I am a preschool teacher at a local public charter school, and our keiki need access to these special places. Young children light up when they tell me about the times their ʻohana take them to the beach. It gives them connections to their heritage, stories of their ʻohana, and a sense of place. It is heartbreaking to imagine one of our keiki being told they cannot visit Waipiʻo. Please protect access to a very treasured place for our keiki.

Waipi’o is the place where I learned to swim, to surf, to dive and fish. I’m 36 now and it’s where I have been teaching my 3 children to swim, to surf, to fish and to dive …. Itʻs been a vital role in allowing me to continue to perpetuate the Hawaiian culture. Waipi’o to my family and I is like our church.

Ocean access at Waipio plays a crucial role in the health of our island community–it is a place for families to regenerate and maintain their spiritual, mental, and physical well-being.

Waipio is a unique way to connect with this island and the island culture. This is a unique place for families to gather and children to learn about this special place where we live.

Waipi’o represents my link to my life’s work– the preservation of Hawaiian ‘Awa. In the early 1980’s my life long friend (who owned a home in the Valley) and I would visit the old Hawaiian community member. Harrison Kanekoa. He shared stories of the historic ‘awa patches in the valley and invited us to get a few nodes. This is largely why we have so many rare Hawaiian ‘awa cultivars available today. I started a 501(c)3 and the rest is history.

It is a place where I am able to recharge my soul, and connect to nature on a level that I can’t anywhere else.

As a place, it helps me and my family recharge physically and mentally. It also connects me to my community, environment, and cultural practices. As a Hawaiian, Waipi’o informs me about my culture,  past and present.

It is a place that I feel the most connected to Hawai’i Island. Maunakea, Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, & Waipi’o Valley. Those places to me are the hearts of the Island. I am a lifelong surfer & also a trail runner, This closure prohibits me from surfing the waves of Waipio Valley & from running the trail to Waimanu Valley.

Waipi’o is important to me for my mental, physical and spiritual health. It allows me the opportunity to disconnect from daily life and get in touch with my mana/ spiritual strength. I feel grounded and rejuvenated to start my day after surfing in this magical Hawaiian valley. After surfing in Wapi’o for over 30 years, I have ridden and seen some of the most beautiful waves there as well as have made a lifelong surfing Ohana.

Itʻs a place of sanctuary, surfing, hiking, fishing. We’ve lived in Kohala for 20 years and frequent Waipio at least once a month. We have so many beautiful memories of this sacred place. Our community needs Waipio. It is one of the few direct ocean access points with a sandy beach that local families can go to. It needs to be opened to island residents.

It’s where I grew up going to rejuvenate my soul – family time, surfing and swimming. My daughter can enjoy it now, she’s 8 and she surfs with me when waves are small. Such a great experience for our keiki, they need to keep being in Waipi’o to experience our culture.

Born and raised in Hamakua, Waipi’o valley is more than just a surf spot, it is a sacred place where I can connect with the ocean & nature, and is essential to my mental and emotional health. I go there to surf, pray, and find peace of mind. To lose access will be a great loss to my soul and heart.

I am 17, and I grew up in Honokaa. Waipi’o is where my brother and I learned to swim, learned to respect the ocean, and learned about the spiritual and cultural aspects of the land. I think that for the youth of our community, the valley teaches us about ourselves and makes us better people. The kids of Honokaa are nurtured by the waters of Waipi’o and I feel that there is a large community of people who will suffer if the valley is restricted. I also feel that we can create a compromise to ensure that the Valley and the community is well cared for. Mahalo!

Waipiʻo is important to my family because it is part of what makes us…itʻs who we are. The ocean is our livelihood, and Waipi’o is one of the nearest access to the ocean for my family. It allows us to live the lifestyle that we need to survive in the modern world. Waipi’o provides sustenance for our mind, body, and soul. Waipi’o is the ever carried story that most share and that we continue to live.

