Welcome to Hawaiian Skies, the in-flight video magazine of Hawaiian Airlines. In our latest edition, we visit two very different museums…hear top pianists in action…go bouldering without a rope…experience the beauty of hula…catch a windsurfing competition at the sport’s spiritual home…meet the family that sets the standard for ukulele making…and witness artists doing what they do best.
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With great weather year-round encouraging an active lifestyle, Hawai‘i is the perfect place for sports of nearly all kinds. Many athletes here are attracted to the waves, of course, but there are other ways to challenge yourself.
The unofficial home of windsurfing is Maui’s Ho‘okipa Beach, where devotees of the sport flock to take advantage of the bracing winds and sharpen their skills. Once a year, many of the best windsurfers on the planet come to Ho‘okipa Beach for the Maui Makani Classic.
Surfing is a way of life in Hawai‘i, so much so that people are constantly nudging the sport in new directions as they try to find the best and biggest ways to ride the waves. Witness canoe surfing, which combines the big-wave-riding thrills of surfing with the teamwork of canoe paddling. The result is certainly something to behold.
There’s surfing, and then there’s surfing. For those who search out the biggest waves and the greatest challenges, the name “Jaws” has a special place in their hearts. Jaws is the nickname for a spot on the north shore of Maui, where mammoth waves provide the surfing thrills of a lifetime.
“Hiki no” means “can do” in Hawaiian, and this story illustrates the can do spirit of Hawaii’s young generation as they work on the nation’s first statewide student news network.
Ho‘olaule‘a is a Hawaiian word meaning celebration, and in the case of Maui’s Olukai Ho‘olaule‘a it’s a celebration both of the ocean and of the cultures of the Islands. This two-day festival brings together elite paddlers eager to take on the legendary 8-mile Maliko downwind run. And it also attracts families who come to watch the races and enjoy traditional Hawaiian games, luau, hula and live music.
"Wahine" means woman, and the Na Wahine O Kei Kai competition shows how far women have come. This grueling outrigger canoe race from the island of Moloka‘i to the shores of Waikiki is considered the unofficial world championship of the sport - and for many years it was commonly viewed as simply too difficult for women to attempt.
Hawaii’s lifeguards are the best of the best. Superbly trained and conditioned, they are elite guardians of the beaches – and the many visitors and locals alike who use them. We spoke to several top lifeguards to get their thoughts on keeping the beaches safe for all.
Outrigger canoes play a large role in the history of Hawai‘i, but they are also a big part of the contemporary scene in the Islands. Outrigger canoe paddling is one of the most popular sports in Hawai‘i, and one event is considered the world championship of the sport. It’s called Moloka‘i Hoe, and it’s run over a grueling 41.7-mile course from Moloka‘i Island to the shores of Waikiki.
Wahine Volleyball is big in Hawai‘i. The University of Hawai‘i Rainbow Wahine volleyball team is a national powerhouse: they’ve won four national championships, they have the winningest coach in the sport, and they lead the country in attendance for their games.
