Latest news with #Hōkūleʻa
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Hōkūleʻa's trans-Pacific voyage delayed
HILO, Hawaii (KHON2) — Voyaging canoes Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia have delayed their departure from Hilo due to weather conditions. The pair of boats were scheduled to sail out of Hilo on June 2, but they are now scheduled to depart on the morning of June 3 to continue their Moananuiākea Voyage across the ocean. Big Island police investigating overnight shooting The decision to delay the voyage was made by the Polynesian Voyaging Society after they found that the weather on June 3 would be more favorable weather conditions for sailing. Once departed, the boats will visit hundreds of ports and be away from Hawaiʻi for approximately three years. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Hōkūleʻa to leave Hawaiʻi for three years June 2
HILO, Hawaii (KHON2) — Traditional voyaging canoes Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia are tentatively scheduled to leave Hilo on the morning of June 2, weather permitting, to embark on their Moananuiākea Voyage to circumnavigate the Pacific. The boats have been in Hilo for several days, where they were welcomed with celebrations from the local community. Mapunapuna FBI raid ends with state eviction notice for tenant Crews in Hilo are working to identify favorable wind and weather conditions, so the canoes may make a safe voyage to their next stop in French Polynesia. The voyage to French Polynesia lasts approximately three weeks, with the boats to stop in Taputapuātea on Raʻiātea, a sacred voyaging hub, and Papeʻete in their month-long residency in French Polynesia, the boats will continue to the Cook Islands, Samoa, Tonga and Aotearoa. Crews hope to spread the message of 'Mālama Honua,' or caring for Island Earth, through their voyage. The canoes' circumnavigation of the Pacific will span around 43,000 nautical miles and stop at over 345 ports. The voyaging duo are scheduled to leave Hawaiʻi for a total of three years. To follow their journey, click here and follow them on Instagram. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
The said it couldn't be done. Native Hawaiians proved them wrong
HONOLULU (KHON2) — Long before satellites or sextants, Polynesian voyagers explored one of the largest bodies of water on Earth. They did this with no compass, no GPS. They only had a deep knowledge of the winds, the stars and the ocean swells. That legacy lives on through Hōkūleʻa, a modern-day double-hulled sailing canoe that has reawakened a culture and inspired a global movement. More than a canoe: Hōkūleʻa's future is here 'The idea for us to be able to have this opportunity to observe this important part; it was observed by our ancestors,' said Chris Blake, crew member of the Hōkūleʻa and longtime volunteer with the Polynesian Voyaging Society. 'They tracked not only the movement of the sun, the stars, the weather patterns, the winds, the waves. And they had a great understanding of the language of nature.' Whether you're new to voyaging or grew up watching the sails of Hōkūleʻa rise over the horizon, here are six essential things to know. Blake said it simply: 'It was never known then, it's just really unique to us here in Hawai'i. But they purposefully circumnavigated the vast Pacific Ocean.' Polynesian ancestors were skilled navigators who had already explored the ocean centuries before Western explorers 'discovered' them. 'We believe that all of the people who are of Native Hawaiian descent here are descendants of the navigators,' Blake said. 'Our ancestors knew that the Earth was round. They did that through their observations.' They followed the sun and stars across thousands of miles of open ocean, using signs from nature to find new islands. 'They reached the limits,' said Blake as he described the knowledge handed down through generations. 'There are places like Mokumanamana that align perfectly with the 23.5 degrees north latitude. Our ancestors visited that place.'Launched in 1975 from Kāne'ohe Bay, Hōkūleʻa marked a cultural turning point. She was built in the image of the ancient wa'a kaulua, a double-hulled canoe once used to explore and settle Hawai'i. The canoe's name means 'Star of Gladness' and comes from the Hawaiian zenith star Arcturus. She was designed by artist and historian Herb Kawainui Kāne, whose dream reignited pride in Native Hawaiian identity. 'When Hōkūleʻa was launched, it was more than just the canoe,' said Blake. 'Along with it came the renewal of our language, our dance, our chant, our culture.' Hōkūleʻa wasn't just about where we came from. It became a vessel for where we are going. 'There's this idea of a language of nature,' said Blake. 'Our ancestors understood this, and it's what we're trying to keep alive today.' Modern wayfinding was revived and taught by master navigator Mau Piailug and carried forward by Nainoa Thompson. It is more than steering a canoe. It requires observation, patience and a deep connection with the environment. Navigators memorize the stars, watch the position of the sun, read ocean swells and track cloud movement. 'We observe. We interpret. We trust,' Blake said. And it's a skill that takes years to develop. 'It's not just learning the signs. It's living with them,' he added. Hōkūleʻa to stop in Hilo before traveling the world 'Next month, it's going to be the northernmost trek,' Blake said about the summer solstice. 'That's when the sun travels furthest north based on our orbit. After that, it begins to move south.' Ancient Hawaiian navigators tracked this yearly journey. 'They knew about places like Mokumanamana,' said Blake, 'an island that's right around the 23.5 degrees north latitude. It's a marker in our understanding of the sun's path.' That place, and others in Papahānaumokuākea, were visited, studied and honored by voyagers for centuries. 'It separates the realm of the kanaka [the human world] from that of the akua, our gods or ancestral spirits,' said Blake. The vision of Myron 'Pinky' Thompson, a former president of the Polynesian Voyaging Society, lives on every time Hōkūleʻa takes to the ocean. It's about where she goes, but it's also about how she goes. 