Waikīkī aerial photo

Waikīkī ( /waɪkiːˈkiː/; Hawaiian: [vɐiˈkiːˈkiː] or [wɐiˈkiːˈkiː]) is a neighborhood of Honolulu, in the City and County of Honolulu, on the south shore of the island of Oʻahu, in Hawaii, United States. Waikīkī Beach is the shoreline fronting Waikīkī.

Waikīkī is home to public places including Kapiʻolani Park, Fort de Russy Military Reservation, Kahanamoku Lagoon, Kūhiō Beach Park, and Ala Wai Harbor.

Etymology[link]

The name Waikīkī means spouting fresh water in the Hawaiian language, for springs and streams that fed wetlands that once separated Waikīkī from the interior.^[1]

Geography[link]

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Waikīkī beach looking towards Diamond Head

Closer aerial of Waikīkī beach

The neighborhood extends from the Ala Wai Canal (a channel dug to drain former wetlands) on the west and north, to Diamond Head (Lēʻahi) on the east. Waikīkī Beach is noted for its views of the Diamond Head tuff cone, its usually warm and cloud-free climate and its surf break.

The Waikīkī skyline is now dotted with an abundance of both high-rises and resort hotels. The beach is actually fairly short, with half of it marked off for surfers. For some distance into the ocean the water is quite shallow, although there are numerous rocks on the bottom. As with most ocean beaches the waves can have some force, particularly on windy days. The surf at Waikīkī is known for its long rolling break, making it ideal for long boarding, tandem surfing and beginners.

History[link]

The area was a retreat for Hawaiian royalty in the 1800s who enjoyed surfing there on early forms of longboards.^[2]

A few small hotels opened in the 1880s. In 1893, Greek-American George Lycurgus leased the guest house of Allen Herbert and renamed it the "Sans Souci" (French for "without worries") creating one of the first beach resorts. Later that year Robert Louis Stevenson stayed at the resort; subsequently it became a popular destination for tourists from the mainland.^[3] The area at coordinates 21°15′49″N 157°49′17″W / 21.26361°N 157.82139°W / 21.26361; -157.82139 is still called "Sans Souci Beach".^[4]

Today, the area is filled with hotels like the Hilton Hawaiian Village, the Halekulani hotel, the Hyatt Regency Waikīkī, the Sheraton Waikīkī, and historic hotels dating back to the early 20th century (such as the Moana Surfrider Hotel and the Royal Hawaiian Hotel). The beach hosts many events a year, including surf competitions, outdoor performances, hula dancing and outrigger canoe races.

Kalakaua and Kuhio Avenues[link]

Waikīkī's main thoroughfare is Kalakaua Avenue, named after King Kalakaua, which houses most of the high-end hotels (Royal Hawaiian, Sheraton, Hyatt, Moana Surfrider Hotel), most of the luxury designer brand stores (Apple Store, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Burberry, Dior, Tiffany & Co., Fendi, Cartier, Gucci & Coach) and popular surf clothing brand stores (Quiksilver, Billabong, Volcom). Waikīkī's other main thoroughfare, Kuhio Avenue, named after Prince Kuhio, is better known for its restaurants, cafe's and grocers, along with its clubs, nightlife and prostitution.^[5][6]

Beach erosion[link]

Over time, Waikīkī beach has had problems with erosion, leading to the construction of groins and beach replenishment projects. For example, in the 1920s and 1930s sand was imported from Manhattan Beach, California, via ship and barge to Waikīkī.^[7] Importing stopped in the 1970s. Officials are looking for ways to sustain the existing sand by eliminating loss due to tide flow.^[8] Subject to permits, a partial restoration is going right now (from March 12th 2012 until April, 2012). The proposed project would import sand from nearby shoals and would widen the 1,700 feet (520 m) long beach by about 37 feet (11 m) between the Royal Hawaiian Hotel concrete groin and the Kūhiō Beach crib wall. The project will restore the beach to its 1985 shoreline.^[9]

Economy[link]

Waikīkī Beach facing Diamond Head, 1958

China Airlines operates its Honolulu Branch Office in Waikīkī.^[10] NTT DoCoMo also has limited operations here for the convenience of Japanese tourists.

