FROM THE USAPA
“ We Call it Pukaball on Maui ”
BY GREG SMITH
In Hawaiian language , “ puka ” translates to hole , so it seems logical to locals to refer to our awesome game as Pukaball .
It ’ s taken some time , but 2016 was the year pukaball finally established itself here on the Valley Isle . With the number of calls from visitors and potential visitors inquiring about places to play steadily increasing , the Parks Department responded by having each geographic district designate one tennis court to be converted into a temporary pukaball court and establish a day and time for public play . After several months of parks staff laying down tape and monitoring usage , the designated temporary courts became permanent with painted pukaball lines .
In a relatively short time , the growing popularity of pukaball here has made the need for more courts greater . The Parks Department is open to looking at converting virtually unused tennis courts to pukaball courts , so that ’ s very encouraging .
Currently we have a real dedicated group of about 25 players happy to drive to the different venues to play , with newbies trickling in to join the fun .
For places to play on Maui , go to www . usapa . org and look for Kihei , Kahului / Wailuku , Makawao , and Lahaina .
The popularity of pukaball on Maui has increased to the point where we now have three Ambassadors : myself , Laurie Loney , and Greg Smith . Our contact information can be found on the USAPA website . It ' s fun to be at the forefront of what ’ s sure to be a monster wave of pukaball growth on Maui . •
JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2017 | MAGAZINE 53