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Talk Story with Hōkūleʻa Wayfinders

FREE ENTRY

OPEN TO RESORT GUESTS & PUBLIC

Talk Story is a monthly series hosted by Surf House at Turtle Bay. A Hawaiian term, "Talk Story" means to chat, tell stories and taking the time to enjoy one another's presence. Each month, you'll have the opportunity to meet a different local creator in an intimate setting and ask them questions only they can answer.

For March's Talk Story at Surf House, we are pleased to host wayfinders and crewmembers of the traditional Polynesian voyaging canoe, Hōkūleʻa. Hear their stories out at sea and learn how they use the Polynesian constellations to find their way. They will pinpoint special stars using their laser pointers after sunset, so you don't want to miss out on this special Talk Story!

Want to taste a bit of the voyaging life? We'll be raffling off a 2-hour Sunset Ride from Haleiwa on another voyaging canoe called Wanana Paoa for only $20 per ticket at the event! All proceeds will go towards I Nui Ke Aho, a non-profit organization based on the North Shore of O`ahu that seeks to strengthen the North Shore community by creating a traditional Hawaiian navigator’s mindset, and providing educational programs that teach collaboration, knowledge, and pono decision-making to the youth and community.

 

Submit questions for the wayfinders and crew to answer at the event via Instagram and use the tags: #OnlyAtTurtleBay / @TurtleBayResort / @hokuleacrew

 

 

Get to know our guests and the canoe they've voyaged on!

 

On March 8, 1975, Hōkūle‘a, meaning “Star of Gladness,” a traditional Hawaiian wa‘a kaulua (double hulled voyaging canoe), was launched from the sacred shores of Kāne‘ohe Bay on O‘ahu, helping to build momentum for a powerful Hawaiian cultural renaissance. Along with the resurgence of traditional voyaging and navigation came a renewal of Hawaiian language, dance, chant, and other expressions of Hawaiian culture. Since its first voyage, Hōkūle‘a has sailed over 140,000 nautical miles across the Pacific.

To view or download hi-res diagram of Hōkūleʻa click here. 

Penny Martin - Penny Martin is a crewmember from Hōkūleʻa’s original 1976 voyage return from Tahiti, and she has dedicated the past 40 years of her life since then inspiring youth appreciation for Hawaiian culture and the environment. Penny has spent weeks of planning alongside other Molokai crewmembers to ensure that every school on the island had arrangements to visit not only Hōkūleʻa, but also participate in a number of outreach activities.

Kaleo Wong - Kaleo Wong graduated Kaiser in 1999, and went on to earn a B.A. in ʻŌlelo and Hawaiian Studies. Kaleo joined PVS in 1998 through a high school program called Haʻolōkahi and looks forward to once again traveling south and retracing his ancestral pathways, reawakening that history and tapping into ʻike kūpuna. Kaleo finds that sailing moananuiākea allows him to embrace the intimacy of akua, aumakua, kupuna in ways not found on land.

Kamaki Worthington - Kamaki first sailed on Hōkūleʻa in 1992. To him, Hōkūleʻa means "happy star" and he hopes that the the Worldwide Voyage will bring respect to Hōkūleʻa and PVS. While sailing, Kamaki misses his family, and while back on land he misses his wa'a family.

Kalā Baybayan - Kalā grew up playing around voyaging canoes with her siblings and watched as her father, Pwo navigator and captain Kālepa Baybayan, left for and arrived from voyages. She learned sailing and navigation from her dad and other mentors in PVS. On her home island of Maui, she is an educator and apprentice navigators with Hui o Wa'a Kaulua, Maui's Voyaging Society. She teaches kids the star compass and the history of voyaging and dreams of being able to train them on the voyaging canoe Mo'okiha o Pi'ilani. Though she has participated in several inter-island sails, crewing on Hikianalia from Hawai'i to Tahiti was her first long distance voyage. She relished the opportunity to sight land, to experience islands rising from the sea.

Gary Yuen - Gary first sailed with PVS in 1985 escorting Hōkūleʻa around Tahiti and the Cook Islands. For Gary, Hōkūleʻa represents a unique accumulation of events shared between strangers young and old. To Gary, sailing on Hōkūleʻa is like voyaging into the past aboard an ancient voyaging canoe with new, untried ideas and family connection. He hopes that the Worldwide Voyage brings about a successful, humble affirmation of what Hōkūleʻa has stood for since the very beginning. When out at sea, Gary craves seeing his friends and family, safe at home. Back on land, he misses listening to the passing sea breeze, listening to the sea touching Hōkūleʻa, and seeing a shared vision or star with the family of the canoe.

 

Photo: 'OiwiTV

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