What do you get when you cross a vintage pin-up photography business with one of the longest continuously running tiki bars in the United States?

Find out next Thursday, Aug. 18, when Flash in the Past Studio hosts a free tiki bash at the Kon Tiki Restaurant and Lounge, 4625 E. Broadway.

The evening event, starting at 6 p.m., will feature early tiki-themed cocktails and menu items (beyond an already busy menu that includes, among other tasty libations, the rum-driven Scorpion, available in sizes big enough for one or two people).

There will be vintage vendors and a display showcasing the history of tiki bar culture and the Kon Tiki specifically. Guests are invited to dress in their flashiest mid-century tiki attire for a chance at prizes.

Flash in the Past owner Ramsey Borrego, said the goal is to raise awareness of the Kon Tiki, especially for those folks who drive by it every day but have never gone in.

โ€œWe wanted to show off a little gem,โ€ Borrego said. โ€œWhy not do that with cocktails?โ€

Local restaurateur Dean Short opened the Kon Tiki in January 1962, according the Star archives. Playing off of the tiki bar aesthetic first made popular by watering holes such as Don the Beachcomber and Trader Vicโ€™s in California, Short offered exotic, Polynesian-themed meals โ€” oyster beef, chicken pineapple, pineapple shrimp โ€” alongside tropical drinks, with names like the Barrel of Rum and Kon Tiki Coconut.

Its original head chef and bar manager came directly from the Aku Aku Polynesian restaurant at the Stardust Hotel in Las Vegas.

Its walls were adorned with textiles from Fiji and the Philippines, tables were made from monkey pod wood and a giant tropical fish aquarium could be found at the main entrance.

Borrego said, while much has changed, a lot of that traditional tiki feel can still be found at the Kon Tiki. She hopes to bring more attention to the bar and to her own business with this event.

If successful, Borrego may branch out to events at other bars known for pushing that mid-century nostalgia factor.

โ€œI would love to support places that are in the retro niche,โ€ she said.

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