Motley crew: (From right to left) Melvin Pu'u, Tony Caramaico, Jimmy Buffett, and Titus Kinimaka came out to celebrate the book publishing. Jeff Divine recaps his book signing party in the Hamptons.
Words and photos by Jeff Divine. Every summer Herbie and Dibi Fletcher fly back to the East Coast to hobnob with their friends the Bruce Weber's and Julian Schnabels. Our inside joke when we see each other is for me to ask the question "Heeeyyy, been to any lawn parties lately?" Finally this summer I was the one going to East Hampton for a lawn party and book signing for my new Seventies surf book, set up by the guys at Quiksilver Edition. My wife Julie and Barrett Tester of Quiksilver Edition were my chaperones. Esteemed Hawaiian waterman and musicians Titus Kinimaka and Mel Pu'u provided music for the party, and performed on Plum TV, a New York based morning talk show that I also appeared on as a guest. Mel, developer of the rescue sled, and Titus, a big wave guru, are some of the most important (and famous) watermen in our sport. Titus was joined by wife Robyn and two daughters Maluhia and Mainei, and Mel kept continuous contact with his family back in Makaha. The Ditch Plains, New York locals were honored that we had all come to their little slice of paradise. Titus and Mel paddle-surfed up and down the local break, introducing the locals to a sport that Titus indulges in five hours a day back home. The parking lot crowd had the vibe of a Sunday at San Onofre. Jimmy Buffett, Tony and Charolotte Caramaico , Bubba, Jeff Esposito, Allen Weisbecker, The Bathhursts, Fireman Dave, Jim Goldberg, Barrett Tester, Joel Tudor with wife Maya and son Tosh, Lee Beihler, Bettina and Thomas Stelle, Mike Ramos, the Engstom sisters and more all schmoozed after a fun day of surf. As guests on Plum TV the Hawaiian musicians set up on the large grassy area while gourmet food sizzled on the nearby barbecue, and I was interviewed on the program to promote my Seventies surf book.Titus laughed as the interviewer asked what the Hawaiian song meant that he and Mel had been playing. It really was about "blue balls" but Titus couldn't exactly describe that on TV. We all laughed hard as he joked to Mel "Now there will be some eighty year old Hawaiian man, who happened to marry a princess in East Hampton, who will come up to us at the lawn concert and give us a scolding about the song we sang on the morning talk show !" The lawn party started at 5 pm sharp, and the crowd gathered 200 strong. Everyone who had anything to do with the days surfing, and friends of friends were all there. A hush fell over the crowd as the music started, and all listened intently. Families sat on the lawn, Dad's and Mom's sipped wine, dogs roamed, babies played, surfers grooved; it was beautiful. When the performance was over Titus high-fived Mel, proclaiming the night as one of their best concerts. The Vibe was still strong as we ended it all with a grand dinner at the nearby Blue Parrott Restaurant. My first lawn party had ended. Back to reality... Click here for more information about the event at the QuikSilverEdition Website |
