JUST THE OTHER DAY…SHOOTING

By Dave K.
Just the other day…I went to the Kokohead Shooting Complex with my oldest son, Ken.  If you recall, he is the same guy who went skydiving earlier this year.  Yup, he also likes to shoot guns!  Ken is quiet but very adventurous.  Bang! Bang! Bang!  That is the resounding sound you hear when you visit the shooting range.  It is loud but fun!  If you are looking for something different and exciting to do, you should try shooting.  We went to the pistol range first and fired a Smith & Wesson 9mm semi-automatic pistol.  It has open sights (no scope) and a strong kick (recoil) so it is difficult to be accurate unless you are a very experienced shooter.  At twenty-five yards, Ken can hit a target the size of a large pizza.  Ken has good control of the pistol and a smooth trigger pull so with practice he will soon be hitting a target the size of a small pizza.  Bang, bang, bang! Read more

Any Kine Stuff – Another Loss…

By Steve Kajihiro

Well…Hawaii fell short and lost to San Jose State, 20 to 17, tonight.

I am not going into any details of the game.  Right now, I don’t think any of that really matters.  I know this is not our miracle season team with Colt Brennan, this is a rebuilding year for the Warriors.  As fans, everyone should keep their heads up high and think positive.  Remember the saying “Believe”?   The Warriors need the fans more now, than they did last year.  Read more

Just the other day…Yes! Warrior football is here!

By Dave K.

Just the other day…I went to a Hawai`i Warrior football practice. Football season is here and if you are a fan of the Warriors like I am it couldn’t have come too soon. Whenever I have a chance to run away from work, I mean take vacation, I attend the practices. All of us at Island Sports Media have full-time jobs in addition to what we do for the magazine so we are quite busy and enjoy every minute of it. I know many of you live on the mainland or are not able to attend the practices due to your busy schedules, so I thought I would share my perspective on practices to give you a sense of what they are like.

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Just the other day…North Shore

By Dave K.

Just the other day…I took my kids to the North Shore of Oahu. North Shore is the place to go if you want to just relax and wind down. The people are friendly, the weather is nice, and there are a variety of ocean activities. I’m sure you already know this because you have been there many times yourself with your family and friends. On this trip, we went to Mokuleia Beach Park and did a little fishing. Whenever I take my kids fishing it always brings back fond memories of my childhood days when I used to fish with my dad and grandmother. We always went fishing when I was growing up. Mom would send us off by packing a bento with musubi, fried chicken, shoyu spam, scrambled eggs, along with a variety of tsukemono. Although my grandmother passed away several years ago, I can still vividly picture her reeling in the huge Mu she caught one night. I can see and feel the excitement in her face and I remember her telling me, “You take it!  Reel it in!” and I told her, “Oh no, you do it this time!” She always let my brothers and I fight the fish, but that one night it was her turn. Grandma also liked going to Las Vegas but that’s another story. Getting back to Mokuleia…While we were fishing there were other people swimming, windsurfing, parasurfing, and parachuting. Only on the North Shore will you see all of these activities occurring side-by-side. You will never see people in the water when people are fishing at any other beach, but it is okay on the North Shore. For lunch, we bought huli-huli chicken and took it to Haleiwa Beach Park and sat in the car while looking out into Haleiwa Harbor. What a view! We could see people fishing on the breakwater, jet skiing, paddle boarding, kayaking, and swimming in the bay. The chicken was good but it wasn’t the same as my mom’s bento. As we ate, my kids walked along the top of the stonewall balancing over the water. I told myself, “wow, that’s dangerous I better tell them to get down,” but I remember doing the same thing when I was a kid so I left them alone. Eh, they can both swim enough to stay afloat anyway. Ha! Ha!  

