Hawaiian Island Surf and Sport

This shop has been on Maui since the lava first cooled. When I stepped off the plane in Kahalui the first time back in the early 80’s I rented my windsurfing gear there. I think the same people were working there–the only difference (other than the location) was that Lenny (the owner) had hair.

Lenny and Dennis ponder the mysteries of watersports marketing–or maybe they’re just thinking about lunch

This is one of the larger full-service watersports shops in Maui, and it is literally crammed to the rafters with goodies. The staff is extremely helpful, not only because they are all talented watermen (including the ladies) but because they have such long experience. I don’t know how Lenny does it, but his people have incredibly long tenure at the shop. That’s rare at any island business, where employees frequently decide today they want to ski instead of surf and decamp for Colorado.

They’ve got a standup board or two. a huge selection in-stock and ready to roll. And about half the Showcase boards wound up in their rental fleet.

You can find deep expertise and deep inventory at Hawaiian Island in windsurfing, kitesurfing, surfing, standup paddlesurfing, and just about anything else that involves wind and water. Carl can also give you tips on autocross and beer drinking. They rent great equipment and arrange lessons. You’re never left on your own to search the bewildering stacks of toys (unless you want to be). The staff is extremely friendly and always ready to help.

It’s a good-sized store, and it’s literally packed to the rafters with toys.

Pretty much everyone in the place does some standup paddlesurfing, but Leo and Carl are really good and can give you a lot of tips. Even Lenny, a dyed-in-the-wool longboarder/noserider has turned to the dark side and spends most of his time on a Sup board.

Isn’t that a pretty thing? That might have to find a place on the wall at Ponohouse