Government and infrastructure[link]

The Honolulu Police Department operates the Waikīkī Substation.^[11]

The United States Postal Service operates the Waikīkī Post Office at 330 Saratoga Road.^[12]

Education[link]

Hawaii Department of Education operates public schools. The district operates Waikīkī Elementary School.^[13]

The Hawaii State Public Library System operates the Waikīkī Public Library at 400 Kapahulu Avenue.^[14]

Twin/Sister Cities[link]

Bixby, Oklahoma, USA

See also[link]

Hawaii portal

• List of leading shopping streets and districts by city
• Save Our Surf

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Waikiki Beach

Find more about Waikiki on Wikipedia's sister projects:
	Definitions and translations from Wiktionary
	Images and media from Commons
	Learning resources from Wikiversity
	News stories from Wikinews
	Quotations from Wikiquote
	Source texts from Wikisource
	Textbooks from Wikibooks

• Waikiki links at the Open Directory Project
• Waikiki Duke Statue Webcam

• Waikiki Mobile Beach Directory

Coordinates: 21°16′31″N 157°49′52″W / 21.2752°N 157.8312°W / 21.2752; -157.8312

Stein Metzger

Personal information
Born	November 17, 1972
Medal record Men's Volleyball Competitor for the  United States World Championships Silver 2003 Rio de Janeiro Beach Volleyball

Stein Metzger (born November 17, 1972 in Honolulu, Hawaii) is a beach volleyball player from the United States, playing in the AVP. In 2006 he played with his high school teammate, Mike Lambert, and they advanced to the Final Four in fourteen of the fifteen team events, winning five times. They formed the only team to not have a losing record against any other team that season.

Metzger made his Olympic beach volleyball debut at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, where he and partner Dax Holdren finished fifth, after having won the silver medal the previous year at the 2003 Beach Volleyball World Championships in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

In 2005, Metzger teamed up with the 2004 Most Improved Player, Jake Gibb. The duo won both of their first two events together, becoming the third team since 1990 to accomplish that. They won in Belmar, then placed second in an FIVB Grand Slam event in Paris, logging the highest finish by an American team in 2005. The win in Manhattan Beach in 2005 made Gibb and Metzger the second team to win four domestic tournaments in a season since the turn of the century, and also marked the first time since the 2003 season opener that a number one-seeded team won an AVP open event.

Metzger led the 2005 Tour with four wins, as well as in points. He also led the Tour in digs in 2005 (950), ranked second in hitting percentage (.452) and third in kills (1,314). In 2006, he was third in kills (7.17 per game) and 10th in digs (4.12 per game). In 2001, with Kevin Wong, Metzger won his first two AVP events, in Santa Barbara and Manhattan Beach on consecutive weekends.

Prior to qualifying for the 2004 Summer Olympics, Metzger spent time competing internationally with former long-time partner Kevin Wong. The pair won the 2001 FIVB event in Switzerland and the Bronze Medal at the Goodwill Games in Australia. Metzger and Wong also won in Portugal in 2002. Metzger won a silver medal in Rio at the World Championships in 2003 with Holdren.

Originally from Honolulu, Metzger grew up surfing and playing beach volleyball at the Outrigger Canoe Club in Honolulu. He played indoor volleyball at Punahou High School. He was a three-time National Champion at UCLA where, as a setter, he earned AVCA All-American for three consecutive seasons, winning the 1996 NCAA MVP and William G. Morgan Award for most outstanding player. He graduated with a degree in Environmental Studies.

On October 9, 2009, Metzger was inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame.

Recently, Stein has been involved in an instructional volleyball website known as Volleyball 1on1 involving the creation of instructional volleyball videos featuring coaching form himself and other well known players.

See also[link]

• World Fit

References[link]

• Profile
• Stein Metzger Volleyball Setter Bio

External links[link]

• Stein Metzger Volleyball Videos

Charles Philip "Gabby" or "Pops" Pahinui (April 22, 1921 - October 13, 1980) was a slack-key guitarist and singer of Hawaiian music.

Gabby was born Charles Kapono Kahahawaii Jr. and later hānai-ed^{[clarification needed]} into the Pahinui family as Charles Philip Pahinui and raised in the Kaka'ako area of Honolulu in the 1920s. It was impoverished at the time, very much resembling a shanty-town with small cluttered buildings and tin roofs falling apart.^{[citation needed]} He spent his childhood supporting his family by selling newspapers and shining shoes. He dropped out of school after 5th grade at Pohukaina School.

Early career[link]

Gabby landed a gig as a back-up guitarist for Charley 'Tiny' Brown. He quickly mastered the steel guitar without ever learning to read music. Because most musicians of the time only played in bars, Gabby also formed a drinking habit that stuck with him throughout his life.

At the 1st Annual Seattle Slack Key Guitar Festival, Cyril Pahinui related a story about how Gabby got his name. In his early career, he played slide guitar with an orchestra. The standard costume for the gig was gabardine pants--hence his name. ^[1]

Though a master of the steel guitar, Gabby is most known for his mastery of the slack-key guitar. Gabby learned slack-key from Herman Keawe whom Gabby acknowledges as being "the greatest slack-key player of all time." Herman, like Gabby, lived in the Kaka'ako area.

Gabby married Emily at age 17 in 1938. They had ten children, four daughters and six sons.

In 1946, Gabby made his first recording, "Hi`ilawe," for the Bell Records label. This may be the first record of a Hawaiian song with slack-key guitar. The following year came "Hula Medley," the first record of a slack-key guitar instrumental. During this period he made two other influential sides for Bell, the vocal "Wai O Ke Aniani" and the instrumental "Key Koalu" (a misspelling of "Kī Hō`alu," the Hawaiian term for "slack key"), plus another version of "Hi`ilawe" for Aloha Records.

