Wesley Teraoka
It is with great sadness that I learned about the passing of Glenn Yamada, my friend from 1963 in the 7th grade at Kaimuki Intermediate School. I have so many fond memories of my years playing with Glenn from this period of our lives and as we matriculated to high school. As 7th graders, Glenn taught me how to surf at “Baby Queens” in Waikiki. Glenn and I would walk from his house on 22nd Avenue carrying a long board all the way down to Waikiki. It was probably a hand-me-down board from his older brother, Michael. Surfboards were much heavier in those days so Glenn carried the front of the board and I carried the back and we walked from the Salvation Army’s Boys Home on 22nd Avenue next door to Glenn’s house, all the way to Waikiki. We walked up Kilauea Avenue to 18th Avenue, turned left and walked towards Diamond Head, and turned right when we reached Monsarrat Avenue and followed it all the way down past Kapiolani Park and the Honolulu Zoo to the beach at Waikiki. When I recall it now, it was a long walk, barefooted, carrying a surfboard, but we always had fun talking, teasing and laughing the entire way. Sometimes we walked up the steep Kilauea Avenue from 18th Avenue and turned towards Diamond Head on Makapu’u Avenue at Leahi Hospital. It was here that Glenn revealed to me the location of an office in Leahi Hospital’s Maintenance department that had photos of partially naked women on the wall. We always made sure to check-it-out every time we walked that route. Glenn would tease me that I would get “bachi” if I looked too long. We always laughed a lot and ran or tried to look nonchalant and innocent whenever someone walked or drove by.
Glenn was an artist since I met him in the 7th grade. I was astounded at how good he could draw at that age, especially cartoon characters that he created himself. He taught me the rudimentary steps of adding subtle shading to my initial attempts at drawing, simply by using a finger to smudge the lead pencil image. That was probably the only time the art teacher commended me on a drawing; I got good at drawing stone walls.
A bunch of guys (Miles, Darrel, Bradley, Lester, Dwight and Allen) continued surfing through high school at Kalani, but as the years passed, we inevitably moved in different circles of friends. As surfers, we were never good enough, or cool enough to be asked to join one of the premier surf clubs. I still recall that the best surfers at Kalani were members of Kui-O-Hawaii, an exclusive club we revered but knew we would never be a part of, so we created our own clubs. Glenn and three or four friends created “El Guano” and two friends and I created the “Wiggly Riders.”
I also recall fondly that at the end of the school year, just before graduation in 1968, it was a tradition to get your friends to sign their pictures in your high school annual. As was true with others, many people requested that Glenn not only signed, but also drew something in your annual. Everyone knew he could draw and wanted an image to remember.
We are aged now, all of us 71 or 72 years old, yet when I looked at Glenn’s photo, I recognized in his eyes and his smile, the good friend I remember from over 50 years ago who taught me how to surf and draw, and made me laugh. I miss those times; I miss my good friend Glenn Yamada.
Sincerely,
Wesley Teraoka