The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-05-16
WAIKIKI BEACH
| IS PLAY GROUND
OF nOMOLUlIANS
It Extends for Over a Mile
Along the Sea Front Be-
tween the City Proper and
Diamond Head.
WATER LOVING PEOPLE
ARE ITS FREQUENTERS
Surf Riding Is One of the Most
ExhiIarating Sports in the
WorId-R. G. Leeds Tells Of
Hawaii.

Honolulu. April 5.--Waikiki beach.
the play ground of Honolulu, extends
far over a mile along the sea front
and lies between the city proper and
Diamond Head. Here it is that the
water loving Inhabitants Of the city
come for recreation and sport. Sun
day is the big day along the beach and
then you see numbers of people
swimming about in the delightful wat
er of the Pacific and frolicking over
it's surf in outrigger canoes or on surf
boards. 1t has always been SO far.
long before the coming of the white
man to these shores, Waikiki was the
rendezvous of those natives and
chiefs of the Island of Oahu. who low
ed to indulge in the great national
sport of Hawaii, surf.riding.
Surf riding is one OF the most ex-
hilarating sports have ever INDUCED
in. was introduced to it several
days ago and the experience is one l
shall never forget and which l shall
repeat as often as possible. MY surf
riding experience was in one of the
large, native outrigger canoes. A
crew of husky Kanakas-natives pad
died the queer craft out to about a
quarter of a mile off shore, where the
big breakers gather strength and size
before their last rush and final dis
Indignation on the beach. Once out
there the canoe was headed towards
the beach, the crew padding only
enough to keep her on her course,
while the helmsman anxiously scam
ed the sea astern for a wave large
enough for his purpose. The wait
was long and the helmsman tried to
induce the much longed for wave to
come by tossing>'water astern' with his
paddle. an old Hawaiian custom. And
this seemed to do the work, too. for
very shortly a hugh wave appeared
rushing towards US as though bent on
our destruction. To the sharp, in
sistent urging of the helmsman's
| "hoi! hoi," the crew responded with
fast, we'll timed paddle strokes that
sent our craft towards shore at a
quick rate.
The faster moving waves, however
quickly overlooked us, lifting our ca
noe stern first high OH it's crest Fol
a fraction of second our canoe
seemed to falter in its progress and
then with a rush it continued slore
wards on the great wave. its SHARP
bow buried deeply in the water at the
foot of the wave, sending sheet Of
spray stingingly over US. and directly
astern the wave welled after us in
a perfect wall of water whose men
acing top or crest was flecked by a
wide ribbon of rolling, tumbling foam
Not a paddle was used, with the ex
ception of the helmsman's steering
paddle, in that wild ride shorewards
Wave motion alone was sufficient tc
propel our canoe towards the beach al
a velocity of from twenty-five tt
twenty-eight miles an hour.
| 1t seemed as though scarcely a min
ute elapsed from the time of starting
until, with the beach a scant two rods
away, our helmsman, by a dextroui
move of his paddle. freed the canoe
from it's driving wave motor and head
ed us out to sea again. Then al
hands seized paddles once more ant
with deep, long strokes, urged thu
craft to her former position off shore
there to await another favorable wave
lon. which to repeat the fascinating
ride.
While on the way out again motto
ed the surf-board riders COMING
Through the surf at lightning speed
some lying at full length on theil
speeding boards, others. more exper
and more daring, standing up. Tit
leverage surf board is six or seven fee
Hong, foot and half wide and Al
inch and half thick. It is cut square
at the stern and rounds away to ;
point at the bow. The riders handle
these queer craft much as we OF cold
Ter climes handle sleds. when the win
tiers snow makes good going on som'