Ka Holua O Kaneaka
Ka Holua O Kaneaka
The Hawaiian nobility loved sports of all kinds, including surfing, wrestling, swimming, spear throwing and bowling. Among the most spectacular of these activities was sledding, not on snowy hills, but on grass-covered slopes and stone ramps called holua. From Keauhou looking mauka (park along Alii Drive across the street from the Kona Country Club), the remains of a mile-long holua are still visible. On this manmade stone ramp, skilled sledders using papa holua (wooden sleds) swooped from the tip of Puu o Kaomi down to the shore of Heeia Bay below.
Although the lower section of this holua has been destroyed by earthquakes, cattle and construction, it was once the longest in all Hawaii. It is believed Kamehameha I built it to honor the birth of his son Kauikeaouli in 1814. The slide was up to 50 feet wide in some places with a surface of hard-packed dirt and smooth pebble-and-stone paving.
Before a race, the slide was covered with stems of pili grass or, alternately, compressed sugarcane leaves. The hot noonday sun made the grass very slippery, so the contestants had the best chance of riding their wooden sleds all the way to the bottom of the course. Both men and women took part in this royal sport, much to the delight of spectators who often made bets on who might be the winner.
It is estimated hundreds, if not thousands, of workers were needed to carry the stones, pack the dirt and collect the grasses needed to construct a complete holua. Obviously, this type of amusement was only possible for a king or high-ranking chief. After the death of Kamehameha I, few, if any, races took place at Keauhou.
In 1966, this holua was registered as a National Historic Landmark. Visitors interested in seeing a papa holua can find a half-size replica at Hulihee Palace.
Copyright 1998 Kona Historical Society. Reprinted by permission.