Laie is located in Koolauloa District on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. The name is of Hawaiian origin and it means “the leaf of a red-spiked climbing screwpine”. The tree is endemic to the mountain range that is located near the town.
The town is known as the spiritual center of the Hawaiian community of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, or the Mormons, as it is the site of the Laie Hawaii Temple, the fifth oldest Mormon temple in the world. The temple was the headquarters of the LDS in Hawaii beginning November 27, 1919. Many years have passed and the HQ was moved to Honolulu, and the temple had undergone renovation until it was reopened November 22, 2010.
Laie is also a melting pot of both native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander culture; as its several feasts and fundraisers, as well as Brigham Young University Hawaii’s Polynesian Cultural Center (the state’s largest living museum), are continually drawing visitors and inspiring artists.
The town’s coastline is made prominent by Laie Point, a dune overlooking the Pacific Ocean to the east. It also sports three beaches: Laie Beach Park, Pounders Beach, and Hukilau Beach. Laie Beach Park is a prominent fishing spot since John Pahumoa Kamake’e’aina, a fisherman from the late 19th century, popularized a method of community net fishing called hukilau.
Pounders Beach was named so due to the pounding shore break that provided bodysurfing rides. Hukilau Beach is another bodysurfing spot. Laie Beach Park and Hukilau Beach are located at the northern part of town; Pounders Beach is located at the southern end.
Laie is not just a good place for enjoying the beach, but it also offers a sanctuary.