COVER STORY
CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARBULLETIN.COM
Alisa Wishart, left, Nugget and Mary Casey had a fine time at the last party, held at Sheraton Waikiki Sunday.
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Water play
Two local promotion crews keep the heat going with Bacardi's Summer Pool Party
Labor Day weekend traditionally marks the departure of summer, but two local promotional crews are hoping the keep the party going all the way until the end of 2006 and beyond.
Bacardi's Summer Pool Party
Place: Sheraton Waikiki
Time: 1 to 8 p.m. Sept. 3
and Sept. 17
Cover: $2, 21 and over
Online: www.skylinetwo.com
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Not only that, the brains behind SKYLiNE Two and Partymasters Hawaii have figured out how to get both club kids and anti-scenesters off the couch on a Sunday afternoon. Just mix the sun and surf of Kuhio Beach with a little alcohol and a heaping helping of beautiful people and extracurricular activities, and you've got "Bacardi's Summer Pool Party" at the Sheraton Waikiki.
LIKE MANY good ideas, the new quasi-monthly party began as just a vague concept in the minds of Flash Hansen and "Matty Boy" Hazelgrove.
"We have so many ideas for so many parties," Hansen said. "The party that we envisioned in our minds was at a house with a pool in the backyard ... taking the party with your homies, and just doing it for (more) people."
After more than a year of brainstorming, things came together when Justin Yoshino approached the two with a proposal to restart an outdoor party at the Moana Surfrider. When they couldn't get permission to use that hotel's pool, the three didn't have to look far for an alternative venue.
"Not only was the Sheraton the ideal venue, but it was also the venue that we preferred to work with because we have a track record with them," said Hansen, referring to SKYLiNE and its incredibly successful residence at the Hanohano Room on the first and third Saturday of every month. "We thought they had the best layout."
While some have described the pool party as a knockoff of similar ones in Miami and Las Vegas, Hansen points out the house-party influence that originally motivated them. Then he admits to visiting Duke's in the Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach and wanting to have something similar to offer to those in their 20s and 30s.
"We went to Duke's at their peak (one Sunday), and everybody there was over 40," Hansen said. "And (Henry) Kapono was playing 'Stairway to Heaven.' We asked, 'How can we do something like that?'"
CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARBULLETIN.COM
For some folks, like Sylvia Cuyugan, front, and Sara Anthony, the event was a chance to kick back.
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DURING THE first two parties in July and August, an average of 800 people have come through to lounge poolside, play volleyball on the grass and meet new people.
With free parking (valet too!) and an affordable $2 cover charge, the pool party attracts those without a lot of money left at the end of the weekend. At the same time, several VIP cabanas are available starting at $150, including such freebies as Bacardi-branded towels, slippers, T-shirts, visors and playing cards.
Having a daytime alternative to the group's nightlife offerings has only helped broaden the promoters' reach.
"We found that if we do these SKYLiNE parties a couple times a month or the pool party a couple of times a month ... it keeps it special," Hansen said. "We have something going on every weekend, but things get kind of spread out."
Yoshino sees the pool party as a way to attract the type of crowd looking for a party no matter what day it is.
"The people that go out on Sunday, they don't care that they gotta go to work on Monday," he said. "It's also good for those people who went really hard on Friday, had to recover on Saturday ... and need one more day to party!"
CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARBULLETIN.COM
DJ SubZero of the Stone Groove Family provided entertainment at last week's party.
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BACK TO TOP
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A few rules to be cool
for the pool
All good pool parties follow a few basic guidelines. Hansen and Yoshino shared their thoughts on a few of them:
Rule No. 1: Wear the right attire
Hansen: "Everybody's wearing exactly what they wear to the beach. At the most, you'll get people wearing shorts and a T-shirt. That's about as dressed up as it's going to get. Dude, it's a pool party! Take your shirt off and jump in the water, you know?"
Yoshino: "We're seeing more people in their swimsuits at each party. At the same time we're also trying to tell people that it's not a requirement, but it's catching on. I think it's going to get some people motivated to get in the gym."
Hansen: "Half the reason we do it is because it forces Matty and I to get some sun and get out of the house. Otherwise we might just be laying on the couch with a hangover."
Rule No. 2: Order the right drink
Yoshino: "It's important to have the right cocktail. It's kind of like the dress attire. You gotta be dressed right, you gotta have the right cocktail and you gotta be with the right people."
Hansen: "Once you get outside, you're ... stoked. You're seeing boobies, you're playing volleyball with your friends, you eat a hot dog and then you go jump in the ocean and take a swim. And we're all drinking!"
Yoshino: "And the right cocktail would definitely be the mojito. We've made that drink famous here in Hawaii (on Sundays). You should see the huge box of mint leaves these guys have to bring in now."
Rule No. 3: Bring the right crowd
Hansen: "We've only done two parties, so it's hard to say who the pool party crowd really is. So far, it's pretty much been who we expected it to be ... people from all the different club niches."
Yoshino: "The crowd is actually really nice. It's kind of evolving. There's no other party where you're outdoors in the sun and there's so much to see and do. We have a few cocktails and we get to see each other and hang out. And it's not like it's every week, so people really look forward to it."
Hansen: "And we don't want to deter the tourists. That's going to be a big part of the overall success of the party. Having the fresh faces ... it's the same reason locals keep going to Duke's. There's always that chance of some new action going on."