Stories of Rell Sunn: Queen of Makaha

RELL SUNN: ANOTHER GIFT FROM THE SEA...In 1955, Anne Morrow Lindberg, the wife of famed aviator Charles Lindberg, wrote her eloquent `Gift from the Sea', a book reflecting her sometimes painful but illuminating experiences of being a woman in the modern world. As I sit here, reflecting back on all the beauty and pathos that are to be found in that exquisite volume, my thoughts immediately turn to another `gift from the sea', legendary Hawaiian heroine Aunty Rell Sunn.Like so many others who have belatedly come to fiercely admire Roella Kapolioka'ehukai Sunn, I was never blessed by the favor of knowing her personally. As a child of the 50s and 60s, my first association with so much of what would later be a solid part of my own life...respect for the ocean, love of nature and awe for the marvelous natural bounty of our home planet...began in high school when my peers and I were caught up in the resurgence of mana he'e nalu (surfing) that emerged on the mainland in the late 50s. We may have been immature little male savages, but we sensed a kinship with the ocean even then.Although I was sadly destined to be one of the world's least graceful and most uncoordinated of malihini longboarders, the weekend trips my buddies and I made to the Central Coast beaches of Pismo, Avila, Morro Bay and Cayucos planted the seed of my vast respect for the oceans we have all evolved from. Before long, that early love and respect had expanded to embrace marine biology, oceanography and all the related scientific and literary aspects of the sea. More gifts from the sea.Like most of those born in my generation, the so-called `baby boomers', the tragedy of Vietnam severely interrupted the natural flow of events in my own life, so by the time I had emerged from all of the turbulence that that war had thrust unwelcomed in my face, my passionate love for the ocean had been disrupted to the extent that I didn't even learn of Rell until well after she had lost her protracted battle with breast cancer (in January of 1998). And predictably, like so many of us XY chromosome types, my earliest awareness of her took form in my puerile recognition that she was this most achingly beautiful wahine...and a surfer, as well!As my awareness of her grew and likely at least partly due to my academic interests in history, I began developing a much broader awareness of the immensely rich and ancient Hawaiian heritage that Rell derived from. Before I knew it, I found myself exhaustively immersed in the history, culture and rich social matrix of the Hawaiian kanaka maoli (the indigenous Hawaiian people), a people whose entire existence is inextricably linked to the oceans that surround their aina (in this context, their home). As my knowledge of ancient Hawaiian culture grew, so did my interest in Rell Sunn, who it seemed to me was an extremely favorable manifestation of all the best aspects, both Hawaiian and non-Hawaiian, that characterise modern Hawaii. Among other things, it was clear that Rell perfectly typified the long-existing precedent of harmonious racial diversification that today so characterises present-day Hawaii, with her Chinese-Hawaiian-Irish ancestral roots. Consequently, my regard for all things Hawaiian (Rell included) grew tremendously, although even as a medical professional I had initial difficulty getting my mind around the fact that this beautiful person had been taken from us prematurely by cancer.Very recently, a very old and dear friend of mine lost her own battle to the ravages of terminally advanced breast cancer. Like Rell, she was an amazingly vibrant, ever curious and engagingly fascinating person to be around, continually excited in all the possibilities and always firmly living in real-time, second-by-second, minute-by-minute life. Sharing my friend's life, and ultimately her passing as well, brought me even closer to Rell's amazing story in that I could now, despite being a man, better understand and appreciate what it is that brings out the best in individuals faced by the implacable adversity of a terrible affliction like breast cancer.OK, I will readily confess my bias up front: I regard Rell Sunn as second only to the immortal Duke Kahanamoku in terms of serving as a singular exemplar of the traditional Hawaiian spirit of `aloha', but that hasn't kept me from objectively recognizing that Greg Ambrose's beautifully wrought paean to Auntie Rell (`Stories of Rell Sunn: Queen of Makaha', Bess Press, ISBN-13: 978-157306-3234, 2010) is a wonderfully fitting and very moving testament to Rell's transcendently beautiful soul and the good works that sprang from it thereof. And like Ron Mizutani, in remarking in this book on how his initial crush on this `goddess' finally bloomed into the rarest of personal friendships, my initial fascination with Rell the beautiful woman quickly evolved into the most profound respect for her as a whole and incredibly unique human being.Greg's book pulls no punches. This collection of deeply personal insights into Auntie Rell and the miracle of her not-to-be denied exuberance with living...a joy she shared selflessly and inexhaustively throughout her prematurely brief life...by Rell's hoalohas (close friends) and `ohana (family) reveals much, not least that Rell was as human as you and I. She did all things with a fierce joy and took the greatest pleasure in sharing all of the myriad delights she discovered in the world with everyone around her, sometimes with a wry, teasing sense of humor, sometimes with a serious tone of stern authority, but always based upon a foundation of true love and supportive concern for all around her. Even when her condition had advanced to the point where the pain was unending, she put the very best possible face on and continued, between the frequent waves of intense illness, to share her great resources of love and joy with others. If that isn't the truest, most profound essence of Hawaiian `mana' and `aloha spirit', nothing is!One of the most moving realisations that arise from going through Greg's collection of stories about Auntie Rell is that one of her greatest assets was her lifelong connection to the child within, that endless fascination with and curiosity about everything that characterises the child-like state of grace most of us sadly leave in our distant past. This quality registered, either consciously or unconsciously, on all who knew Auntie Rell, but most importantly it enabled her to connect solidly and deeply with the keiki (children) and adolescents who looked to her as a sort of combination mother, teacher, instructor, and play leader. Her spirit of playfulness was almost legendary in its own right.I don't mean to infer that Rell was supra-human or that she was completely perfect, since none of us are. Quite the contrary, she made as many mistakes and suffered as much ordinary Weltschmertz learning what it is to be an actualized individual as any of us in her earlier life, but after the discovery of her affliction in 1983 at age 33, instead of folding up in a posture of meek obeisance to the cruel ogre of cancer, the indomitable nature of her Hawaiian koa (warrior) heritage simply refused to yield without a determined battle, a quality that counts high among the truest and noblest Hawaiian virtues of the spirit.Rell Kapoloioka'ehukai Sunn remains today, despite having crossed over to Kalani (`the heavens') in 1998, a role model not just for the Hawaiian people, but for all people everywhere, since every act of her entire life evinced the sort of unbounded love for all creation that religions have been trying to instill in people since the concept of gods first dawned on primitive proto-humans. Even in the last phase of her life, when the throes of irrepressibly childlike fears that lurk deep within all of us threatened to engulf her, she instinctively diverted her focus away from herself and towards others with even more ferocity, engaging and encouraging them exuberantly in the singularly splendid aura of her loving, supportive joy of life, as much as possible to the very end.I can't be too critical of Greg's book, since he has done such a commendable job of collecting this small treasury of stories from Rell's life (not an easy task, since so many still have a highly protective regard for Rell's memory), but if I had one, it would be that only briefly is the deeply empathetic friendship she shared with Israel `Iz' Kamakawiwo'ole mentioned. This is unfortunate, since Rell and Iz faced the certainty of their imminent decline together in a way that may only be guessed at. Regardless of this, the overall tone of love...and above all, the deepest possible heartfelt respect...that Rell's endless extended `ohana offered up to her in these personal accounts that Greg has collected is undeniable. This all comes through with the crystal clarity of that perfect final Hawaiian sunset that Rell swam out to sea in, on her final journey from the shores of her beloved Makaha. I like to think that, perfectly reflecting the title of Anne Morrow Lindberg's evocative book, Auntie Rell was truly another gift from the sea...Aloha mai e, Rell, e mahalo nui loa, Greg! Dis book one da kine, eh! Garans!

