13, she started surfing Sandbars, the inside break of Old Man’s that abuts the reef, before graduating to the bowl at Old Man’s, which breaks on the outside during a bigger swell. She’s still surfing it, 40 years later. Peter Balding Jr. says, “it’s got a playful nature to it. It’s kind of always been my playground, a place where there are a lot of memories and good waves and a lot of camaraderie. There’s always somebody that you know. I think the wave has changed—it’s gone through cycles over the years. When I was a kid I remember it always being a big right. And then over the years, I think the weather patterns and swell direction and sand caused it to be a little more of a left. [Though] it seems like the right has started to come back in the last year or two, whether it’s the storms and swell directions or bottom has changed.” What’s also changed: the crowds have gotten bigger, like most surf spots. Kisi Haine re- members when Old Man’s “was just pretty much Outrigger mem- bers that would surf out there—it was a hidden spot.” If Rice Bowls is beloved as a performance wave, Old Man’s is a sentimental wave. Even dating back to ancient times, the ali‘i loved Kapua. Kapua means “the flower” in Hawaiian, and accord- ing to surf historian John Clark, to a Native Hawaiian, Kapua was also a finish line buoy for surf con- tests. It’s said that in 1809, when King Kamehameha I was living in Waikīkī, he discovered his favor- ite wife, Queen Ka‘ahumanu, had an affair with his nephew. Kame-
hameha ordered the nephew’s death and his body was placed in Papa‘ena‘ena heiau, a temple on the slopes of Lē‘ahi. To grieve, Ka‘ahumanu gathered a group to Kapua so she could surf and look out to the heiau. Eversole says, “it’s a very special break—it means a lot to me. I’m going to have my ashes spread out there. I’ve probably been out there to spread ashes at least five times, so it’s a very special place for that as well.” Kisi Haine adds, “my dad’s ashes are at Old Man’s as well as many other very special people. This makes this break not only an inspiration, but a time for me to con- nect with my dad and the many other surfers and ocean lovers who are out there.”
MAY / JUNE 2023 | AMA 19
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