8 minute read
BECOMING ALAKA‘I NALU
Becoming
Hualālai’s Leaders of the Waves are uniquely qualified guides for exciting ocean adventures rooted in local traditions.
BY GINA DECAPRIO VERCESI / PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANNA PACHECO
It’s early morning on Kūki‘o Beach, and Randall Perez is preparing a group of Hualālai guests for a paddling expedition. “This that you’re looking at, this is your wa‘a,” he says, standing beside a bright yellow outrigger resting on the warm sand. “To move this wa‘a—this canoe—we do it together. We do it as one.” The orientation continues as he explains the role of each of the canoe’s six seat positions, from the pacesetter up front to the steers-
man in the rear, a spot reserved for the most experienced paddler. “I’m going to sit in back, and I’m going to be steering,” he assures the group. “I’ll tell you what to do and when to do it. I’ll be your captain.”
Water Pros
Randall Perez and his colleagues on the Alaka‘i Nalu team take Hualālai's Members and guests on incredible offshore excursions.
On any given day, the turquoise waters of Uluweuweu Bay south of the resort are full of paddleboarders and snorkelers, swimmers and surfers, enjoying the magic of the ocean. But looks can be deceiving, and the bay’s endless, blue beauty can sometimes mask the power—and unpredictability—of the mighty Pacific. Enter the Alaka‘i Nalu, or the Leaders of the Waves, a talented crew tasked with sharing their knowledge of and passion for the ocean with Hualālai Resort’s Members and guests. “The water here is warm and that can give people a false sense of security,” says Trent Fischer, Alaka‘i Nalu’s director. “Knowing how to react to the currents and tide levels will help you when the ocean changes. It’s important to respect the ocean.”
Rooted in the legacy of Hawai‘i’s most celebrated waterman, Duke Kahanamoku, and the tradition of Waikīkī’s early-20th-century beachboys—instructors who taught water sports to tourists—Hualālai’s Alaka‘i Alaka‘i Nalu
The esteemed crew of Hualālai's Leaders of the Waves, including (from left to right) Daniel Perez, Trent Fischer, Kane Dela Cruz, and Randall Perez, have spent many years attaining their expertlevel water-sports skills, which they graciously share—along with their reverence for the ocean—with the Members and guests of the resort. Nalu serve as both stewards of the ocean and ambassadors of aloha. “It’s the same as it was back in the olden days,” says Fischer. “Ocean sports may keep evolving, but our mentality is the same as it was for the beachboys back then. It’s just that love of the ocean and really enjoying helping somebody learn a new skill or conquer a fear.” Many of the Alaka‘i Nalu have spent a lifetime in the ocean. Formative years provided them with experiences that instilled a deep understanding of the sea and its many nuances. “I come from a family of spearfishermen and free divers, so being underwater has always been very comfortable for me,” says Daniel Perez, who grew up on the North Kohala coast and has worked with the Alaka‘i Nalu for 23 years. “I don’t remember the first time I ever went into the ocean. I don’t remember my first day ever riding a wave or holding my breath underwater. I was probably just too young to remember.” Daniel’s Alaka‘i Nalu colleague and first cousin,
—Kane Dela Cruz
Randall Perez, has a similar story: “I grew up in the ocean, bodyboarding and surfing,” says Randall. “When I was young, I remember, all I wanted was to be on the boat with my dad and the uncles and the cousins. I just wanted to be out on the water.”
