A few more of the commercial slides. You can see a big difference in color in some of these as they had become very red with age. Photoshop corrected them a lot, but they are not quite right.

Okay, a few more. These are from a batch of commercial slides for the tourists.

Thought I’d share some of my vintage slides. Been a while.

I have been corresponding with former Mai Kai Mystery Lady Anne Campbell lately. Once again I cannot stress enough the importance of getting everything we can on the Internet so the generation who remembers can find it and share with us. It was thanks to my Mai Kai calendar posts that she found me.

Unfortunately, a lot of her photos and memorabilia from that time was destroyed by a varmit infestation while they were in storage. One piece she sent me really stood out to me. I had read and was told that Bob Thornton inspected the Mai Kai gals on a regular basis and even the future Mrs. Thornton was kicked off the squad for being a bit pudgy. Well, here is a bit of proof. A letter from 1965 from Bob congratulating her for being top gal, and reminding her to keep her weigh under 125…

 More to come!

Sven and Sabu give us a nerdrific lesson in the history of two tikis at the Caliente Tropics.

What can you say? Buck naked gals in front of something vaguely tiki-ish and some matting and maybe a grass skirt on the wall. Gotta love it. (NSFW) 

Great aerial photos of the Stardust and Aku Aku posted here on Tiki Central. Really shows how remote the place was then. Nice to see that perspective.

Images too sad to post…

Da Bum. Great Story. great to have this exposure!

Moon Islander Menu, South Titusville, FL

A great old location in the North East!

Aloha John has been keeping his eye on the remains of a local San Bernardino Poly Pop establishment, Trader Island for a long time. He made a deal to own this outrigger lamp, and then the place was sold and became a sports bar. Head over to TC and read the full story.

It’s a steady refrain that Tiki Central is not what it used to be. This is true. But there are very regularly things there that still make an old Tiki dog wag their tail. I am going to start posting links to the threads on Tiki Central that interest me and that I think will interest the old school Tiki peeps.

If you consider yourself one of those OG Tiki Peeps and you’d like to help in this project, please drop me a line. The more, the merrier.

I didn’t start this blog as a Tiki blog. But, there is certainly a lot of Tiki on it. Maybe its time I concentrate on making this blog a repository for the type of Tiki information I think is important. I am an Old School Tiki lover. I only collect vintage mugs and ephemera. I love some of the new stuff too.  But the old days is what gets me excited. So, I’ll try to share the excitement for those of you who may have become disenchanted with TC.

I have created a new category on this blog, so you can easily find the “OG Tiki Central” stuff.

The only calendar you would ever want to hang in your Tiki Bar is here. Get one for your office to take you away every time you look at it!

I went around the country photographing incredible collections of mugs and, well, all sorts of stuff. I took photographs at Oceanic Arts and the Mai Kai and my own Hapa Haole Hideaway. Then we turned the images over to some talented graphic designers and the result is Tiki Daze.

You must have it!

Tuai is Miss December 1973 in the 1974 calendar. A bonus!

Mai Kai, Fort Lauderdale, FL

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Something very modern looking about Kelli, Miss December 1974.


Mai Kai, Fort Lauderdale, FL

Sponsored by Tiki Daze - The only calendar worthy of your tiki bar, or cubicle!

Pamela is Miss November 1974. I think this is what is now the gift shop.

Mai Kai, Fort Lauderdale, FL

Sponsored by Tiki Daze - The only calendar worthy of your tiki bar, or cubicle!

Karen is Miss October 1974.

Mai Kai, Fort Lauderdale, FL

Sponsored by Tiki Daze - The only calendar worthy of your tiki bar, or cubicle!

Liva is shakin it for September 1974.

Mai Kai, Fort Lauderdale, FL

Sponsored by Tiki Daze - The only calendar worthy of your tiki bar, or cubicle!

Patti is Miss August 1974. This is the lovely lady’s room at the Mai Kai. Mmmm. That hair just gets me. That’s not your typical 1974 style.

