This oral history interview is a project of the Historical Committee of the Outrigger Canoe Club. The legal rights of this material remain with the Outrigger Canoe Club. Anyone wishing to reproduce it or quote at length from it should contact the Historical Committee of the Outrigger Canoe Club. The reader should be aware that an oral history document portrays information as recalled by the interviewee. Because of the spontaneous nature of this kind of document, it may contain statements and impressions that are not factual.
An interview by Paul A. Dolan
October 26, 2005
I am Paul Arthur Dolan (PAD), a member of the Outrigger Canoe Club’s Historical Committee. For sometime the Committee has been conducting oral interviews of prominent members of our Club. Today, it is my pleasure to interview Dr. Malia Kiku Pietsch Kamisugi, DDS, MSD, (MKK) an outstanding athletic member of the Outrigger Canoe Club. This oral history is the last in a series of four interviews of women who surfed from the 1940’s to the present. We are in the Duke Room of the Club on a beautiful Hawaiian day.
PAD: Good morning, Malia.
MKK: Good morning, Paul.
PAD: Let’s start with your family. How did you get here? Where were you born and to whom?
MKK: I was born at Kapiolani Hospital on September 26, 1972 to my parents Dr. Arthur Tadao Kamisugi and Lydie (she just goes by “Libbie”, but it’s her middle name) Marion Libbie Kamisugi. My Mom is originally from Chicago and my Dad was born and raised in Wahiawa. His parents were orchid farmers in Wahiawa. He went to Punahou, graduating in 1962 and to Indianapolis, Indiana for school finishing his undergraduate in ’66, dental in ’70, and orthodontics in ‘72. He is an orthodontist in Honolulu. He has been practicing orthodontics in Honolulu since 1972, when I was born.
When he returned to Hawaii he was only home on break, still in school. My Mom actually went to Indiana University, also, but they didn’t meet there. He met my mother out surfing He was on a break from school, and she was working on her masters in child psychology at UH, when they met out in the water at Haleiwa. They subsequently moved back to Indiana so he could finish school, where my Mom was a professor at IUPUI {Indiana University/Purdue University at Indiana). They returned to Hawaii when he finished school and my Mom became a realtor. They got married in Indiana in June of 1968 and had a local reception at Dot’s in Wahiawa. They had my older brother Todd while my Dad was finishing school in Indiana
My older brother is Todd Hazen Kamisugi (Hazen was my grandpa’s name). and my younger brother is Cullen “Cully” Russell Kamisugi, named after Cully Judd. My younger brother is eighteen months younger and my older brother is eighteen months older. My older brother was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. My parents then moved home to Honolulu and my father opened his practice the same year I was born. My Mom does a lot of real estate development and consulting.
PAD: That’s outstanding. How about your education?
MKK: I went to Punahou, a 13-year club member, kindergarten through 12th grade. I then went off to the University of California at Irvine for a little while and then bumped around colleges. I went to the University of Hawaii-Manoa and back to UC-Irvine and then back to UH-Manoa. I eventually did my dental and orthodontic training at the University of the Pacific in San Francisco, finishing my dental in 1998 and my orthodontics in 2000.
PAD: You are employed?
MKK: I’ve been practicing orthodontics since 2000. I have an office in Kailua and one in town. I share a practice with my Dad in town and I’m by myself in Kailua.
PAD: That’s a great career that you are in. How did you get interested in the Club?
MKK: I joined when I was twelve years old at the same time as my brothers. A bunch of my friends joined at the same time and we all started paddling. I first paddled in the twelve and under crew. I’ve stuck with it ever since. I just did my fourteenth Molokai to Oahu Wahine O Ke Kai. (laughter)
PAD: Fourteen! I did it once (1955) and it took me three days to recover due to only two substitutions. Four of us made it all the way. We also departed from Kawakiu Nui Bay, just east of Ilio Point. How about listing the years and how you placed?
