THE KAHALA Lotus to adjust position and center spine type based on the final width of spine. 2014-2015 VOL. 9, NO. 2 December 2014-june 2015, VOL. 9, NO.2 CONTENTS Volume 9, Number 2 Features 29 Layers of Meaning The abstract paintings of Honolulu-based artist Mary Mitsuda are a multilayered exploration of ideas, tracing lines of meaning and inviting the viewer to pause and look closer. Story by Christine Thomas Photography by Dana Edmunds 38 Journey Into Tranquility With its exquisite Japanese gardens, beautiful temple and impressive Amida Buddha, the Byodo-In shrine is a place for contemplation and introspection, in the lovely and serene Valley of the Temples on O‘ahu’s windward side. Story by Thelma Chang Lotus to adjust position and center spine type based on the final width of spine. 2014-2015 VOL. 9, NO. 2 46 The Eddie: The Ultimate Big-Wave Surfing Contest The Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau, one of the most prestigious competitions in surfi ng, is named for the ON THE COVER extraordinary man who inspired the phrase “Eddie Would Photographer Brian Go,” known to surfers around the world. Bielmann captures the wild and powerful Story by Stuart H. Coleman Photography by Brian Bielmann beauty of a wave on O‘ahu’s North Shore. 6 CONTENTS Volume 9, Number 2 10 Editor’s Note Depar tments PROFILES: 15 Miss Congeniality Senior Reservations Agent Lorna Barbosa Bennett Medeiros has greeted guests of The Kahala with her warm smile for nearly 40 years. Story by Simplicio Paragas Photography by Olivier Koning 21 INDULGENCES: Art of Zen Yoga can be experienced in many ways at The Kahala, from atop a standup AD paddleboard, in the pool or in the hotel’s fitness center. Story by Eliza Escaño-Vasquez Photography by Kyle Rothenberg 25 IMPRESSIONS: ‘Aumakua: A Sacred Partnership Native Hawaiians’ ancestral guardians appear in many forms, in a bond that transcends life and death. Story by Teri Freitas Gorman 55 TRANSLATIONS By Chihiro Kitagawa and Mutsumi Matsunobu 64 Memory Book 8 OAHKA_141200_AdsPlaced.indd 9 11/7/14 5:43:20 PM Editor’s Note The warm breezes that gently caress the Islands instill a sense of calm and well- being. They seem to be telling us to relax, take life slower, see the beauty that surrounds us and discover something new about Hawai‘i and perhaps ourselves. In this issue of The island The Kahala magazine, we discover the quiet elegance of a Buddhist shrine, the inner breezes seem to strength of surfers who challenge the waves of Waimea Bay, the spiritual ties between ancestors and their descendants and the connections that the mind makes with art. be telling us to Thelma Chang takes us on a journey into tranquility at the beautiful Byodo-In on relax, take life O‘ahu’s windward side. Here the quiet beauty of its Japanese gardens complements the elegant architecture of the temple itself, all designed to create a place for contemplation slower, see the and, as expressed in the Amida Buddha found there, perhaps enlightenment. Challenging the giant waves that pound the North Shore in winter may not seem the most calming of experiences, but it takes a kind of inner zen to confront those walls of water. Stuart H. Coleman, himself an avid surfer, tells us about the Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational and the extraordinary man for whom this pres- tigious contest is named. Aikau was not only a champion surfer but a seemingly fearless lifeguard who would plunge into the most dangerous surf to save others, inspiring the phrase “Eddie Would Go,” seen on signs, T-shirts, bumper stickers and elsewhere throughout the Islands. The saying epitomizes the spirit of this man, who vanished while trying to save fellow crewmembers of the Höküle‘a when the voy- aging canoe became caught in a storm at sea. In Teri Freitas Gorman’s story on ‘aumäkua, we learn about the ancient belief in these guardian spirits. She explains that ‘aumäkua manifest themselves as an animal, plant or even the mist or wind, sometimes shape-shifting depending on conditions. But this sacred partnership is not between nature and humans but between ancestors and descendants, a bond that transcends life and death. A partnership of another kind occurs between a work of art and those who view it. As Honolulu-based artist Mary Mitsuda expresses it, “ My art is generally about having the viewer fall into an abstraction of thought—a mental mean- dering where you’re exploring ideas that come up.” Writer beauty that Christine Thomas takes us into Mitsuda’s studio, where we discover her magnificent abstract paintings. surrounds us Seeking harmony between the mind and body is the goal of yoga, and The Kahala Hotel & Resort offers many variations on this classic exercise, as Eliza Escaño-Vasquez and discover informs us in her piece “Art of Zen.” something new At The Kahala, we also meet Senior Reservations Agent Lorna Barbosa Bennett Medeiros, who has been greeting guests