Schofield Barracks, HI Outdoor Activities

The Gunstock Ranch has been a part of Greg Smith's family since 1973. Born and raised in Kailua, Greg grew up helping his father on the ranch, and today, he helps his five children with rodeo practice and 4-H studies. The local rancher leads a staff of experienced wranglers who share intimate knowledge of the land on a variety of scenic trail rides through the 700-acre property. Visitors explore winding paths through the Koolau Mountain Range like traditional paniolos, Hawaiian cowboys, and catch stunning views of Oahu and the ocean in the bright light of day or the warm glow of the setting sun.

Expanding beyond equine excursions and care, Greg's wife, Kyndra, brought swimming lessons and aquatics to the ranch as a way to help children in the community and disprove the myth that you can bring a horse to water, but can't make it swim the breaststroke. The ranch's gentle horses and aboveground pool also make the Gunstock Ranch an all-encompassing destination for children's parties and special events.

USHPA– and American Paragliding Association–certified paragliding instructor and pilot Joachim Hagemann has been recertified three times, logging more than 1,500 hours of air time to keep his gliding school, Fly Hawaii, accident free for 32 years. Boasting clearance for cliff and cross-country takeoffs as well as for flying in turbulence, Joachim helps both beginning and advanced students spread their wings in various paragliding lessons. His excursions take paragliders soaring over island locales such as Mauna Kea, Pu'u Loa Crater, and Big Sur, avoiding ground-bound obstacles such as traffic cops and jealous ostriches. Joachim also supplies flight seekers with new and gently used paragliding gear.

Hawaiian performer Chief Sielu is on a lifelong quest to educate and entertain the world about Polynesian traditions, a passion that has taken him to appearances on the BBC, MTV, and the Late Show with David Letterman. Dubbed the "coconut man," the chief immerses all comers in island culture at spectacular luaus. On stage, he and his tribe balance revelry and education with high-energy ritual and knife-dancing performances, participatory dances and art making, and a large supper of Hawaiian staples such as poi and braised surfboard fillets. If you can catch his ear, Sielu might have a lot of stories to share: in the course of his ambassadorial travels, he's lit the Olympic torch in Salt Lake City by throwing a flaming spear and been the subject of the documentary film Chief, which screened at the Sundance Film Festival.

From the pristine beaches of Waikiki, Diamond Head, or North Shore, instructors with CPR and lifeguard certification lead students into Go Nuts Hawaii's open-water surf lessons. Privately or in groups, students find their sea legs atop long boards that can be rented or bought onsite; alternatively, they can skim the water buoyed by the shop’s standup paddleboards. Waterproof accessories add a technological edge to voyages and range from cameras for aquatic action shots to waterproof headphones for drowning out mermaids loudly counting their pirate gold. The company's helpful staffers—including one Japanese-speaking member—put customers and surf students at ease.