Whether you’re old enough to remember the old Queen’s Surf, or too young but curious about the former landmark, here’s a bit of history.
I posted some of this earlier, but this week I found the missing first page of a 1947 letter from my father to the president of the International Geneva Association in praise of the newly renovated Queen’s Surf. The letter was accompanied by a set of excellent photographs.
Click on this photo, and you’ll first get to read the letter, and then view the series of photos.
According to my dad’s account:
Queen’s Surf was built during the years 1914 and 1915, by Mr. & Mrs. W.K. Seering of the International Harvester Co., Illinois. In the year 1936 it was purchased from Mr. & Mrs. Seering by Mr. C.R. Holmes for his Honolulu residence. Mr. Holmes also owned the beautiful Coconut Island, which is located in the Kaneohe are on the windward side of the island of Oahu, in the Hawaiian Island Group. In 1945 the residence was purchased by a group known as the Capitol Properties, Limited. It was remodeled and made into an outstanding commercial location as pictured in the attached photographs. It is regarded as the most luxuriest commercial location in the islands. During the war period the residence was used as a rest home for young flyers. C.R. Holmes donated the premises for this use during the war period. Many of the flyers enjoyed the luxuries that were extended there. In the year 1944, during the war conference held in Hawaii by Admiral Nimitz, General Douglas McArthur and staffs; all of their time was spent in the residence now known as the Queen’s Surf.
I remember one or two long nights at the Queen’s Surf in late 1969 or early 1970 with Meda and my late uncle, Jimmy Yonge. At that time, he was chief purser on one of Matson’s white liners that cruised through Honolulu to the South Pacific. When stopping through Honolulu, we would get together for a few drinks. Well, perhaps more than a few, but this was, after all, before MADD. Suffice it to say that Queen’s Surf was one of the centers of night life in Waikiki during the period.
But it came to a sad end when it was condemned and torn down by the city in about 1971 to open up that part of the beach to the public, or so they said.
I ran across this comment left on Yelp with another version of its demise. I can’t vouch for the accuracy, but it sure sounds like the way business was done.
The long and the short of it…
One of the most prominent and successful restaurateurs here was Spence Weaver. With his brother Cliff, they created 50 plus restaurants and bars thru Hawaii and Tahiti.
Among all the rest, they owned Queen’s Surf, the Papeete lounge and the Barefoot bar. kama’aina remembers it as the showroom in which the irrepressible Sterling Mossman held court.One evening, Fasi met up with Spence at some restaurant and told him basically, ok, yer gonna donate to my campaign. Spence, being just as strong willed, and being his own person, never enjoying having someone else tell HIM what do do with HIS money, replied, uh… I don’t think so!
No, really. ya gotta!
No, Frank, I will not.
This began a personal mutual dislike, personal vendettas, etc…
Frank Fasi, much to the chagrin and general heartbreak and extreme disappointment of the general populace, (and regular visitors around the world) thru condemnation, and eminent domain, had the whole establishment there, torn down, (for the greater good; needed a beach park there. Regardless of the fact the surrounding areas were beach parks… made no difference.
Fasi attempted to make Spence an offer he couldn’t refuse. Spence did refuse. Result, a fabulous landmark status bar restaurant and showroom of the old Polynesian motif… is gone forever. Spanks alot, Frank.
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Great letter and great photos. Regarding Frank Fasi, he
deserves an honest, warts-and-all biography. I have heard so many
stories over the years, including one involving my father,
regarding his pay-to-play style of governing. He wasn’t unique in
this, but he was certainly more open and colorful about
it.
It’s refreshing to read a true recollection about the real
Frank Fasi.
The Yelp account is nonsense. Other old-timers will remember Ulumau Village, located in Ala Moana Park and offering, for a modest admission fee, demonstrations of Hawaiian culture to tourists and locals alike. It was run by Herman and Malia Solomon. Under former mayor Neal Blaisdell, the city closed the Solomons down on the grounds that it was illegal to operate what was essentially a commercial venture in a public park. When Frank became mayor, he noted that by operating the very profitable Barefoot Bar at Queen’s Surf in Kapiolani Park, restauranteur Spence Weaver was being allowed to do exactly what the Solomons had been closed down for doing. The difference, according to Frank, was that Spence Weaver had political clout and the Solomons didn’t. It was on that basis that Frank moved to shut down Weaver’s operation. And, as anyone who knew him will acknowledge, it was exactly the kind of “little guy” issue that would move Frank to take action.
Are this account and the Yelp account mutually exclusive? I don’t think so.
I think Jim Loomis should take on the Fasi biography
project.
