Waimea is a cowboy town

In 1906, three of the Hawaiian Cowboys (called Paniolo) traveled to Wyoming to compete in the world champion roping contest. They were laughed at until they won. The story of cattle on the big island is another crazy one. The cowboys were brought here in the 1800s to control a steer population that had gotten out of hand. The animals, a gift to the island royalty, were wild, aggressive, and mean. Eventually, that led to a big ranching community and cowboy culture. 

The town has all things cowboy including statues, names, and a lot of giant pick up trucks!