Real Hawaiians - Parte I

Localismo fede. Localismo é nojento. Localismo é antipático. Localismo é a maneira como os medíocres se escondem da realidade. Realidade dos que se sentem inferiores, mesmo que os outros não os considere assim.

Apresento aqui Makua Rothman, que não tem culpa de ser como é. Nasceu no ninho do maior bossal dos bossais. Foi criado pelo "mestre" (atrás dele na foto). Não podia dar outra.

The North Shore has always been notorious for aggressive localism. As a local, do you think violence has a place here?
I just see it as, brah, you don't see us going to Australia and acting like kooks. Or you don't see us going to Tahiti and dropping in on those guys and being like, "Oh, sorry, we didn't see you," trying to play dumb, you know what I mean? It's like, brah, this is our spot, this is our waves, we live here year round, flat or what. When we're going, even if we're in front of you or in back of you, we have right of way. It's just respect. You respect someone, they respect you back. It's just like anywhere else in the world. If you don't respect us, you're done, see ya, don't come back.
It seems there's a lot of loyalty between the Hawaiians, no matter what Island they're from. It's just Hawaii. We all stick together. Say we got one from Oahu, one from Kauai, one from Maui, one from the Big Island, and we go somewhere, we're all one guys. Hawaii boys pretty solid. We watch each other's back when we go other places.

You have a reputation as someone who's not going to back down, but who's not going to go out and look for trouble either. Do you think you need to be that way to live here where you do?
Oh yeah, brah. There's always guys around that are gonna try to test you. All those guys are jealous. If they step to the plate, then we're gonna play ball, but I really don't want to go out and look for trouble, cause, brah, you could run into the wrongest f--ker, and he'll just shoot you, bang, see ya. And that'll be the end of Makua. So I just try to keep it low pro, have a good time, do what I do. But if it just comes down to it and it's on, then it's on for sure.

Your father has a heavy presence on the North Shore as founder of Da Hui. Did that affect you growing up?
No, I was just born into Da Hui. Ever since I was small, I was just one of the little Hui boys, so I'll be that even when I die. There'll be a big Hui carving on my casket or whatever I go in for sure. But, brah, ask anybody, ask Raimana , ask Ross Clarke Jones, all the Australians, when I go to their place, I have total respect for everybody. I have a good time. I try to be friends with everybody, because that would be better. Life's too short brah, you could be grouchy and grumpy and try to go over there and take over, but you're not gonna have a good time. It's way better to laugh then fight all the time.

So are you pretty competitive?
Yeah, if I'm going to enter something, I'm going to win for sure. Even if we're playing for a Christmas tree or something. [Gestures to Christmas tree in living room] That's my Christmas tree, I want it. What's up? Get out of my way, I'm going. But I always try and have fun when I do it.
Do you have any desire to compete on the WCT?
I would really like to make the 'CT one day, but I just don't want to go to Rio de Janeiro and surf some blown out little spot, where these little flick tail guys are just going to rip me. If all the big six stars were at places like Teahupoo or Hossegor, or Mundaka, something like that, some good waves, yeah I would try. But I'm kind of over surfing France one foot or Japan half-a-foot waves. It's just not my trip. But I'm going to try to do a bunch of the big contests in Australia so I can get into the Haleiwa contest. I want to win the Triple Crown.

Would that be another ultimate for you?
If I could win the Triple Crown and the Masters or Sunset, I'd be stoked.
What did it mean when you won the Best Barrel Expression Session at Sunset Beach?
I was so stoked. I went out against all those 'CT guys, and I got the best barrel of them all. So I just showed them that, brah I can get barreled out here just as much as you guys can, for sure. I wanted to go out there and show them that I got what it takes to surf Sunset, so give me a wildcard. I'll show you what's up.

What are your goals for the future?
One day when a little kid goes, "I want to be what he was," I'll be stoked for sure. I'll look down from up there and give him a good one.

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