All that time in the ocean gave Hualālai’s future watermen and women the myriad skills needed to become part of the Alaka‘i Nalu. From piloting Maka‘ala, the resort’s Ribcraft, on a search for humpback whales to guiding open-ocean swims, finding secret snorkeling spots, and teaching guests how to equalize during a free-diving lesson, the responsibilities of the Alaka‘i Nalu are as demanding as they are rewarding. “You have to be very comfortable in the ocean,” says Kane Dela Cruz, describing what it took to show he had the chops to join the Alaka‘i Nalu. “Completion of a 1,000-yard swim was one requirement, and skill demonstrations included maneuvering a six-man outrigger on your own along with righting a capsized
Well Equipped
The members of the Alaka‘i Nalu must achieve mastery over various watercraft, from a Pueo outrigger canoe (above, carried by Daniel Perez) and a Starboard hydrofoil surfboard (opposite, ridden by Kane Dela Cruz) to Hualālai’s 46-foot Invincible center console catamaran, coming in spring 2023, which will take up to six Members or guests on offshore fishing, scuba diving, and snorkeling adventures.
COURTESY OF INVINCIBLE
canoe. I also had to retrieve a 10-pound weight that was 25 feet down in the ocean and then tread water with that same weight for two minutes.”
For Daniel, who spent years on the competitive surfing circuit around Hawai‘i Island and O‘ahu, securing a spot on the Alaka‘i Nalu crew was challenging. “Everyone on the whole island wanted to have that job,” he says, “not only because of the canoeing and the surfing and all the water sports, but also because the resort is very connected and respectful of the Hawaiian culture. So any time there was a position open, you would easily have a dozen people applying who were good enough to do the job. I actually applied three times. The first two times I didn’t make it, but the third time I finally got in. It took me two years.”
As a member of the Alaka‘i Nalu, Daniel began padding his already impressive water-sports résumé with a host of new ocean pursuits. “When I came in, I was surrounded by people who had skills I didn’t have,” he
Sea Power
Alaka‘i Nalu director Trent Fischer notes that the warm water can give people a false sense of security. “It’s important to respect the ocean.”
—Trent Fischer
recalls. “So I immediately started to immerse myself in those activities.” In short order, he learned canoe paddling, received his scuba diving certification, and got his captain’s license. “Throughout the years, I’ve developed the mindset that you have to just keep surrounding yourself with people who know more than you, put yourself in a position of humility, and keep learning,” Daniel says. “At this point in my life, I’m just passionate about anything that can be done in the ocean.”
That desire to keep learning and growing is something the Alaka‘i Nalu have in common. “I grew up on the ocean, but I was never an outrigger paddler,” says Randall, “but when I joined the Alaka‘i Nalu, I was looking up to these people who were great paddlers. Now that I’ve put in the time and the work, I’m paddling with them. Being in the Alaka‘i, I’ve learned to appreciate the ocean so much more.”
Becoming an outrigger paddler has also given Randall the opportunity to teach Hualālai Members and guests about one of the most important parts of Hawaiian history: the early Polynesian voyagers. “Paddling and sailing were the two ways to get from one place to the next,” he says. “What we do as Alaka‘i is teach them a little bit about the craft. Back then, those canoes were treasured. They were built by hand. Energy and mana were put into them. We try to convey that love and the connection between the canoe and the ocean. It’s a circle. The paddler and the canoe moving and flowing with the water—it’s a big circle.”
Dela Cruz also finds sharing Hawaiian culture with Hualālai Members and guests gratifying. “Our Hawaiian culture revolves around the ocean,” he says. “It’s a source of health, fitness, food, and pure enjoyment. When we take guests on activities, we’re basically taking them on a journey into the Hawaiian culture.”
Hawai‘i’s Duke Kahanamoku was one of the most talented swimmers and influential surfers of all time, but his aloha spirit may be his greatest legacy. “Aloha,” Kahanamoku said, “is the key word to the universal spirit of real hospitality.” Like him, the Alaka‘i Nalu are some of Hawai‘i’s most accomplished water-sports ambassadors, but it’s their aloha spirit—and their sheer enthusiasm for sharing their love of the ocean—that makes them unique in the world of water sports. “This job has a lot of physical demands,” says Daniel, “but you have to be a genuinely good person. It can be difficult to put yourself in the place of someone who may not be familiar with the ocean at all. But to treat that person with understanding and respect? That’s an important skill.”
