Bruce "Buddha" Bikle on Diamond Head Crater Festivals
From HawaiiBase
The Crater Festival got started by Tom Moffat of KPOI, Ken Rosene (later of KMR Productions) and Herb Brentlinger of Shair Waterbeds organized the first one. Bob Peyton and I did the Security/Medical/Communications part for that. Later on I did security, while Bob moved over to the whole production piece.
We organized the security with a lot of volunteers, early folks in that were Dayton Fraim, Steve Apt, Willa Chinen, Joe Tabrah, Kathee Hoover, Anne Moore, Chris Coffman, Mark Lloyd, Nancy Lloyd, Riley Lee, Ray Lentz, Buck Hanson, Victoria Hansen and a host of others who were "regulars" and came for most if not all of the events (and others). Scott Carven, Ron Duer and others moved over to production in time.
We recruited folks to work and many of the folks above were leaders of various tasks (stage security, patrol etc). The crew generally wore Purple T Shirts, (Like in Jesus Christ Superstar). We used CB radios and the Hawaii National Guard loaned us a base and 10-12 field phones so we set up a land line phone service. This was Joe Tabrah's baby and we had quite good commo.
We also had private security guards: Major Joe Kama from Hayes Security was lead there, and we also used a few HPD officers (Ed Douglas and Ed Lingo come to mind) in areas where they were appropriate (money etc).
The medical piece was handled by the Waikiki Drug Clinic, who provided the medical tent where people could get out of the sun, get liquids etc. Medical folks also came out with the security patrols to provide services on the fields where folks were watching the acts. Some times we had as many as three stages and a large crafts area (headed up by the "Tribal Leader" Jim Rhodes and his wife Marty).
The crater festival was a blast, when I get together with folks who worked there, we have fond memories of the interesting, and mostly good times at the events.
An old hippie dream, when we are all about 60- that's now for some of us, we ought to do another one!
Remembrance by Bruce "Buddha" Bikle.
Back to Diamond Head Crater Festivals.
