Every August, Honolulu's premier ocean sports event kicks off on Waikiki Beach. It's Duke's Ocean-Fest, a nine-day tournament with events like tandem surfing, paddleboard racing, and surf polo—water polo on longboards! More than 2,000 athletes from Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and the US compete. Now in its 13th year, the festival honors Duke Kahanamoku, Hawaii's famed Olympic gold medalist and aloha ambassador, who died in 1968. “He helped pioneer and expand surfing to the rest of the world,” says event director Brent Imonen. Which means the Duke also helped fuel a whopping industry: Surfing looks likely to reach $13 billion in global revenue by 2017.
SEE
Waikiki Aquarium This 110-year-old aquarium has the only peppermint angelfish on public display in the world—the rare striped critter is worth over $30,000.
Atlantis Premium Sub Tours Board the 64-passenger Atlantis XIV, the world's largest high tech passenger sub, and descend 100 feet to visit shipwrecks and coral reefs.
DO
EVERETT COLLECTION
Oahu Nature Tours A rain forest walkabout takes you to some filming locations of Jurassic Park.
Nocturna Lounge This classed-up bar-cade offers gaming tournaments—from Street Fighter
to Marvel vs. Capcom—as well as karaoke.
Hawaii Shark Encounters
Dip into shark-infested waters: Only a 1/4-inch-thick Polyglass window separates you from dozens of Galapagos and sandbar sharks.
Honolulu Fish Auction
Get up at the crack of dawn to watch top restaurant chefs bid for killer fresh ahi.
EAT
MARCO GARCIA
Leonard's Bakery For more than 60 years, Leonard's has been serving up Portuguese doughnuts called malasadas. Also try the pão doce.
Pint + Jigger Go for the craft beer but stay for this gastropub's eats, like marlin maque choux and bacon-and-brandy-covered strawberries.
If you’re obsessed with ukuleles like me, swing by the Kamaka factory in downtown Honolulu— they make the best ukuleles in the world.” —Jake Shima bukuro, ukulele virtuoso and Honolulu local
Justin Mezzel
