Kahuku is a small town on Oahu’s northeastern coast, between
Laie and Turtle Bay. Even though you can hardly find it
on a map, there are still things to do here. Like shrimp?
Then Kahuku is the place to go. Here you’ll find numerous
shrimp trucks parked alongside the main street (Kamehameha
highway) that runs through the town. There are several shrimp
farms that raise the shrimp right there. One of the most
popular is Giovanni’s. You can’t miss the old white truck
right on the road. Their shrimps taste great and you can
choose from three different flavors – scampi (with garlic),
with lemon and butter, or spicy. Each dish comes with two
scoops or rice and currently costs $12.
Kahuku’s high school students have made a name for themselves.
Kahuku High School is ranked nationally in the U.S. for
football and in 2007 was second in the nation to De La Salle
High School of Concord, CA, for the most active NFL players
from a single high school. Besides producing football champions,
Kahuku High School students have also won titles in track
and field, wrestling, basketball, water polo, volleyball
and judo. They also do well in academics and the arts.
Other students at Kahuku High who are not athletes have
placed in the top ten spots in the U.S. in academic contests,
such as History Day and We the People. The school’s choir
Vocal Motion constantly sweeps competitions at national
venues. Other students have won the photography portfolio
category in the Scholastic Arts competition, which is the
state’s most competitive art contest for high school students.
All in all, students from Kahuku High have received recognition
in 25 national contests, which is more than any other public
school in Hawaii.
The school has even produced somewhat famous people. The
well-known musician Jack Johnson attended Kahuku High and
graduated in 1993. Alexander Bonde, one of his classmates,
is now a member of the German Parliament. Other well-known
graduated include renowned Chef Sam Choy, award-winning
surfer Pancho Sullivan and public figure Earl Anzai. So
if you have kids and plan to move here, you’ll be glad that
this small town has a good school.
Kahuku is has also been a filming location in the past.
It first became famous in the mid 1970s when The Diamond
Head Game, a popular TV game show was contested at the nearby
Kuilima Hotel (today known as Turtle Bay Resort). At the
end of each show the announcer would say: "If you plan to
be in Hawaii, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to
the Diamond Head Game, Kahuku, Oahu 96731." The Fox TV show
North Shore was also filmed there recently. The Turtle Bay
Resort is a nice place to go and have fun. There’s a nice
beach and after some swimming and snorkeling, one can have
a snack at the restaurant there.
In the Hawaiian language, Kahuku means “the projection,”
which most probably refers to nearby Kahuku Point, the northernmost
point of the island of Oahu. The total land area of Kahuku
is 2.3 square miles (5.9 km²). According to the 2000 census,
Kahuku had a population of 2,097. The population density
was 2,150.9 people per square mile (834.7/km²). The racial
makeup was the following: 11.06% White, 0.29% Black or African
American, 0.14% Native American, 26.85% Asian, 27.28% Pacific
Islander, 1.05% from other races, and 33.33% from two or
more races. 8.63% of the population was Hispanic or Latino
of any race. The median age was 28 years.
The median income for a household was $39,135, and the median
income for a family was $47,045. Males had a median income
of $29,934 versus $22,366 for females. The per capita income
was $12,340. 14.6% of the population lived below the poverty
line.
Kahuku in Bullet Points
Kahuku has many manmade fishponds and shrimps are
raised here, you can buy a great shrimp dish from one
of the shrimp trucks parked on the side of the road
Kahuku High School is known for its great academic
and athletic program
Town has been filming location in the past
Kahuku Location
Kahuku is a small town on Oahu’s northeastern coast, between
Laie and Turtle Bay.
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