WAIKIKI BEACH HOTEL ASTON

ASTON WAIKIKI BEACH HOTEL - HONOLULU - HONOLULU Hotel Reservations Search Hotels: Hotels | My Account UNITED STATES : HAWAII : HONOLULU : ASTON WAIKIKI BEACH HOTEL ASTON WAIKIKI BEACH HOTEL 2570 KALAKAUA AVENUE HONOLULU, HI 96815 United States Display Map Property Type: Hotel Guest Rooms: 713 Additional Photos From the metro city center, this property is located: Direction: Southeast Distance: 0 - 15 minutes Area Airport: Honolulu International Features and Amenities 24 Hour Front Desk Room Service Handicapped Accessible Rooms Non-smoking Rooms Outdoor Pool Meeting Facilities Banquet Facilities Laundry/Valet Service Safe Deposit Box Tour Desk/Concierge Child Care Air Conditioned Rooms AM/FM Clock/Radio in Rooms Hair Dryer In Rooms Iron/Ironing Board In Rooms Refrigerator in Rooms Cable Television In Room Movies Bar/Lounge on site Restaurant on site Shops on site Other Features: Summer Children's Programs, Internet Access Area Attractions Waikiki Beach - adjacent Convention Center - nearby International Marketplace - 6 blocks Pearl Harbor - 12 miles Honolulu Zoo - nearby Waikiki Aquarium - nearby Nearby Restaurants Captain's Table - on site Meeting Facilities Total Capacity of Meeting Rooms: 180 Room Rates Range (Actual Rate Provided upon Reservation Confirmation) Standard Room Rate Range: USD 104.00 to 269.00 Nightly Deluxe Room Rate Range: USD 198.00 to 389.00 Nightly Suite Rate Range: USD 239.00 to 450.00 Nightly Convert Currency Discounts Available: AARP, AAA Credit Cards Check-in Time: 3:00 PM Check-out Time: 12:00 PM Deposit Required Cancellation Policy (Local Time): 72 Hours Prior to Arrival for Refund of 1 Night Deposit Cancel Current Reservation | About The Reservation Function -- Thank you for using cityinsider.com for your worldwide hotels search. If needed, please use our partner websites. Las Vegas Hotels Estate Homes Nevada Real Estate 2003-2004 © cityinsider.com All rights reserved.

HAWAIIAN WEDDINGS AND BLESSINGS

Hawaii - Maui - Weddings Activities Maui Printer Friendly Version Help us preserve the Islands. Tell our advertisers you found them on Alternative-Hawaii. WEDDINGS Coordinators | Photographers | Locations | Other Services COORDINATORS ABOVE HEAVEN'S GATE WATERFALL & BEACH WEDDINGS 41-1010 Laumilo Street Honolulu, HI 96795 (All Hawaiian Islands) Tel. (808) 259-5429 or 1-800-800-2WED (toll free) Fax 1-888-463-6933 (toll free) Email: Howie@hawaiiweddings.com Capt. Howie performs weddings at spectacular waterfalls in private tropical gardens. Our other locations include pristine beaches and sailing to off-shore islands. Our exotic parrots attend your ceremony as witnesses. Photo ALL WAYS MAUI'D WEDDINGS & SEVENTH WAVE PHOTOGRAPHICS P. O. Box 817 Puunene, HI 96784 (Island of Maui) Tel. (808) 244-1167 or Toll-free 1-877-90-MAUID (6-2843) Email: weddings@maui-angels.com A non-denominational Maui Weddings ministry providing its clients with charming island-theme ceremonies, romantic vow renewals and affordable photography packages since 1996. Photo ENCHANTED WEDDINGS OF MAUI P. O. Box 1481 Puunene, HI 96784 (Island of Maui) Tel. (808) 875-8838 or 1-800-648-8697 Email: enchantedweddings@hawaii.rr.com Creating Maui memories since 1994! Perfection is our specialty. We will help you create a wedding that is uniquely yours. Photo HAWAIIAN ISLAND WEDDING PLANNERS (Islands of Oahu, Maui, Big Island, Kauai & Lanai) Tel. (805) 279-8474 Fax (805) 480-0873 Email: weddings@hawaiianweddings.net Dedicated to planning your romantic dream wedding or vow renewal in Paradise. Personalized service on the Hawaiian Islands by experienced professionals. Happily Ever After should begin in Hawaii! Photo HAWAIIAN ISLAND WEDDINGS, INC. P. O. Box 2098 Kihei, HI 96753 (Islands of Maui, Kauai, Hawaii and Oahu) Tel. (808) 875-0350 or 1-800-368-5502 Fax (808) 874-9215 Email: weddings@maui.net Start your life together with a picture perfect Hawaiian Island Wedding. Serving all four major islands, Maui, Kauai, Hawaii and Oahu. "From the intimate to the ultimate." Photo KUHINA HAWAIIAN WEDDINGS AND BLESSINGS 987 Kapuhau Place Kihei, HI 96753 (All Hawaiian Islands) Tel. (808) 879-1499 or 1-888-KOKONUT Fax (808) 875-6887 Email: alalani@aloha.net Specializing in ancient Hawaiian protocol and the traditions of yesterday. Offering a variety of Hawaiian wedding packages - ceremonies range from traditional Christian to