The day wouldn’t have been complete unless we went to Matsumoto’s Shave Ice. Matsumoto’s have been there forever and it still looks the same. I remember going there as a kid with my mom and dad…my slippers would come off my feet because they would get stuck by the sticky melted shave ice on the ground. I also remember sitting on the bench in front of the store and watching the large motorcycle clubs passing by with their loud rumbling engines and the countless cars with surfboards on their roofs. It still hasn’t changed. As for the shave ice, I like rainbow with a scoop of ice cream or some azuki at the bottom. That’s my favorite!

Until next time, take care!

Just the other day… DEFENSE…DEFENSE…DEFENSE!!!

By Dave K.

Just the other day… My son and I were telling each other that we can’t wait for the start of the Warrior football season and hear the crowd chanting: Defense…Defense…Defense!!!

After attending a few of the spring practices, I believe we will be hearing a lot from the defense this year. Warrior fans will soon be reminiscing about the good ‘ole days, whether it was during the Levi Stanley, Al Noga, Maa Tanuvasa, or Larry Cole eras, this year’s defense appears to be just as good. Get ready for some old school Hawaii football! I guess by now you can tell I like defense. Wide open offense is okay, but to me, good aggressive defense makes the game even more exciting. People think offense draws the crowds but I think it’s the hard hitting defense that people want to see. Well now, we may have both!

In particular, keep an eye out for the play of the defensive line as they have been dominating during spring training. Lead by first year coaches Dave Aranda (defensive line) and Ikaika Malloe (defensive tackles) and players Keala Watson (#93), Fale Laeli (#96), Rocky Savaiigaea (#92), and Joshua Leonard (#99) the D-line is something to watch!

During both scrimmages so far, the D-line have been outstanding. So much so that at this past Saturday’s scrimmage, Coach McMackin went over to the referees and told them, “you better blow the whistle before somebody gets killed.” I was standing on the sidelines behind the referees when Coach McMackin said that to protect the quarterbacks. Even though the quarterbacks were wearing orange jerseys and was not supposed to be touched, the defensive line’s push was so strong that the offensive linemen were backing into the quarterbacks and tripping them up and disrupting the play. The only offensive play that worked a few times was the shovel pass, and that was only after Coach McMackin ordered the second team defense to go in so the offense could do something. This doesn’t mean the offense isn’t good, I think the defense is that great!

Although the defense is in control on the field, after practices it is the offense that gets all of the attention. The kids immediately make a beeline for Kealoha Pilares (#21) a running back and graduate of Damien Memorial High School, and Inoke Funaki (#11) a quarterback and graduate of Kahuku High School. They are both really great with the kids as they have the charisma and patience that the kids love. However, defensive players, don’t worry because come game time I know you will get your “props” when you hear the crowd stomping their feet and chanting: Defense…Defense…Defense!!! That gives me chicken skin!

Spring practice ends this week with the “Warrior Bowl,” a full contact scrimmage that will be held during the Football ‘Ohana Festival on Saturday, April 26th at Aloha Stadium. There are four more months until the start of the season on August 30th against Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow and the Florida Gators, so go out there and support your team and get your fill of football to hold you over until then. Defense…Defense…Defense!!!

Until next time, take care!

Any Kind Stuff…Hawaii, Las Vegas, Pure Aloha

By Steve Kajihiro

Most people think of Las Vegas as a gambling town with lots of flashing lights and good food.  But, Las Vegas, NV. is also home to relocated Hawai’i residents and Pacific Islanders.  Read more

Any Kine Stuff…2008 Spring Lokahi ‘Ohana O Hawai’i Ho’olaule’a

By Steve Kajihiro

On Saturday, April 5, 2008, I was asked by UH Alumni Association Pacific NW President Dawn Mallory to help her out at the Lokahi ‘Ohana O Hawai’i Spring Ho’olaule’a in Puyallup, WA.   Although, I dreaded the one and half hour drive to this event, I kept thinking about the kalua pig that was waiting for me at the end of my long drive.   Read more

Lucky You Live in Hawai’i

By Steve Kajihiro

Lucky You Live in Hawai’i……As it is snowing here in Seattle, Washington, I think of that statement.  That’s right, it’s snowing here tonight, March 29, 2008.  The snow started coming down yesterday and kept on coming down off and on, all day.  It’s in the low 30’s and it’s almost April!! 

