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Rabbit Kekai: Like The Energizer Bunny - Still Going!
By Diane Ako
One can't walk away from an encounter with Rabbit Kekai without thinking he's amazing. The 85 year old professional surfer looks 50 and acts 30. "I'm still young… everywhere," he smirks conspiratorially. Still a handsome man, Kekai credits surfing for keeping him young and healthy.
Anyone remotely part of the global surf culture knows the name Rabbit Kekai, whose very name conjures up images of a golden era of Hawaii that no longer exists. Kekai was a protégé of the original beachboy Duke Kahanamoku, and grew up not to fill Kahanamoku's shoes, but rather to create his own legend instead.
One of five children, Albert Kekai joined the beach scene early. At age three, he was tagging along to work with his uncle, a lifeguard at Publics in Waikiki. At age five, he was already surfing. Kekai was a natural athlete, and excelled at all sports: football, basketball, and track. His speed earned him the nickname "Rabbit."
It was the ocean, however, that he fell in love with. Kahanamoku noticed Kekai's skill in the water and took him under his wing when Kekai was ten. "Duke is like a father to me, and someone I idolize," he explains, with a reverent nod to the Duke Kahanamoku statue behind him along Kalakaua Avenue.
"Duke taught me to steer a two-man canoe, and I became one of the best out there. One day I actually beat Duke in a canoe race." Kekai's eyes stare into the distance for a bit. "I miss him. I miss him a lot," he says. Kekai defines this as one of the best periods of his life.
Kekai, who is three-quarters Hawaiian, attended Kamehameha School for Boys. His parents died when he was young, so his grandparents raised him and his siblings. They spoke Hawaiian to the kids. "I still practice speaking Hawaiian today, but I'm kind of rusty," he says.
After high school, Kekai turned down scholarships to instead make a living from his beloved beach. He supplemented his income by working as a caddy, construction worker, stevedore, and movie extra. "If I weren't a pro surfer, I'd probably have been a longshoreman," guesses Kekai.
But he's not, and the world's luckier for it. Kekai's big claim to fame arrived in the 1930s, when he practically invented hotdogging. During that era, Kekai also was among the first group of guys to pioneer surfing on the North Shore.
World War 2 arrived, and Kekai served as an Army frogman in the South Pacific. The UDT (underwater demolition team) slipped underwater explosives onto enemy defenses, clearing the way for American troops to take back Japanese-occupied territory. The scuba diving job was so dangerous, only four men from his 10-person platoon returned home.
Following that experience, Kekai became a beach boy to the stars for three decades. Kekai has met countless celebrities like Gary Cooper, Peter Jennings, Doris Duke, and Elvis Presley. He's even had bit parts in some of the movies.
He is a celebrity in his own right, however, in the surfing world, where he's won countless international surfing contests, got a spot in the Surfing Walk of Fame, and is still a world-class competitive surfer. Kekai has several contests named after him, like the Toes on the Nose Longboarding Classic in Costa Rica, and the Surflife Rabbit Kekai Grom Surf Fest in Waikiki.
"I love the idea of passing on knowledge to the next generation," he smiles. He is the chair of the Rabbit Kekai Foundation. Founded in 2003, the non profit organization promotes surfing, education, and aloha for children. Additionally, Kekai has had a hand in coaching many famous surfers, including the Irons brothers of Kauai (Andy is the 2005 Vans Triple Crown of Surfing winner.)
Kekai, who says he's never indulged in alcohol or drugs, is equally as stern with his young students. "I tell them don't ever let me catch you doing drugs. Do you want to go to jail and bring shame to your family? The kids listen."
To encourage his young charges to keep on the right path, he distributes gifts and trophies to everyone who participates in his contest. "I'd like to be remembered for my work with the kids, and as a good friend to all."
The world's oldest competitive surfer will turn 86 on November 11. How long does he plan to keep hanging ten for a living? "I'm looking at 100," he proclaims. Until then, he'll follow a simple – but not simplistic- life philosophy: "Surf and be happy."
Go to rabbitkekai.org for more information about The Rabbit Kekai Foundation.
Rabbit Revealed:
You hear all about Rabbit the surfer- but we thought we'd bring you a different side of this Waikiki waterman.
Coffee or tea? "Decaf coffee or tea. If I do drink coffee, it has to be with a lot of cream. I don't like the taste of coffee." Does the caffeine make him hyper? "I don't know that word. I'm never hyper- except when I fight."
Night owl or not? "I go to sleep at midnight or 1 am. I like four to five hours of sleep. On days of surf meets, I'm up at 6 am.
Bedtime ritual? "I watch whatever's on TV. Preferably sports. And I do crosswords."
Favorite team? "The Lakers. I know all of them personally. When Wilt Chamberlain's in town, he walks over from his hotel to come see me at the beach."
Favorite smells? "Women. (pause for evil laugh) Nah, tuberose or pikake. That's also my wife Lynn's favorite fragrance."
Favorite food? "Oxtail stew or prime ribs."
Favorite color? "You're going to laugh. I'm color blind. The red and green blends into each other. You wanna know how I drive? If there's a passenger in the car, when he goes like this (he makes a fearful face) I know I'm about to run the red."
Favorite drink? "I don't drink alcohol. I never have. I like iced tea or rootbeer."
Family? Wife Lynn lives in Palos Verdes, California. This is a second marriage for both. They have no children together. Kekai has five grown children (four living in Hawaii) from a previous marriage. He says he is close to all of them, and that they're all involved in Aloha Week Parades.
Dogs or cats? "Both. My favorite dog, Tori, was a mutt who was stolen years ago. He was a great Dane- boxer mix. I taught him all kinds of tricks. But at home, my wife has a white Persian cat. It is spoiled! It goes outside, but it won't come back in until you give it a treat."
Politics? "I don't like the war, but I support the president. I don't like to get involved in politics, though."
Countries visited? "I can't remember them all, but: France, Spain, Portugal, Indonesia, Japan, Peru, Costa Rica, and Mexico. It's mostly all for surfing. I'm promoting for my sponsors (Maui Jim, Toes on the Nose, and Surflife) and making celebrity appearances. I've been invited to Tahiti four times and couldn't make it, but I'd really like to go and surf Teahupoo. I've also been invited to Africa, and I had to decline because it didn't fit my schedule. I'd like to get there someday, too."