Chawans Stan Tomita, 2003

"the natatorium's diving platforms"
walter said, "you no jump from the tower (the highest platform), you no can ride home with my fadda." only walter jumped, the rest of us walked home. we were little boys. we neva like die. i guess walter was a man at eleven.

i thought it was called "chawans" cause the wave would peak and wrap around the reef and "bowl" like one "chawan". others said, "wen you faded past the peak and bottom turned, the peak would chop you on the head like one ‘chawan cut.’"

had to be good (or lolo, or named nelson chong) to surf "publics" at low tide cause had coral heads and was shallow. but...when the surf was big and broke outside, could catch a wave at publics, slide through "cunhas" and ride the wave all the way to the "wall". old guys told me some even went all the way to "queens" and "canoes."

everybody learned to bodysurf and paipo at "the wall," from pawaa to kaimuki & kapahulu to palolo. then when we got older, move on big boards at "baby queens," then "canoes" and then "queen’s." the old timers and beachboys would teach you the way how fo act and knock your head if you wise ass. after that, anywhere that had surf, you would do it with respect to the elders and the regulars.

1960, we used to catch the first bus to the "wall". bury our shirt and towel in the sand in the dark, put on our fins and swim out to body surf or paipo "the wall" or "cunhas" till lunch at that small japanese delicatesen off kalakaua. we ate potato tempura at five cents each and five cents for soda. they neva charge tax. if you ate more, you ate the bus money. then swim out again till just before the six o'clock bus home unless you ate the bus money, then you walk home. most of the time we neva had money anyway, so we always walked. we were in the water all day, even with cramps in both legs...das why we started to paipo. when summer ended, the only way to see us at night was if we smiled and made big eye, otherwise we were just shadows.

8th grade, we carried our boards two at a time. one guy at the nose, one at the tail, from kaimuki to waikiki. 9th grade, we stored our boards at dana kalima's in the back of jefferson school. if we wanted to surf ala moana, we would stick the towel in our shorts, hold one end high , stand on our boards and sail down the ala wai. gross-out if you fall. 10th grade, thomas got one car so we could go anywhere fo surf.

i got my first surf shorts at "sera's," and was expensive, like $15, but was custom. was white cotton duck sail cloth with red and yellow aloha print band around the middle. i was stylin'. when school started and had to shower after pe, everybody laughed cause i had aloha print band sunburned around my ass. i was proud though.

rumours?
donald takayama used to surf ala moana "bowls" naked cause his mother used to hide his shorts so he would go school.
david nuuhiwa's jefferson school teachers would have to go to "queen's" and paddle out to drag him to school.