THE “HIP” DOCTOR
Dr. Thornton Dilcher has been sewing up surfers on the North Shore since the ‘70s. “The lifeguards down here usually send us people so we get a lot of surfers. Lots of lacerations; I get to do a lot of sewing. It’s fun to sew,” jokes the doctor. His family practice is one of the few down on the North Shore. It has a very “at home feel.” You even have to take off your shoes when you enter.
The Doc is down to Earth—always in an aloha shirt and bare footed. On his lunch breaks he often sneaks out for a quick surf session. He’s got to be one of the hippest doctors around. You can still catch him after hours in Chinatown checking out the nightlife and bands like Kings of Spades. “I love the vibe down there, it’s a very unique part of Honolulu, the hole in the wall restaurants and the little craft shops. I like to check out First Fridays but it’s been pretty busy for that lately. I actually went to Mardi Gras [in downtown, Honolulu] this year. It was incredible! Good music, good energy, no trouble at all.”
Other than surfing, the Doc also spends his free time crafting handmade ukuleles (works of art, really). “I can’t play instruments I just like to make them, I’ve had some famous people play with them. It sounded very nice.” But like many North Shore residents, the traffic has cut down the Doc’s time in the water and even affects the production of his ukuleles.
Zen: So Doc, how long you been on the North Shore?
Doctor Dilcher: I been down here since the late ‘70s. That’s when I started my practice out here. I was raised on Kaua‘i when I was a baby in the ‘40s then I grew up for a little bit in the Niu Valley area. My dad was military so I moved around a lot. Then I did my medical schooling and came out to the North Shore.
What made you decide to start your practice here?
I looked around a lot but when you grow up in Hawai‘i it’s hard not to comeback. There were also a lot of factors in medicine, it [Hawai‘i] was probably 10 years behind from anywhere else, so I was allowed to do more. I used to do everything, surgeries, and home births, things I would not be able to do now as a family doctor. Insurance gets complicated on all that stuff and it’s very expensive. And I liked to surf.
Still surf a lot?
Oh yes, I try to surf everyday for at least 45 minutes to a hour and a half before I come into work. It’s my meditation time. It clears my head and I’m much better at work. I’m much more relaxed and I’m a happier person. I just love the ocean and it’s exercise, which is something you need to do everyday. It’s kind of a social thing too. I always surf with the same people in the morning.
What about your ukuleles?
I started making ukuleles in 2002. I’m not a musical person. I can’t play any instruments but I love working with my hands and I love art. So one of my patients kept bugging me to come check it out [making ukuleles], once I did I was hooked. I think I made my first two with him, then I turned my whole garage into a wood shop. I made a lot at one point but I’ve been too busy lately and the traffic down here makes it hard. Jack Johnson actually played a song with one of mine before. It was amazing.
Changes down here on the North Shore?
The traffic. I can’t go surf sometimes during my lunch because of the traffic. I used to work on my ukuleles during lunch too but I can’t do that anymore either. But I don’t think there is anything they can do about it.
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ドクターディルチャー
70年代からいる数少ないNorthShoreのお医者さん。今でもアットホームな対応で大人気。毎日欠かさず海に入るようにして仕事とのバランスを取っている。今でもライブなので見かけることが出来るヒップなお医者さん。
