Share the Aloha and Pay it Forward

Living in Maui, I am able to meet people from everywhere. It is important to me to treat everyone with Aloha when they are here on holiday. Working in the restaurant industry and in the mortgage industry, I am able to meet and talk story with a variety of people. Most everyone is friendly with Aloha here on the islands. Whether they are from the mainland, Canada, China, Japan, or Australia; it is important for us to remember that we need to show Aloha to everyone we encounter. That is what the Aloha Spirit is all about. These people visit the islands because they are a beautiful paradise. The people that live here are warm and friendly. Some people have to save a very long time in order to be able to bring the entire family here. When visitors are shown Aloha when they are on holiday here, they return the gift of Aloha. It may be by taking the Aloha Spirit home with them or even by performing acts of kindness and Aloha back to you or someone else on the island.

MALA employees “Practice Aloha” …. Visit the website sometime

Recently, I was fortunate enough to meet 2 incredible people having holiday here on Maui. Mother and daughter, Birgit and Kiona, are from Munich, Germany and have been taking holiday on the Hawaiian Islands. They have visited Oahu, Kauai, and finally Maui. I have been fortunate enough to spend time with them while they are here and we have had some great times. Birgit has enjoyed some fine scuba all over the island (including the Cathedral in Lanai and Molokini).

Scuba the First Cathedral – Lanai
Photo courtesy of Lahaina Divers*

Kiona wanted to have a Hawaiian surf experience (she had taken a surf class in Kauai already) so my good friend, Eric Chapin, and I took Kiona to Goofy Foot Surf Shop at the 505 in south Lahaina to rent some boards. Kiona and I rented two 11ft soft-top boards, some rash guards, and water shoes and headed to the beach at Breakwall.

Logo courtesy of Goofy Foot Surf School, Maui*

Quick side note – The folks over at Goofy Foot Surf School shop were very friendly. I know some of the people who work there and they love what they do. I have not taken a lesson from them but it seems to me that they have a good program there. For more information on them – feel free to click the logo on the right to visit their website or follow this link:http://www.goofyfootsurfschool.com/

Even the overcast day didn’t stop the surfing at Breakwall… unfortunately the camera mount wouldn’t work on the soft-top boards…

Soon after we had our boards and got settled in at the beach, Birgit showed up after finishing her dive and was able to watch us all surf. Kiona had a good day surfing and was able to surf some of the smaller waves that day. However, she was not fully satisfied and insisted we come back the next day. Eric told us that the waves would be much better the next day. Eric was right. The second day, while Birgit was out diving again, Kiona and I rented 2 more boards and soon headed out into much larger waves compared to the previous day. We paddled out and tackled the white water and crashing waves to claim our spot. Then, Kiona starts paddling and catches her very first wave of the day! Super stoked! I was not able to catch my first wave, standing to far foward on my board and taking a wonderful nose-dive just after standing up. Kiona was able to catch a few more waves that day but her last one resulted in a scraped leg after jumping off the board on her last ride. She was bummed that it ended her day of surfing but this young lady took it like a champ and she now has a Hawaiian surf wound as proof that “She Is Aloha”. Birgit and Kiona leave this coming Monday and I just want to thank them both for everything. They have taken Eric and I to dinner at Duke’s Beach House, hung out on the beach at midnight having cocktails in the rain, and we lounged on the beach at BlackRock together (Kiona even jumped from BlackRock!) They have been able to experience Hawaii by scuba, surfing, buying local, and taking excursions. Today they are driving to Hana and tomorrow they will experience Maui by way of helicopter! I want to say Mahalo to Eric for showing his Aloha with them and a big mahalo to Birgit and Kiona for embracing the Spirit of Aloha. Eric is Aloha. Birgit is Aloha. Kiona is Aloha….. I AM ALOHA.

Kiona from Germany shows off her “I Am Aloha” shirt while throwing shakas at the Breakwall after a day of surfing…