THE DAY THEY PAVED THE CARPARK AT POINT PANIC

A SONG ABOUT PROGRESS

Progress, oh we all appreciate progress … most of the time, but sometimes what is purported to be progress is not always a great thing for everyone. Sometimes we just want things left as they are and that applies to so many things in this world.

Point Panic in Honolulu is a wave break at the end of the man made rock wall protecting the channel in to and out of Honolulu Harbor, basically a pile of rocks. It lies at the end of a back road through an industrial area, the car park was nothing but dirt and rocks, mud when it rained, broken glass, and assorted bits of this and that. No showers, no toilets, no lines, no beach, no bikini clad babes, no surf boards, no steps down to the water line, you had to adventure down the rocks to get in to the water … but it was great body surfing break.

The regular Boys were there Ernie, Clem, Honey Boy and others, like myself, on a South Swell some of us would hit it in the morning before work, then off to work and back again for some sunset sets. It was just the way we liked it kept the wannabes, the riff raff and the tourists from getting in our way, the cops didn’t even venture down there so we were free to enjoy ourselves in and out of the water. Even on the weekends it was only the regulars out in the waves … you had to be serious, but on a good day it was awesome.

It was all good until … someone came up with the idea to pave the carpark … none of us regulars asked for it to be paved or improved … progress not required it was fine the way it was. So it started with the pavement but my understanding is that more and more “progress” has taken place over the years and it’s now a Park with lined carparks, toilets, showers, a walking track and damn steps to get down to the water. It was made so easy that it became an “attraction” the break is still awesome so the regulars were just part of the crowd. The boarders started getting in to the break which was never a problem before because it was “self-regulated”, now they have signs up No Surf Boards Allowed … progress again.

So “progress” is sometimes too much of a good thing, and I am sure there is a long list of “progress” that can be put in to the too much of a good thing basket … sometimes it is better to just leave things as is.

It has been many (to many) years since I hit the surf at Point Panic (hope all the Boys are still riding) but it struck me that “progress” in every walk of life sometimes is more in the too much of a good thing category … and a song was created. Enjoy.

LYRICS

I knew things were gonna go bad I knew it was going to end up sad

I could feel the static I could hear the racket the day they paved the carpark at Point Panic

I could feel the downturn comin I could see it on the horizon

The big wigs all went in to hidin they’d done their work on dividin

Progress for profit kept commin the folks at home they got nothing

It didn’t look good in the neighbourhood but the politicians said “no we’re good”

The graffiti was on the wall up there to see for one and all

Like a rock on a downward fall this was going to be hard to stall

No it wasn’t the oceans but the tension that was risin all in all I guess it wasn’t surprising

They said it was progress but I knew all along they was lyin

I knew things were gonna go bad I knew it was going to end up sad

I could feel the static I could hear the racket the day they paved the carpark at Point Panic

It was all dirt, rocks and glass that was cool but it couldn’t last

The end was comin and comin fast they laid the concrete and that was that        

Change is cool sometimes but too much of a good thing is no good thing

They say it’s better and they change the rules no one can keep up we look like fools

We played in dirt went down to the creek swam in the ocean got dirty feet

They fixed all of that and gave us concrete but it hurts my head and burns my feet

I knew things were gonna go bad I knew it was going to end up sad

I could feel the static I could hear the racket the day they paved the carpark at Point Panic

Yeah it went down like the Titanic the day they paved the carpark at Point Panic