really cool you guys did that for him. When I was there Beki showed me a picture Drew Brophy did for him when they were working a trade show with booths next to each other. My biggest mistake was asking locals where his shop was. I got directions to 4 different places, ended up in a country club parking lot. I decided to go to the Chamber of Commerce and ask someone there, when I saw it from across the street. Oddly enough the bar that I was at the night before, asking people where Mai Tiki was, was one block away.
Much respect to Wayne, a good guy.

I am lucky enough to have 3 Mai Tiki's up here in Nashville, a guard, a joker and a warrior, the biggest is just over 2 ft.
I bought all of them when I lived in Orlando and found out about Mai Tiki hanging out at Coconuts On The Beach. I bought the first one from his wife and the other two from Wayne, anybody heading that way should stop in, very cool studio and great people!