Photos by: Neal Kido

Every year, thousands of people from around the world make the migration to Hawaii to take advantage of our gentle weather, gentler personalities and perhaps most of all, our warm waters and sandy shores. But often, with the hustle and grind of daily life, our beautiful beaches are one of the first things that those who call Hawaii home, fail to take advantage of.

Contributor: Sean Yano (RA) - Photos by Neal Kido

Pipe Masters 2012

For a surfer there’s nothing sicker than getting barreled in double overhead sets at one of Oahu’s North Shore’s renowned breaks. Wait, scratch that. For a surfer there’s nothing sicker than getting barreled in double overhead sets at the Banzai Pipeline (pictured above) -- and then walking (still dripping!) a few feet to your crib, where you and your pals eat, surf, sleep, surf, and play all winter long. This is the life of surfing’s elite. Where the radical royalty of tube riding who call the houses of surfing’s top dogs – Volcom, Billabong and Quiksilver to name a few – home.

Hawaii is known for its idyllic golden sand beaches with soft, balmy winds and an inviting azure ocean.  Undoubtedly, many of us (okay, ALL of us) want a piece of this tropical paradise, making beachfront properties somewhat scarce and relatively expensive.  So how can we “regular folk” afford it?  Sometimes, you just have to know where to look…  Here are a few hidden gems that are worthy of consideration.  Sure, some may require a short jaunt across the street to get to the beach, but for great prices like these, it’s worth the walk.

A long, long time ago a friend called me and wanted some help for the Ronald McDonald House.   I found out that Ronald McDonald does not live at the Ronald McDonald House (gasp!) but it was actually a house to take care of families with seriously ill children that were being treated at one of the hospitals in Honolulu. 

So, I started out volunteering with the fundraising committee and have since come full circle formerly serving as President and currently Secretary on the Board of Directors . I am also the co-chair for  the committee that puts together the annual RMHC-HI Golf Classic.  This is now my 16th year being involved with this caring organization. 

Bruce and the gang