ancient Hawaiian. They can also create a custom ceremony or dream wedding or blessing just for you. Sessions in Hawaiian healing methods available. Photo MAUI WEDDINGS FROM THE HEART P. O. Box 329 Kihei, HI 96753 (Island of Maui) Tel. (808) 874-8755 or 1-866-874-8755 Email: shasta@mauiwed.com Shasta Rose has been arranging Hawaii weddings since 1985. With everything from locations to flowers to photography, rely on her years of experience and expertise to make those important wedding decisions easy and enjoyable. Photo MAUI'D FOREVER 3950 Kalai Waa, #A102 Wailea, HI 96753 (Island of Maui) Tel. (808) 268-8339 or 1-800-395-7807 Email: info@mauidforever.com Maui'd Forever helps people plan Maui Weddings and Honeymoons. Get their free Wedding Guide . Beach weddings are their specialty. Photo ROMANTIC MAUI WEDDINGS P. O. Box 13232 Lahaina, HI 96761 (West Maui) Tel. (808) 661-3990 or 1-800-808-4144 Fax (808) 667-9295 Email: romance@justmauied.com Since 1988, we have helped over 6,000 couples fulfill their wedding dreams on Maui. Specializing in complete customized weddings and reception arrangements. A location video is available. Photo SACRED WEDDINGS MAUI 2463 S. Kihei Road Kihei, HI 96753 (South Maui) Tel. (808) 573-2029 or 1-866-343-3017 Fax (808) 573-2029 Email: sacredweddings@hawaii.rr.com A rare Hawaiian Wedding Company providing a variety of packages and services, with the emphasis on the atmosphere of 'sacredness' on your day of union. Also offering the choice of Spiritual, Contemporary, Traditional, Hawaiian and Interfaith Ceremonies with the freedom to customize where desired. Photo A SIMPLY ELEGANT WEDDING Kihei, HI (Island of Maui) Tel. (808) 874-7447 or 1-866-344-7447 (toll free) Email: asimplyelegantwedding@verizon.net At A Simply Elegant Wedding, we are committed to making Your Day, Your Way. We specialize in elegant and affordable events and are skilled at embracing your vision and making it a reality. The word "stress" is not in our vocabulary and we hope to take it out of yours! We never forget that it's all about you, so do call us toll free or visit us online. Photo WEDDINGS HAWAIIAN STYLE 188 Kamakoi Loop Kihei, HI 96753 (Island of Maui) Tel. (808) 875-8460 or 1-888-583-9529 (toll free) Email: weddings@kamele.com Wildly Romantic and Authentically Hawaiian...Let us Make your Dreams Come True! Our expert staff can help you with your travel, wedding and party planning...all you have to do is arrive. Photo Top PHOTOGRAPHERS MAUI SNAPSHOTS P. O. Box 13232 Lahaina, HI 96761 (West Maui) Tel. (808) 661-3990 or 1-800-808-4144 Fax (808) 667-9295 Email: info@mauisnapshots.com We specialize in fun photos and we guarantee sunshine! Using high resolution digital cameras. Photo MAUI WEDDINGS FROM THE HEART P. O. Box 329 Kihei, HI 96753 (Island of Maui) Tel. (808) 874-8755 or 1-866-874-8755 Email: shasta@mauiwed.com Shasta Rose has been arranging Hawaii weddings since 1985. With everything from locations to flowers to photography, rely on her years of experience and expertise to make those important wedding decisions easy and enjoyable. Photo PATTY HOLBROOK PHOTOGRAPHY 637 Mililani Place Wailea, HI 96753 (South Maui) Tel. (808) 874-1187 Fax (808) 874-0164 Email: crystals@maui.net Affordable, fun, romantic photography for all your needs. Weddings, family portraits and reunions, family documentaries. Photo Top LOCATIONS HAIKU PLANTATION INN 555 Haiku Road Haiku, HI 96708 (North Shore) Tel. (808) 575-7500 or (808) 298-6579 (cell) Fax (808) 575-9177 Email: haikuplantation@aol.com One of Maui's truly Hawaiian bed and breakfasts on 2 secluded tropical acres. A historic 1870's plantation estate offering five lovely guest suites. Hawaiian practitioners provide traditional wellness services. Wedding, vows and ceremonies performed. Continental breakfast served daily. Rates: $99 to $149 per night (3 night minimum stay). Photo PUA LEA ESTATE (Upcountry Maui) Tel. (808) 874-7447 or 1-866-344-7447 (toll free) Email: asimplyelegantwedding@verizon.net Featured in the 2003 summer edition of Pacific Rim Weddings, the tradewind caressed Pua Lea Estate is very private, surrounded by the ruins of one of Maui's first sugar mills. Now these stones are part of a lush botanical garden, draped with tropical vines and flowers. The estate is painstakingly maintained, while retaining the serenity and solitude of untouched nature. An exquisitely restored