of the hotel since 1978. As she tells writer about Hawai‘i Simplicio Paragas, she knew she wanted to work here the moment she saw the hotel from the seat of her boyfriend’s beat-up beach car as they drove round and round the and ourselves. porte cochere some 40 years ago. We hope you, too, discover your bliss in this tropical paradise. —Margaret Martin COURTESY THE COURTESY OF KAHALA & HOTEL RESORT 10 THE KAHALA Regional Vice President and Publisher Patti Ruesch [email protected] ADVERTISING EDITORIAL Group Publisher Chief Creative Officer Kathleen M. Pahinui Haines Wilkerson [email protected] Senior Regional Account Managers Editorial Director Katherine Ellwood Margaret Martin [email protected] Design Director Wanda Garcia-Fetherston Jane Frey [email protected] Art Director Bob Kowal Teri Samuels [email protected] Photography Director Donna Kowalczyk Susan Strayer [email protected] Contributing Writers Advertising Sales Thelma Chang (808) 955-2378 Stuart H. Coleman Eliza Escaño-Vasquez Teri Freitas Gorman EXECUTIVE Simplicio Paragas President Christine Thomas Donna W. Kessler Contributing Photographers Vice President of Operations Brian Bielmann Angela E. Allen Dana Edmunds Olivier Koning PRODUCTION Kyle Rothenberg Director of Production Japanese Translation Kris Miller Chihiro Kitagawa Production Manager Mutsumi Matsunobu Jasond Fernandez Production Manager, Hawaii MANUFACTURING & Brittany L. Kevan TECHNOLOGY Director of Manufacturing Retouching Donald Horton Jerry Hartman Technical Operations Manager Tony Thorne-Booth MORRIS Communications Chairman & CEO William S. Morris III President William S. Morris IV The Kahala (Vol. 9, No. 2) is published by Where Hawaii, 1833 Kalakaua Ave, Ste. 810, Honolulu, HI, 96815 Copyright© 2014 by Morris Visitor Publications. All rights reserved. This publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, in whole or in part, without the express prior written permission of the publisher. The publisher assumes no responsibility to any party for the content of any advertisement in this publication, including any errors and omissions therein. By placing an order for an advertisement, the advertiser agrees to indemnify the publisher against any claims relating to the advertisement. MVP is a Proud sPonsor of Les CLefs d’or USA Make her fantasy a reality... 4IFJTCFZPOESBSF )BXBJJT1SFNJFS$VTUPN+FXFMFSBOE%JBNPOE4PVSDF ハワイ プレミアム カスタム ジュエラー 3BSF$PMPSFE(FNTUPOFTPGUIFXPSMEPOEJTQMBZ3VCZ 4BQQIJSF &NFSBME 5BO[BOJUF 0QBM 5PVSNBMJOF .PSF 8BJLJLJ#FBDI8BML¥]-FXFST4U3)POPMVMV)*] ]KFXFMTPGNVDPN Profiles The warm smile that has welcomed guests to The Kahala Miss for nearly 40 years Congenialiityty STORY BY SIMPLICIO PARAGAS PHOTOGRAPHY BY OLIVIER KONING Ad Senior Reservations Agent HE HAS BOOKED ROOMS for Sir Lorna waxes poetic about her experiences at Lorna Barbosa Bennett Anthony Hopkins. She has spoken to the “KaHollywood,” a nickname bestowed Medeiros is known to many S guests as “Auntie L” and as George Harrison. And for the past several years, upon the property because of its appeal “Gamma L” to keiki. Lorna Barbosa Bennett Medeiros has been among celebrities, dignitaries, sports figures the voice of The Kahala, greeting visitors at and musicians. the front desk with her warm smile. Wearing a “The first time I came here, my boyfriend white sweater with a diamond pin—presented and I drove up in a beat-up, rusted-out beach to her on her 35th anniversary at the resort— car,” she recalls with a smile. “We went around THE KAHALA 15 ProfileProfiles “The people I’ve worked with have been great. This is definitely where my heart belongs.” wearing only a raffia-like hula skirt and a top made of two coconuts. It would only be revealed during a newscast that night that she was rushing to greet her then-husband, of “Rocky” fame, at the Honolulu International Airport. Lionel Richie had his own reason for quickly leaving the property: He was running late for a concert at the Blaisdell Arena due to a nearby blaze that closed the road leading into and out of the prop- erty. He made it just in time and gave a shout-out to The Kahala. Lorna’s tenure with the resort almost never came to be. Determined, she submitted three applications to the then-Kahala Hilton and each time was turned down. Then her phone rang. An accounting manager had seen her paperwork and recognized that her ex- perience matched the qualifications for a position as food and beverage cashier. Lorna was hired and began work on May 25, 1978. She has since held sev- eral titles, including mini bar auditor and front office cashier. Today, she is the resort’s senior reservations agent. Often called “Auntie L” by guests and “Gamma L” by keiki, the Miss Congeniality of the 1972 Miss Filipina Maui pageant still finds time to spend with her twin granddaughters, bake, collect hats and amass corks to make Lorna stands at the porte and around the porte cochere—at least three one-of-a-kind wreaths.