Waikīkī | |
|---|---|
| Waikīkī | |
.jpg) Aerial view of Waikiki | |
 Interactive map of Waikīkī | |
| Coordinates:21°16′31″N157°49′52″W / 21.2752°N 157.8312°W /21.2752; -157.8312 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Hawaii |
| County | Honolulu County |
| City | Honolulu |
| Area | |
• Total | 3.4 sq mi (8.8 km2) |
| ZIP Code | 96815 |
| Area code | 808 |
Waikīkī (/ˌwaɪkɪˈkiː/;[1][2]Hawaiian:[wɐjˈkiːkiː,vɐjˈtiːtiː]) is aHonolulu[3] neighborhood and the eponymousWaikīkī beach on its south shore, on the island ofOʻahu in the U.S. state ofHawaii. (Despite situational use of the spelling "Waikiki", typically in materials aimed at tourists, the spelling "Waikīkī" is official and common.)[4]
Waikīkī Beach is one of six beaches in the district, along withQueen's Beach,Kuhio Beach, Gray's Beach, Fort DeRussy Beach, and Kahanamoku Beach. The sandy beach is almost entirely man-made.[5]
Waikīkī (Hawaii) is home to public places includingKapiʻolani Park,Fort DeRussy,Kahanamoku Lagoon,Kūhiō Beach Park, andAla Wai Harbor. Waikīkī was the firstcapital of theKingdom of Hawaii from 1795 to 1796.
TheHawaiian language nameWaikīkī means "spouting fresh water", for springs and streams that fed wetlands that once separated Waikīkī from the interior.[6]
After the founding of the Kingdom of Hawaii, Waikīkī was its first capital, 1795–1796.
In the 1800s, the area was a retreat for Hawaiian royalty, who enjoyed surfing there on early forms oflongboards.[7]
A few small hotels opened in the 1880s. In 1893, Greek-AmericanGeorge Lycurgus leased the guest house of Allen Herbert and renamed it the "Sans Souci" (French for "without worries" or “carefree”) creating one of the first beach resorts. Later that yearRobert Louis Stevenson stayed at the resort; subsequently it became a popular destination for mainland tourists.[8] The area at coordinates21°15′49″N157°49′17″W / 21.26361°N 157.82139°W /21.26361; -157.82139 is still called "Sans Souci Beach".[9]
In the early 1900s, Waikīkī was home to manywetlands, which were claimed to harbor disease-carrying mosquitoes. To get rid of the mosquitoes, developers created theAla Wai canal. The canal, originally known as the Waikīkī Drainage Canal, was created by a Hawaiian dredging company run by Walter F. Dillingham. The project took about seven years, 1921–1928.[10]
Duke Kahanamoku became a well-knownsurfer in Waikīkī. Throughout his life and after competing in the Olympics, many people around the world wanted to learn to surf. Duke's influence made Waikīkī beach a surfing hotspot.[11] "Dukes", a club in Waikīkī named for Kahanamoku, helpedDon Ho produce music and hosted the longest-running show in Waikīkī.[12]
The first high-rise hotels on Waikīkī were built in 1955, including theWaikiki Biltmore andSheraton Princess Kaiulani Hotel. Development boomed due to demand, and the area became filled with large resort hotels, such as theHilton Hawaiian Village,Halekulani, the Hyatt Regency Waikiki, Marriott Waikiki,Sheraton Waikiki. These complemented historic hotels dating back to the early 20th century such as theMoana Surfrider Hotel and theRoyal Hawaiian Hotel.
Waikīkī developed erosion problems starting in the late 1800s, as hotels and homes were built too close to the natural shoreline, while seawalls and other structures blocked the natural ebb and flow of sand along the beach.[13]
In the 1920s and 1930s, sand was imported fromManhattan Beach, California, via ship and barge.[14]
Before 1950, Waikīkī beaches were continuous. Thenseawalls and groins began to appear. These helped build sand at one beach, but typically appropriated sand from others. They became separated into sections, some with sandy beach and others without. By 1950, more than 80 structures, including seawalls,groins, piers, and storm drains, occupied the Waikīkī shoreline.[13]
Following World War II, Waikīkī beach restoration efforts have occurred every few years. Sand was imported to this artificial beach from the 1920s to the 1970s, once by boat and barge from Southern California. 1,730 feet (530 m) of shoreline was replenished at a cost of $2.4 million following chronic erosion of more than a foot a year.[15]
Importing stopped in the 1970s. In March 1971, theCorps of Engineers Pacific Ocean Division, created a Draft Environmental Statement for the Kuhio Beach Sector of Waikīkī, which aimed to improve the overall quality and size of the fading and narrowing shoreline.[16]
From October 29 through November 4, 2000, the firstFINA World Open Water Swimming Championships were held in the waters off Waikīkī Beach.[17]
A partial restoration was completed in the spring of 2012. The project imported sand from nearbyshoals and widened the 1,700-foot-long (520 m) beach by about 37 feet (11 m) between theRoyal Hawaiian Hotel concrete groin and the Kūhiō Beach crib wall. The project temporarily restored the beach to its 1985 shoreline.[18][19] Two aging sandbag groin structures were also removed that year.[20]
In 2017,beach erosion worsened with high-energyking tides and elevated sea levels. Honolulu's mayor stated: "I'm not a scientist, but I'll get a jackhammer in there and remove all the concrete that's there creating this backwash and sucking out more sand, plus it's just downright dangerous."[21]
The beach hosts many events, includingsurf competitions, outdoorperformances,hula dancing, andoutrigger canoe races. The many amenities, shops, and hotels enable Waikīkī to generate approximately 42 percent of Hawaiʻi's visitor revenue.[22]
The neighborhood extends from theAla Wai Canal (a channel dug to drain wetlands) on the west and north, toDiamond Head (Lēʻahi, tuna brow) on the east. Waikīkī Beach is noted for its views of the Diamond Headtuff cone, its usually warm and cloud-free climate, and itssurf break.[23][24][25] The Waikīkī skyline is filled with high-rises and resort hotels.
