Fear and Loathing in the Lineup

In old Hawaii waves were ridden en-masse as a form of community celebration, both men and women together, nude as jaybirds. How beautiful was that? It evolved that way partly because of the equipment they rode, primarily straight ahead planks of heavy wood, ridden straight to the beach allowing multiples to share the wave, length of ride being a factor of how far out you caught the transporting force rather than back and forth moves. Epic rides such as Duke’s traverse from Outside publics, a half-mile to Queens, from there to the far side of Canoes, another good long distance in itself, to finally step off in front of the Moana Surfrider. Then there was Princess Liliokalani’s legendary feat in the Marqueses, pre-Hawaii, starting on a big outside comber, riding all the way to shore which was comprised of a low lava shelf, then she washed with the wave surge sweeping up over that obstacle and on into the lagoon behind it, where she coasted gradually, to finally, gracefully, scud to a stop upon the far mud flat (notably, she had left her prince on his own board behind when she crossed the barrier.)