canehouse is available for the bride's dressing and make-up preparation and can be rented for the wedding night or honeymoon. Pua Lea is perfect for wedding parties of 2 to 100. Photo Top OTHER SERVICES TRAVEL TO PARADISE 305 Hahani Street, # 187 Kailua, HI 96734 (All Hawaiian Islands) Tel. 1-877-965-4358 (toll free) Fax 1-888-576-9650 (toll free) Email: aloha@traveltoparadise.com Let us share our Paradise with you. We have a feel for the islands that only comes from living here. All of the islands can fulfill your every wish, yet some offer special places to make your wedding or honeymoon even more memorable. Looking for a romantic hideaway? a location central for the whole family's fun? or the ultimate luxuries of a 5-star resort? Travel to Paradise can help you make the right decisions to turn your dreams into reality and ensure your travel is hassle-free. Photo Top Weddings "Friends" Listings Activities Index | Home Page Contact Us | Sponsor Join Us Form ©Ala Mua Hawaii 1997

Honolulu

Honolulu Star-Bulletin Features Advertisement - Click to support our sponsors. Monday, January 15, 2001 By Ronen Zilberman, Star-Bulletin Players point and shoot as they jockey for position on the field. It's all fun and games at Hawaii All-Star Paintball as players come out of the woods to celebrate their field of dreams Paintball before politics By Burl Burlingame Star-Bulletin THERE'S a steady, hollow drumming -- thwip! thwip! thwip! -- as if vinyl hail is falling. And the stuttering chatter of air bursts. And the occasional shouted command, or cheer of victory. But other than that, standing at ground zero as 300 people engage in rapid-fire combat at close quarters is surprisingly quiet. Opening day at Hawaii All-Star Paintball drew hundreds of players from around the island yesterday in a benefit for Hawaii Food Bank. Owner Brandon Cayetano estimated about 1,500 cans of food were collected. By Ronen Zilberman, Star-Bulletin Ray Contreras eyes the amunition being handed to him. The paintballs, decorated with spots and stripes, are lightweight, but sting when they hit. "Even the other fields shut down for today in support," said Cayetano. He stood atop a Matson container in the center of the playing fields, looking down into the arenas and occasionally shouting orders like the skipper of a pirate ship: "You! Yeah, you! Mask DOWN, brah! Safety first! You HEAR me?" Located on a largely ignored spit of landfill left over from freeway construction, Cayetano had a busy couple of months bulldozing and cleaning up the site. "You wouldn't believe the junk that was here," he said, shaking his head. By Blaine Fergerstrom, Star-Bulletin An overhead view of the paintball grounds. The field is divided into various arenas, each with varying obstacles and degrees of difficulty. The games are basically a variation of capture-the-flag. "When you get right down to it, it's just playing cowboys and Indians," he said. "Except that that you can spend a thousand dollars for your gear and get totally wrapped up in it." The paintballs themselves are surprisingly tough gelatin capsules the size of marbles, filled with water and biodegradable dye. They don't burst unless they strike the target dead-on. Otherwise, they bounce away. "Yeah, I suppose you could eat them," said Cayetano, eyeing the reporter who asks the question. "But why would you want to?" By Ronen Zilberman, Star-Bulletin From left, Alex Frederick, Jonathan Mita and Samuel Nolan, lock and load, preparing for an intergalactic shoot 'em up. Players checking out the facility were happy with it, not just for the challenging courses but because of the location. Wayne Kiyabu, by day a worker at Frito Lay, was introduced to paintball by his brother -- "I was hooked by the first night!" -- and says that Cayetano's course is "just what Hawaii needs. "It's awesome, no kidding. The main thing is that it's centrally located. All the other courses are off in the sticks. It wasn't until I began playing that I realized how big the phenomenon was." Sheryl Miyagawa, Serene Kubota and Heather Enomoto, all about 20 and coeds, were trying paintball for the first time, and were enthusiastic. "It was totally fun," said Miyagawa. "But I didn't know it would hurt! When you get hit by the paintball, it stings!" "My friends told me, wear as much as you can, and they weren't kidding," said Enomoto. "Oh, it's not that