Donald Moke Takayama November 16, 1943 – October 22, 2012 D Tidal Wave
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CLIFF SERNA Donald Moke Takayama November 16, 1943 – October 22, 2012 Donald. You onald Takayama has been a minstrel of hearts in and redwood for those of us who were blessed to ride Dthe world of surfing since the day he emerged from his creations. wondered about the Ala Wai onto the white sand beaches of Waikiki Donald’s stories are abundant. They persist. They back when the original Beachboys still dominated are a great mythology that line the rock-bed of surfing your legacy. It the South Shore scene. He has played the tunes of history: from paipo to fish to SUP. Donald wanted to jokester, father, shaper, mentor, and inspiration to five share as the Duke had shared, with true and gracious generations of surf evolution and, if his body had given Aloha and he did so with a legacy composed, not only of is not made of him the chance, he would have continued to play this pristine objects, but of hearts who continue to carry his same song through five generations more. legacy forward. balsa, redwood, In Donald, the wicked was always balanced by The song persists, though the voice of the minstrel the angelic; the hard edge was perfectly foiled to a has gone silent. Each of us who knew this master or foam. Hanai- forgiving ellipse; a bad-ass barbecue always tempered craftsman, this master of ballad and heart-song, carry with plenty of surfing between drumsticks, sticky- a bit of his lasting tune within us. As we move beyond father, your rice, and clam chowder. DT’s passing, we will learn to sing the bits he left us – Life met its match in “D.T.” These initials were our inheritance – and Donald’s legacy will continue to legacy is made carved into his arm, as if to remind Life that this flesh be a shaping force in the world. was his while the blood still pumped through and by This is his lasting gift: to become an unbreakable up of flesh and that heart that refused to stop and knew no bounds. force of nature within the hearts he touched, as He spun his web wide, this song of his, and wove persistent and powerful as the sea that beckoned him bone. it elegantly into the hearts of those who willingly with its siren-song to emerge, fully-formed in his became captive to it. He was so successful that he genius, from the depths of Honolulu’s urban labyrinth. — Cori Schumacher found himself forced to work graveyard-like shifts in — Cori Schumacher HPD Team order to coax perfection from blocks of foam, balsa, HPD Team KEVIN KINNEAR, OCEANSIDE, 2006 OCEANSIDE, KEVIN KINNEAR, 1967 OCEANSIDE, WILKINGS, STEVE onald had to go away and Learning to pull a drawknife, Standing naked on the Always living – with no surf event with the presence Dit hurts. burying his finished board in side of PCH for a few extra words needed – a devoted, of DT was bound to be epic. But all of us who were lucky the sand so he didn’t have to seconds while changing loving union with his wife Stalwart supporter enough to enjoy the pleasure drag it home. into his trunks, eliciting lane Diane. of the Shop Rat ethic, of his love and company will Living wild on the beach, swerves and much honking Traveling the world, bringing dozens of young always be thankful for his his hair sunburnt ehu-style, from the shocked squares. A welcomed like a touring wastrels into the trade, friendship, his surfboards, his a rapscallion on the make, crazy-haired kid with a four- potentate everywhere he giving them identity and hard-won wisdom, and his soaking up the ocean track mind: surfing, shaping, landed, feted by surfing pride and a marketable stories. knowledge of the ancients. hot rods and gals. royalty, praised for his foils, skill. His advocacy for his Especially his stories. A virtuoso on a surfboard, Designing and ripping the his surfing, and his spirit. students was legendary and Born on the island of Oahu somehow both macho and Jacobs Donald Takayama An honored and welcome unconditional. in 1943, just two years after soft – the ultimate style combo Model. kamaaina whenever he Broad-minded, non- the attack on Pearl Harbor, – knees “bullied out,” arms Designing the Bing David returned to his beloved judgmental, and utterly when Hawaii was a still- crooked and held aloft, cross- Nuuhiwa Noseriding Model. Waikiki – which was often. without prejudice, Donald smoldering Crossroads of the stepping for go not show, Racking up significant Donald was, after all, had a portfolio of friends Pacific. making long shot runs over the placings in the United States Hawaiian to the core. That’s from every conceivable walk Running fast and loose as a coral to the blasted-out depths Surfing Championships. where his heart lived. of life. young boy in