How to execute a "Pau Hana Beer"
The beer aisle at Food Land gets especially busy right before dark. And there’s a reason for that: what sounds like “a nice thing to do after work to end the day” has a name in Hawaii and is put into practice every sunset and it’s called Pau Hana Time.
And sure, many places try to execute the Pau Hana Time themselves, but it’s in Hawaii, where sand texture, lighting, humidity, temperature, breeze, boardshorts, bikinis, flowers, slippers and ice cold cans of beer hula in a way that borders on the sublime. Here’s how to execute:
Make a mad dash to Food Land (or your fridge if you’re stocked) and pick up a pack of your favorite icy lagers. Best kept light and crispy. Be sure to grab your board — you’re going to need three waves before dark to earn a proper Pau Hana beer — and a little eski cooler to keep them icing while you pack in your mini session. A backpack with a small trash bag inside will suffice in a pinch, but make the investment on a cooler, have some pride man!
Now, get down to the beach and execute your three waves. You gotta get three — and they need to be at least 4s on your own judging scale. But make it quick, you need to give yourself a full 15 minutes before sunset to make this proper. After you get your scores, sprint to the car to get those icy brews. If you can see the sunset from there, stack that tailgate and enjoy. If you can’t, grab the bag and get down to the sand for full enjoyment.
The Hawaiian sunset will take it from there. And as simple as this sounds, when you execute it correctly, you’ll know. And it will be different than a sunset beer. It’ll be Pau Hana Time. —Brandon Guilmette