bad," huffed Kubota. "Fun has its price." By Ronen Zilberman, Star-Bulletin Trisha Shimomi and Barry Tokuhama, paintball beginners, take a break to give each other support at the paintball field grand opening. Brad Rodrigues, by day a sales broker, began paintballing about a year ago. "My friends said, hey, try 'em, and I really got into it. "This central location will really help the game. It has a lot of space and is organized. A field like this will draw good people into the game." Paintball in Hawaii, although popular, has yet to tap into the lucrative tour or corporate market. Some companies sponsor games as a teambuilding exercise. Although Americans have led the paintball charge, Cayetano has seen a shift in Japanese attitudes. Even 10 years ago, Japanese visitors were crazy for target shooting, but wouldn't shoot at anything resembling a human," Cayetano said. "But that has changed." By Ronen Zilberman, Star-Bulletin A paintball warrior maneuvers for protection from being sprayed with lime green and fuchsia paint as he fires his weapon. How about videogames such as "Doom"? Have they made us more eager to shoot-'em-up? Cayetano shook his head. "Paintball is the antidote to videogames. It's out in the open. Fresh air and exercise. You're a target too. But mostly, there's no concept of teamwork in a videogame. You won't win in paintball unless you pull together." By Ronen Zilberman, Star-Bulletin Brandon Cayetano prefers the blast of paint to that of the political ring. Son o’ da guv is paintball commander BRANDON Cayetano has no intention of following in father Ben's political footsteps, and the governor has never played paintball, his son's passion. But the two share the gift of gab. Press Cayetano's "paintball" button and he goes, like 60 m.p.h. His new paintball field debuted yesterday near Sand Island and finally brings the islands into the modern age of the newly professional sport. "I first went crazy for paintball back in '83, and opened a competitive field in Waimanalo," said Cayetano. "I ran it basically so my friends and I could have a good time playing. I lost it in the early '90s. "I didn't have enough business savvy at the time to run it. I was naive." Discouraged, Cayetano ignored the sport for several years and explored what he calls the "dark side" of life. "Yeah, I got estranged from my family and friends. I knew what it was like on the streets, what it's like to be hungry. It was defensive times. I got into trouble. "But slowly, with the help of my parents, I worked my way back. I trained under computer gurus and got my act together." By coincidence, he worked as human resources and safety manager at United Laundry Services before the owner became his father's second wife. In the meantime, the paintball scene in Hawaii had stagnated, Cayetano believed. It was time someone brought it up to date, and why not him? His experiences in the '90s made him much more aware of the financial aspects of running a business. "In 1983, only the United States played paintball. Today, it's played in 39 countries and it's a $4-billion-a-year industry." Paintball is like any other sport, Cayetano said. It requires discipline, training, awareness and organization. This is created by creating fields like simulated war zones, with varying obstacles and handicaps. Paintball on Oahu had turned into a "renegade" game, with guys running around in the woods, just blasting away at each other. "We spent a lot of time just trying to tell people we weren't mercenaries in training!" he laughed. "There can be a kind of rift between the newbies and the tournament-level players. The newbies can get whacked on. They get excited, and the pros just rail 'em, which can be humbling and bum them out," said Cayetano. He intends to keep everything as even-handed as possible at the new site. Hawaii All-Star Paintball is divided into three zones or "fields" on a spit of land makai of the freeway near Sand Island. "It was trash land," said Cayetano. "I noticed it more than a year ago, and started the permit process to convert it into a paintball park." And no, being the governor's son didn't open any bureaucratic doors, he claims. "In fact, I think being the governor's kid might have slowed things down," he said. One zone comprises ABS water-pipe obstacles, a scenario called "hyper-ball" on the mainland. Another is what Cayetano called an "air-field," filled