Honolulu, paddling of the Ala Moana channel. Establishing Hawaiian Pro Swordsmith to the finest So here we stand with a down the muddy Ala Wai on Charming the pants off the Designs. While very much longboard surfers in the pain in our hearts and tears anything he could find, carried visiting California surfers and a business, it also seemed world, who always seemed in our eyes, but more than makai on the runoff of Manoa blowing their minds with the predicated on keeping his to surf to their highest anything else, the permanent Valley to legendary Waikiki. quality of his craft. surfing friends supplied with potential on his considered, and lifelong smiles from the Occupying the lower rung Flying to the mainland in a top-notch equipment. To this perfectly detailed boards. gift of having known Donald on the beach, under the propliner when 12 years old, day, significant surfers the Longtime supporter of and lived his stories with him. watchful eyes of the original alone and on his own nickel, world over have DTs in their North County surfing, tireless Travel well, friend. We’ll Beachboys: Duke, Steamboat, to shape surfboards for none quiver. barbecue master, generous never forget you. Rabbit, Blackout, Squirrelly, other than capital D Dale Speaking with twinkle-eyed time giver to the Oceanside — Scott Hulet Tidal Wave. capital V Velzy. pride of his daughters. Longboard Surfing Club. Any The Surfer’s Journal onald’s hands had Da life of their own. When he’d talk, they’d swoop up and down and around like two swallows chasing each other through the air. STEVE WILKINGS, JACOBS SURFBOARDS, 1967 JACOBS SURFBOARDS, WILKINGS, STEVE I miss seeing Donald’s hands effortlessly dancing up and down the rails of a newly emerging surfboard. Whether foam or wood, Donald’s hands skillfully coaxed both truth and beauty out of any material he touched. Donald’s hands were the ambassadors of his heart and soul, KEVIN KINNEAR, MAY 1, 2004 1, MAY KEVIN KINNEAR, TOM KECK, HAWAIIAN PRO DESIGNS HAWAIIAN TOM KECK, reaching out to shake KEVIN KINNEAR, FEBRUARY 19, 1988 Aia o Donald I loko o your hand or give you a ko makou pu’uwai. hug, patting you on the back when times were Donald is in our hard, or throwing out hearts. a pure Hawaiian shaka with flashing eyes and a Menehune grin any time anything caught his fancy. COURTESY COURTESY DIANE TAKAYAMA I miss Donald’s hands expressing his utter joy when he would Urn carved by Donald’s hanai-brother take off on a wave and Kalani Delovio. Mahalo they’d guide him like a Dearest Ohana, Friends, Team and Associates, symphony conductor I would like to thank all of you for your outpouring of flowers, food, kindness, time, through the graceful sentiments and most of all, love, during this most heartfelt and unexpected of events. arc of a bottom turn, If there was one thing about my husband Donald, I am sure we would all agree, is reaching for the sky while that he loved to live life to the fullest. And he knew how to do that maybe a little too Donald artfully arched much sometimes! Donald seemed invincible because he was so full of life. He touched back accelerating across people in ways that I have never seen and made a huge impression on just about a hollow wall, tucking everyone he met. Donald always remembered and treated each person with a joy and into the tube with a humor that is so seldom seen. playful head dip, slashing Each one of us has our memories with him and about him and in a sense this does a manly cutback, then make Donald invincible. We were all so lucky to have him in our lives and nothing running up to the nose can ever take away those moments that were shared. I will always have a smile and until his feet were planted love in my heart for Donald and will carry on right on the tip while his in his honor so that he would be proud. I know magic hands dangled at you will, too. He will always be the love of my his side, casually waiting life and I will miss Mr. T forever. for Donald’s next move – Aloha, always leading the way. Diane Takayama — Kevin Kinnear LEROY GRANNIS COLLECTION LLC, EARLY 1960s EARLY GRANNIS COLLECTION LLC, LEROY AKA Sydney-Diane 2008 KEVIN KINNEAR, Best Man A Tribute to Donald November 10, 2012 • 10:00 A.M. Junior Seau Pier Amphitheater and Oceanside Pier • Oceanside, California 9:00 Music: Glenn and Joice Alapag, Takayama Family 10:00 Host: Hunter Joslin Hawaiian Chant: Kalani Akui Opening Prayer: Dave Hanson TARA LEETORBURN, HPD, 1988 Speakers: Takayama Family HPD team: Jeannette Prince, Brendan White, Devon Howard Paul Strauch Linda Benson Skip Frye Nat Young Joel Tudor Cori Schumacher 11:15 Music and hula dancers: The Ta’utiare Dancers from Momilani’s Island Traditions Noon Water Ceremony Following the Water Ceremony, there will be an open mic until 2:00 pm.