I first came into contact with Harry in 1968 when he became familiar as one of the regulars at Makapu'u. He would spend hours, sometimes all day, in the water if the surf were big. When I quit my part time lifeguarding job at Makapu'u, I lost track of Harry as my own life went in other family directions. I came back to surfing fifteen years ago and would regularly run into Harry at Makaha, Ma'ili, and Publics when the surf was pumping. We would nod at each other with the familiarity of a lifetime of shared ocean experiences. We were all called 'uncle' by just about everyone. We were the old guys. But Harry had earned a deeper respect and reverence from all of the rest of the surfers and bodyboarders for his skill at both predicting the surf and riding the big waves with a speed few others could match.
His cancer diagnosis was not shared (as was his custom to keep things to himself) and within the last three months he disappeared from the familiar park benches where he could be seen much of the time when not in the water. He chose not to attempt extreme medical interventions and wanted no visitors as his health failed.
We will all miss this icon of the paipo nui world. Aloha Harry.
Kyle Metcalf
Негізгі бет Harry Akisada Paddle Out Sandbars Waikiki
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