Monday, April 24, 2006

Additional info on our cliff-diving guide.......

Blondie found an information page about the cliff-diving guide that took us to the various waterfalls while we were in Maui. His name is Kahi. I've put his picture into this post to the left. Here's the information about him from the website.....

Famous for his huge “dive bomb” splash, Kahi claims he’s a guide so he can jump off waterfalls every day. “It’s the adrenaline rush of rushes,” he says. “People ask me what I love about my job. I say: ‘Look around -- this is my job!’ I love it. Visitors seem intrigued that I’m a local boy and I also know geology, botany and history.”

Kahi was born on Maui in a taxi cab on the way to the hospital. He’s number six of ten kids and he grew up old style Hawaiian. His mom’s house was “24 hours a day full of kids--all the neighborhood kids.” His 360-pound, 6’ 2” grandmother also raised him. “She was one of the best hula dancers on Maui,” he says. “She taught me to fish and surf at age four, to hula at age six and to chant at age 13. My grandparents lived Hawaiian--plantation house, no TV, kukui nut lamps, chanting when someone came to the door, growing lei flowers, singing Hawaiian songs.”

Kahi is the father of four and is a phenomenal self-taught artist and a professional hula dancer.