Won’t delve into the political discussion but wanted to pass on a couple of memories. Yes, the Barfoot Bar with Sterling Mossman, father of my fellow Kaimuki alumnus Kula Mossman. Also, if my recollection serves me correctly, it was the last major performing venue for Kui Lee who was still performing, tho’ dying of cancer. My mom and aunts went to see him perform.(Kui, as many will remember, wrote such great songs like “I’ll Remember You”, “Days of My Youth”, “She’s Gone Again”, and “Lahinaluna”.
Aren’t many “landmarks” from my small kid time still around. Gone are places like Kau Kau Corner, the Queen Surf, the old Civic Auditorium, the “Termite Palace”. Makes the stuff that’s still around all the more precious when I see them. Thanks, Ian, for evoking memories of another era.
let’s not forget Mr. Loomis was Fasi’s head of Information and Complaint from ’71 to ’79. The story I heard from people at Spencecliff was the Yelp version. No campaign contribution= no Queen’s Surf. And as I recall, it was a patented Fasi move,done in the dead of night.
My mother and father courted at the Queens Surf. They tell me of evenings that lasted forever while they partied and had a grand old time. The memories for my father came back in vivid detail only hours after the passing of my mother back in May. I remember sitting at the computer coming up with photographs of the old Queens Surf and having my father tell me of the stories of the past.
In fact, the day after she passed, my family went down to the area of the old Queens Surf, considering where to spread her ashes. Let’s just say that the “opening of the beach” also opened it up to the homeless in droves. Where is the Kapiolani Park Trust on that one?
I truly wish something like that still existed today, as it seemed it was a very beautiful place
Oh the memories. To this day I miss the Queen’s Surf. It was a far better Waikiki in those days. I guess I’ll go drown my sorrows at the Tahitian Lanai. What’s that you say? OK, but the Yard House or Cheesecake Factory doesn’t quite cut it.
La Mariana is still worth a visit.
“”The Yelp account is nonsense.”
Then the hundreds of newspaper articles through that era chronicling the whole drawn out sordid affair are nonsense too. And many kama’aina who knew them all, who witnessed the drama unfold, who recounted their stories often, conveying many details confirmed and echoed by others, countless others, who they never met, but who also were there during those good old days watching the feud unfold… THESE people are blatant fabricators of the truth, too.
It was well known. Fasi had a personal vendetta against Spence. You are now claiming these numerous individuals, who have no motivation to fabricate the truth, (as does a newspaper, I always assumed) they are full of nonsense, also. That is what you are saying, Mister Loomis.
The Solomon debacle was conveniently used as a justification, by a politician just doing his job; manipulating things towards his own end. (Instead of doing what is pono; saying ta hell with this stupid law, we goin change it cuz too many thousands and thousands of locals and visitors of the Ulu mau Village, AND the Queen’s Surf love it and get so much out of it and we NEED it for the visitor industry!)
Aside from the pernicious war with another personality which caused the demise of a much beloved landmark, appreciated daily, monthly, yearly, by kama’aina and malihini alike, and was the focal point of too many to count, returning visitors to Hawai’i… I will never understand the logic exhibited by the myopic idiotic local government to destroy something that has a far greater good that outweighs the supposed evil of breaking some ridiculous regulation. I mean, laws are initiated, implemented, and also eliminated willy nilly, as politicians deem fit, by the dozens on a weekly basis.
For people to refuse to see this whole absurd circus for what it is, and seemingly tell us now: “ah, NOW we have the Hawai’i we all wanted!”… is the worst form of mental insufficiency, moral fabric disentanglement and basic cranium underutilization the world has ever seen. ( I am not saying Mr. Lommis numbers among these proletariat, heavens no! Gosh! Never would I claim that. But I have met many who fit the description…)
Mister Lind, I can vouch for the accuracy of the comment on Yelp. I wrote it. And it is not accurate simply because I wrote it. I delved deeply into the history of the Spencecliff Empire History. For the purpose of a book and a DVD documentary. This means, of course, pouring over numerous newspaper articles recounting as many uh… what’s that thing people hate now? oh yea. Facts… from everyone involved and not involved. And magazine articles. Books related to the personages and the personalities, the restaurants and the times… I talked with many, many people who were there back in the day. Employees. Customers. parital and impartial. All this gives a damned good multifaceted perspective on the whole shootin’ match.
My brain would implode and I would be shamed by the gods at judgement day to dismiss all the truths and evidence before me and claim everyone who gave direct scenarios, were all liars, and to come to this point after years of research to toss out a yelp tale that is no more than “nonsense”!
Naah. Can’t do it.
And yes, obviously I am taking on the Spencecliff biography project. But with no vehemence towards Mister Fasi, for I know his family. I appreciate many things he did for Hawai’i. I will not slag a beloved icon of current Old Hawai’i. That is not the way to do it. But neither is holding someone up to angelic standards of purity on a pedestal higher than Mt Olympus. Dayum! The fall will kill him!