'He said our ancestors had to have a vision of the island before they even saw it,' Blake recalled. 'They planned. They prepared. They experimented. And most importantly, they cared for one another.' That message, Blake said, is universal. 'You find these same values throughout the world: seeking, planning, experimenting, taking risks and the importance of caring for each other,' Blake said. 'The same principles we used in the past are the ones we use today, and the ones we'll use into the future.' Sister canoe Hikianalia was built with sustainable technology and science tools. She and Hōkūleʻa travel together, sometimes parting ways to reach new audiences, always carrying the same core mission. 'These canoes aren't just replicas,' said Blake. 'They are moving classrooms, places where we share knowledge, and where we teach students and people of all ages.' From Tahiti to Aotearoa, from Rapa Nui to Alaska, Hōkūleʻa has brought together people across the Pacific and around the world. 'When we arrived in Pape'ete Harbor, more than 17,000 people came out. That was a spontaneous affirmation of what a great heritage we shared,' Blake said. You can click to learn more about the Hōkūleʻa, its history and its future. Hōkūleʻa is more than a canoe. She is a symbol of memory, knowledge and the hope that guides us forward. Get news on the go with KHON 2GO, KHON's morning podcast, every morning at 8 'The sun, the stars, the ocean: they are always speaking,' said Blake. 'The question is, are we listening?' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Yahoo
Hōkūleʻa to stop in Hilo before traveling the world
HONOLULU (KHON2) — The esteemed Hōkūleʻa, along with Hikianalia, are set to depart Sand Island this weekend, where they will set sail for Hilo, marking their final stop on the Pae ʻĀina Statewide Sail before leaving the islands for the three-year Moananuiākea Voyage. The canoes are due to arrive in Hilo on May 20, where they will be docked for over a week for community engagement and voyage preparations. Future of Oahu's landfill in limbo as leaders look at other options There will be several events to honor the canoes' stay in Hilo, hosted by the County of Hawaiʻi, Island of Hawaiʻi Visitors Bureau, Grand Naniloa Hotel and the Hilo Community. There will be a welcome ceremony at the Grand Naniloa Hotel, which is tentatively scheduled for May 20, weather permitting. The next day, there will be a public dockside engagement event at the same hotel from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. The final event will be Hilo's Hōkūleʻa Hoʻolauleʻa on May 24 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the ailoa Boat will also celebrate the canoes with music, entertainment, food trucks and more. During this time, Lihiwai Street from Kamehameha Avenue to Banyan Drive will be closed from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m., with a one-way traffic pattern in place. 'We are honored to welcome Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia to Hilo as they embark on the next leg of the Moananuiākea Voyage,' said County of Hawaiʻi Mayor Kimo Alameda. 'This visit is an opportunity to celebrate our heritage of exploration while deepening our shared responsibility to the ocean that connects all of us.' The canoes are tentatively scheduled to depart from Hilo to French Polynesia on May 30. Their upcoming voyage will span approximately 43,000 nautical miles and will visit 36 countries and archipelagos, about 100 indigenous territories and over 345 ports. Around 400 crew members from Hawaiʻi and the Pacific will take part in the voyage. For updates on their world tour, visit the Hōkūleʻa website and follow them on social media @hokuleacrew. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Legendary Hawaiian waterman Clyde Aikau has passed away
HONOLULU (KHON2) — The surfing community lost another legend as Clyde Aikau passed away Saturday evening in his Waimanalo home, surrounded by his sister, Myra, wife, Eleni and son, Ha'a. The Aikau family said his death came 'after a long hard-fought battle with pancreatic cancer.' Video: Salt + Air Studios 'While that road was a difficult one, he never allowed it to get in the way of his eternal optimism and zest for life. He continued on with his family duties, supported his wife's dog boarding and training business, and ensured the success of his brother's event,' the Aikau family said in a statement. Born in 1949 on the island of Maui, Clyde was the youngest of six children. The Aikau family, known across the world as expert watermen, lost Clyde's older brother, Eddie when he set off to get help for his crew aboard the Hōkūleʻa in the 1978. He was never seen again. 'Incredible,' familiar and young faces show up for The Eddie opening ceremony A big wave invitational was created to commemorate the memory of Eddie and Clyde has lovingly honored him, sharing countless stories of his beloved brother with the world and ensuring that Eddie's heroic nature was never forgotten. Clyde won the inaugural event in 1986, becoming the champ of The Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational. He continued to ride in subsequent events over the years. In 2016, just before calling the competition on, Aikau told KHON2, 'It's just a privilege for me to ride one more time, and ride one more big one for Eddie,' he said. It was the last invitational that he competed in. 'Clyde and Eddie were the closest of brothers, sharing a passion and commitment to family, Hawaiian culture, and the ocean. They both served as North Shore lifeguards; voyaged on Hokule'a (separate voyages); rode giant winter waves at Waimea Bay; and were famous for their impromptu slack key guitar sessions that they shared with family and friends around the Islands and the world,' the Aikau family said in a statement. Clyde Aikau was 75 years old. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
