Kona's Cast Makes Him the Ultimate Tween Crush Object
When Kona first appears in Rip Girls, we are told that he has injured his arm in a skateboarding accident. This injury is a symbolic castration, a physical representation of his inability to do harm. Moreover, because of his cast(ration), he is temporarily unable to swim or surf. Though we occasionally see shots of unnamed boys surfing, the film consistently frames the surfing as a feminine activity, representing female power and solidarity. Kona’s cast keeps him from crossing into the feminized space of the ocean.
Whenever Kona engages in a traditionally masculine pursuit, the filmmakers take care to associate a female character with the same activity. When he mentions skateboarding, Gia brags that she’s better at it. When he uses a power tool, he mentions that Malia taught him how. And when he heroically rescues Sydney from drowning, the only time he swims in the ocean, he makes sure to mention that Gia was right behind him.
In several key moments, Kona acts as a conduit for Sydney to connect with other women. He describes Gia’s surfing prowess to Sydney to help the two girls become closer friends, tells Sydney how Gia is feeling to help them make up after a fight, and, in the most literal example, translates an old Hawaiian woman’s story to help Sydney connect with her maternal ancestors.
And the best part, according to Gia? “He’s a really good listener.”
Yet despite his gentle, often feminine nature, he retains enough of an air of danger to entice Sydney. His cast renders him harmless, but it also serves as a reminder of that he engages in dangerous activities. This places him in opposition to Sydney’s father, who is deathly afraid of any activity that might lead to an injury. The cast is also temporary, and Kona can't wait for it to come off. What ultimately makes Kona so safe and comforting is that he never exhibits any overt sexual desire or aggression. Just as his arm will soon come out of the cast, soon Kona’s sexuality will emerge from its shell of preteen sweetness.
I do not mean to imply that male sexuality is always dangerous, or that sex is always a bad thing for teen girls, but romance stories have centered around this dynamic for centuries (see this essay for an excellent history of it). Sydney is attracted to Kona because of his kindness, his softness, and his good listening, but also because of this hint of danger and sexuality. It is this contrast that makes him the ultimate preteen heartthrob.
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