Hawai'i Community Development Authority

Wave pool draws protest — along with support from an unexpected source

By Daryl Huff / January 26, 2024

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A proposed wave pool project near the runways at Kalaeloa is pitting native Hawaiians against Native Hawaiians.

Both sides say they want to perpetuate the culture.

The $100 million, 20-acre Honokea West Surf village is proposed for an area of graded coral flats that was once the Barbers Point Naval Air Station.

But opponents, led by longtime water rights advocate Healani Sonoda-Pale, say the property shouldn’t be seen as already desecrated.

“That’s the same argument they use for Maunakea when they tried to build TMT,” she said. “They said, well, Maunakea is already desecrated, so let’s build the 30-meter telescope on top of this sacred Mauna.”

Opponents began a weekend-long occupation of the property entrance on Coral Sea Road on Friday. They say the land has burials and other significant features that should be preserved and studied, that the 7 million-gallon pools are a waste of water and regular draining will release contamination.

“And so for them to put more contaminants in an underground into our water system is really dangerous. It’s not just dangerous to Kalaeloa, but it’s dangerous to the whole island,” Sonoda-Pale said.

But the projects leading local advocate and partner is waterman Brian Keaulana who says the water to be used would not be suitable for drinking and the vision is to extend and sustain the culture.

“This is all locals developing from the inside, and really empowering our local people, you know, showing about ahapuaa, showing about our native culture,” Keaulana said.

Keaulana said he sees the site as a place to teach Hawaii’s culture to visitors as well as a training ground for Native Hawaiians in the film industry — and even in surfing.

“The surf part that we’re developing is truly mimic after the ocean. And that’s the whole thing, you know, because now we can create our Olympians,” he said.

Keaulana says over 10 years developers have studied cultural, historic and environmental issues at the site. He said if anyone found something alarming he would shut it down.

The project still needs multiple approvals, including a lease and development permits from the state. The lawsuit challenging the environmental assessment gets a hearing next month.

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