It’s a balmy, breezy evening on the North Shore of Oahu, and as the waves crash in the distance, all eyes are glued on Kim Werner, a local who is speaking about romance, one of the new “brand pillars” of Turtle Bay Resort.
“You might be wondering why I was asked to address the topic of romance,” she says. “But I am here to speak to you about my first love—free diving.”
Werner has the small group in awe, as she discusses how her passion began as a child, when she would place “orders” with her father for delicacies of the sea, and he would promptly comply by free diving for all types of shellfish and larger She realized as an adolescent she could also learn the sport and fell in love with the idea of catching her own food, knowing where it came from and providing not only for herself, but for a small community of friends and family. She eventually became a world-renowned champion free diver and spearfisher, a respected legend on Oahu.
She ends with a story that had everyone’s jaws dropping—an unexpected encounter with a great white shark. Years of experience spearfishing taught her a thing or two about reading whether a fish is in the predator state, and realizing the massive mammal was calm and curious, Werner’s instinct had her swimming toward it, eventually holding on to the dorsal fin as they glided through the deep blue together—all captured on video.
Werner’s presentation was just one of the many “Talk Stories” Turtle Bay is showcasing nowadays, and it resonates beautifully with the resort’s new mission to respect and prominently showcase local culture, history, lore and community, from the “watermen” and “waterwomen” who have called this place home for centuries—surfing, free diving, fishing, rowing and otherwise communing with the big blue—to the local musicians and farmers.
For groups, this translates into quite an intriguing realm of possibilities, as we discovered on a recent trip to the reinvented property, now operated by Replay Resorts.
Turtle Bay Resort is blessed with a stunning waterfront setting, plenty of suring action, miles of seaside walking, biking and running trails, a farm site and a bird sanctuary, as well as attractive, refreshed guest rooms and suites, and stellar meetings options, including 25,000 square feet of indoor function space and countless outdoor options.
Fantastic experiential programs are a highlight. A North Shore excursion, complemented by ever-interesting stories from our host, Jodi Wilmott, had our group delving into everything from the quaint town of Haleiwa, with its famous Matsumoto’s shave ice store and fresh shrimp trucks, to visiting with legendary surfer Kai Barger at the Gerry Lopez/Volcom House and organizers of the Vans Triple Crown at the neighboring Vans House. The area is hallowed ground for surfers and surf fans who come to watch daredevils brave the gargantuan Bonzai Pipeline, within clear view from our vantage point at either house.
Back at Turtle Bay, it’s obvious why so many folks always gather along the rocky waterside, relaxing on benches or in chairs with a drink in hand, marveling at the easy-going surfers and stand-up paddle boarders who leisurely work their way around a gorgeous surf break, only to paddle back out and do it all over again. The Point Sunset & Pool Bar is another great place to take in the action, oftentimes while hosting an outdoor group reception and dinner.
Afterhours, Surfer, The Bar, another one of the cool new amenities at the resort, is a hip place to unwind over a drink and some live local music, or Talk Story. The venue is one of the unique partnerships the resort formed with Surfer Magazine, so there’s a great wall of Surfer publications prominently displayed.
After a morning of surfing and outrigger canoeing the next day at neighboring Kawela Bay (see sidebar), a helicopter flight over the resort and lush valleys and peaks was quite a rush and certainly the highpoint to a wonderful day. The big surprise, though, was landing on a small mountaintop and being greeted with champagne. We toasted to our bucket list experiences of a lifetime, soaked in the majestic view and soared back down to the resort.
Back at Kawela Bay, next to a massive banyan tree and under a lush canopy of sparkling stars, we indulged in a luau complete with tiki torches and drummers—seemingly straight out of a film shoot. It was an apropos evening, considering this has been the setting for productions like Pirates of the Caribbean, Hunger Games, Saving Sarah Marshall and Lost.
Lost we certainly were, for the evening, anyway, as we lounged around a beach bonfire over dessert and fine wine, listening to one last round of intriguing Talk Stories as the golden moon rose in the distance.
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Slideshow
Check out an On the Scene slideshow from the trip highlighting some of the areas explored.