Last year, it was probably about 52 degrees on the high end and 38 degrees on the low end.  My friend said he was trying to convince himself that it wasn’t snowing but just bright from the nice sun.

Anyway, I moved here to the Seattle area about 10 years ago. One my first experiences was driving in snow but that’s a story for later.   I have to say, snow is one of the things I don’t like about moving away from Hawai’i.   I’m no different from a lot of my readers that are former Hawai’i residents,  we all made sacrifices when we decided to move away from Hawai’i.  Whether it was for a better life, job, or to get away from trouble. 

For me, the number one sacrifice was being away from my family and friends.  Next on the list would be, all that good food in Hawai’i.  I miss visiting my parents on special occassions to “grind” all that good food.   No place will ever come close to my mom and dad’s home cooking.  

And then the sunny weather.   It’s not that bad here in Seattle but there’s a three month period that is really rainy, cold, and sometimes snowy.  Summers here are just like anyplace else, it’s nice and sunny.  But in the winter, it’s cold and rainy.  We usually only get a few days of snow but it’s weird this year.   I can’t remember the last time it snowed the end of March.   I really don’t mind the snow but I don’t like driving in it. 

Even with all those scarifices, I don’t regret moving to the mainland. Moving to the mainland opened up a lot of opportunities and great experiences for my family.   I wouldn’t be here writing this article if I didn’t move to the mainland. But Hawai’i is that special place that no place on earth can replace.   People from Hawai’i are one of a kind.  Like my wife said, people from Hawai’i are different, we can meet someone from the islands anywhere and it’s like we’re old friends.    

Aloha……..Lucky You Live in Hawai’i or I should say, Lucky that You’re From Hawai’i. 

  

Just the other day…Wahine Softball

 By Dave K. 

Just the other day…I took the kids to see the UH Rainbow Wahine softball team play in the Chevron Spring Fling Tournament. It was a great night for softball, so we planned to watch the second game of a double header; we got there just before 6 p.m. as the sun was setting on the field. The first game was nearing its end as we walked into the stadium and sat along the third baseline.

ALL of the seats in the stadium have a good view. I emphasize “all” because, that wasn’t the case when they first built the 1,200 seat stadium in 1998. An error was made during construction of the bleachers and you couldn’t see home plate from many of the seats. Of course it had to be corrected because watching the batter and catcher is an essential part of the game. Instead of rebuilding the bleachers, the contractors corrected the problem by bringing in thousands of yards of dirt to raise the entire level of the field to what it is today. Believe me, that is a lot of truckloads of dirt! They did an outstanding job and now the stadium is one of the best venues in the country to watch a college softball game.

Getting back to the game…Hawai’i went on to beat Texas Tech 4-1 in the first game. The winning pitcher was #12 Jessica Morton.

Between games we bought some peanut butter cup candy and drinks. Of course, the kids went back to the snack shop for a second time before the start of the second game to buy a chili and cheese nachos. They ate all of their food, despite the fact we had just eaten dinner before going to the game. Eating is just part of the fun of going to the ballpark! After a twenty minute break, the Wahines played North Carolina in the nightcap with #26 Courtney Baughman pitching for Hawai’i.

After watching the top half of the second inning, the kids got bored and started playing on the railing of the bleachers. I think they had more fun playing then watching the game! That is one of the good things about watching Wahine softball as they allow the fans to roam around and enjoy the atmosphere. After the second inning, the kids asked me when we were going home and I said whenever you are both ready. They immediately said, “Okay now, let’s go!” I hesitated for a moment as I thought why would leave so early!? But reason settled in as I thought to myself, heck, we only went to the game because they wanted to go in the first place so if they wanted to go home, then so be it. So we left during the top of the third inning. As we walked back to the car, it hit me as to why they wanted to leave. I told them earlier to remind me after the game that we had to stop by grandpa and grandma’s house to pick up something. You see…their uncle’s Nintendo Wii game counsel is at their house. That’s why they wanted to leave early! They wanted to play Nintendo Wii at grandpa and grandma’s house…and played they did! Next time, I won’t tell them we have to go to grandpa and grandma’s until after the game. After getting home, I heard on the news that the Tar Heels got a run in the second and three more in the third inning. That was all they needed to beat the Wahines 5-1 in the nightcap. Hawaii’s only run came from #8 Kate Robinson’s solo-homerun in the sixth inning.

