Thousands of people from around all of Hawaii lined the streets of Ala Moana Boulevard and Kalakaua Avenue Sunday to watch parade marchers, floats, bands and other community participants in the 93rd Annual King Kamehameha Celebration Floral Parade.

Every year the people of Hawaii hold the parade in celebration and commemoration of the Hawaiian king Kamehameha.  Much preparation is needed including gathering fresh flowers to create the traditional Hawaiian leis and floats which will be used in the parade.  The parade gives visitors a glimpse of Hawaiian history and culture, and shows the pride and respect the people of Hawaii have for their culture and ancestors.

Tags: hawaii parade, king kamehameha, king kamehameha parade

You know summer is here when you here the news, surf report, and especially locals talking about the south shore swell is here in Hawaii.  Every year in Hawaii during the summer months the southern coastlines of the Hawaiian islands are recepients of large ocean swells which make for some excellent surfing and bodyboarding conditions.

This weekend surfers were delighted to here that there would be a swell on the southern shores of Oahu with wave heights of between 5 to 8 feet, which is pretty much perfect for waves around Waikiki and Ala Moana.

Although the large swells can be exciting for experienced surfers it is also a hazard for the unsuspecting tourist, and usually during the summer months these swells keep the lifeguards on the south shore very busy – this weekend was no exception.  Hawaii’s lifeguards were reported to have performed 19 rescues, 35 assists, and 563 warnings on Oahu’s southern shores just during the weekend.  If your visiting Hawaii and not familiar with the ocean waters you should be very cautious about entering the high surf.  Experienced  surfers make it look very easy catching the large waves, but this can be very deceiving as tourists can get caught up in strong currents if they aren’t familiar with the waters.

The weather service announced that the high surf will continue on the south and east shores of Oahu through Monday as swells arrive from a storm near Easter Island.  Waves can get as big as 7 to 10 feet high.  So have fun, but remember to stay safe out there!

Tags: ala moana surf, hawaii south shore, Hawaii Surf, oahu surf, waikiki surf