You can still hike Hawaii’s ancient lava slide where a prince defied death daily

Prince Kauikeaouli’s Death-Defying Races at Keauhou Bay

Prince Kauikeaouli began life with a miracle at Keauhou Bay in 1814. Born still, a kahuna named Kapihe put him on stone, fanned him, and chanted until the baby cried.

His dad, King Kamehameha I, then built him the longest holua slide in Hawaii—over 4,000 feet from mountain to sea.

Soon after, the young prince grew into a bold athlete who raced wooden sleds down this grass-covered track at speeds up to 60 miles per hour.

When races ended, he and his friends grabbed surfboards and rode waves back to the bay’s head. The ancient Keauhou Holua Slide still stands today as a monument to the boy who became Hawaii’s longest-ruling king.

The Baby Prince Who Came Back to Life

On March 17, 1814, at Keauhou Bay, Prince Kauikeaouli looked dead when born. King Kamehameha I and Queen Keopuolani’s son showed no signs of life in his simple grass hut.

Worried helpers called for priest Kapihe, who ran miles from Kuamo’o to help.

He put the baby on a stone, fanned him, sprinkled water, and said prayers until the baby started breathing and crying. People called him Kauikeaouli, meaning “placed in the dark cloud.”

Today, you can see this stone at his birth site.

King Kamehameha Built the World’s Longest Lava Slide

King Kamehameha celebrated his son’s birth by building Hawaii’s most amazing lava slide. The Ka Holua O Kaneaka at Keauhou stretched over 4,000 feet from mountain to sea, making it the longest in Hawaii.

Workers stacked millions of rocks, putting smaller stones on bigger ones to create the perfect racing surface. The slide was up to 50 feet wide with packed dirt and smooth pebbles.

The track ended at Heeia Bay, making for an exciting ride.

Young Prince Grew Into a Legendary Athlete

After Kamehameha I died in 1819, Chief Kaikio’ewa raised young Kauikeaouli. The boy quickly showed great physical skills in traditional Hawaiian sports.

He loved swimming, surfing, and wrestling, but lava sledding became his favorite royal activity. The prince spent many hours training with friends on the massive Keauhou slide his father built.

Many chiefs traveled to watch the future king’s amazing athletic skills.

Daredevils on Wooden Sleds Hit Highway Speeds

Kauikeaouli mastered riding 12-foot wooden sleds down the grass-covered track. Before races, helpers made the course slippery with kukui-nut oil from the sun’s heat.

Racers zoomed down the steep lava slide at speeds up to 60 miles per hour on narrow wooden sleds. Some riders stood like surfers while others lay face-down holding the sled with their hands.

The prince learned to shift his weight slightly to stay on the curving track.

Gambling Chiefs Bet Big on Royal Races

Holua contests drew huge crowds who bet heavily on who would win.

High-ranking chiefs often wagered valuable items against each other, sometimes even betting their own sleds. The most exciting races had multiple riders on side-by-side tracks racing toward the ocean.

Kauikeaouli and his friends usually held races during midday when the sun best pulled oils from the grass covering. Judges picked winners by measuring who went furthest down the track.

Surfboards Carried Racers Back to the Starting Line

After racing down the massive slide, Kauikeaouli and his friends grabbed surfboards waiting at the bottom. They paddled through the water back to the head of Keauhou Bay, showing off their ocean skills.

This mix of land sledding and water surfing showed their amazing athletic skills. Foreign visitors watched in awe as the prince moved between these tough sports.

The ocean trip gave racers time to rest before climbing back up for another thrilling slide.

Holua Sledding Tested Future Leaders

This dangerous sport got young chiefs ready for the challenges of ruling. Holua sledding needed physical strength, mental focus, and a connection to the land.

The real risk of getting hurt or dying made each run intense and let chiefs show their bravery. Kauikeaouli’s success at holua boosted his spiritual power and standing among other chiefs.

These athletic contests showed royal fitness while honoring old gods and traditions.

Sacred Sport Connected Gods, Land, and People

He’e holua meant more than just an exciting race. The sport stood for the clash between volcano goddess Pele and ocean goddess Namaka.

Many saw sledding as a sacred ritual, not just fun.

Single racers and watchers often celebrated together after exciting contests, making friends across different groups.

The prince kept old traditions alive through his racing while showing the power of the Kamehameha family. Holua sledding captured the Hawaiian link between mountain, land, and sea.

Keauhou Became the Center of Royal Athletics

In the early 1820s, Kauikeaouli ruled holua contests at Keauhou. His speed and skill on the slides added to his growing fame as a worthy heir.

Chiefs from other islands came to watch the prince race down the famous slide his father built. Regular contests kept the big structure in good shape and kept traditional sports alive.

The young royal also excelled at surfing, swimming, and other physical challenges that marked him as a true Hawaiian leader.

Missionaries Frowned on the "Dangerous" Sport

Traditional sledding faced problems after Kamehameha I died.

Christian missionaries who came in 1820 saw holua as risky and silly, going against their teachings about good behavior. The sport slowly lost fans as Western ways spread through the islands.

Foreign advisors pushed the royal family to try more “civilized” activities instead of traditional Hawaiian sports.

The last known holua racing event happened around 1825, when Kauikeaouli became King Kamehameha III at just 11 years old.

A Childhood of Extreme Sports Shaped Hawaii’s Longest-Reigning King

Kauikeaouli’s athletic youth helped form the character of Hawaii’s most enduring monarch. His 29-year rule from 1825 to 1854 balanced traditional Hawaiian values with necessary modernization.

Though holua sledding faded during his reign, the massive Keauhou slide remained a symbol of royal athletic tradition.

Today, about 1,300 feet of the original 4,000-foot structure survives as a National Historic Landmark.

Modern Hawaiian cultural practitioners work to revive holua sledding, keeping alive the sporting tradition that once helped shape a king who guided Hawaii through its most challenging transformational period.

Visiting Keauhou Holua Slide, Hawaii

You can reach the Keauhou Holua Slide through two spots near Kona Country Club on Alii Highway or via Holualoa Inn property.

This National Historic Landmark preserves 1,300 feet of the original stone sledding course that ends at Kaleiopapa Street. You can hike the course for free, just respect the boundaries.

Check out the Heritage Center museum at Keauhou Shopping Center on Alii Drive for exhibits about Kamehameha III and a replica papa holua sled.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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