Waipi’o is a gathering place for Kamaʻāina and people alike to actively enjoy the beach and coastline.
Waipi’o is one of the only places that we can actually go surfing and access the ocean year-round.

Its everything to me. It’s my source for mental, physical, emotional, spiritual as well as professional fulfillment.

I have been going there since birth. It is my favorite place on the island and holds many special memories. I learned to swim there; my recently deceased grandpa would always take us. The waves were scary, but they taught me how to be in the water, and it was extremely freeing. I also do hula, and being able to chant to the valley, to the land, into the silence is a greatly treasured experience. I wish that one day my children can have these same experiences.

Waipi’o valley has always been a huge part of my life and overall well being. Since birth, I’ve spent countless hours at the beach, playing in the sand, swimming, surfing, hiking, kayaking and fishing..It’s my home. It’s a place of healing, where I feel like I can wash all my worries away and be spiritually connected. Since the closing of Waipi’o road I feel like a big part of me is missing.

I am of Hawaiian ethnicity and raised in Waimea, and Waipi‘o has been one of many childhood playgrounds. Growing up in Hawaii Waipi‘o…It’s a local spot We would do all of the activities surfing, hiking, fishing etc. I believe ocean access should never be denied to local Hawaiian families anywhere in the state of Hawaii. The ocean is a key element to sustaining an islander’s lively hood. Whether it’s for play, work, food gathering etc. If authorities continue to restrict access to this life source we will forget who we are. And Hawaii will not be Hawaii anymore. If we need to help to rebuild roads, monitor fishing grounds, come together as a community to better restore overused areas, to make them sustainable resources…then let’s do it. Don’t just red tape it.

To me the Waipiʻo access road is an asset of our community. Those who came before us built it, and it is our responsibility to maintain it. The safety of the road and valley management are separate issues. Waipio is beautiful. We need to share.

It is a spiritual place of renewal and recreation for my family.

Waipio Valley is important to me because it’s part of my childhood and it’s also a part of my keiki’s childhood as well. I spent all my life down in Waipio. From the back of Waipio in my godmother’s lo’i, picking ho’io with uncle Roy and aunty Donna, to doing horseback with my cousin Onz, camping on the beach with family and friends, the list goes on and on.

So why is Waipio important you ask?
It’s a way of doing things it’s a lifestyle it’s a place of peace that serves a greater purpose that some will never understand and that’s why we are where we are now.

It is the place to disconnect from the things that are not important, and reconnect with the things that are.

Waipi’o is important to me because it is a place for my family and I go to relax, unwind, and enjoy the ocean as a family. Spending time with my family is extremely important to me. Over the last few years, the Hamakua is shrinking with beach access from Hakalau to Kolekole. We, as a family, are grateful for the valley and what it presents and what it provides to us and others. Please bring access to Waipi’o Valley back to residents.

Waipi’o for my ohana is a place to connect with the ocean, the land, and our sense of place. It provides us a way to exercise, reset, and teach our son about currents, tides, habitats, and history. I guess we all didn’t realize just how important it was for our mental and physical well-being until this closure. We had always assumed that our rights to access the coast were not something that could just be taken away overnight.

As a gathering place for my ohana and friends. Waipi’o is also one of the most consistent surf breaks on the island. To some this may seem trivial or like a luxury, but for many including my husband surfing is a deep seated passion that not only keeps him healthy and happy but serves as a way to stay connected to our ‘aina and to a greater purpose. Without surfing he loses a part of himself. And as new parents to 9 month old twins we need daddy to be nourished and Waipi’o provides this for him.

Apart from the intense beauty and the great surf, there is a spirit here that I’ve not found anywhere else in Hawai‘i. In the last fifty years I can honestly say it is my favorite place on the Big Island. To not be allowed down in the valley is a shocking development. To not be able to watch the sunrise from the beach or paddle the coast makes me want to cry.