I became aware of Rell through an article in the San Francisco Chronicle, where I quickly was enchanted by her beauty, both physical and in spirit. I then came to Amazon where I read "Doc's" review which sealed it for me. I had to have this book and learn more about this lady. I found the educational fund web site, ordered a copy of the book through Amazon to learn more about the "Queen of Makaha." My wife was born and raised in Hawaii (Nuuanu), where we met and fell in love. The islands and the Aloha spirit will captivate a person who comes in contact with it. We still have property in Maui and Oahu and get back there often. Rell personified all that is good about Hawaii and this book expresses that in part. Heartfelt and personal, the stories and remembrances shared are well worth the cost of purchase and provide a much great enrichment and value to the reader. Be sure and go to the Rell Sunn web site and support the ongoing legacy of the beautiful soul known as Rell Sunn. I wrote the following verse for her:Queen of MakahaRell Kapolioka'ehukai SunnYou lived your lifeTo the fullest and bestLifting up othersYou touched and blessedAloha maidenGift from the seasYour grace and beautyThe greatest of theseMother and sisterLover and friendYour goodness continuesAnd shall not endLike stars that shineIn the sky aboveYour light lives onIn the ones you loveQueen of MakahaHeart of the seaRiding your wavesIn eternityWe love you and miss youAnd long for the dayTo see you againIn ka lani (the heavens) we prayAloha nui loa a hui hou

Rell is one of the greatest contemporary Hawaiians. Amazon lacks the video/dvd called *Heart of the Sea* on Rell Sunn. It's an inspiring story of champion female surfer and her aloha in the face of breast cancer. You can purchase online from Swell Cinema. You'll live a fuller life if you learn about the queen of Makaha

Great

Great and a good buy.

Everyone should read this ....very inspirational...one of Aloha and Courage !

good

Must read, I met Rell while learning to surf at Dukes. She was so full of encouragement and she always had a smile on her face, full of Aloha.Amazing woman.