Off the news: ‘Shaka’ is Hawaii’s new official gesture

As a fitting farewell to the 2024 session, legislators have codified the legal status of “shaka” as the Hawaii state gesture. The characteristic island wave has been adopted in surfer culture, but here we always knew it was really ours.

And although laying claim to things can be contentious — the branding of “poke” and “aloha” come to mind — this assertion feels friendlier. At a time of so much fighting worldwide, the official focus on a gesture that can mean “ain’t no big thing” actually is a big thing.