Slide Your Melon Into A Dakine Tall Boy Beanie For All-Day Style And A Little Discreet Storage. Based In Hood River, Oregon, Dakine Was Founded In Maui, Hawai'I In 1979 By Longtime Surfer, Rob Kaplan. In Hawaiian Slang, "Da Kine" Means The Best And The Company Has Lived Up To This Standard Through Attention To Detail, Focus On Accessories, And A Notoriously Thorough Design Process.