i can remember the first time i took Joshua free diving, he didn’t want to even go in the water because he was too scared of sharks. now, this kid has no fear. diving down into the deep so relaxed and comfortable. i can see him so excited to see the rainbow runners come in from the deep. but he took a breath, kept calm, and did his job.
after he shot it, i could tell he was so stoked. he looked happier than the day he won the Volcom Pipeline Pro. haha. i held his fish for him as we kept on diving. then he comes to me and says “uncle, i think we should go back to the boat already. i don’t want a shark to eat my fish.” haha. and he was so serious!!! haha. and the crazy thing is right after we got out of the water, a hungry 8′ shark came over.
i always tell the kids that catching fish is the fun part. now go clean it, prepare it, and share it. i just sit back, watch, and smile. this is the day i exactly visioned 10 year ago. it’s like a dream come true.
this is how you do it in Molokai. you go hunt, bring back your catch, and share it with everybody. this is the local style i love so much.
and of course, i’m watching everything Joshua is doing. and he knows it because when he has a question, he looks up at me. then i look back at him and say “figure it out.” haha. i’m so proud of this kid.
then i give Kelia my pole spear and she tries to spear something for the first time. then she tells me “wow, i think i like this!” haha. now that Kelia’s back in Hawaii, i’ll be taking her spear fishing for sure. then she can clean all my fish. haha.
