By Way of Introduction
So many of us who stay at Hoyochi Nikko return year after year. And it got us to wondering about its history. Thanks to Peter Stursberg, son of the property owners when it was a home before it became a resort, we have lots of photos and stories to share. Thank you Peter!
In the beginning …
There was a house, purchased by the Stursbergs in the 1960’s, which they enjoyed for years. The Stursberg clan 1969 (left to right): Dick, Marg, Marg’s mom Florence, Peter, Janet.
Dick & Marg, with the empty lot behind them and no Kuleana yet.
This was taken from the area that is now the upper driveway entrance and walkway to the pool. The sugar cane fields come right down to the road, which was the ONLY road north of Kaanapali. After the Honoapiilani highway was built, this road was renamed Lower Honoapiilani.
The Mustang would be where the stairs to #205 are today.
Far south end of the lot, where 101/201 are today.
Stairs are on the left and there is no sand on top yet.
Peter’s sister, Janet. The stairs to the ocean are right behind her.
There is another house to the south of their property, where Hale Mahina is now. Obviously, the original seawall looks quite different.
The boundary between the two properties is where the seawall comes up about a foot. At this time the other property was an empty lot.
There was a beach in the late 1960’s, which disappeared in the 1970’s. Kuleana hasn’t been built yet.
Peter’s mom and grandma standing at the edge of their lot, looking into the empty lot, which would later become part of Hoyochi Nikko.
Photo from the empty lot looking south.
A goofy photo of 16-year-old Peter in 1969 when there was just a house. Peter says he never got very skilled at surfing.
Inside the Family Home
Master bedroom.
Living Room
Kitchen with a view
Bar
Hoyochi Nikko (“Resort of the Sunbeam”)
In 1973 Peter’s parents and business partners purchased the adjacent land and built Hoyochi Nikko. Peter says the name was chosen, in part, to honor his father’s Japanese grandmother. The fellow walking past the pool is Fred Paquette, who with his wife Filly, were the managers. Peter took this shot from a stepladder on a Kuleana lanai in the mid 70’s to create a free postcard for guests to send to their friends and help advertise this little-known destination in the process.
When Peter lived in #202, from 1976 – 1981, there was never a beach and the palm trees were small.
The old BBQ and rocky beach.
Before the highway was built, the cane field came all the way down to Lower Honoapiilani Road. Peter said it was quite the sight when it was lit on fire. In the 1980’s, the land was subdivided and housing built.
Sales brochure.
2018 Hoyochi Nikko
Thanks to guest Chad Berndt for this aerial shot via drone.
My wife Joy and I had the privilege to live in the Strusbergs old beach home for close to a year, prior to it being torn down to make room for Hoyochi Nikko. How that came to be is a story in its self, one that shows just how carrying Dick and Marg were.
The year was 1971, and we lived on Oahu where I made a living as a golf course photographer. I had taken photos on every course on the island and several golf tournaments as well including the US Navy, US Army, and US Airforce Golf Tournaments. My problem was that I was running out of clients and thought that we might have to pack our bags and fly back to Vancouver. Then one day one of the golf pro’s told me I should be taking photos on the Royal Kaanapali Golf Course on Maui. He gave Jerry Johnson, the pro at Kaanapali a call and arranged for me to come over and give it a trial run.
I can still remember that day as if it was yesterday. I packed my backpack with my camera and supplies, made myself a bag lunch and caught an early morning flight to Maui on a single prop Cessna. In those days you landed in a sugar cane filed next to the beach in Honokowai. I caught a cab to the Golf Course and introduced myself to Mr. Johnson, who informed me that I could start the next day. I asked if there was any chance I could start that day, but he said no. Not having any extra cash for a hotel I figured that I could just crash on the back nine somewhere if I had to. Then I remembered that my friends Dick and Marg Stursbergs had a place on Maui, I wonder if they would have a phone. By George they did, and Marg even answered the phone. When I told her where I was, she said that she would be right there, and about 5 minutes later she pulled up. They not only put me up for the night, but when Jerry Johnson said he would give me a two-week trial, they put me up for the next two weeks.
At the end of two weeks, I asked Dick if I could borrow their car so I could go look for an apartment for myself, wife and 2-year old son. He and Marg said there was no need to go looking for an apartment as they wanted us to stay at their beach house and take care of it until it was torn down. I could not believe the generosity of wonderful couple to let a young family live in their home. We lived there for close to a year, then moved into a housing project in Lahina. That is when Peter Stursberg moved into the home and started Nimbles Resturant. Lots of wonderful memories of sitting on the beach wall watching the sunset, and surfing in my own secret spot.
Both my ex-wife, Dick, and Marg have passed away, but I still hold those days at living in the beach home and later helping to build Hoyochi Nikko as one of the happiest times of my life.
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