Daddy's Home!

That's Ed Parker with Dennis Conatser at Hanauma Bay, Hawaii in 1986 or 87. I like this photo because it shows him at home on his island. I have another one that I love of him alone, looking over the bay. I chose this one for you because you can see his face. The other one has his back to the camera but I know it's him because I took it.
I like these pictures a lot because I can vividly imagine what is going through his mind.
Hanauma Bay is not far from where he had a house on the island of Oahu that his daughter, Yvonne, and her family were living. It's a distance from where he grew up in Kalihi , but I'm sure he had lots of memories of the beach and the water there at the bay. I left him alone to muse for a few minutes as I took the shots so he could enjoy those memories. And I enjoy remembering that time.
We were on the way back to the US from our first trip to Australia. We had decided to stay in the Honolulu area for a few days. Frank Trejo and I shared a room at a local hotel on Waikiki, as did Dennis and his wife.
We did a bit of touring, and Frank and I did a lot of drinking. It was quite a sight to see Trejo strolling down Prince Kalakaua avenue in his jams and sunglasses. He had gotten quite tan, and even the locals thought he was an island boy. When we went down to Hanauma Bay, where the snorkeling is excellent, we walked over to a place called The Toilet Bowl. The bowl is a lava tube on the far side of an outcropping of the bay. The tube eroded through on top, so when the waves come in and out the tube empties and fills, much like a toilet bowl. I wonder what they called it before we had toilets. You can sit in it, like a hot tub, and about the same size, and ride the flushes. Frank managed to come up with a $10 bill during one of the flushes. That's Trejo.
It was a nice stay, and an opportunity to see the "Old Man" at home. By the way, the term "Old Man" is not one of disrespect. It is commonly used in the Navy to refer to the captain of the ship. It is a term for someone in a capacity of responsibility, decision-making, possessed of wisdom, and of respect.
I was recently sent an e-mail that addressed the term and refuted the fact that Ed Parker was an "old man" back in the 60's. I think they missed the point. And I miss the "Old Man."