with inflatable obstacles, delivered by an airline with just hours to spare Saturday. "Thirteen grand to fly in balloons," he moaned. The third is a chessboard of mounds and berms for players to scramble over. The entire site is ringed with netting to prevent stray paintballs from whacking the freeway overpass. "The range on these things is only about 25 to 30 yards anyway," he said. "When I first started out in paintball, the guns were like pump shotguns, slow and inaccurate. Now you can even buy paintball guns for $1,200 that have computer chips in them to control your fire rate, like an automatic." Most paintball guns, though, run about $150, and are accurate enough to put a pattern in a pie plate at 20 yards. On the mainland, Army and Marine Corps use a paintball course for combat training because it's cheaper and more impressive than laser weapons. "When you get hit by a paintball, you know it," Cayetano chuckled. Cayetano raised the funds himself, mainly with the help of paintball enthusiasts like himself. Many show up after their 9-to-5s and help out in the evenings, getting the course ready. While dad doesn't play paintball, he knows Brandon has a passion for it. "Any father would want his son to follow in his footsteps," Brandon said. "But I'm more comfortable as a private businessman. Some people, like my Dad, are born to excel in politics. But not me!" Click for online calendars and events. E-mail to Features Editor Text Site Directory: [News] [Business] [Features] [Sports] [Editorial] [Do It Electric!] [Classified Ads] [Search] [Subscribe] [Info] [Letter to Editor] [Feedback] © 2001 Honolulu Star-Bulletin http://starbulletin.com

Hawaii Rental Cars Daily

Hawaii Rental Cars at Orbitz Welcome to Orbitz. Sign in Register now Site feedback Home / Rental Cars Find the best deals on discount car rentals in Hawaii at Orbitz! -- Hawaii Rental Cars Daily Flights -- -- Kahului Rental Cars (HI) Search near: City or point of interest Address (US and Canada) Airport Pick-up City name or airport code Drop-off City name or airport code Same as pick-up Drop-off City name or airport code Same as pick-up Address or intersection City State Select a state/province Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Alberta British Columbia Manitoba New Brunswick Newfoundland Northwest Territories Nova Scotia Nunavut Territory Ontario Prince Edward Island Quebec Saskatchewan Yukon Territory Zip Please note: Pick-up and drop-off are at the same location. Pick-up 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 1 am 2 am 3 am 4 am 5 am 6 am 7 am 7:30 am 8 am 8:30 am 9 am 9:30 am 10 am 10:30 am 11 am 11:30 am noon 12:30 pm 1 pm 1:30 pm 2 pm 2:30 pm 3 pm 3:30 pm 4 pm 4:30 pm 5 pm 5:30 pm 6 pm 6:30 pm 7 pm 7:30 pm 8 pm 8:30 pm 9 pm 9:30 pm 10 pm 10:30 pm 11 pm 11:30 pm Drop-off 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 1 am 2 am 3 am 4 am 5 am 6 am 7 am 7:30 am 8 am 8:30 am 9 am 9:30 am 10 am 10:30 am 11 am 11:30 am noon 12:30 pm 1 pm 1:30 pm 2 pm 2:30 pm 3 pm 3:30 pm 4 pm 4:30 pm 5 pm 5:30 pm 6 pm 6:30 pm 7 pm 7:30 pm 8 pm 8:30 pm 9 pm 9:30 pm 10 pm 10:30 pm 11 pm 11:30 pm Find My Trips | My Account | Flight status | Site map | Contact Us | About Orbitz | Corporate Travel Solutions | Advertise on Orbitz Become an affiliate | Careers | Media | Low Fare Promise | Low Price Guarantee | Terms and conditions | Your Privacy Rights Flights | Hotels | Car Rental | Vacation Packages | Travel Deals | Travel Guides | Cruises Add Orbitz RSS feeds Orbitz guards your privacy and security. We're certified by TRUSTe and Verisign. © 2001 - 2005, Orbitz, LLC. All rights reserved. CST 2063530-50; Hawaii TAR-5627; Iowa 644; Nevada 2003-0387 ; Washington 602-102-724

Honolulu

Honolulu Star-Bulletin Features Advertisement - Click to support our sponsors. Monday, January 15, 2001 By Ronen Zilberman, Star-Bulletin Players point and shoot as they jockey for position on the field. It's all fun and games at Hawaii All-Star Paintball as players come out of the woods to celebrate their field of dreams Paintball before politics By Burl Burlingame Star-Bulletin THERE'S a steady, hollow drumming -- thwip! thwip! thwip! -- as if vinyl hail is falling. And the stuttering chatter of air bursts. And the occasional shouted command, or cheer of victory. But other than that, standing at ground zero as 300 people engage in rapid-fire combat at close