Honolulu Condos

Oahu, Hawaii:  Paradise Protected

"Hello, surfer dude."  Politicians and media had gathered to announce the signing of Executive Order No. 10-07, which establishes the Duke Kahanamoku Surfing Reserve (surf breaks from the Ala Wai canal to Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium) and the North Shore Reserve (waves from Ali'i Beach Park to Sunset Beach) on Oahu.

It essentially preserves these world-class waves as historic landmarks and "acknowledges the cultural, sports and historic significance of important surf sites in Hawaii." And, this allows the Department of Land and Natural Resources to receive donations to distinguish surf reserves with signs or markers.

"Governor, this is an effort in the right direction for Hawaii to regain its prominence and leadership in surfing and that's why I appreciate what you've done here," said Hemmings. Hemmings took Lingle surfing for her first time years ago and they share a bond as surf instructor and student, as well as politicians in the same party.

Hemmings was a highly successful contest surfer in the 1960s, winning the Makaha International four different occasions and the World Surfing Championship in 1968 at Rincon, Peurto Rico. He also created the Triple Crown of Surfing and has been a politician in Hawaii for a decade.

Sen. Hemmings is retiring from politics this year and attempted to preserve the Waikiki and North Shore waves by introducing Senate Bill 2646 in the 2010 legislative session. It was shot down in the House of Representatives during the final hours of the session and it would be recommitted to a future year. This was a brutal display of partisan politics because the legislative branch of the Hawaii State government is primarily Democrats. There are only 6 Republican representatives in the House compared to 45 Democrats. Hemmings is one of two Republicans in the Senate while there are 23 Democrats.

"When we began our administration we knew that, being a Republican governor and having a legislature that was majority Democrat, there would be a challenge to get a variety of things done," said Lingle of the challenges of passing laws like Senate Bill 2646. "This was a real labor of love for people on our side because it's such a good idea."

Hemmings got the concept for the surfing reserves from the National Surfing Reserves Australia program. Hemmings hopes this executive order will bring back recognition and prominence to Hawaii in the international surf community. Executive Order 10-07 creates no cost to tax payers.

"Surfing is Hawaii's gift to the world," said Hemmings. "We must regain the cultural and sports leadership of the world of surfing, and surfing reserves are a step in that direction. It's a great day for surfing."

Waikiki Beach Ranks in Top Ten

The Oahu beach named after Olympic swimming legend Duke Kahanamoku has been listed among the top 10 beaches in the nation in an annual survey for 2010.

Duke Kahanamoku Beach in Waikiki, fronting the Hilton Hawaiian Village and Fort DeRussy, entered the list at No. 6, and Hamoa Beach in Hana at No. 9, in this year's selection released by Stephen Leatherman, director of Florida International University's Laboratory for Coastal Research.

The selection is based on a 1-to-5 rating system of 50 criteria, including sand softness, water temperature, wind and rip currents.

Waikiki Improvement Association President Rick Egged said the selection of Duke Kahanamoku Beach puts the spotlight on the importance of maintaining beaches in Hawaii.

"We're very proud of Duke Kahanamoku Beach," Egged said.

Terryl Vencl, executive director of the Maui Visitors Bureau, said she was happy to see Hamoa selected in the top 10, in light of the competition.

"We all know Hana is a special place, and Hamoa Beach is a special place and our visitors and our residents love it," she said.

Last year's No. 1 beach, at Hanalei Bay on Kauai, was not listed in the top 10 since, according to survey rules, selection as the top beach automatically retires it from the list.

Kauai Visitors Bureau Executive Director Sue Kanoho said the news exposure did draw visitors to Hanalei.

"We enjoyed the recognition last year and were happy to see Kauai recognized for its assets," Kanoho said.

The top beach this year came from a state usually associated with urban living: New York.

Coopers Beach on Long Island, with pristine white sand gently sloping toward a shoreline of lapping waves, convenient parking and amenities and nary a gum wrapper in sight, was selected as America's best beach.

Leatherman said the designation as the country's No. 1 beach usually brings as much as a 20 percent bump in tourism.

This year's list includes two beaches in Florida, and Leatherman said he was not worried about pollution from the oil spill affecting those locations. Siesta Beach in Sarasota took the No. 2 spot, and Cape Florida State Park in Key Biscayne was No. 10.

