The Laie Community Association (LCA) put on a special Hawaiian hukilau in honor of the PCC 50th Anniversary celebration the morning of Friday, September 6, at Hukilau Beach, starting with an explanation and a rowboat laying the net in a large semi-circle out in the bay; Polynesian Cultural Center photo by Mike Foley

The early stages of the LCA hukilau (note the beginning of the net on the far-left; Polynesian Cultural Center photo by Mike Foley

The rowboat (just to the right of Goat Island) is about half-way done with laying the net in a large semi-circle; Polynesian Cultural Center photo by Mike Foley

This close-up shows 1) the net literally pulls itself out of the rowboat, with the weighted bottom side sinking the floated top side rising to form a "wall"; and 2) the leaves or "lau" that move in the water and scare the fish into the net; Polynesian Cultural Center photo by Mike Foley

The crowd stetches along Hukilau Beach from where the net first went in the water to where it's going to end up; Polynesian Cultural Center photo by Mike Foley

The rowboat completes the semi-circle with the net: Ropes to both ends are now on shore; Polynesian Cultural Center photo by Mike Foley

PCC alumni, friends and community members now begin to simultaneously pull ("huki") in the ropes to the net and start walking along the beach toward the other end of the net, making the "fish trap" smaller and smaller; Polynesian Cultural Center photo by Mike Foley

Pullling and walking the net; Polynesian Cultural Center photo by Mike Foley

Pullling and walking the net; Polynesian Cultural Center photo by Mike Foley

The LCA crew directs both the pulling and walking of the net, while divers make sure the bottom of the net doesn't get hung up on coral or create a gap that allows the fish to escape; Polynesian Cultural Center photo by Mike Foley

As the alumni and others start pulling the net onshore, we're done with the "lau" — the leaves — tied to the rope; Polynesian Cultural Center photo by Mike Foley

The two ends of the net still have a ways to go before reaching each other; Polynesian Cultural Center photo by Mike Foley

Kids keep the bottom of the net closed so the fish don't get away at the last moment; Polynesian Cultural Center photo by Mike Foley

With divers still making sure the fish don't get away, the net starts to seriously come out of the water; Polynesian Cultural Center photo by Mike Foley

The excitement builds; Polynesian Cultural Center photo by Mike Foley

The other end of the net also comes ashore; Polynesian Cultural Center photo by Mike Foley

With the net almost all the way ashore, the crowd surges forward; Polynesian Cultural Center photo by Mike Foley

Did we catch anything? (Polynesian Cultural Center photo by Mike Foley)

OKay, there's one (right in the center of the crowd); Polynesian Cultural Center photo by Mike Foley

The old fish-in-the-mouth trick, with Robert Ah Puck (right); Polynesian Cultural Center photo by Mike Foley

Another fish-in-the-mouth; Polynesian Cultural Center photo by Mike Foley

Caught another one; Polynesian Cultural Center photo by Mike Foley