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HQ TRADE MAGAZINE APRIL 2016 68 S ay hello or, as they say in Hawaii, “aloha,” to Charity and John Newman, who with the help of their son Lance, a glassblower creating pieces under the nick- name Skullkid, are the family behind the counter at Westside Vibes on the island of Maui. Charity launched Westside Vibes in 2006 along the lines of a classic head shop with a variety of clothing and glass by local artists and vendors. It was also the place to go for tickets to music shows and events. Word of mouth spread quickly about the new shop, and it wasn't long before customers were coming from all over the island. “Everybody here smokes, so opening a smoke shop made sense. . . and it was something I really wanted to do,” Charity says. Charity started off at a true alternative culture shop in Redding, California. The place was called The Underground, and was a record store and smoke shop. Charity felt right at home there, but looking for more professional opportunities, she moved to Hawaii where there were a lot of jobs. Landing on the island, she managed a surf shop for a number of years – but not being a surfer, she found herself having dreams of being back in the smoke shop world. “My parents are Deadheads, and I grew up smoking and happy and around a lot of cool stuff,” Charity says. Opening a smoke shop was more than a dream – there was only one other such place on the island, and there was a ready market for smoking culture accessories. continued on page 74