 |
Official Announcement - Hukilau 2009 June 11 - 14!! |
TikiHardBop
Grand Member (first year) 
Joined: Feb 21, 2009
Posts: 355
From: Rockledge, FL
|  Posted: 2009-06-18 11:18 am Permalink
Hukilau is mentioned in today's Florida Today:
June 18, 2009
Tiki geeks gather for fun, rum
CHRIS KRIDLER
SPACE COASTING
Tiki geeks take their whimsy seriously. And their rum.
This especially is true at The Hukilau, the convention/four-day party in Fort Lauderdale last weekend, aimed at fans of the mid-century Polynesian pop craze. If you ever stop by -- this was our second year -- you might not want to admit that you're fond of Jimmy Buffet, for instance. The purists will eat your heart on a pupu platter.
But if you're there to enjoy the exotica (Martin Denny-style), Hawaiian and surf music (the awesome Los Straitjackets played to a packed pool patio Saturday), you'll be in good company.
It also helps if you enjoy rum. I've gained new respect for it after learning about the varieties craved by connoisseurs, and after getting a gander at some of the old-time drink menus at places such as Fort Lauderdale's historic Mai Kai restaurant. The Mai Kai still has the Polynesian floor show, complete with fire dancers, along with fantastic retro-primitive atmosphere, funky lights, wood carvings and a lovely tropical garden. And the drinks, though pricey, are dark and complicated rums blended with tropical fruit juices, cinnamon sticks, fresh mint and the like.
The Mai Kai is where Jeff "Beachbum" Berry, who has made a career out of expounding on the lore of tiki cocktails (with books and even an iPhone app), presented his "Mai Tai Paternity Test." It was a fascinating exploration in which he used circumstantial evidence, old menus and witness accounts to determine who invented this ultra-popular drink of the pre- and postwar tiki craze. The answer is as complicated as the story; feuding California restaurateurs Don the Beachcomber and Trader Vic had a part in its origins, it appears, with Vic's recipe most identified with the famous elixir.
To enhance the experience, large trays of cocktails were bustled out of the Mai Kai's relentlessly squeaky kitchen door, and we were given a couple samples to compare. That's my idea of a seminar.
If you were lucky enough to have a ticket, there also was a tiki party boat cruise. It was on a double-decker boat dressed up in tiki style, with thatched roofs, tiki bars (of course), bamboo trimmings and sand on the top deck.
The boat's drinks had Mai Kai prices but not Mai Kai quality, so they tended to curb one's enthusiasm. It didn't matter. There was enough entertainment in gawking at the mansions along the canals, where the massive private boats could easily form a lazy navy.
Perhaps the best celebration of tiki -- which melds art, music, cheesiness, partying and escapism -- was during the tiki room crawl the first night. A handful of hosts decorated their hotel rooms in elaborate tiki style, with primitive-print fabrics, props and mood lighting, and served evocative retro cocktails. Drinks in one room even had swizzle sticks customized to your "tiki horoscope." Fanciful, yes, but since the whole tiki culture is pretty much made up, I don't mind if the horoscope is, too.
The made-up part is the beauty of it. To me, tiki living is about creating your own tropical paradise. It's sweet to live in a place where doing so is more than possible.
|
conchchowder
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Mar 04, 2009
Posts: 47 | Posted: 2009-06-18 1:15 pm Permalink
Quote:
|
On 2009-06-17 13:53, TikiMango wrote:
Quote:
|
On 2009-06-17 11:20, conchchowder wrote:
Hell, I'm still trying to figure out how the pool got back to the pool!
|
|
ConchChowder, that Pool O' Rum was amazing! Thanks for that and all that followed in its wake.
|
|
Sure! It was my pleasure.
|
Tikigoob
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 06, 2005
Posts: 151
From: Florida
| Posted: 2009-06-18 2:19 pm Permalink
Quote:
|
Hell, I'm still trying to figure out how the pool got back to the pool!
|
|
[/quote]
NASA's crack team of astro-chimps retrieved your vessel... consumed the rum... and returned it to the Bahia Cabana pool about 0730 on Saturday...
photos of this mission are completely classified... and have been destroyed to protect national security... or homeland security... or something like that... so don't even ask 
|
croe67
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jan 05, 2003
Posts: 1011
From: Land of Cheese & Beer
| Posted: 2009-06-18 2:27 pm Permalink
Quote:
|
Perhaps the best celebration of tiki -- which melds art, music, cheesiness, partying and escapism -- was during the tiki room crawl the first night. A handful of hosts decorated their hotel rooms in elaborate tiki style, with primitive-print fabrics, props and mood lighting, and served evocative retro cocktails. Drinks in one room even had swizzle sticks customized to your "tiki horoscope." Fanciful, yes, but since the whole tiki culture is pretty much made up, I don't mind if the horoscope is, too.
|
|
Great to see that the Oasis tradition of the Room Crawl made a great splash at Hukilau!!!
The drinks were awesome, along with the hospitality, of course!
