Local folks often remark on the unsightly Honolulu skyline and the urban sprawl that continues its advance throughout Oahu and the state. For every foreign owned luxury condo or hotel being erected, there seem to be ten strip malls popping up. For every opulent mansion, two hundred affordable homes and condos are slapped together, and on… and on … and on. Where you might be wondering, does it all end?
Well, being that we’re an island state, it ultimately ends at the shoreline. And although by definition, there should be no “private” beaches in Hawaii, it sure seems to be getting more difficult to reach all of them. Of course, this doesn’t apply to military installations where perimeter security is required. But the private sector has done its share to permanently alter shorelines, impede public access, affect near shore marine ecosystems, and the greater Hawaiian ambiance.
The impossibly cramped quarters of Honolulu Harbor, the Downtown business district, and the Kakaako and Iwilei industrial areas were forged to serve the necessary evils of freight and commerce. Photo: Hawaii Coastal Geology GroupGiven, there’s no way we can live the urbane lifestyles we do without shoreline alteration, period. None of Hawaii’s harbors could exist without minimal coastal re-engineering so that freighters could dock and unload endless processions of imported products. Less than 2% of what we use on a daily basis is grown or manufactured in Hawaii. So we can’t argue with modern harbor complexes. What really gets me though, is how some hotels and homes are pressed up so close to the ocean that sometimes you literally have to walk sideways to get around them. Even as a kid, I’ve always felt that Honolulu was one of the most tangled, cramped, and poorly designed cities in the country. Wait till construction on the Mayor’s rail transit system begins. It will be organized chaos.
Not exactly the image you see splashed across travel brochures where tourists are promised “Romantic, Golden Sand Beaches”. Incidentally, the rocks were covered with trash and I fished a dirty diaper out of the water at the bottom of the stairs. Photo: HCGGEveryone on Oahu knows about the proverbial game of inches in Waikiki, the mad density of the Honolulu commercial coastline, the private seawalls in Lanikai and East Honolulu, and the tightly packed beach compounds on the North Shore. But steadily, the newer, more frivolous threat is all the resort and recreational construction that continues in previously untouched areas. Prime examples of these would be the Ko Olina resort and the yet (but soon) to be finished Ewa marina, both on the southwest corner of Oahu.
For Maui surfers, shoreline alteration isn’t always a bad thing. The Kahului Harbor breakwater provides a welcome buffer from the huge north swells and blustery winds just outside the harbor entrance, tames them down, and allows a series of playful reforms to peel off inside. Photo: HCGGThe huge parcel occupied by Ko Olina was once a favored refuge and productive cliff side fishing spot for old school, in-the-know West Oahuans. Fishing is no longer allowed on the resort owned properties there. I’ve seen local fisherman get verbally reprimanded and chased off the property by rent-a-cops. On one of the lagoon beaches, my kids and I were once told to move out from under one of the grass umbrellas or pay $15.00 for an hour of shade. We left. As part of the sprawling Hoakalei resort and residential complex in Ewa, the nearly completed marina will provide nearly 800 new boat slips and 32 square acres of new waterways for recreational boaters.
Seen here scalloped out of the shoreline are the Ko Olina Resort lagoons, a private marina, and commercial draft harbor. The southwestern flank of Oahu is in for a radical makeover in the coming decades. The lazy, classic old days of fishing from the rock cliffs and country beaches, picking fresh Ogo and Opihi from the tidepools, and surfing secret spots may soon be part of a bygone era. Photo: HCGGThe man made harbor has been carved out of ancient coral beds and the marina entrance will spill out into the ocean between White Plains Beach and Oneula Beach Park (sometimes known as Haubush). There are four heavily used surf breaks in the vicinity called White Plains, Coves, Tracks, and Shark Country. In some cases, man made harbor entrances have actually improved the shape of the surf; Ala Moana Bowls and Kewalo Basin immediately coming to mind. White Plains and Coves could use a bit more definition, but Shark Country and Tracks are two of the few surf breaks in Ewa that don’t need improved shape. They sit on either side of a natural deep water channel and are fine just the way they are. I love the waves there, particularly Shark Country. It’s long and juicy, with alternating open face walls and hollow double up tubes on big south swells. The Ewa boys rightfully dominate the place (they rip!), and the spot’s hard to get to, which keeps the place from getting too crowded (of course the locals and the sharks will see to that no matter what). For me, it epitomizes everything that’s great about the rootsy, rural, very local Hawaiian surf experience in a place where that vibe seems to be at increasing risk of elimination.
In this dated photo, the Ocean Pointe/Ewa Marina project begins its march towards the ocean. The Tracks and Shark Country surf breaks lie somewhere just offshore. How will the fishing grounds, reefs, and surf be affected once the channel is dredged and opened? Fisherman and surfers wait nervously. Photo: HCGG
From a purely selfish standpoint, I don’t particularly care for these commercial projects, because they quickly dissolve the natural genesis and pastoral feel of these precious open coastal zones. I say selfish because in our present economic state, Hawaii’s people need sustained employment so they can pay the rent or mortgage, and feed and educate their children. These projects provide that opportunity. I’m just really bummed that it comes at the expense of the environment (yes that includes the surf) and our unique way of life as an open access ocean culture. All we can do is be vigilant of future developments and try to adapt to the changes as best we can.
You know urban sprawl is getting out of control when you have signs posted out in the ocean. Waikiki is so far removed from its original natural state that the ancient Hawaiians would recoil in horror! Photo: HCGGI hope you all have a very prosperous, surf-filled 2009. Cheers!
