Evans was raised on Lanai, and grew up loving hula and hunting deer. She rode horses on Koele Ranch but also started driving on Lanai’s dirt roads at 12 years old. During these holoholo (travels), from the white sands of Polihua Beach to the rocky, alien landscape of Keahiakawelo (known as The Garden of the Gods), her father would tell her stories of the legends of the small island.
Even for Hawaii’s locals, not much is known about Lanai except for its Four Seasons Resort and its pineapple plantation history. However, Evans wants to change that. She wants locals and visitors to ike maka, or “see with one’s own eyes” the Lanai that she knows and loves.
When asked what makes Lanai so special, she says Lanai is different from other islands because of its untouched beauty. The entire island is off the beaten path, and often feels likes you have stepped back in time because it looks like what it looked like hundreds of years ago.
In both her professional life and personal life, she feels it’s her responsibility to preserve and perpetuate the culture and the essence of Lanai.