So many good times in Waikiki before it went all Gucci and high end junk.
At least we have the memories.
Mahalo Ian for these pictures! My family spent many a
weekend there growing up. Do you have any pics of the fishpond?
That was my favorite thing to do, and I’d spend hours following one
koi around the whole pond. My mother came to Hawai’i on the Lurline
in 1951 and wrote home of her first night here: “Later on he took
us to another spot – Queen’s Surf – where dancing and tables are
all out under the stars. It was the most gorgeous spectacle we had
witnessed till then. They say in settings like that you could fall
in love with a tree and I can believe it.” There’s nothing like old
Waikiki today.
I was a kid at the time and rarely got into Waikiki, so I only heard about Queen’s Surf in the indirect way kids hear about these things.
The argument about public lands not being used for private profit has a certain appeal. At first glance. But I have moved on to a more complicated approach. How do we allow for public lands to be open to income generating activities which provide a good experience for their customers (both resident and tourists) without depriving local residents of their customary use of a location AND while generating income for the City or State which can be used to fund other projects?
See how complicated this is for me? I can’t even phrase the question clearly.
There are private beach boy operations using the public sands of the beach. There have been snack bars in some parks, including the pavilion which replaced Queen’s Surf. There was a franchise down at Hanauma Bay. If there are small businesses capable of providing a helpful service to people and the prices are reasonable and some of the profits go back to the City–maybe to fund other programs free (or subsidized) for local people, why not?
“There are private beach boy operations using the public sands of the beach.”
which they pay dearly to be a part of. which goes up for bid often, only to be snapped up by cash heavy corporations bringing in california beach boys. that is a travesty and criminal.
“If there are small businesses capable of providing a helpful service to people and the prices are reasonable and some of the profits go back to the City–maybe to fund other programs free (or subsidized) for local people, why not?”
that is the small picture. The Queen’s surf and to a lesser degree, the Kodak Hula Show was a great draw for tourists. They were landmarks. Things people could count on, during their Hawai’i vacation. NOW what can the tourist depend on to be here again to enjoy that they took in two or four years ago?! NOthing!
I cannot believe the myopia; “Hey, let’s kill something and everyting that brings in tons of cash yearly, that helps directly and indirectly, our tourist dollar generating machine. Get rid of it cuz it is an infraction of some current dumb law, rule or regulation.”
“Hey. where’s that cool old Lewer’s street with the local businesses and fern, lava rock, rattan, bamboo facades? where is Chuck’s Polynesian local bar and grill? Oh. the local newspaper reporters and politicians told you it was the armpit of Waikiki? Well, we loved the reasonable prices for dining and the dollar maitais and the cool local flavor. What did you guys put in its place? A glass and chrome and glossy tile Wilshire Blvd. Fulla crap I can get at home.”
Why do locals no longer go Waiks?! It is all corporate. No mo local kine anymore.
Stay ‘ol wen can rememba da’ Queen’s Surf! My dad was with KGU/Advertiser at time of Spence/Fasi feud. Fasi indeed used his muscle to remove the Surf to the detriment of all, IMHO. That wonderful “feel” of the open air spots with rattan and koa is gone and Waikiki is anywhere USA.
Awhile back I transferred an interview with Sterling Mossman when the Queen’s Surf was about to close. The fond memories that everyone recalls makes me wish I could have experienced it myself.
Hi Aj, i’d liked to read that interview if possible. We all miss him & his wonderful humor & singing. Someone wants to do a t.v. series on my dad’s work at the Hon.Police Dept. but not so sure that will become a reality, you know, “when something sounds too good…”. Anyway, would like to read your interview. A hui ho, Kula
In 1948 I was 18 and took a voyage to Oahu on the Lurline. My undle living in Honolulu took me for a dinner at Queen’s Surf. I still have the souvebir menu. The home converted into a restaurant with a tropical garden was called “Gam’s Kitche At Queen’s Surf”. Even though I am now 82, I can still remember tjhe delightful setting of the tables in the garden. It was my first Terriki Steak, costing $2.50 with a salad included. On the back of the menu is a poem written by Mark Twain, called Hawaii. I will quote a note also writen on the menu. “Gasm’s Kitchen, situated in one ofthemost beautiful spoets onthe islands. One feels at home in spite of thegrandure of the building, a former private residence, because of the simplicity of the gardens and flowers. Dining on the lanai in the Samoan Hut overlooking the Oriental garden and the blue Pacific. Is an experience not soon to be forgotten.
The author of those words could never realize how true those words are today. That was over 63 years ago, and I can still invision the table in the garden where we ete, and the beautiful Hawaiian evening. Yes it will never be forgotten.
My Grandfather was Elwyn Gamage of “Gam’s Kitchen”. Tell me more!