"I've never had a piña colada," my friend said.
Sitting on Chair 5 at Mammoth Mountain, I turned to face him -- utterly incredulous.
Luckily, there was a bar within skiing distance where such a transgression could be remedied.
Lakanuki, lovingly nicknamed "Laka" by locals, is the highest tiki bar in California -- right here in Mammoth Lakes. Whether for a happy hour mai tai or late-night boogie sesh, Lakanuki is a staple for both tourists and locals.
Owner Stuart Need has countless memorable tales from Lakanuki's opening 20 years ago. While originally from New Zealand, Stu spent most of his life in ski towns across Canada and the US, ultimately settling in Mammoth Lakes at the bar's inception.
The tiki bar almost didn't happen: "Originally, we sold (investors) on the idea of 'On the Rocks' -- more like a ski lodge with animal heads and stuff like that," Stuart recalls. "Then, we were looking at nose art on bomber planes, and one of them was called Lakanuki."
So, what does "Lakanuki" mean? Prepare for a hilarious, if not a bit raunchy, origin story.
In WW2, soldiers stationed in Hawaii said they suffered from "lack of nookie," shortened to "lakanuki," slang for lack of--shall we say, “romantic endeavors”--because there were no women around.
And in the typically male-dominated ski towns, Stu jokes it's not so different.
"We thought that would be a great name for a ski bar…cause there are always about five guys to one girl in every ski town, right? So we changed the whole business plan," Stuart laughs.
It took more than just a clever name to last 20 years through shoulder season slumps, droughts, and massive snow years.
"We need a strong community," says Stu. Lakanuki regularly hosts events for the community, like fundraisers for the high school baseball team, thus supporting solid local connections and creating an inviting atmosphere for visitors.