Before 1950, the beach in the Waikīkī neighborhood was continuous and known as Waikīkī Beach. Seawalls and other developments have since separated the coast into eight distinct beaches.[13] Since 1951, nearly 2,800,000 cubic feet (80,000 m3) of sand have been added to restore the beach in the region,[citation needed] but it is believed[by whom?] that little of the added sand remains. As of 2020 the family of beaches in the region are still referred to as "Waikīkī Beach", but most venues and addresses will use the name of a specific subsidiary beach.
From Waikīkī Beach the sunset in the sea is visible from mid-September to late March. Half of the beach is marked off for surfers. For some distance into the ocean the water is quite shallow, with numerous rocks on the bottom. The waves can have some force, particularly on windy days. The surf is known for its long rolling break, making it ideal for long boarding,tandem surfing, and beginners.[26][27]
Largely as a result of shoreline development, Waikīkī has eight beaches. They are Ft. DeRussy Beach, Duke Kahanamoku Beach, Halekulani Beach, Royal Hawaiian Beach, Kūhiō Beach, Kapiʻolani Beach, Queens Beach, and Kaimana Beach.
Waikīkī's main thoroughfare isKalākaua Avenue, named afterKing Kalākaua, which houses most of the high-end hotels (Royal Hawaiian,Sheraton,Hyatt,Marriott,Moana Surfrider Hotel), most of the luxury designer brand stores (Apple Store,Chanel,Louis Vuitton,Prada,Burberry,Dior,Tiffany & Co.,Fendi,Harry Winston,Saint Laurent,Gucci, andHermès), department store (Macy's), and popular surf clothing brand stores (Quiksilver,Billabong,Volcom). Waikīkī's other main thoroughfare, Kūhiō Avenue, named afterPrince Kūhiō, is better known for its restaurants, cafes and grocers, along with its clubs, nightlife andprostitution.[28][29]
In 1990, the 9-foot (3 m) bronze statue ofDuke Kahanamoku by Gordon Fisher was installed at Waikīkī Beach, accompanied by a bronze replica of his surfboard, honorary spears, and commemorative bronze plaques. It serves as a culture and tourist locale with thousands of annual visitors and numerous cultural events.[30] Seven years later, Billy Fields created The Stones of Life (in Hawaiian:Nā Pōhaku Ola O Kapaemahu A Me Kapuni), a sculpture incorporatingancient basaltic stones, was installed nearby and is considered a localmonument.[31] A bronze sculpture in Kapiʻolani Park ofMahatma Gandhi by Stephen Lowe entitled "A Fistful of Salt" was a gift in 1990 from theGandhi Memorial International Foundation and the Jhamandas Watumull Fund.[32]
At Kūhiō Beach and Queens Beach, three public artworks were installed in the early 2000s. The bronze statue ofPrince Jonah Kuhio by Sean Browne[33] and the children's story sculptureMakua and Kila by Holly Young were installed in 2001. Robert Pashby'sSurfer on a Wave was installed at Queens Beach in 2003.[34]
Waikīkī beach has had repeated problems with erosion, leading to the construction ofgroins andbeach replenishment projects.[35] Imported sand came from California, local beaches such as Pāpōhaku Beach on Moloka‘i, and a sandbar from Oʻahu's Northern side nearKahuku.[36] Officials look for ways to sustain the existing sand by eliminating loss due to tidal flow.[37]
Erosion claims about one foot (0.3 m) of beach per year.[13] Local sources are sought for sand to replenish the beach.[38]
Waikīkī Beach had repeated contamination problems due to sewage spills in 2017.[39][40][41]
Many homeless people settle around the beach because of the public shower and sanitary facilities available there.TheHonolulu Police Department has increased patrolling in and around Waikīkī Beach with assistance from other city agencies and local businesses to prevent homeless people from making camp in this area.[42]
Hawaii state Department of Education operates conventional public schools throughout Hawaii. Thomas Jefferson Elementary School is located in Waikīkī proper, while Waikīkī Elementary School is located nearby, at themakai (seaward) edge of the Kapahulu neighborhood.[43]
TheHawaii State Public Library System operates the Waikīkī Public Library.[44]
Waikīkī istwinned with:
Freshwater, New South Wales, Australia
Bixby, Oklahoma, United States
Rotorua, New Zealand
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