This week, Ryley and Ellie chat with Jim “Hurricane” Hayward, author of The Atomic Grog blog and a fixture in the South Florida tiki scene. Hurricane Hayward has been into Midcentury culture and design for quite a while, but it was the Hukilau and the magic of the Mai Kai that launched his passion for all things Polynesian Pop. A few years later, he’s combining his professional work of journalism with his love for tiki. Hurricane Hayward’s blog, The Atomic Grog, features cocktails, events, art, music, and culture throughout the tiki scene. His events calendar is a comprehensive guide to any tiki, surf, or related gathering coming up. His cocktail guide includes authentic historical recipes, great new libations, and his tributes to the originals. Not to mention, his documentation of the Mai Kai’s history, sale, and restoration are some of the most detailed and complete. Outside of his entertaining and informative blog, Hurricane has been a presenter at several tiki events. We talk about his upcoming presentation at Inuhele which focuses on the tiki revival which is clearly near and dear to our hearts. Be sure to get tickets to the event and Atlanta to see Hurricane Hayward, and we will be there as well. Ryley and I are hoping to make it down to Florida soon to see the Mai Kai, and based on everything this video showed, we may have to move that timetable up. We had a fantastic time chatting with Jim “Hurricane” Hayward, and we appreciate his time and stories. 

You can find Hurricane on his website theatomicgrog.com. And be sure to show the Mai Kai some love! You can find them at Maikai.com. 

Thanks for joining us on this week’s episode. You can find us on Instagram @thetikitalkshow or @konacove_hometikibar. Be sure to click the link below to open our Linktree to find the show, connect with us on Facebook or Instagram, or join our postcard mailing list. Find Ryley’s second show on YouTube @tikitoday to see our summer recap. As always, it’s been great talking to you. 

-Ryley and Ellie

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