According to an article in today’s Tucson Citizen, the new owners of the shuttered Magic Carpet Golf are practically begging for someone to remove the whimsical cement course hazards, which include the giant moai pictured here.

“I would be delighted to have somebody come and take them,” said Ted Chapman, president of Chapman Automotive and new owner of the now-defunct miniature golf facility, still packed with dozens of giant statues dating to the early 1970s.

If the statues aren’t removed, they may become part of another facility if funding can be obtained from the state. In the meantime, the iconic hazards are seemingly up for grabs.

Read the article at the Tucson Citizen | Photo courtesy of the Roadside Architecture website.

UPDATE: Douglas Finical, owner of the Hut nightclub in Tuscon, has claimed the tiki head which will be move to the bar.

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Otto von Stroheim of Tiki News and Tiki Oasis fame has sadly reported that the San Francisco Trader Vic’s location has closed permanently. The story is confirmed by the San Franciso Gate newspaper:

And over in the Civic Center, closed doors, at Trader Vic’s (555 Golden Gate Ave., near Van Ness), presumably just for the holidays prompted concerned e-mails and phone calls.

Indeed, the mai tais will flow no more - the tiki restaurant with a long and storied background is no longer operating, and the answering machine says it’s closed for good.

The San Francisco institution ran for many years in the space that currently houses Le Colonial. After closing 12 years ago, it opened in 2004 in its current location, the previous Stars. But it seems the reopened spot was never quite able to get on its feet.

Repeated phone calls and messages to Trader Vic’s offices went unreturned, so it’s anyone’s guess as to what ultimately was the final straw. Two other Bay Area locations - one in Emeryville and the other in Palo Alto - remain open.

Word is that the closure has nothing to do with the overall performance of the chain, just this particular location.

Read story at San Francisco Gate | Discuss at Tiki Central | Thanks Otto!

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It’s official — Hukilau 2008 will be held in Ft. Lauderdale, June 12-15. The annual gathering of tiki fans has grown more elaborate and entertaining each year, and the 2008 event promises once again not to disappoint.

The full schedule of vendors, speakers, and events have now been posted on the newly launched Hukilau website: www.thehukilau.com

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Aloha,

December and January have been busy months for me — not only have I’ve been training for my first full marathon (at Walt Disney World this weekend) — but I’m also getting married on January 19th to the most incredible woman in the world, my fiance, Kelly.

With all the planning, preparing, and work surrounding these two events, I’ve not been able to keep up with the almost daily publishing schedule that I normally strive for.

Hopefully, by February 1 things will have calmed back down to a level where I can resume posting again in earnest.

Mahalo,

Hot Lava

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