MKK: For the Na Wahine O Ke Kai they are as follows (that I can recall):
Year Place
2005 3rd Place
2004 2nd Place
2003 2nd Place
2002 4th Place
2001 3rd Place
2000 4th Place
1997 4th Place
1996 7th Place
1994 3rd Place
1993 2nd Place
1992 1st Place
1991 3rd Place
Other long-distance races I’ve participated in are as follows:
Year Catalina Canoe Race Queen Liliuokalani Race
(U. S. Championships) (World’s Largest Canoe Race)
2005 (Pokai-4th) 1st-Koa Division
2004 (Pokai-1st) 2nd
2003 2nd
2002 3rd 4th
2001 2nd 2nd
2000 4th 4th
1997 1st (coed)
1994 1st 1st
1993 1st 1st
1992 2nd 1st
1991 2nd
PAD: Again, an outstanding achievement. How about volleyball?
MKK: I played volleyball in high school. I didn’t play in college. I thought about it, but I was kayaking at the time.
PAD: Did you play in tournaments at the Club?
MKK: No, just regular beach volleyball with my friends. I did compete in the “Daddy Haine” 4-person tournament in 2000 and my team ended up winning. I also competed in the 1993 Jose Cuervo Beach Volleyball Championships and placed 2nd in the coed division.
PAD: Commendable! Now you have a number of activities that you do. Can you name a few?
MKK: I am very active in paddling. I was on the national team for kayaking for five years in the early 1990’s. Let’s see, I surf, mountain bike, sail, SCUBA and free dive, fish, foil board, wind surf, tow-in surf, anything to do with the ocean, really.
PAD: Malia, are you presently married?
MKK: I am. I married a year ago on May 1st to Michael Pietsch, Jr. He is also one of the Club “rats” having been around forever. He is Warren Ackerman’s (member #4) God son.
PAD: Is Mike involved in Club sports?
MKK: Mike has paddled, but not active right now. He is more an avid surfer and fisherman.
PAD: So you’re left to do whatever you want? (laughter) MKK: Pretty much.
PAD: No kids?
MKK: No kids, only four dogs.
PAD: Tell us about your kayaking. What events have you entered and the results?
MMK: Kayaking was during a really impressionable time in my life and I was able to gain so many great memories and experiences through it. A particularly memorable time was in 1989 at the Junior World Sprints in Nova Scotia, Canada. The “Iron Curtain” was still up at the time and experiencing that was unforgettable—and really inexplicable to younger people who were brought up after the Cold War ended. The KGB kept an eye on their people every time they tried to talk to us to make sure they didn’t defect. Really wild!
- I was a 5-time National Team Member;
- Netted over 20 gold medals at National competitions, along with numerous silver and bronze;
- 1991, 1989-on the U.S. Olympic Sports Festival “West” Team member- medaling in numerous divisions;
- 1991-Pan American Team Member;
- 1989-“Most Valuable Female Paddler” at National Championships;
- 1989-U. S. International Kayak Team Member
- 1988-“Sportmanship Award” at National
In addition, I competed in the following surfski, kayak/one-man canoe:
- 1994-Kanaka Ikaika Molokai to Oahu Challenge (World Championship) 2nd place;
- 1998-Molokai to Oahu one-man relay – 1st
PAD: Bravo! Presently, what is your most avid sport?
MKK: We just finished the paddling season, lasting six months of the year, taking up a good amount of time. Now, we’re heading into the big-wave season, which is from November to March. That’s when there are big storms in the North Pacific which sends some monster surf on the North Shore. We actually had our first tow-in session on Sunday (Oct. 23rd) for an early start for the winter season.
PAD: What about this foil boarding you do?
MKK: In foil boarding you wear snow boots clamped on to a board which is atop of a metal hydrofoil. You’re towed behind a Wave Runner and you’re actually being lifted up (hydroplaned) about 4-feet above the water.
We first started doing it as an adjunct to the tow-in surfing as a training method. It’s actually a lot of fun. I can actually surf on a foil although I try to avoid the “white water” as much as possible. It’s a big blade under the water. (I’d be scared of being cut in half if I fell) My goal someday would be to try to ride the waves in the Kaiwi Channel. You can really ride the swells for a long time and it’s just beautiful. You’re floating above the water, and it’s very calm and dead silence and one can actually let go of the rope and ride the ocean swells and does not have to be towed. The foil locks into the swell and rides it like a regular wave. It’s a really, really neat feeling.
