About The Waikiki Historic Trail
Founded on Dedication
George Huʻeu Sanford Kanahele (Oct. 7, 1930 – Sep. 15, 2000) was a graduate of the Kamehameha Schools and Brigham Young University. He was internationally recognized for his work in entrepreneurship development and training. He was a businessman, scholar, civic leader, and writer. In 1997 Kanahele and colleague, Senator Kenneth Francis Kamuoʻokalani Brown co-founded the Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association (NaHHA) and were honorary Directors. They understood the implications, opportunities and impacts that Hawai‘i’s largest industry was having on the people of Hawai‘i, Hawaiian culture, local ways and our state’s natural and cultural resources. They knew the tourism industry in Hawai‘i needed to elevate its consciousness and operating priorities by identifying and committing to a bold range of stewardship responsibilities and begin to re-envision the entire industry as keepers of the Hawaiian culture.
The Waikīkī Historic Trail was the first project taken on by NaHHA and was personally lead by Dr. Kanahele to share the rich history, heritage and stories of Waikīkī. The project continues to be a signifcant contribution left by Kanahele to the Native Hawaiian community. NaHHA continues this important work to share the rich history and moʻolelo (stories) of the wahi pana (sacred and culturally significant sites) of Waikīkī through visitors and resident education, programming and walking tours which take place throughout the year.
In the late 1990’s co-founder of NaHHA, Dr. George Kanahele conducted his research on many of the wahi pana, the storied and culturally significant sites, in and around the Waikīkī area as part of 144 items that needed addressing in his report “Restoring Hawaiianness to Waikīkī,” a 1993 publication. By 1996, the City and County of Honolulu had adopted much of the publication into the “Waikīkī Planning and Program Guide.”
The Waikīkī Historic Trail was one of the first major initiatives to come to fruition through a joint city and private sector effort to take action on the items included in his report. The project began construction in 1997 with the first marker installed in October of 1998. By 1999, NaHHA initiated our walking tour of the markers that were completed to date. On June 27, 2002, the final marker was installed at Helumoa. Originally 20 of 23 sites had interpretive signage “surfboard markers”, 2 of the remaining sites along the trail were included with new statues of historical figures and 1 marker is a cultural site – the stones of Kapaemahu. The city sponsored 7 markers and funds were raised in the private sector for the remaining 13. The markers were expected to last 20 years.
In 2023, the surfboard markers are in dire need of refurbishment. The casted bronze needs attention and many of the porcelain faces have long outlived their intended lifespan. Some markers are missing, some have been relocated, and others are placed in locations that are not conducive to a path and are out of place from where they could potentially be. There are also other sites that have not been previously included that could use a marker of their own. There are also opportunities to add more content to these stories using 21st-century technology allowing for translation into multiple languages and making them interactive and appealing to a broader audience.
As we grow into the direction of regeneration in our tourism model in Hawaiʻi, the stories of our cultural past must also come with us on this journey. The concepts of mālama, to care for and take care of, include not only activities and tourism products but also the educational components of hosting as well. Through the lens of our indigenous stories, cultural history, and geography we mold and carry forth the lessons of our culture not only for our own people but also to share them with our visitors. We await the opportunity for the Waikīkī Historic Trail to be offered a rejuvenation and rebirth, to give it new life so that these stories can continue to be retold for generations to come.