The concrete foundation and pillars that will become Kai 'Ōpua's new hālau wa'a have been standing unfinished for years. Photo: T. Ilihia Gionson

By T. Ilihia Gionson / Ka Wai Ola Loa

A Stonehenge-esque concrete pad with pillars protruding into the sky at Maka'eo – Kona's Old Airport – will not be bare for much longer, as Kai 'Ōpua Canoe Club is moving forward with its long-stalled plans to construct a new home.

On October 15, a ceremony was held to mark the beginning of construction, supported by a $300,000 grant from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

When it is completed, the new hālau will house the club's 23 wa'a that are currently stored in a termite-ridden shed that was part of the old Kona Airport. Part of the inspiration to construct a new hālau came when Kai 'Ōpua was denied insurance because of the dilapidated building in which the club's canoes were stored.

Kai 'Ōpua Canoe Club President Bo Campos, right, reviews some features of the planned hālau wa'a with West Hawai'i Community Resource Coordinator Ruby MacDonald, left, and Grants Specialist Nancy King from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, which awarded a $300,000 grant to Kai 'Ōpua for the project. Photo: T. Ilihia Gionson

Former Office of Hawaiian Affairs Trustee Hannah Kihalani Springer offered a few words and a pule at the October 15 ceremony. Photo: T. Ilihia Gionson

The land on which the hālau will be built is leased to the club by the county. In the 1990s, the state legislature appropriated monies to prepare the site and construct a hālau. The project languished though, and the land was eventually turned over to the county, which laid the foundation that is on the site today.

Kai 'Ōpua club president Bo Campos credits the cooperation of many parties for the progress of the project, including the support of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

"Thank God for OHA for giving us the $300,000. Today we're going to write the first check to the contractor," Campos said.

Kai 'Ōpua Canoe Club was founded in Kona in 1929. The club's mission is to maintain, improve, and expand the ancient sport of Hawaiian outrigger canoe paddling and racing with all of its attendant Hawaiian cultural attributes.

One of Kai 'Ōpua's koa racing canoes, Kamakahonu, is shown in its future home. Photo: T. Ilihia Gionson