PAD: Malia, you really need counseling! (laughter) Yeh! It sounds great. What a rush it must be. How about for tow-in surfing? Tow-in surfing has been around for about ten years or so. What are the best times to do tow-in surfing?
MKK: The best conditions are in the winter season between November and March, usually when the waves are the biggest. A lot of guys will run off to Maui to surf at Jaws. I personally have no desire to surf there, because I think it has gotten a little crazy. We just lurk around the outer reefs of the North Shore and it’s really fun. My brother “Cully” is my tow-in partner. My older brother is now learning how to do it. Cully and Todd just placed 2nd in the first annual Haleiwa tow-in championships in March, 2005. Cully and I had entered in when they attempted to run it in January, but they stopped it due to hazardous conditions. We were in the first heat, and everyone said I caught the biggest wave of the day. Unfortunately,I was on a snowboarding trip in March when they re-ran it, so Todd went with Cully instead of me.
PAD: The Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation (DBOR) of the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) have adopted rules on tow-in surfing about two years ago on July 5th 2003. The rules cover areas such as the north and west shores of Oahu, north, east and south shores of Kauai, and the northeast portion of Maui.
MKK: It became effective last year. It was the first year that a decal had to be displayed on the towing “thrill craft” (jet ski, wave runner, etc). The certification is more of a formality to regulate the number of people participating in the sport at one instant. All participants in tow-in surfing are required to attend a certification course that covers various aspects of safety, first aid, rules of the road, courtesy, responsible boating and to avoid accidents in high-wave conditions.
PAD: How does DBOR evidence the completion of the certification course?
MKK: One receives a license, along with registering one’s “thrill craft” with a special “T” sticker, renewable yearly. It is one more way for DLNR enforcement officers to identify licensed tow-in craft at the ramps and in the authorized tow-in surfing areas. It also hypothetically helps to control “out-of-town bozos” that come in and cut people off and are potentially dangerous, which may or may not happen.
PAD: In a news article published in the Honolulu Advertiser on October 6, 2005, by Mike Leidemann in reference to the certification process you stated: “I think they (instructors) help a lot of people.” “A lot of the people in the class are good surfers but not really boat people or safe ocean people. The focus of the class is on ocean safety and risk management.”
In reference to the enforcement of the tow-in rules, you stated: “It’s still kind of crazy out there, especially on smaller days when it can get pretty crowded in some sports, but those are the times when people can get a chance to get out and learn when the situation is not so crucial. Prior to the regulations, anybody could just go out…”
There’s a wave height in the rules. How high to how high? What’s the minimum height that one is allowed to tow-in surf? (Note: The measurements of wave heights have change in recent years. Previously a wave was measured from the back of the wave. Now, measurement is from the face of the wave.)
MKK: I still use the “old” wave height measurement. When the “High Surf Warnings” are posted by the National Weather Service, the waves are eight feet or more on the south shore and ten to twelve feet on the North Shore.
PAD: On the south shore one has problems with thrill craft being restricted. Only offshore the Reef Runway and the Ewa Beach areas are authorized.
MKK: Yes, the south shore is off limits except for the Reef Runway and Ewa Beach areas…
PAD: Do you find the rules restrictive?
MKK: Not particularly. The most restrictive parts of the rules are when hump back whales are concerned. It makes it illegal in certain areas. The whales are smarter than that. They are not going where the waves are breaking. This would be the only part of the rules that are restrictive.
PAD: OK, Malia. I understand you have another activity you engaged in. MKK: Windsurfing! It was my sport since high school.
PAD: Holy smokes! You are not into kite surfing at this time. Where do you windsurf?
MKK: Mostly, at Diamond Head.
PAD: On Kona wind days Maunalua Bay is jumping with both activities. All of this talent is outstanding.
MKK: It makes for a crowded garage with all the equipment. (laughter) PAD: With all of your activities, when do you find time to work? (laughter) MKK: I work more than the average female orthodontist nationally, yeah!
PAD: I’ll be darned. Are you practicing at mid-night?
MKK: No, it’s great profession. I love it. It’s fun to see the changes in patients, building their confidence and changes in their smiles, etc. It’s very rewarding.
