5th annual MAY DAY WAIKĪKĪ – Event on the Beach and on Facebook Live!

The free event takes place on Tuesday, May 1st, 4-6 p.m., on Waikīkī Beach. We also encourage people from all over the world to watch and participate in our Facebook Live broadcast @maydaywaikiki!

waikīkī beachboys – memories – music

MAY DAY WAIKĪKĪ

HONOLULU, HI (March 20, 2018) – – The Hawai‘I Tourism Authority (“HTA”) is excited to announce The 5th Annual May Day Waikikī, taking place on Tuesday, May 1, 2018, from 4-6 p.m., on Waikīkī Beach, fronting the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. This event is free, open to the public and will feature a program to honor the legendary Waikīkī Beachboys, free canoe rides, a helicopter flower drop to pay homage to those whose ashes have been scattered off Waikīkī Beach, exciting entertainment by Henry Kapono with special guests Blayne Asing, Alx Kawakami, Jerry Santos, Kamuela Kimokeo, Starr Kalahiki, and more. Kapono will be also be joined by Halau Hula Ka Hale I O Kahala under the direction of Kumu Hula Leimomi Maldonado.

The 2018 Waikīkī Beachboy honorees include George Parsons, Raymond “Mundo” Rillamas, Donald “Don” Lipton, Herbert “Herbie” Bessa, Frank Lamberti , John Savio, and Woodbridge “Woody” Brown, known as the “father of the catamaran.” We invite the public to bring lei to congratulate them and thank them for their contributions to surfing and keeping the aloha spirit alive in Waikīkī and around the world.

Established in 2014, May Day Waikīkī was created by the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority to celebrate the colorful history and traditions of Waikīkī, including the legendary Waikīkī Beachboys, and Hawaiian music, hula, culture and history.

The 5th Annual May Day Waikikī event will be broadcast live to a worldwide audience via Facebook live at @maydaywaikiki.

The public is strongly encouraged to come early as crowds are expected at this free, family friendly celebration.

Honoring the Beachboys

ABOUT MAY DAY WAIKĪKĪ

Consistent with HTA’s Hawaiian Cultural Initiative, the May Day Waikīkī event is part of a larger effort to highlight the talent and traditions of local Hawaiian treasures, musicians, artists and dancers, broaden Lei Day festivities, and boost tourism. Facebook/Instagram/Twitter: @MayDayWaikiki #maydaywaikiki

ABOUT THE WAIKĪKĪ BEACHBOYS

The Waikīkī Beachboys are a legendary group of Hawaiian watermen who worked on the beaches of Waikīkī from the 1920s to the 1950s when tourists started traveling here for long vacations. Many of these travelers would develop friendships with the Beachboys who would teach them how to surf, take them on canoe rides, and share the Hawaiian culture and aloha spirit with them.

The Beachboys were experts at reading the ocean—including the waves, tides winds, and currents— as well as fishing and harvesting limu (seaweed). The Beachboys were leaders in the revival of surfing and other watersports in the early 20th century. In fact, without the Waikīkī Beachboys, Hawai‘i’s ancient ritual of surfing may have been forgotten.

The Beachboys were required to adhere to a strict code of conduct that showed great respect for all guests, and they also worked to keep the beach clean and safe.

Indeed, the Beachboys were symbolic of everything that was great about Hawai‘i, and Waikīkī, in particular.

ABOUT THE HAWAI‘I TOURISM AUTHORITY

The Hawai‘i Tourism Authority is responsible for strategically managing the State of Hawai‘i’s marketing initiatives to support tourism. HTA’s goal is to optimize tourism’s benefits for Hawai‘i, while being attentive to the interests of travelers, the community and visitor industry. Established in 1998 to support Hawai‘i’s leading industry and largest employer, HTA continually strives to help ensure the sustainability of tourism’s success. For more information about HTA, please visit www.hawaiitourismauthority.org. Follow updates about HTA on Facebook, Twitter (@HawaiiHTA) and its YouTube Channel.

Remember to mark your calendar! The free event takes place on Tuesday, May 1st, 4-6 p.m., on Waikīkī Beach. There will also be a professionally shot Facebook Live broadcast @maydaywaikiki so that you can join in from anywhere in the world!