Giant Tiki Head Moved In Historic Tucson, AZ Event A Tucson icon located at the defunct Magic Carpet Golf on Speedway Blvd. will be moved Dec. 23 to a new permanent location. The giant Tiki Head (Moai) has been an icon in Tucson for over 40 years.
HISTORIC TIKI HEAD BEING MOVED IN TUCSON DECEMBER 23
Tucson Arizona- A Tucson icon located at the defunct Magic Carpet Golf on Speedway Blvd. will be moved to a new permanent location. The giant 30 foot tall Tiki Head (Moai) has been an icon in Tucson for over 40 years. It will be a major historic engineering feat to move this 55,000-pound work of art created by the late Lee Koplin.
The Tiki Head is just the first of many giant creatures to be saved and relocated before the former miniature golf course is demolished. Chapman Automotive bought the golf property in January of this year Chapman’s desire to save these works of art for future generations has turned over title of the sculptures to the historic Valley of the Moon created in Tucson by the late George Phar Legler over 85 years ago. The proceeds from the sculpture sales will be used to restore their own historic fantasyland for children. Five of the sculptures will be relocated to the children’s park on E. Allen Rd. in Tucson.
Ever since Thor Heyerdahl’s expedition to Easter Island in 1955 the world has been in awe of just how the giant Moais (almost 900 of them) were actually moved around the island. Those viewing the upcoming move of Tucson’s giant Moai will realize just how complicated and difficult it was. This event will add to the mystery of just HOW something so large and heavy could have been transported so many years ago.
The final destination for Koplin’s Moai is to be The Hut on Fourth Ave. The Hut is a popular nightclub with its own collection of over 200 Tiki Heads on display and a Polynesian atmosphere. The operators of The Hut, Fini Finical and Scott Mencke, have been doing fund raising and assembling a group of companies to accomplish this relocation feat since March of this year. The final move will take place at 8:00 AM Tuesday morning and is a historical event for Tucson. Tens of thousands have enjoyed this gentle giant for over 40 years.
CAID Industries (International metal fabrication company), Division 2 Construction (general contractors lead by Eric Jacobson project manager), Broderick Engineers (structural consultants for project), and Galileo Construction (constructing the new base located at The Hut according to new regulations), Parson Steel Erectors (actual rigging and placement of ‘pick points”) and two giant cranes make up the mix for this relocation feat. CAID Industries, now an international Tucson based company, actually had it beginning at the building where The Hut is now located.
Actual rigging for the move started December 9 and the final move will happen on December 23. The head and neck of the Tiki Head will be removed from its present base via a steel structure surrounding the statue and then lowered by the use of two giant cranes to an awaiting flat bed trailer. The Tiki Head will then be transported to The Hut property parking lot until the new base