My earliest memories are rooted in the black sands of Waipio. Over 40 years now, & my youth was spent in the healing waters of the valley. Feeding wild horses, chasing prawns, bathing in waterfalls, hiking to Waimanu, and surfing in the steel-blue waters; Waipio has always been a constructive outlet for me, and now for my Keiki as well. It is a sacred and treasured place for me and my Ohana, and it is our mission always to leave it in better condition than when we arrive from beach cleanups, and tourist etiquette education, to rides up and for residents, we always strive to do our part.

My husband and I live in Paauilo Mauka and work full-time jobs at local schools. We also maintain our family homestead, so do not have a lot of free time. Other than Waipi‘o, there are no nearby areas to safely access the ocean as a family. Surfing for us is exercise, stress relief, and a way to strengthen relationships in the community. Accessing our local shoreline is a cultural and family practice and we feel it is important to share this with our daughter.

I have been going to the valley my entire life in many different ways. Always with wonder, joy, and respect. I am 61 years old. I love to see the families and keiki enjoying themselves like I did when I was younger.

It’s everything for me. Lived in valley 10+ yrs it’s where my two sons where born. Family farming taro /rare fruits for over 35 yrs. Family-owned/operated horseback ride in valley since1983. Church/play/gathering/surf/hunting/fishing. The ocean-front gathering place for a community of solid individuals cultivating joy, health, and appreciation of the natural cycles observed.

Waipio is the heart of the Big Island. I’ve driven and walked the road many times. The dangers are being exaggerated. The closure was a major but correctable mistake. All residents of the island should be able to visit. Tourist traffic can be restricted to appropriate tour vehicles. Meanwhile, a long-overdue plan to improve the road can be developed.

Our whole family surfs and it is good for our mental, physical, and spiritual well-being.

Aloha, my name is Zetta Freitas and I am 12 years old. I have been going to Waipio since I was very little. Waipio is important to me because it is the place that I go with my family and friends to surf and enjoy the ocean. Waipio is a place that is free and natural. When I am there I feel relaxed. My dad taught me how to surf in Waipio and it is where I have gotten lots of my confidence out in the water. I also got my first barrel there and I will always remember that moment and it is very special to me. I miss going surfing down in the valley and hope that it will open up soon.

Waipio is essential to our family’s physical and mental well being. We come here and remember and make new memories and are so grateful for this place. The ocean heals us and makes us whole again.

My name is Vasco Freitas and I am 13 years old. Waipio is where I go to surf with my family and friends and where I like to go to get away from the concrete world. It is also important to me because I have been going down there since I was very little. This is where I learned to surf and swim. Surfing makes me feel happy and when I am done I feel energized. The only thing that I wanted to do for my birthday was to go down and surf, but now that the road is closed I cannot. With the road closed it takes over an hour to go surfing. I miss it already.

Growing up in Honokaa, surfing from a young age in Waipi’o till the present day, it’s a way of life for me. The watermen I am today is absolutely tied to the countless hours I’ve spent in the water in Waipi’o.
It has sculpted me and my career as a water safety officer (lifeguard) on this island, which I’ve worked for 17 years!! My 2 kids who also have been surfing Waipi’o for 3-4 years are now no longer able to do so. This healthy, positive, spiritual sport of surfing is now no longer available to them in their back yard, now we’re needing to drive an hour plus to surf.

It’s a place my husband, our children, and myself have been going to all our lives. I was born here and raise here and the thought of never having access to it ever again is saddening. When I am down in the valley, I feel at peace, I feel grateful, I feel great love, I feel cleansed of negativity. It is a very special place…it is one on my favorite places. I had the opportunity of hiking to Hi’ilawe once with my family, and it was absolutely magical. I also had to opportunity to clean around the lo’i and look forward to working in the lo’i. My children learn about ancient Hawaii in Waipi’o in school and have a deeper appreciation for the place and all the stories that come with it. The thought of future children of hawaiian ancestry only being able to learn about Waipi’o from school (or not learning about it at all) and see and experience the valley themselves is heartbreaking.

