The mystery of the Easter Island-like Tiki statue — or Totem pole — on Staten Island. It came out of nowhere one year around 2017 on the beach by Sequine Avenue and Lemon Creek Park — a large, 10-foot-tall Tiki statue (or Totem Pole) apparently carved out of a tree that used to be there.
And little by little, it kept getting better. We walk our dogs on this beach, and as the months passed, the carving became more detailed and then shellacked.
A Tiki Statue on Staten Island? Who built this statue — and why? It became the Mystery of the Tiki Statue on Staten Island.
Before long, other items began appearing by the statue — such as a metal park bench, and an assortment of plants and things surrounding it.
The bench allowed one to sit down — on a bench vs the sand — and take in the gorgeous view of Raritan Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.
Most of the beaches on Staten Island are rarely attended — except by fishermen — so they are like being on your own private beach.
And then one day Staten Island councilman Joe Borelli discovered the man behind the mystery — the Tiki Statue was built by an artist named “Kevin.”
Borelli caught him red-handed — working on the statue. Borelli posted the pictures to his Instagram account. Kevin told Borelli the statue’s name was Mambo.
Our further investigation into Kevin finds that he is Kevin the Tiki Man. His real name is Kevin Kavanagh and he hails from Bolivar Peninsula of Crystal Beach, Texas.
There are numerous articles and videos online about him such as:
- This one on CrystalBeach.com — dated October, 2024 , but there are responses to the article from 2017 so it had to be written back then.
- And this video below from 2013:
And then there is:
- Kevin Kavanaugh’s Facebook page — but he hasn’t posted since 2021.
- According to his Facebook page, he runs a DJ business, Tikiloco.com.
Kevin the Tiki Man
You have to read the story on Kevin that is on crystalbeach.com. You get a real feel for Kevin’s personality, sense of humor, and take on life. In case the article disappears at some point, we’ll provide some of it here:
According to the article, Kevin:
“Worked as a field engineer in the oil field when he first got married. Working internationally, he found himself going all over the world, sometimes at a moments notice. ‘Drove my wife crazy,’ Kevin told crystalcity.com. “Looking for a more family oriented lifestyle, they happened to stumble upon Crystal Beach. While camping out on the beach, they wondered how they could live here and still raise a family. There was no infrastructure for work down here and they already had 3 young boys. But they made it.”
More from crystalcity.com — in case the article disappears at some point:
Kevin said “I come from a long line of artists, I think it’s in my DNA. My Mom is fairly famous, developed her own style of painting, she’s a ‘degreed’ artist. Mom calls me a folk artist.‘Gee Mom, sounds a bit racial now, because I don’t have a degree.’ Sweet Mom, in an effort to not sound condescending, explained it this way: A Folk Artist feels the love and needs to fulfill something in them, doing their own thing, without any knowledge of history or previous artists.”
Kevin adds, “I think everybody has an artistic quality. It may sound bizarre, but I think there’s an invisible field of energy all around us that’s accessible. I don’t think it’s me, I think there are other minds coming into my mind to help me shape things. Is that crazy? Some people say I’m crazy.”
Tiki Statue or Totem Pole?
A quick lookup shows that Tiki statues and Totem Poles are distinct artistic and cultural traditions — originating from different regions of the Pacific and holding different meanings.
- Tiki statues are from Polynesian cultures — including Māori in New Zealand –representing deities (like the god Tiki who created humans) or ancestors with spiritual significance.
- Tiki statues can be made of wood or stone and come in various sizes, from small pendants to large figures.
- Tiki statues have sacred, spiritual, and protective roles.
- Totem poles originate from the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest — such as the Haida and other groups in what is now British Columbia, Washington State, and Oregon — telling family or clan histories through carvings.
- Totem poles are most commonly carved from red cedar trees — a durable and abundant wood in the region. They are always large.
- Totem poles served as monumental records of a community’s history and social structure, and were often erected in visible public places.
“Mambo” Is a Tiki Statue
Given all that — and especially considering the artist Kevin Kavanagh’s knickname was “Kevin the Tiki Man” — the statue on Staten Island was definitely a Tiki. Or maybe not — since Kevin in his own words has carved a beaver family Totem pole, as he discloses on crystalbeach.com.
The Mystery Continues
And then, just like that, early in 2024 the Tiki Statue was burned and destroyed.
Who on earth would do this? Kids? Vandals? Kevin himself?
Initially it looked like someone burned the statue, and then on successive trips to the beach, we saw the statue in worse and worse condition. It looks like someone tried to chop the statue down as well, then stopped.
Nobody knows who did it — but it is a great loss for Staten Island and Tiki Statues.
Other mysteries remain to be solved:
- Kevin for years had a business at Hwy 87 and Jacks Road in Crystal Beach, Texas. Why was he on Staten Island? Visiting or did he move here?
- Is Kevin still on Staten Island or did he move away?
We have attempted to call Kevin at the phone number on his TikiLoco.com website — and have left a message and texted him — but so far no response.
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