"When I look up to serve beer to customers", Tisa related, "my eyes automatically fall into position where dolphins come into view. They are magnificant mammals that never fail to carry my imagination away with them."

Just a year later, in February 1990, cyclone Ofa stuck the islands. It was devasting to the region, but was kind to Tisa's Barefoot Bar. Cyclone Val, which struck soon after in December 1991, was not so kind. Known as the "Storm of the Century" in this region, it packed winds of over 150 miles per hour and stalled off the coast for nearly 3 days, devastating all of the islands in the region. Eventually, it swept away the first Tisa's Barefoot Bar Fale and Alega (“ah-LENG-ah”) Beach was reduced to four feet of dirt and gravel. People were still wearing their "I Survived Cyclone Ofa" t-shirts, so they just crossed out Ofa and put Val on them.