Waipi’o is a sacred place. I like to surf and bodyboard, play in the river, build sand castles and skim board on the sand.

As a seasoned traveler, primary care provider, and yoga instructor, I can say that Waipi’o Valley has an undeniable energetic vibration that is healing to the cellular level like no other place I’ve experienced before. Meditating, swimming, running, stretching, and playing on Waipi’o’s black sandy beach with my dog renews my spirit. This energetic reset allows me to emerge restored and helps me to give to and hold space for others in my professional and personal life as well as my community. I believe we can find a middle way in which we can preserve this special aina.

Waipiʻo is important to me in so many ways, but at the top of the list, as an educational resource for raising my son.

It is the most important place in the world to me for accessing the ocean. It is the place where I connect to what is sacred in the land and ocean

The ocean is essential to my well-being. Waipi‘o is my closest and dearest access point.

Waipiʻo has a presence that I feel when I just think of her. The valley walls, towering and pili with clouds at their end; the water-rich basin, gifting the capacity to sustain life like few others; the shifting black sand and boulder shore; the muliwai, where I teach my keiki to fish; and the powerful ocean who’s waves have provided me such joy and rejuvenation. To hold these experiences, and to continue these experiences with my ʻohana and community, is something I will not allow to slip away. I hope our voices come together to craft a future in which Waipiʻo thrives as do the people who love her so dearly.

This is a place of significant meaning to our family. Our children grew up knowing this as a place of connection to land and to the ocean. We have gathered here with our family and friends to surf, fish, pray and spend valuable time with one another. As an educator, I have been able to arrange for my class to help on the lo’i. We now grow taro on our own land in Puna after we learned from the farmers.

Waipi‘o is a place that I have a deep connection to. It has provided me with physical and mental health since I was a kid. Surfing is more to me than just an activity, it is a part of my spirituality and a way of life that keeps me healthy. Waipio is the place I surf the most consistently throughout the year. Along with surfing, it is a place my family and I enjoy spending time together.

Besides being a place of respite for me and my family, Waipi’o Valley continues to be a place for Hawaiians and Aloha ‘Āina to connect both culturally and spiritually. Waipi’o is laden with history and made famous not only for its captivating beauty, but also its long lineage of ali’i who’ve traversed the steep hillsides, as well as the ancient moolelo of Nanaue, Umi, and Kamehameha the Great. By taking away access to such a place—especially from Native Hawaiians— you take away a connection to our culture and eliminate place-based and hands-on learning opportunities that my husband and I use to teach our son about the history of his home and people, as well as limiting ocean access and opportunities for physical and mental health and well-being.

I have surfed for nearly sixty years. If there were a true emergency, I could accept losing this important part of my life, but the report that the closure is based on does not outline an emergency. I have to think that the Mayor did not read the risk assessment in that report but relied on others to interpret it for him. Visitor traffic has become too heavy in recent years and should be regulated.

It is my Family’s place for rejuvenation, comfort and happiness.

This place is so unique in beauty and spirit it makes sense why locals and visitors want to enjoy the valley. This is where my husband grew up and where I want our kids to grow up as well. It’s a place you can always find a family member or friend. It’s where families gather and leave feeling reconnected to the island. It’s a truly beautiful place that will be terribly missed if access is restricted for local residents.

Access to the ocean at Waipi’o is essential to my well being

This closure is a great thing for the valley. Too many people coming and going is what put us into this position. Unfortunately it’s the local surf community that is suffering the consequences of this closure more than anyone else. Please, we humbly ask that you restore access to the local surf community. Offer an annual pass. Weʻd pay a fee and sign a waiver. Get a sticker that allows access to the shoreline and put our entry fees towards fixing the road. Do not allow rentals to drive down ever. Limit the surf passes to around 100 vehicles. The surf community of Waipi’o is a very tight-knit family. We value our access greatly and ask that you consider options that allow our community to remain intact. Thank you for listening.