Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 23, Number 9, 1 September 2006 — How the state ripped the heart out of Waikīki [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

How the state ripped the heart out of Waikīki

Rūwena Akana TrustEE, At-lsrgE

DLNR values the dollar over Hawaiian-owned business, despite the fact thcit tourism is dependent on our unique Hawaiian culture and alohei spirit £ k no'ai kākou. Barry Napoleon / \ established Hawai'i's first beach J. A.concession in 1952 on the sands of Waikīkl Beach. Although competitors mo ved in and the beach boys jockeyed for position, the tourists still saw the best O'ahu had to offer. Surfing lessons, eanoe rides, or just plain talking story, the Waiklkl Beach Boys personified the spirit of aloha. Then, Barry experienced first-hand how the state only gives lip service about our "aloha spirit." Barry said that from 1982 to 1984, he paid $400 a month to Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) for an 8-by-12-foot space in front of the Hilton Hawaiian Village. The DLNR took control of the beach concession stands after they saw the profits that could be made and began selling pennits. Problems for Barry began when he eoniplained to the DLNR about alleged criminal activity out of his mainland competitor's concession. Three days later, the DLNR revoked his permit and confiscated his equipment, saying he had violated the eonditions of his rental agreement by encroaching on several inches past his allotment of sand. In 1985, he found a new home at the Waikīkī Shores. Barry was paying the owner $15,000 a month for ground-floor space fronting the beach. The DLNR found out and evicted him. Barry won a temporary restraining order so he could prove his pennits were valid. The DLNR ignored the court order and again confiscated his equipment. Without his business, Barry could not earn enough money to press his case.

Earlier that same year, his two nephews tried to reopen a beach concession. The state quickly tore it down. Barry Napoleon was 65 years old at the time. He had spent the better part of his life on the beach at Waikīkī, and now the state took his livelihood in favor of mainlanders. Eleven years later, it seems that DLNR is back at it again. On July 26, Mary Vorsino of The Honolulu Advertiser wrote that after 29 years and thousands of students, Clyde 'Aikau closed his surfing school and eoncession stand at Duke Kahanamoku Beach in Waikīkī and ended the only business he's ever known. Clyde, the brother of legendary surfer Eddie 'Aikau, was forced to let go of his ten employees, who he hopes will find work as surf instructors with the Hihon Hawaiian Village. The Hilton is taking over the concession stand. It is unbelievable to me that DLNR didn't even give 'Aikau the courtesy of a break in the rent because of his expertise and tenure. Vorsino quoted DLNR Chairman Peter Young as saying that 'Aikau has only hiniself to blame. "We did not tell anybody what rent to suggest other than a minimum, and then it was competitive," Young said. "We would hope they would evaluate their respective business plans and bid responsibly." I was shocked at the callousness and insensitivity of Young's comments. Where is his sympathy for struggling Hawaiianowned businesses? Like the tragedy with Barry Napoleon, DLNR seems to be onee again putting the almighty dollar ahead of protecting the real reason people eome to Hawai'i - our unique Hawaiian culture and the Spirit of Aloha. Marketing eampaigns can't sell what doesn't exist. I believe that OHA needs to investigate whether we should take control over the beach boy concessions at Waikīkī Beach. OHA could then ensure that the beach boys are culturally sensitive and that preferences are given to Hawaiian owned businesses. After all, the beaches are considered submerged lands and are, therefore, ceded lands. Tourists from around the world remembered Barry and other beach boys like him for one simple reason: they were genuine. They were Hawaiian. Let's bring that authenticity back to Waikīkī. I mua e Hawai'i nei. For more information on important Hawaiian issues, eheek out my website at www.rowenaakana.org. ^