Mai Kai, Fort Lauderdale, FL

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Susan is Miss July 1974,

“When the gong sounds, the ritual begins. There’s a hush throughout the room. What follows is something very special. Between you, your soul and the Mystery Girl.”

Mai Kai, Fort Lauderdale, FL

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Diane is Miss June 1974.

Mai Kai, Fort Lauderdale, FL

Sponsored by Tiki Daze - The only calendar worthy of your tiki bar, or cubicle!

Um, Miss May 1974 is Linda, and there appears to be flames coming out of her… Hot!

Mai Kai, Fort Lauderdale, FL

Sponsored by Tiki Daze - The only calendar worthy of your tiki bar, or cubicle!

Kainoa is Miss April 1974. We had the pleasure of Kainoa dancing in the opening ceremony for Hukilau 2004. An incredible lady. She dances with my good friend Talani’s Polynesian Proud Productions in South Florida.

Another drawing of the garden dining area.

Mai Kai, Fort Lauderdale, FL

Sponsored by Tiki Daze - The only calendar worthy of your tiki bar, or cubicle!

I had come across this cover many years ago, and this week, I finally found the magazine. As best as I can tell, it is from 1966. Maybe a bit racier than Playboy at the time and just full of pictures of girls. The tiki and the bar are apparantly owned by the same photographer who did this spread for Nylon Jungle magazine. The rest of the images in the magazine are NSFW, so, you click on the below links as you wish.

Buff Treasure - on Pleasure Island - Rare, indeed, is the day that a ship calls at the island of Secluda, so this lovely native celebrates the event.

The Phallocrypt

Page 3 - She’s asking the fire god who rules over the island to provide them with rainless weather so that the passengers and crew on board the ship can come ashore to sample the island’s hospitality. The native food is delicious, the dances are delights to behold and the people are friendly children. “Pleasure Island,” it’s been called, and with good reason. With luck, perhaps some day your ship will call at this pearl of the Pacific!

Page 4

Center Fold

It’s probably a good idea that the outrigger isn’t there now. I can definitely see Crazy Al rowing out to the waterfall at Hukilau…
Linda is Miss March 1974.



A drawing of the dining area in the gardens.


Mai Kai, Fort Lauderdale, FL

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Candi is Miss February. Now that’s sexy, I don’t care who you are.

A nice drawing of the show at the Mai Kai.
Mai Kai, Fort Lauderdale, FL

Sponsored by Tiki Daze - The only calendar worthy of your tiki bar, or cubicle!

Mireille is Miss January 1974 on stage at the Mai Kai.

Mai Kai, Fort Lauderdale, FL

Sponsored by Tiki Daze - The only calendar worthy of your tiki bar, or cubicle!

When your 1974 Mai Kai calendar arrived, this was the image that greeted you on the envelope. Nice.

Mai Kai, Fort Lauderdale, FL

Sponsored by Tiki Daze - The only calendar worthy of your tiki bar, or cubicle!

Gail brings up the rear as the last image for 1967.

Mai Kai, Fort Lauderdale, FL

Sponsored by Tiki Daze - The only damn calendar that matters!

Liva is Miss December 1967
Mai Kai, Fort Lauderdale, FL

Sponsored by Tiki Daze - The only damn calendar that matters!

Sandra is Miss November 1967
Mai Kai, Fort Lauderdale, FL

Sponsored by Tiki Daze - The only damn calendar that matters!

Ellen is Miss October 1967
Mai Kai, Fort Lauderdale, FL

Sponsored by Tiki Daze - The only damn calendar that matters!

Joan is Miss September 1967.
Mai Kai, Fort Lauderdale, FL

Sponsored by Tiki Daze - The only damn calendar that matters!

Betty is Miss August 1967.
Mai Kai, Fort Lauderdale, FL

Sponsored by Tiki Daze - The only damn calendar that matters!