Gabby played with many of the great bands and musicians of his time, including Andy Cummings, Lena Machado, and Ray Kinney. He also appeared on Hawaii Calls, a popular international radio show that began in the 1930s. Eventually, Gabby moved Emily and the children to Waimanalo, which had become a popular second home location for many musicians. The all-weekend jam sessions at the Pahinui home were legendary.

Examples of his session work from the late 1950s through the 1960s can be found on the two volumes of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar (Waikiki Records 319 and 320) and two more LPs titled Kani Ka Pila! Let's Play Music! Volumes 1 and 2 (Hula Records 517, 1966; Hula 531, 1969). These are combo recordings (steel guitar, slack key guitar, uke, bass, vocals, sometimes percussion) made with bandmates such as Atta, Barney, and Norman Isaacs, Charles Kaipo Miller, and a young Peter Moon, and they reflect the style of nightclub music popular around Waikīkī at the time.

A 1961 solo session organized by Dave Guard of the Kingston Trio features just Gabby, with bass and `ukulele backing, doing some of his classic material, including new versions of three of his four 1946-47 tracks. No record company was interested in the material, however, and it was not released until 1978. The final package was Pure Gabby (Hula 567), a two-record set, one LP consisting of the music and the second of an interview conducted by Guard.

Despite his success, Gabby still had financial trouble. He made ends meet by working for City and County of Honolulu road crews, doing pick and shovel work.

Later career[link]

The Hawaiian Renaissance of the '70s launched a cultural reawakening of all things Hawaiian. Gabby played an important part in the rise of this Hawaiian Cultural Renaissance. First there were the albums recorded through the 1960s with the enormously popular and influential Sons of Hawaii, which he started with `ukulele virtuoso Eddie Kamae: their self-titled debut album (Hula HS 503, 1961); Music of Old Hawai`i (Hula HS 506, 1964); and Folk Music of Hawai`i (Panini 1001, 1971).

Then, starting in 1972, he made four albums with what came to be called the "Gabby Band." The first album featured Gabby backed by four of his sons plus old friends Leland "Atta" Isaacs and bassist Manuel "Joe Gang" Kupahu, but the group eventually expanded to include Sonny Chillingworth, younger-generation players Peter Moon and Randy Lorenzo, and mainland admirer Ry Cooder. The albums are:

• Gabby (1972; often called "Brown Gabby" or "The Brown Album" because of its sepia cover photo)
• Rabbit Island Music Festival (1973)
• Gabby Pahinui Hawaiian Band, Vol 1 (1975)
• Gabby Pahinui Hawaiian Band, Vol 2 (1976)

As he enjoyed his new success in the '70s, his life-long drinking and a bad road crew accident left his health failing. He retired from road work but took up teaching in the City and County's cultural programs. He died in 1980 at the age of 59.

The Honolulu Star Bulletin Newspaper stated about Pahinui "The thing about Gabby Pahinui," says DeSoto Brown, a Hawaiian cultural-history expert whose brother worked with Pahinui, "was not only that he was an outstanding musician and entertainer, and a central figure -- maybe THE central figure -- of the Hawaiian Renaissance in the '70s, but that he was an inspiration to others. Thousands of Hawaiian kids learned that they were worthy as a people because of Gabby's example."^[2]

Gabby was memorialized in Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's performance of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World" on his 1993 Facing Future album. In the opening moments of the song, Israel can be heard saying, "'Kay, dis one's fo' Gabby."

Pahinui was inducted into the Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame in 2002.^[3]

Gabby's children are active in the Hawaiian music scene, notably Cyril Pahinui, Bla Pahinui and Martin Pahinui, all of whom played on the Gabby Band recordings and have since become professional musicians. (Philip, who played on the first two "Gabby Band" albums, chose not to pursue music professionally.)

References[link]

• "Gabby Pahinui" [interview] in Da Kine Sound: Conversations with People who Create Hawaiian Music, ed. Burl Burlingame and Robert Kamohalu Kasher (1978, Press Pacifica)
• Hawaiian Son, James D. Houston with Eddie Kamae (2004, `Ai Pōhaku Press)
• The History of the Slack Key Guitar, CD booklet notes by Jay Junker, Harry B. Soria, Jr., and George Winston (1997, Hana Ola Records)
• "Pahinui, 'Gabby' Charles Philip," unsigned, in Hawaiian Music and Musicians, ed. George S. Kanahele (1979, University Press of Hawai`i)
• "Sons of Hawai`i," Keith Haugen, in Hawaiian Music and Musicians

External links[link]

• Gabby Pahinui
• Hawaiian musician a slack-key master
• A Brief History of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar
• Gabby Pahinui discography on Dancing Cat site

References[link]