MACC Lecture: ‘The Hawaiian Pā‘ū Rider’

By Maui Now Staff

BJ Allen will present a lecture and demonstration on equestrian women riders of the 1800s and the development of pāʻū riding units on Sunday, March 29, at 11 a.m. at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center’s McCoy Studio Theater.

Allen i the executive director for the State Council on Hawaiian Heritage and
former arts program specialist for the King Kamehameha Celebration Commission.

She is a third-generation parade director, learning about pāʻū riders and their unique garments as she helped her mother, Keahi Allen, facilitate this classic Hawaiian horseback riding attire.

Allen’s presentation will include rarely seen, uniquely Hawaiian riding outfits.

The history of the pāʻū rider follows the arrival of the first horses in the islands in 1803. The earliest pāʻū were fashioned primarily from calico or gingham, fastened at the waist and ankles. The pāʻū, a type of culotte or skirt, is made of a single piece of fabric, usually nine or 12 yards in length, wrapped around the rider in such a way as to flow regally over the stirrups and to the ground. The pāʻū is held in place with six kukui nuts that are twisted inside the fabric and tucked into the waistband for a secure fit.

Tickets for this rare presentation are $10.  Purchase tickets online or by calling 242-SHOW (7469).