| Usagisama |
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We started gathering information on the community of Waikiki by taking a casual stroll along Kalakaua, looking at the sights and sounds, and honestly trying to get to know the other group members as we had only met each other 3 days before. The six of us ended up heading towards the beach, next to the Duke Kahanamoku statue and the 4 "wizard stones" outside the police station, trying to find any of the old-timers or veteran denizens of Waikiki beach. After a couple hits and misses with people, a healthy, muscular gray-haired man of local stature caught the eye of Todd, and he pointed him out to the group as being one of the original beach boys from the 1950s, the legend Rabbit Kekai. Todd was a little hesitant at first to approach him, understandably that he had gotten two negative responses from other old-timers, and so it was quickly decided that myself and Kim would try and talk to him. I cannot describe the initial thoughts that went through my head as Kim and I followed Rabbit next to the police station where he was racking up one of his longboards. What do you say to a man who had personally known the man to whom the large statue nearby was dedicated? What do you say to a world-renowned legend with his back toward you, removing the large skeg off of a 10-foot board? 
He ended up being probably one of the easiest guys to talk story with, talking to him was a lot like talking to an old calabash uncle, or grandfather, very down to earth, and big hearted. He seemed busy with his stand, but he was willing to take a few minutes of his day to share his experiences with a couple college students.
He painted for us a mental picture of the Waikiki of yesteryear, when the Moana Surfrider and the Royal Hawaiian were the only hotels built, and that the ocean was wide open, not the least bit crowded. He talked about the Duke, and how the beach boys as they called themselves devoted their lives to surfing, learning, teaching and living on the beach and in the water. It was a time when celebrities from all over came to Waikiki to learn how to surf. He showed us an article in the LA Times that featured him in a picture from the 50s surfing with movie stars, politicians, and other public figures. Simply looking at the beach that day and the high-rises along Kalakaua was evidence on the amounts of change that has come to Waikiki in his lifetime.
We told him about our project, and how we were studying multiculturalism Hawaii, and how we were interested in the current issues between races. He talked about how the locals now have their territories on the beach, in the breaks, and how there are just too many people out there in the water now, trying to surf. With the overcrowding there are always repercussions that come back on the beach, people getting into arguments and what not. Just not very pretty. He mentioned how dangerous it is now to surf, especially at the more popular breaks on the north shore such as Waimea. He talked about how a lot of the surfers nowadays are so involved in the image and status attached to being able to say they surfed the big breaks makes surfing a very dangerous pastime. As far as ethnic tensions he doesn't see any, even today. Everything is mixed up and people get along. He did mention briefly that usually racial strife is dealt upon the "colored man", racial injustice is usually "anti-colored" when he does see it, even today. He briefly touched some of the more current issues being discussed by Waikiki residents as well as Hawaii residents all over. "A lot more crowded than it used to be, it's all about money, not culture….like they're filming Baywatch in Haliewa, they closed down local shops to make room for the California shops that are moving in." In every part of Hawaii today the government wants a piece, they want to take credit, but not help out. The Government takes credit for boom periods but gives no support to local business in Waikiki. He also linked the situation in Hanauma Bay as being similar to the one in Haleiwa, and he expressed concern towards letting local business get ousted by government. As for the community, he talked about how times are changing, and that the people attracted to the beach now are driven by different motives as opposed to before. A lot of them are in it for money and personal game rather than for the true love of the ocean, and the way of the true beach boy. The outlook of Waikiki according to Rabbit has a lot to do with how the government plans to deal and change with the times. He stresses the importance of "sitting back and looking at the situation," instead of rushing into things and hurting everything. "The youth is too fast paced too much druggers, no respect for culture". He says that tourism has brought bad people to Waikiki as well as the rest of the island. Japanese can't speak English and are easily taken advantage by hookers, pick-pockets, drug dealers that come to Waikiki as a result of tourism. He urges that the young people of today need to go back to some more grass roots morals and values, education, and clean living-staying off the drugs is very important in Rabbit's eyes as the future of Hawaii. Rabbit asked us to guess his age, which was difficult, even at 78, he is in excellent shape it seems like, his good health possibly from surfing everyday since he was 5. Occasionally he teaches a non-credit course at UH for the elderly on health and fitness. He tells them that his secret to longevity is eating what tastes good, as "the body needs to be happy" more specifically this means to him as eating "Rabbit food". Smiling, he says he means a lot of vegetables and salad. Towards the end of our talk, I realized that we had not introduced ourselves by name, but it was only when Rabbit asked that I realized this slip. Shaking our hands and repeating out names, with a grin he pointed at himself and said "Usagi desu" Japanese for "I am Rabbit". When asked if he had anything in conclusion he wanted to say to us in case we decided to use this interview as part of a presentation as a respected old-timer whose perspective was greatly valued and appreciated, he said simply that he is "The last of the Dinosaurs". Said true and simple from the heart, a living, breathing example of the Aloha spirit in the flesh, Rabbit Kekai turned back to his surf stand after we thanked him and returned to our group. Reflecting on the interview later that evening I couldn't help but think about who I had talked to that day, and how random it had been to talk to the legend named "Usagi" |