Giant Tiki at THE HUT in Tucson with its new warm scarf (Photo by Fini Finicial)

The Giant Tiki Head, from the old Magic Carpet located at the popular nightclub THE HUT, got a surprise gift recently  to help him handle the cold climate we have been having lately.

Some of our compassionate and artistic Tucsonans appear to have spent a lot of time knitting a large warm scarf together and in the cover of darkness wrapped it around our favorite TIKI (Moai) to give it some warmth against our desert chill.

Douglas “Fini” Finicial, one of the operators of the hut and a major Tiki collector, believes the scarf was knitted and placed on the Tucson landmark as a venue for a “renegade art installation”, a peaceful movement to place positive projects around the nation.

The giant sculpture was a significant part of the former Tucson icon, Magic Carpet Golf property, on Speedway here is Tucson. The majority of the statues created by the late Lee Koplin were saved from demolition and can be seen in various businesses and homes around town. The giant Moai, now in its permanent home at The Hut, seems to have a smile on its face now that it has a new warm scarf around its neck.  How many Tikis have you seen with a hand-knitted scarf?

If any of you get to the Seattle area there are some sculptures at a bus stop in Wallingford, there that the residents of the area decorate often depending on the season. They are concrete sculptures of people and a dog or two that have received lots of loving care by the town. Sometimes they get raincoats other times warm clothes and at Christmas a little Christmas decoration.

Magic Carpet Bull

The forty-year old BULL from the closed Magic Carpet Golf on Speedway found a new home last week.  The 3000 pound, 13 foot long, 9 foot high sculpture, created by the late Lee Koplin, was removed from its No 1 hole on the East course by a giant crane. It was lifted into a waiting stake-bed truck to be transported to its new home a few miles away.  The Penhall Company using a diamond blade chainsaw had cut the hoofs of the Bull away from its concrete base a few days before.

Bull flying by crane

Bulls are stubborn as anyone knows that has been around them and this concrete and steel creature is no different. It insisted that it be taken to listen to some country music at the nearby Maverick, King of Clubs on its way to its new home.  The Bull named Tucson Toro wanted to meet some of the Toros baseball players signing autographs that day at the club. Toros’ owner Jay Zucker owns the nightclub.                   (more…)

June 11,2009 by Charles Spillar

Yesterday, two more of the giant sculptures from the closed Magic Carpet Golf property on East Speedway were headed to their new homes. The smiling SUN sculpture and the giant KACHINA were removed from their places on the miniature golf course. They had been there for the past 40 years and brought joy to thousands of Tucsonans. The giant figures were transported to a new location in East Tucson.

Attached are some photos of the two unique creations of the late Lee Koplin as they are being moved.
For those that are not aware of these unique hand built folk art pieces, they were part an important part of Tucson’s history and actually achieved icon status in the community. The quirky creatures brought smiles to many visitors.

Lee Koplin was responsible for actually changing the face of miniature golf in America by creating a literal fantasy world on his Magic Carpet courses. There are only a few of these original courses left in existence. (more…)