& 1 room crawl room was even collecting their tips for charity 
|
conchchowder
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Mar 04, 2009
Posts: 47 | Posted: 2009-06-18 5:23 pm Permalink
Quote:
|
On 2009-06-18 14:19, Tikigoob wrote:
Quote:
|
Hell, I'm still trying to figure out how the pool got back to the pool!
|
|
|
|
NASA's crack team of astro-chimps retrieved your vessel... consumed the rum... and returned it to the Bahia Cabana pool about 0730 on Saturday...
photos of this mission are completely classified... and have been destroyed to protect national security... or homeland security... or something like that... so don't even ask
Culo Blanco saves the day!
[/quote]
|
MaiTaiMitch
Member
Joined: Jun 15, 2009
Posts: 6
From: Milwaukee, WI
| Posted: 2009-06-18 6:18 pm Permalink
Quote:
|
On 2009-06-16 19:03, conchchowder wrote:
Quote:
|
On 2009-06-16 18:07, MaiTaiMitch wrote:
I was kind of expecting the stage area to be crowded during Los Straightjackets, there wasn't a whole lot of room up by the stage. During the Haole Kats set, I thought there was just the right amount of people. Heck, even Beachcomber Ted got a little swing dance in with a random girl or two and I had a nice slow dance with the lovely Lady Poi.
MITCH!!!
|
|
Were the bubbles too much or did you dig them?
|
|
I thought the bubbles were alright. They were fun.
MITCH!!!
_________________
The secret ingredient is...Love.
|
mike and marie
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Jun 24, 2008
Posts: 73 | Posted: 2009-06-19 5:23 pm Permalink
Still recovering (and unpacking) from the weekend... was it terrific or what? We were complaining about the heat then but it would sure be good about now! Getting all the pics up soon, but in the meantime, here's a few...
|
tikigap
Grand Member (8 years) 
Joined: Jan 19, 2006
Posts: 834
From: Arlingtron Virginia
| Posted: 2009-06-19 11:09 pm Permalink
Great show everyone! Especially Christi and Amy - you guys ROCK!
Next time? Avoid June if possible! It was damned hot down there (for me anyways).
I took some pictures and put 'em on flickr here.
|
KikiTiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Sep 10, 2006
Posts: 276
From: New York City
| Posted: 2009-06-20 06:09 am Permalink
Great photos Mike and Marie! Wish you were here for the Coney Island Mermaid Day Parade!
|
TornadoTiki
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Sep 14, 2008
Posts: 15
From: Florida's Space Coast
| Posted: 2009-06-20 11:52 am Permalink
At long last ... we've posted our snaps and our Hukilau 2009 video! Check them out:
http://tornadotiki.com/gallery/2009/hukilau2009/
Thanks for the great time!
~ TornadoTiki
|
LoungeShark
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 10, 2009
Posts: 144
From: Columbus, Ohio
| Posted: 2009-06-20 1:36 pm Permalink
WOW, Tornado Tiki - that video is amazing!!! Feel like I was there (without the sweating, hangover, and strange smell coming from my travel bag). Thanks for making it available.
|
Swanky
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 03, 2002
Posts: 4806
From: Hapa Haole Hideaway, TN
| Posted: 2009-06-20 2:57 pm Permalink
Kewl! You caught me carrying the mermaid! I was huffin and puffin. I'm a scientist. I don't carry things much. But I look pretty happy!
_________________
Mai-Kai Memories Series Custom ceramic mugs!
|
JupiterWahine
Member
Joined: Dec 29, 2008
Posts: 3
From: Palm Beach County
| Posted: 2009-06-21 12:07 am Permalink
Quote:
|
Anyway, I had a great time. The sound system was way more than I expected - well-ran and clean.
/dale
[ This Message was edited by: Dr. Strangerum 2009-06-16 16:50 ]
|
|
I too was really impressed with the sound! My boyfriend and I tried to battle the crowd around the stage, we were really looking forward to LS. When decided enough was enough, we found a vacant lounge chair by the pool and sat back to enjoy the tunes. Sure, our view of the band wasn't that great, but they're music is so great, we didn't need the view to have a great experience. All in all, fabulous!
|
sneakyjack
Tiki Socialite
Joined: May 25, 2004
Posts: 988
From: NYC Area
| Posted: 2009-06-21 09:34 am Permalink
Niice video work - and agreed decent sound. I hope you had some fun too instead of shooting the whole time! I know its tough focus with a drink in your hand! (at least for me)
Anyway nice work, good angles and good cutaways and sound mix! Maybe next tiki event we can team and get some extra angles going!
Jack
www.idolmakerfilms.com
_________________
idolmakerfilms.com
|
talo ka
Grand Member (first year)
Joined: Jul 26, 2007
Posts: 451
From: tampa, fla
| Posted: 2009-06-21 09:50 am Permalink
wooooowwie, nice vid tornadotiki. mahalo for the posting of it.
[ This Message was edited by: talo ka 2009-06-21 09:50 ]
|
