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1. Get behind the wheel of a Polaris Slingshot and it will feel like you’re getting ready for a real-life version of “Super Mario Kart.”
These street-legal, three-wheeled motorcycles are much more powerful than those rinky-dink, two-seater mopeds you’ve probably seen around Waikiki. You can keep up with traffic on surface streets effortlessly, and the Slingshot can also get up to freeway speeds with no problem.
Rolling down Kalakaua Avenue on a recent weekday, the Slingshot got plenty of attention from tourists and locals alike. But it was even more fun once we got out to Kalanianaole Highway and were able to mash the gas a little more!
While the Slingshot retails for about $20,000 at Montgomery Powersports, 550 N. Nimitz Hwy., you can spend some time behind the wheel by renting one at Slingshot Hawaii in the International Market Place. Look for their kiosk near dining hall The Street and sign up for a 4-hour ($199) or 7-hour ($329) experience, or book online at slingshothawaii.net.
— Jason Genegabus, Star-Advertiser
2. Dad’s pretty unique, and so is a new line of sport shirts, made to order in small batches, from a local company, Unique Clothing by samsstuffkauai.
The founder, Sam Lee, 79, started the manufacturing business out of his Poipu, Kauai, home a year ago. His label specializes in men’s casual shirts, made from soft, jewel-tone linens with custom buttons covered in vintage kimono fabrics ($75, plus $4.45 shipping), or crisp, lightweight cottons in woodblock prints ($65, plus $3.75).
They come in button-down or pullover styles, each one distinctive and cool. Like Dad. And Granddad.
To order, email kauaibonsai@yahoo.com or go to etsy.com/shop/SamsStuffKauai.
— Mindy Pennybacker, Star-Advertiser
3. Revered as a big-wave pioneer, the lone patriarch who decided each year whether the surf met his high standards for the Eddie Aikau Invitational at Waimea Bay, and a dedicated defender of Hawaii’s surf spots and beaches, George Downing, who died in March, was also a beloved dad of three.
Keone Downing, the eldest, said he misses his father’s mentoring and commentary on the boards he now shapes alone at Downing Hawaii, the family’s shop in Kaimuki.
In commemoration and just in time for Father’s Day, he’s designed a new cap with the logo of Save Our Surf, the environmental nonprofit that was his father’s passion for 50 years.
In black or sky-blue cotton, they’re $27.95. Or dad might like, for the same price, but in synthetic material bearing the shop’s logo, a lightweight trucker hat.
These are popular with waterpeople because, “They float. There’s foam inside.” At Downing Hawaii, I learn something every time.
The store is located at 3021 Waialae Ave. or call 737-9696.
— Mindy Pennybacker, Star-Advertiser
4. Over the years, I have struggled with what to get my dad for Father’s Day. He’s gotten the gamut from heartfelt cards to the not-the-most-useful thing ever (think: monogrammed steak branding iron).
Since we live very far apart now, the most meaningful gift I can give him is my time — a catch-up phone call or FaceTime session. But if I were going to get him something, it would be this handsome Tiffany & Co. tread plate money clip. (My dad opts for money clips over wallets.)
Made of sterling silver, the sleek 2.3-inch clip sports a diamond-plate, industrial design while keeping a firm grip on the bills within its clutch. It’s a bit of a splurge at $250, but dads are worth it.
Available at the Ala Moana and Waikiki Tiffany & Co. locations or online at tiffany.com.
— E. Clarke Reilly, Star-Advertiser
“4 Things We Love” is a shortlist of newly discovered stuff you have got to see, hear, wear, use or eat. Please keep in mind that featured products may be in short supply and may not be available at all store locations; prices may vary. Tell us what you are loving by emailing features@staradvertiser.com.
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