Kinikimo wore pineapple tablecloth shirts as a teenager.
Well, he wore them when he wasn’t on the water skimboarding in his hometown of Laguna Beach. Gene – Kinikimo in Hawaiian – participated in skimboard competitions in Oahu and Maui when he was growing up. Since I know nothing about surf culture, Gene gave me a quick primer. Skimboards are designed for surfing shore breaks with steep slopes and giant waves that come in and break right on the shore. Surfers run as fast as they can…step, step… mount a wave and then ride it back on shore to do it all again. Skimboarding originated in Laguna Beach, and Gene
was a part of its culture.
Read the rest of the story in Polynesiacs: Tiki at Home, page 258.
Grass Shack Gardens, Oceanside, California
