FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM Malulani Orton and Adam Mendoza wear designs from Malibu Shirts Vintage Collection, bearing logos of storied local establishments. Surf memorabilia throughout the shop include a 1970 trophy (below) from the Duke Kahanamoku Invitational at Sunset Beach. Mendoza also wears a Primo beer T-shirt ($29). CLICK FOR LARGE

Waikiki surfari

Malibu Shirts displays surf history beside T's

Malibu Shirts celebrates the grand opening of its Waikiki store from 5 to 7 p.m. tomorrow, coinciding with the opening of Waikiki Beach Walk and Honolulu Festival events.

The new boutique specializes in new and vintage surf designs while doubling as a surf museum dedicated to preserving the history and culture of the sport.

FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM Surf memorabilia throughout the shop includes a 1970 trophy from the Duke Kahanamoku Invitational at Sunset Beach. CLICK FOR LARGE

FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM Adam Mendoza wears a Primo beer T-shirt ($29). CLICK FOR LARGE MORE SHOPPING The opening of Waikiki Beach Walk today through Sunday offers a reason to check out its many shops and restaurants, as well as free entertainment. Here's a brief guide to the shops: » Island Pearls: Black Tahitian Pearls and Golden South Seas Pearls » Maui Divers Jewelry: 14K, coral and cut-stone jewelry » Na Hoku: Hawaiian jewelry, including motifs of slippers, palm trees and flora in gold, diamonds and mother-of-pearl » Crazy Shirts: The venerable T-shirt company keeps adding new designs and specialty dyed T-shirts using a variety of sources, from Pale Ale to $165 worth of greenbacks. » Folli Follie: In Italian the name translates as "Crazy Craziness." Featured are affordable, contemporary sterling silver and white gold jewelry. » Volcom: Youth-oriented surf and skate-wear » Oasis Lifestyle: Resort apparel by Tori Richard, Eileen Fisher and Tommy Bahama; jewelry; and home products

FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM Malulani Orton wears a shirt bearing the Hawaiian Coat of Arms ($29), from Malibu Shirts. CLICK FOR LARGE

Malibu Shirts displays surf history beside T's

MALULANI Orton always feels a little miffed when people respond to her job with a ho-hum, "Oh, you work in a T-shirt shop."

"It's so off the mark!" said the manager of Malibu Shirts, who's on an educational mission.

Yes, Malibu Shirts earns its dollars through sales of T-shirts, but the venture began in Malibu, Calif., in 2004, with surfer and collector Denny Moore wanting to share the culture and colorful history of Hawaii and surfing.

T-shirts bearing licensed images of such old-time company logos as those of Wing Coffee Co. and Primo Beer are displayed along with memorabilia and photos, including some featuring pioneering surf photographer Clarence Maki, who's shown with Elvis Presley on the set of "Girls, Girls, Girls" and "Paradise Hawaiian Style" in the 1960s. According to Orton, Maki was the first photographer to mount a camera on a surfboard to get photos from a surfer's perspective.

Orton, a former special-education teacher who also teaches English to Japanese speakers, said the hardest part of education is showing people how to make connections, and that is Malibu Shirts' mission.

"Once you're a teacher, it's in your blood. You're gonna do it anyway," she said. "When I heard about this concept, I had to be a part of it.

"You have to ask yourself, How many Starbucks can we have in Waikiki? Maybe we can't go back to the mom-and-pop stores, but we can have our own oasis in Waikiki, where people can make their own connections, and I feel very good about that."

FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM The 1998 Duke Kahanamoku Lifetime Achievement Award won by Dale Velzy. CLICK FOR LARGE

"The collection and memorabilia is a big reason we started this venture. A lot of this stuff was just sitting somewhere and needed to be shared. It was important for us that this wonderful treasure of a collection has a home in Waikiki, where a lot of it rightfully belongs," he said. "Surfing is getting so popular now, but it's important for us to share its history."

Larger museums might include some surf memorabilia, "but it's just a small aspect," said Mendoza, whose favorite piece is a pair of board shorts signed by 72 surfers representing three generations, from Woody Brown to Kelly Slater. The signatures were collected by Bert Schaar, who started a mission in 1959 to gather the autographs.

People will also see 1960s sweatshirts and T-shirts off the backs of surfers side by side with contemporary replicas, even duplicating the patchy look of missing flocking -- a popular fabric treatment in the 1950s and '60s -- in an old Waikiki Surf Club sweatshirt. A portion of sales from the shirts goes toward the club's mission to "maintain and perpetuate Hawaiian culture through the promotion of Hawaiian amateur water sports."

An "Endless Summer" T-shirt, recalling Bruce Brown's 1966 surf documentary, features faded silk-screen graphics and a ragged neckline. You can also have the option of getting one that looks brand new.

"Our shirts are so comfortable. I get people all the time who say things like, 'My husband never takes his shirt off, he wore it out, so now we gotta get a new one,' " Mendoza said.

Eight-page hang tags that accompany Malibu Shirts' "Vintage" line offer a bit of history about the designs, companies and people behind them.

"A lot of times, people will just be browsing, but they'll learn something about surfing or Hawaiian culture and come back later to take home something that represents what they learned about. That makes their experience much more rewarding," said Mendoza. "For a little T-shirt shack, it's great that we can do that."

FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM Malibu Shirts features surf memorabilia mixed with merchandise. CLICK FOR LARGE ENTERTAINMENT While checking out Waikiki Beach Walk stores, don't forget to take a break to enjoy the free entertainment: TODAY » 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: Puamana performs. » Noon to 3 p.m.: Mana Hawai'i presents instruction in hula, Hawaiian language and lei-making. Repeats tomorrow. » 5 p.m.: Kumu Hula Blaine Kia and his halau present ancient and modern hulas. » 6 p.m.: Raiatea Helm sings selections from her newest album, "Sweet & Lovely." FRIDAY » 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: Hawaiian trio Moon Kahele & Friends perform Hawaiian music, from contemporary to slack key. » 5 p.m.: Tiki Taboo reminisces about the "good times" through music of the islands. » 6 p.m.: Former Miss Aloha Hula Natalie Ai Kamau sings, accompanied by her father, Howard Ai, and performs with her halau, Halau Hula Olana. SATURDAY » 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Honolulu Festival offers a full day of free entertainment with dance and musical troupes from Australia and Japan. Several of Waikiki Beach Walk's new restaurants -- including Roy's Waikiki, Yard House, Holokai Grill and Giovanni Pastrami -- will have food booths. SUNDAY » 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Lewers Street will be closed between Don Ho Lane and Helemuo Road for a block party at Waikiki Beach Walk. Free entertainment and food booths, then watch for the Honolulu Festival parade on Kalakaua Avenue, beginning at 4:30 p.m. A highlight will be the large, colorful Saijo Danjiro float, among many from Japan.