If you are intersted in the Waikiki neighborhood or Condos for Sale in Waikiki, please check out our website at www.HNLCondos.com

Hawaii among states with the happiest residents

According to the "Honolulu Advertiser", people in sunny, outdoorsy states - Louisiana, Hawaii, Florida - say they're the happiest Americans, and researchers think they know why.

A new study comparing self-described pleasant feelings with objective measures of good living found these folks generally have reason to feel fine.

The places where people are most likely to report happiness also tend to rate high on studies comparing things like climate, crime rates, air quality and schools.

The happiness ratings were based on a survey of 1.3 million people across the country by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It used data collected over four years that included a question asking people how satisfied they are with their lives.

Economists Andrew J. Oswald of the University of Warwick in England and Stephen Wu of Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y., compared the happiness ranking with studies that rated states on a variety of criteria ranging from availability of public land to commuting time to local taxes.

Probably not surprisingly, their report in Friday's edition of the journal Science found the happiest people tend to live in the states that do well in quality-of-life studies.

Yet Oswald says "this is the first objective validation of 'happiness' data," which is something he says economists have been reluctant to use in the past.

"Very loosely, you could say that we prove that happiness data are 'true,' - such data have genuine objective informational content," he said.

"Moreover," Oswald added, "it is interesting to uncover the pattern of life-satisfaction across one of the world's important nations."

Ranking No. 1 in happiness was Louisiana, home of Dixieland music and Cajun/Creole cooking.

Oswald urged a bit of caution in that ranking, however, noting that part of the happiness survey occurred before Hurricane Katrina struck the state, and part of it took place later. Nevertheless, he said, "We have no explicit reason to think there is a problem" with the ranking.

Rounding out the happy five were Hawaii, Florida, Tennessee and Arizona.

At the other end of the scale, last in happiness - is New York state.

As if to illustrate the problem, residents attending a meeting Wednesday in rural Queensbury unleashed their anger and cynicism at a state government they described as corrupt, self-dealing and too quick to increase taxes. It was a tirade that had one lifelong resident saying he was ready to flee "this stinkin' state."

Oswald suggested the long commutes, congestion and high prices around New York City account for some of the unhappiness.

He said he has been asked if the researchers expected that states like New York and California, which ranked 46th, would do so badly in the happiness ranking.

"I am only a little surprised," he said. "Many people think these states would be marvelous places to live in. The problem is that if too many individuals think that way, they move into those states, and the resulting congestion and house prices make it a non-fulfilling prophecy."

Besides being interesting, the state-by-state pattern has scientific value, Oswald explained.

"We wanted to study whether people's feelings of satisfaction with their own lives are reliable, that is, whether they match up to reality - of sunshine hours, congestion, air quality, etceteras - in their own state. And they do match."

Oswald and Wu used data from CDC's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System collected from 2005 to 2008. The survey, launched in 1984, collects information on a variety of health measures.

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KanDoo! Island is a floating pleasure dome by day or night

There are sooooo many fun activities to be found in and around Honolulu and Waikiki!

KanDoo! Island, a floating playground 200 yards off Waikiki, has officially launched. The "island," a steel catamaran that includes a water slide, water trampoline, sun deck, four bars and food service among its attractions, offers more than 20 ocean activities, from ultimate parasailing (1,000 feet high) to underwater helmet diving - without getting your hair wet - to swimming and snorkeling. Or visitors can simply zone out on the sun deck.

The 148-foot-by-48-foot vessel is moored in about 50 feet of water roughly opposite the Sheraton Waikiki.

KanDoo! Island operates 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily with food and beverages served all day. After sunset, KanDoo! becomes a romantic evening getaway spot/night-club. Shuttle boats depart Kewalo Basin every 20 minutes. A four-hour admission to the island is $20 for adults, $10 children, plus cost of activities. Kama'aina now get four hours free admission and 25 percent off activities. http://www.gokandoo.com/.

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The islands' laid-back charm and no-rush attitude are known around the world, but a new study may confirm what residents have known all along - Hawaii is the least-stressed state in the nation...according to a recent national study.

When times are hard on many Americans, there is no other place I would rather be than a place that helps ease stress.  Warm sun, great beaches, laid back lifestyle.  Life truly is easier on the mind here, but I guess we need a study to prove this to the world?

According to the study, to be published in the June issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, "The Aloha State had the nation's lowest rate of frequent mental distress, or FMD, for adults. Hawaii's rate of 6.6 percent was lower than the national average of 9.4 percent"

It is easy to work in these conditions!