quarters is surprisingly quiet. Opening day at Hawaii All-Star Paintball drew hundreds of players from around the island yesterday in a benefit for Hawaii Food Bank. Owner Brandon Cayetano estimated about 1,500 cans of food were collected. By Ronen Zilberman, Star-Bulletin Ray Contreras eyes the amunition being handed to him. The paintballs, decorated with spots and stripes, are lightweight, but sting when they hit. "Even the other fields shut down for today in support," said Cayetano. He stood atop a Matson container in the center of the playing fields, looking down into the arenas and occasionally shouting orders like the skipper of a pirate ship: "You! Yeah, you! Mask DOWN, brah! Safety first! You HEAR me?" Located on a largely ignored spit of landfill left over from freeway construction, Cayetano had a busy couple of months bulldozing and cleaning up the site. "You wouldn't believe the junk that was here," he said, shaking his head. By Blaine Fergerstrom, Star-Bulletin An overhead view of the paintball grounds. The field is divided into various arenas, each with varying obstacles and degrees of difficulty. The games are basically a variation of capture-the-flag. "When you get right down to it, it's just playing cowboys and Indians," he said. "Except that that you can spend a thousand dollars for your gear and get totally wrapped up in it." The paintballs themselves are surprisingly tough gelatin capsules the size of marbles, filled with water and biodegradable dye. They don't burst unless they strike the target dead-on. Otherwise, they bounce away. "Yeah, I suppose you could eat them," said Cayetano, eyeing the reporter who asks the question. "But why would you want to?" By Ronen Zilberman, Star-Bulletin From left, Alex Frederick, Jonathan Mita and Samuel Nolan, lock and load, preparing for an intergalactic shoot 'em up. Players checking out the facility were happy with it, not just for the challenging courses but because of the location. Wayne Kiyabu, by day a worker at Frito Lay, was introduced to paintball by his brother -- "I was hooked by the first night!" -- and says that Cayetano's course is "just what Hawaii needs. "It's awesome, no kidding. The main thing is that it's centrally located. All the other courses are off in the sticks. It wasn't until I began playing that I realized how big the phenomenon was." Sheryl Miyagawa, Serene Kubota and Heather Enomoto, all about 20 and coeds, were trying paintball for the first time, and were enthusiastic. "It was totally fun," said Miyagawa. "But I didn't know it would hurt! When you get hit by the paintball, it stings!" "My friends told me, wear as much as you can, and they weren't kidding," said Enomoto. "Oh, it's not that bad," huffed Kubota. "Fun has its price." By Ronen Zilberman, Star-Bulletin Trisha Shimomi and Barry Tokuhama, paintball beginners, take a break to give each other support at the paintball field grand opening. Brad Rodrigues, by day a sales broker, began paintballing about a year ago. "My friends said, hey, try 'em, and I really got into it. "This central location will really help the game. It has a lot of space and is organized. A field like this will draw good people into the game." Paintball in Hawaii, although popular, has yet to tap into the lucrative tour or corporate market. Some companies sponsor games as a teambuilding exercise. Although Americans have led the paintball charge, Cayetano has seen a shift in Japanese attitudes. Even 10 years ago, Japanese visitors were crazy for target shooting, but wouldn't shoot at anything resembling a human," Cayetano said. "But that has changed." By Ronen Zilberman, Star-Bulletin A paintball warrior maneuvers for protection from being sprayed with lime green and fuchsia paint as he fires his weapon. How about videogames such as "Doom"? Have they made us more eager to shoot-'em-up? Cayetano shook his head. "Paintball is the antidote to videogames. It's out in the open. Fresh air and exercise. You're a target too. But mostly, there's no concept of teamwork in a videogame. You won't win in paintball unless you pull together." By Ronen Zilberman, Star-Bulletin Brandon Cayetano prefers the blast of paint to that of the political ring. Son o’ da guv is paintball commander BRANDON Cayetano has no intention of following in father Ben's political footsteps, and the governor has never played paintball, his son's