No beachboys, no aloha!
If you have been perusing the news at all over this past week you have no doubt stumbled upon a story involving Waikiki’s iconic beachboys losing their concession on the world’s most famous stretch of sand. A dive operator has, apparently, won a bid to take over the spots where, for decades, Duke Kahanamoku and others have taught tourists to surf, swim and how best to enjoy the Hawaiian islands.
With the beachboy way of life threatened, notable Hawaiians have jumped in, bringing the story to national attention. I called up Eddie Rothman for more background and was gifted with his son Makua Rothman too, who was with his father crafting a battle plan. Here, without further ado, is the unedited conversation.
Chas: Eddie, Chas Smith here. I need your help. I need you to tell me about the beachboy situation.
Eddie: Yo, Makua is right here just talking about it it’s pretty fucked up, bro. Surfers from all over the world gotta get involved. (to Makua) You wanna talk? You wanna tell him about it?
Makua: (indecipherable)
Eddie: Because you know I swear when I talk.
Makua: (silent)
Eddie: Ok so here’s what happened. As far as I know, the city and county of Honolulu hates Hawaiian people. The officials. The government. They are against the Hawaiian people. I mean, really bad. Right after we lost the Duke Kahanamoku name, even though we’ll probably get the contest back because they’re caving in and gave it to a bodysurf guy who has a three and a half hour contest but whatever. For a few grand around here you can get whatever you want. So, after they flushed the name Duke Kahanamoku down the toilet, that took us over 30 years to get back, now they go after the beachboys. The beachboys put in a bid, they win the bid, then the State of Hawaii opened the sealed bid, showed it to everybody and then they re-bid it. Are you kidding me? Are you fucking kidding me? And now these new people. Did you see his Instagram (Dive Oahu) before he took it down?
Chas: I sure did.
Eddie: So here it is. Our government of stone cold fucking idiots they hate the local people they hate the Hawaiians…
Makua: (takes phone) And listen to this. So, basically, they are taking the history of beachboys which is myself, Kelly Slater, Laird Hamilton, John John anybody who has ever made their career out of surfing… you know, modern day contest surfing was put together by the Duke, you know, this is the Duke’s legacy these beachboys. This is from the Hawaiian people to all the most famous people who were ever shown aloha from Elvis to Marilyn Monroe to any famous person you can think of back in the day, the beachboys is who took care of them when they came to Hawaii. They came here to see the beachboys. This is a legacy. This is the core of Hawaii period. I can’t see why the State of Hawaii isn’t protecting this as a cultural heritage legacy and extension of Hawaii. I don’t even know how it’s up for bid at all.
Chas: How can surfers around the world help?
Makua: We just have to stand up and say we want the beachboys and we will boycott to show that they are taking the legacy of Hawaii. This is like a slap in the face to the surfing community of the world. This is the epitome of what we all do every day. Everything we do is a spin off of the beachboy lifestyle. If there’s no beachboys there is no aloha and they’re giving the permit to some country club donkey who wants the people to wear country club shoes, collared shirts and khaki shorts. They’re trying to turn it into some country club fancy group but it’s Hawaiian, brah. No shirt. I want surfers to fly here to protest with the Hawaiians. We’re going to be doing some in front of the Duke statue in Waikiki. Also, there is a petition…
So, do you want to do some good this year? Want to help? Fly to Waikiki! Tell the bastards that you want the beachboys then rent one of their boards and cruise it out to Queens. Nothing feels finer.
Did rothboy ever meet Duke, hard to have a memorial contest without memories.
https://www.justice.gov/arc…
follow the money
A Hawaiian Jewish boy runs home from school one day and asks his father, “Daddy, am I more Jewish or more Hawaiian?” The dad replies, “Why do you want to know, son?” “Because a kid at school is selling a bike for $50 and I want to know if I should talk him down to $40 or just steal it!”
F*** ya, I hope he drinks as many Primo’s as he wants!
Legend. Live, Love, Laugh, while you all are still here…
Legend?? Hardly.
Tell us.
And ‘race’ is a fallacy as well. Ain’t no such thing, really.
Thank you very much and excuse my ignorance.
I don’t think I’d ask anything to this gentleman. I’m quite sure I’ll never speak to this gentleman. At least, I hope so…
What’s the point with the picture? Is he supposed to look threatening? Or is it prostate problems?
I really don’t care if he’s jew or not. I am not a racist. In my humble opinion the guy paid he’s dues and yes he’s a legend in Hawaii. If he wants to protect the culture he got involved in, so what? Let him do it. You have my respect Eddie. Keep fighting for what helps your culture and our sport.
Right on Eddie goes
Agreed Herbo. Keep them boys renting boards on the beach. That’s way more Surf soul aloha roots than anything else they could put there. Go Beachboys! In the spirit and stoke of riding waves and the true aloha (sharing the stoke of it all) the beachboys should be allowed to continue.
I know that Eddie is like the mayor of Hawaiian surfing, but does he actually surf? At his age occasionally longboarding counts in my opinion.
Probably not.
I saw him riding around the Sunset/Teds Bakery on his bike a lot this April
If they get rid of The Beach Boys where am i going to score some weed when I’m in town?
I just wish the beach boys had better rental boards, every single board was thrashed and water logged…
Stopped reading after the first couple of lines of Eddies response. The guy has no clue, he is the definition of a knuckle head!
“… They want young, blonde haired, blue eyed haoles“
The Chinese and Japanese tourists ain’t too keen on darker skin tones. But that’s OK cuz it’s tourist racism.
Yes, well, thanks, so much clearer now.
Is it really a good idea to have ‘Fast Eddie’ open his mouth about anything.
No
For guys who dislike non-locals so much, they sure do ask for non-locals’ help a lot.
“myself, Kelly Slater, Laird Hamilton, John John anybody who has ever made their career out of surfing…” Eddie’s son really helps his, err, contemporaries
Don’t forget to credit the hijacking of the Hawaiian government to the US sugar barons, business interests and missionaries leading to the total disenfranchising of the Hawaiian people.
That’d be remiss to not mention that part of the history.
What a fucken rort that was.
We don’t take ourselves this seriously on BeachGrit brah. Try the inertia or stab, you might get some traction there.