RECREATION
Snowboarders head for the Big Island
Kirk Lee Aeder • Special to The Advertiser
Snowboarders get to the top of Mauna Kea by either driving or walking.
By Kirk Lee Aeder
Special to The Advertiser
For the past several weeks the Big Island has been treated to a freak of nature that, even for local residents, still takes a little getting used to. Recent winter snowfall atop the island's two towering volcanic peaks, Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, has provided a picturesque sight for both visitors and local residents alike.
Kirk Lee Aeder • Special to The Advertiser
Mesmerizing, alluring, and most of all just plain unusual, there is just something about the sight of snow in Hawai'i that is hard to get used to. After all, snow in the tropics? The thought of a winter wonderland here at first seems almost absurd. It doesn't seem possible to reconcile the snow covered mountains surrounded by a turquoise-blue ocean while coconut palm trees sway in the warm trade winds.
Getting air is always a requirement on the slopes.
The Big Island of Hawai'i appears to be a rare exception to the weather rule that snow in a tropical environment can happen, even if it's just for a few weeks every year. What is most needed for this to happen are upper-level low-pressure systems to pass over the Hawaiian Islands.
These systems, combined with any moisture in the area, provide the best opportunity for winter storm conditions atop Mauna Kea (white mountain) and Mauna Loa (long mountain).
In the past six weeks alone, Hawai'i has been fortunate in that there has already been four major snowfalls. The most recent of these occurred during the middle of this week, where several more inches of snow was deposited upon Mauna Kea. All of this, and we have yet to reach the midway point of the winter season.
Of course, all of this snow is a welcome sight to a select group of Big Island residents who patiently wait every year for the rare phenomenon.
Snow, especially atop Mauna Kea, enables them to participate in one of their favorite activities: snowboarding. It is certainly not a sport one would ordinarily attribute to Hawai'i.
IF YOU GO
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A journey to the summit of Mauna Kea takes a little planning. For those unfamiliar with the effects of high altitude, it is best to stop at the visitors center at 8,000 feet where you can find out further information.
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It is recommended that you stay at least 30 minutes at the center before proceeding. This helps the body acclimate to high altitudes and avoid possible altitude sickness. Another suggestion is taking aspirin which helps to thin the blood, and drinking plenty of fluids like Gatorade that have electrolytes.
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Road report: (808) 974-4203.
For the diehard Big Island snowboarders, however, it is something not to be missed. By living here, it affords them the opportunity to ride the slopes of Hawai'i each winter.
Many of these snowboarders are also surfers or windsurfers. They relish the chance of surfing and snowboarding in the same day.
One of these two-sport enthusiasts is Hilo resident Scott Wolf.
"I'm certainly no expert on world geography, but I don't know of too many other places where you can do that," Wolf said. "I've lived here for a long time and it's such a great feeling to look up there on Mauna Kea and see snow. There's such a huge mystique to the idea of having snow in Hawai'i. So when it's there, everyone I know who has a snowboard starts heading for the mountain."
Wolf is among hundreds of Big Island snowboarders who flock to Mauna Kea's summit each winter at every possible opportunity. While Mauna Loa also usually receives significant snow fall, access to its upper slopes are limited by rough terrain. This shifts the focus to Mauna Kea.
Snow-covered cinder cones provide snowboarding thrill seekers with the opportunity of a lifetime. Those who popularized skiing atop Mauna Kea long before snowboarders came along, created names for the various runs such as "Pele's Parlor," "Poi Bowl," "Warrior's Run" and "King Kamehameha Run."
Snowboarding and skiing here are done the old fashioned way — there are no lifts. Snowboarders catch rides in vans, or sometimes actually walk to the top of some of the less accessible runs.
Avid snowboarders who live here come from all parts of the island.
During the sixth annual Mauna Kea Snowboarding Championships held in December, several Big Island riders fared well, including Jeffrey Laber from Waikoloa, Sarge Barrilleaux from Hilo, and Jesse Fergerstrom, Forest Murphy, and Robert Patey, from Kailua-Kona. Victoria Trujillo from Kona took first place in the girls' division.
Their strong showings are just one indication of the kind of following snowboarding has established here. Of course, it helps when there's snow. The past four or five drought-plagued winter seasons have seen little snowfall. However, this season's good start appears to be making up for it.
Kirk Lee Aeder • Special to The Advertiser
Just ask Jerry Bess, a 37-year-old surfer-snowboarder from Waimea.
A snowman and pineapple signify only in Hawai'i.
"We went up to Mauna Kea one day last week and it was a really classic day," Bess said. "I had already gone surfing for three hours that morning. There was about 2 1/2 feet of snow.
"We all started taking turns and making runs. I had 15 runs at the 'Poi Bowl' area within an hour. It was the best conditions I had seen up there in years."
Even though the conditions may seem ideal from below, Bess usually calls the road report before heading up the mountain.
Whether snowboarding or participating in any other activities atop Mauna Kea, it's best to remember at that altitude, it's not all fun and games. A Kona woman suffered a near fatal accident in December while riding a bodyboard.
Below the layers of snow hide sharp beds of protruding lava rock. The mountain deserves a lot of respect, both in legend, environmentally, and in common sense.