PAD: Are your brothers as active as you are?
MKK: At least as active. My younger brother Cully is my tow-in partner and we actually play a lot. We do a lot of SCUBA diving. My older brother likes to play guitar and also plays in the ocean with us.
PAD: How about karate or tae kwan do? (laughter)
MKK: We all took jujitsu for awhile. I would like to start doing it again, but it’s very difficult to find time in my schedule. I want to get into body surfing more. Not so much body boarding. Mike Stewart took my husband Mike and me to Point Panic (west side of Kewalo Basin channel) about two weeks ago to body surf and we had a blast. I’ve got to start doing that more. It’s just you and your fins.
PAD: Point Panic is restricted to body surfing only, but lots of guys come across of the east side of the channel and surf with boards. They get cited by DOCARE (Division of Conservation and Resource Enforcement).
Do you know of all the surfs around the Island of Oahu?
MKK: Some.
PAD: Have you seen that map that was put out on recently by a mainland outfit and sold in Long’s.
MKK: Yes, my Dad is pictured on it as a long board surfer.
PAD: Really! Holy smokes! I have one of the maps that I gave to the Historical Committee for reference purposes. We also have it displayed on the bulletin board at the Club. When it was first put up guys were wishing it had never been displayed. None of them want anyone to know where all the surfs are located.
MKK: I can’t reveal where I surf. It’s top secret.
PAD: Well, in my time (40’s and 50’s) it was Waikiki and Makaha for the places to surf. Waimea Bay came about in the late 50’s. Diamond Head….We wouldn’t go because it was beneath our dignity. We also used to go to China Wall at Koko Head. Does your husband participate in your activities?
MKK: Yes he does. He goes diving with us. He is getting into free diving (only mask, snorkel and fins). He does a lot of fishing (trolling) and is a very avid surfer. That would be his main sport. He played water polo in high school and college.
PAD: Where did he go to school?
MKK: Punahou and then to Boston College, majoring in marketing. Now he and his sisters are starting a franchise restaurant called WAHOO’S FISH TACOS. They are locating in the Ward complex. My Dad is a crazy fisherman. He just purchased a new boat called Mahalo which is a 43-foot Hatteras. He’s just like a little kid in a toy store. He’s got every instrument and gadget he ever wanted.
PAD: Now, he can load all you guys aboard and go to the neighbor islands to go surf, wind surf and fish. Just pick your day and weather conditions. On another matter, have you held office or served on committees?
MKK: I have not served on committees or an office at OCC. I am presently on the Board of Directors of the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation (ODKF) since 2004. I am the chairperson on the Grants and Scholarship Committee. I will also be ODKF Secretary in 2006. I am also currently the president of the Honolulu County Dental Society and have been on that Executive Council since 2000. I am also president-elect of the Honolulu Society of Orthodontists.
PAD: Do you know of other women that are water ladies?
MKK: Plenty of them – All the girls I paddle with. Nowadays, there are more ladies surfing out at Tonggs (by OCC) than men on average. A lot of ladies these days make me feel lazy.
PAD: What do you think of the Club and its facilities?
MKK: It’s a great facility. Really makes working out and getting in the ocean easy. It also provides a great avenue for adult athletics. When you think about it, paddling is the only adult team sport I can think of in the world that we can train and compete with coaching, etc. like we were in college. Then the Club is also perfect for getting good food in a beautiful setting. I’d rarely come down to the Waikiki area otherwise, because of the tourists and parking shortage. I also like it for fancy dinners in the back rooms. In fact, I’ve had a number of my dental meeting dinners here lately and it’s been perfect.
PAD: What amenities do you like the best?
MKK: I use the snack bar all the time. Try to play beach volleyball at least once a week, and of course, paddle. We get down to dinner on the Hau Terrace or Koa Lanai about once a month or so. Wish it were easier to get a surfboard locker; been on the list for at least two years now.
PAD: That’s outstanding. My tape is going to run out. It’s been a pleasure interviewing you and learning about all your water activities. You’re just a “water lady.” This oral history will be one of the more interesting ones, numbering sixty-seven to date since 1963. Mahalo Malia!
MKK: Thank you, Paul and aloha.
PAU!