Keauhou Holua Slide
Encyclopedia
The Keauhou Hōlua Slide is located in Keauhou
on the island of Hawaii
. It is the largest and best-preserved hōlua
course, used in the extremely dangerous toboggan
-like activity restricted to the alii class of men, the nobility of ancient Hawaii
. The remains are about 1290 feet (393.2 m) long, of the original that was over 4000 feet (1,219.2 m) long. When in use, it was covered in dirt and wet grass to make it slippery.
This particular site was connected to the Makahiki
games, which were considered equivalent to the Olympics of ancient Hawaii.
It can be seen from Alii Highway, across from the Kona Country Club golf course clubhouse. The slide originally went into Keauhou Bay
, but the part below the road was destroyed and is now used by a golf course and vacation homes. The preserved parts above the road are best viewed from the air, such as by following the coordinate link: 19°33′44.43"N 155°57′30.5"W
This area was used by the royal families such as the King Kamehameha III
and King David Kalākaua
.
By the 1950s trees and shrubs were encroaching on the sides of the slide, and sections had settled due to earthquakes. It was added to the list of National Historic Landmarks in Hawaii on December 29, 1962, and added to the National Register of Historic Places listings on the island of Hawaii
on October 15, 1966 as site 66000290.
A small museum at the nearby Keauhou Shopping Center includes a reproduction of a hōlua sled and more information about the other historic sites in the area.
Keauhou, Hawaii
Keauhou is an unincorporated community on the island of Hawaii in Hawaii County, Hawaii, United States. Its elevation is 13 feet . Because the community has borne multiple names, the Board on Geographic Names officially designated it "Keauhou" in 1914...
on the island of Hawaii
Hawaii (island)
The Island of Hawaii, also called the Big Island or Hawaii Island , is a volcanic island in the North Pacific Ocean...
. It is the largest and best-preserved hōlua
Hawaiian lava sledding
Hawaiian lava sledding is a traditional sport of the Native Hawaiians. Similar to wave surfing, hee hōlua involves the use of a narrow wooden sled . The sled is used standing up, lying down, or kneeling, to ride down man-made or naturally occurring courses of rock, often reaching speeds of ...
course, used in the extremely dangerous toboggan
Toboggan
A toboggan is a simple sled which is a traditional form of transport used by the Innu and Cree of northern Canada. In modern times, it is used on snow to carry one or more people down a hill or other slope for recreation. Designs vary from simple, traditional models to modern engineered composites...
-like activity restricted to the alii class of men, the nobility of ancient Hawaii
Ancient Hawaii
Ancient Hawaii refers to the period of Hawaiian human history preceding the unification of the Kingdom of Hawaii by Kamehameha the Great in 1810. After being first settled by Polynesian long-distance navigators sometime between AD 300–800, a unique culture developed. Diversified agroforestry and...
. The remains are about 1290 feet (393.2 m) long, of the original that was over 4000 feet (1,219.2 m) long. When in use, it was covered in dirt and wet grass to make it slippery.
This particular site was connected to the Makahiki
Makahiki
The Makahiki season was the ancient Hawaiian New Year festival, in honor of the god Lono of the Hawaiian religion.It was a holiday covering four consecutive lunar months, approximately from October or November through February or March. Thus it might be thought of as including the equivalent of...
games, which were considered equivalent to the Olympics of ancient Hawaii.
It can be seen from Alii Highway, across from the Kona Country Club golf course clubhouse. The slide originally went into Keauhou Bay
Keauhou Bay
Keauhou Bay is a historic area in the Kona District of the Big Island of Hawaii.The name comes from ke au hou which means "the new era" in the Hawaiian Language.-Kamehameha III's Birthplace:...
, but the part below the road was destroyed and is now used by a golf course and vacation homes. The preserved parts above the road are best viewed from the air, such as by following the coordinate link: 19°33′44.43"N 155°57′30.5"W
This area was used by the royal families such as the King Kamehameha III
Kamehameha III
Kamehameha III was the King of Hawaii from 1825 to 1854. His full Hawaiian name was Keaweaweula Kiwalao Kauikeaouli Kaleiopapa and then lengthened to Keaweaweula Kiwalao Kauikeaouli Kaleiopapa Kalani Waiakua Kalanikau Iokikilo Kiwalao i ke kapu Kamehameha when he ascended the throne.Under his...
and King David Kalākaua
Kalakaua
Kalākaua, born David Laamea Kamanakapuu Mahinulani Nalaiaehuokalani Lumialani Kalākaua and sometimes called The Merrie Monarch , was the last reigning king of the Kingdom of Hawaii...
.
By the 1950s trees and shrubs were encroaching on the sides of the slide, and sections had settled due to earthquakes. It was added to the list of National Historic Landmarks in Hawaii on December 29, 1962, and added to the National Register of Historic Places listings on the island of Hawaii
National Register of Historic Places listings on the island of Hawaii
This is a list of properties and districts on the island of Hawaii in the U.S. state of Hawaii that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The island is coterminous with Hawaii County, the state's only county that covers exactly one island...
on October 15, 1966 as site 66000290.
A small museum at the nearby Keauhou Shopping Center includes a reproduction of a hōlua sled and more information about the other historic sites in the area.