passion. But the two share the gift of gab. Press Cayetano's "paintball" button and he goes, like 60 m.p.h. His new paintball field debuted yesterday near Sand Island and finally brings the islands into the modern age of the newly professional sport. "I first went crazy for paintball back in '83, and opened a competitive field in Waimanalo," said Cayetano. "I ran it basically so my friends and I could have a good time playing. I lost it in the early '90s. "I didn't have enough business savvy at the time to run it. I was naive." Discouraged, Cayetano ignored the sport for several years and explored what he calls the "dark side" of life. "Yeah, I got estranged from my family and friends. I knew what it was like on the streets, what it's like to be hungry. It was defensive times. I got into trouble. "But slowly, with the help of my parents, I worked my way back. I trained under computer gurus and got my act together." By coincidence, he worked as human resources and safety manager at United Laundry Services before the owner became his father's second wife. In the meantime, the paintball scene in Hawaii had stagnated, Cayetano believed. It was time someone brought it up to date, and why not him? His experiences in the '90s made him much more aware of the financial aspects of running a business. "In 1983, only the United States played paintball. Today, it's played in 39 countries and it's a $4-billion-a-year industry." Paintball is like any other sport, Cayetano said. It requires discipline, training, awareness and organization. This is created by creating fields like simulated war zones, with varying obstacles and handicaps. Paintball on Oahu had turned into a "renegade" game, with guys running around in the woods, just blasting away at each other. "We spent a lot of time just trying to tell people we weren't mercenaries in training!" he laughed. "There can be a kind of rift between the newbies and the tournament-level players. The newbies can get whacked on. They get excited, and the pros just rail 'em, which can be humbling and bum them out," said Cayetano. He intends to keep everything as even-handed as possible at the new site. Hawaii All-Star Paintball is divided into three zones or "fields" on a spit of land makai of the freeway near Sand Island. "It was trash land," said Cayetano. "I noticed it more than a year ago, and started the permit process to convert it into a paintball park." And no, being the governor's son didn't open any bureaucratic doors, he claims. "In fact, I think being the governor's kid might have slowed things down," he said. One zone comprises ABS water-pipe obstacles, a scenario called "hyper-ball" on the mainland. Another is what Cayetano called an "air-field," filled with inflatable obstacles, delivered by an airline with just hours to spare Saturday. "Thirteen grand to fly in balloons," he moaned. The third is a chessboard of mounds and berms for players to scramble over. The entire site is ringed with netting to prevent stray paintballs from whacking the freeway overpass. "The range on these things is only about 25 to 30 yards anyway," he said. "When I first started out in paintball, the guns were like pump shotguns, slow and inaccurate. Now you can even buy paintball guns for $1,200 that have computer chips in them to control your fire rate, like an automatic." Most paintball guns, though, run about $150, and are accurate enough to put a pattern in a pie plate at 20 yards. On the mainland, Army and Marine Corps use a paintball course for combat training because it's cheaper and more impressive than laser weapons. "When you get hit by a paintball, you know it," Cayetano chuckled. Cayetano raised the funds himself, mainly with the help of paintball enthusiasts like himself. Many show up after their 9-to-5s and help out in the evenings, getting the course ready. While dad doesn't play paintball, he knows Brandon has a passion for it. "Any father would want his son to follow in his footsteps," Brandon said. "But I'm more comfortable as a private businessman. Some people, like my Dad, are born to excel in politics. But not me!" Click for online calendars and events. E-mail to Features Editor Text Site Directory: [News] [Business] [Features] [Sports] [Editorial] [Do It Electric!] [Classified Ads] [Search] [Subscribe] [Info] [Letter to Editor] [Feedback] © 2001 Honolulu Star-Bulletin http://starbulletin.com