If you are looking for something to do for the whole family that is reasonably priced, going to a Wahine softball game is free. Yep, free! On some days, you can go to the Wahine softball game then walk across the street to see a Rainbow baseball game at Les Murakami Stadium.

What a deal!

For more information, go to the UH Athletics Department website at: www.uhathletics.hawaii.edu.

Until next time, take care!

Just the other day…Skydive Hawaii

By Dave K.

My oldest son Ken (18) asked if he could go skydiving.  Calmly, I told him it was okay but you have to ask mom.  I was hoping she said, no.  Mom’s first reaction was WHAT?! SKYDIVING?!  Well, after five minutes of, What?!  Who else is going?!  Are you crazy?!  Are you sure?!  Why?!  Where?  When?  Is dad going, too?  Oh no, I am not going skydiving!  My other son, Ryan (10) kept saying, you going die!  You going die!  You going die!  Can I have your room?  Well, you can tell it wasn’t going well; funny, but not well.  Mom eventually said okay so Ryan and I went along with Ken and took the video and digital cameras.  Mom refused to go.  She couldn’t watch her “baby” jump out of a perfectly good airplane.  Ryan wanted to go just to see his brother, splat!  Although Ryan jokes around, he is a ’fraidy cat.  He is the sensitive one in the family.

Ken, Ryan and I headed to Skydive Hawaii, located in Mokuleia along the North Shore of Oahu.  Upon arriving, they first showed us a video that explained the entire process from putting on the gear, going up in the airplane, jumping, free falling, to the landing.  During the video, I was waiting for Ken to change his mind but he didn’t waver one bit.  Even when they asked him to sign a waiver acknowledging that skydiving could result in death!  Ryan, though, looked very nervous realizing that Ken was actually going to go through with it.

After Ken signed his life away, I paid $160.00 and Ken was paired up with a certified parachuter.  Sorry, I don’t know his official title.  It may be jumpmaster or something like that.  I’ll call him instructor.  Anyway, you know what I mean.  The instructor taught Ken how to put on his gear, how to jump off the airplane, and how to land.  Since it was Ken’s first jump, he had to do what is called a tandem jump.  He was connected by safety clips in front of the instructor as they skydived together. 

After a few minutes of practice, they headed off in a van down the runway to a twin-engine airplane. Ryan and I waited on a picnic bench just across the runway.From there, we had a great view as we looked up into the clear blue sky waiting for Ken to jump.  The jump started at 10,000 feet.  At first, they were just a small speck in the sky.  After about a minute, you could see the parachute open but they were still very small.  Only after another minute or two could we actually recognize Ken through the telephoto lens of the cameras.  By this time, he had a huge smile on his face!  If you know Ken, you would not believe me unless you saw him for yourself.  Then, smooth as silk, they landed safety right on target. Within a few minutes, Skydive Hawaii presented Ken with a certificate and showed us a video of his jump that they offered for $50.  We chose not to purchase the video because we couldn’t see his face during the free fall.  The whole experience from the introductory video to the presentation of the certificate took about two hours.  Ken said he enjoyed the “ride” and will do it again someday with his friends.  Great job, Ken!  Skydive Hawaii was very professional and informative and I recommend them to anyone looking for a high adrenaline activity.  My adrenaline was going and I didn’t even jump!  It is definitely not for someone with a weak heart or lack of nerves.  For more information, their website is: www.hawaiiskydiving.com. See Ken’s jump on YouTube:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROCphLWEELw 

Until next time, take care! 

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