GROWING UP ROTHMAN – LIFETIME COMMITMENT TO BE THE BEST

For those of you familiar with the reality TV show Growing up Gotti, it is consider an Aesop’s fable compared to Growing up Rothman……Although the late” Teflon Don” John Gotti may have struck fear and respect in the five borough hoods of New York, maintaining control of the family in his castle was laughable at best. Just look at his sons today. During the same era, approximately 5,200 miles away on the North Shore of Oahu was a four year old toddler named Makuakai (guardian of the sea in Hawaiian) who vividly remembers all the armed forces of Hawaii except for the sixth fleet from Pearl Harbor descending upon his home to take dead or alive Big Daddy Da Hui founder “Fast” Eddie Rothman. Now I could tell you what Da Hui means & who Fast Eddie Rothman is, but then I would have to kill you. So take me off the hook and google it.

For the next two years, Makua as referred to by his friends lived in a tent on the beach in the same exact spot where Big Daddy’s beautiful house stands today. During those difficult times, it would have been easy to take to a life of crime. What carried Makua through those hard times was continuous participation in sports. Playing football, soccer, baseball, water polo, surfing, fishing, & diving on a daily basis, barely left time for him to eat, sleep, and learn something in school. Makua credits his father as having a BIG influence in shaping his life. Eddy laid the law down with tough love and advice in respect to: never start a fight with anyone who does not want to fight you, never make someone who is fat or ugly feel bad about themselves, always strive to reach your full potential, help others in need, & never ever disrespect Da Hui.

Makua’s two favorite passions in life were football & surfing. At age twelve, he was surfing 15-18 foot waves in front of his house at a famous surf spot called Phantom’s. (At age 41, I was crushed and nearly drowned in 6-8 foot surf next to Phantom’s) Fortunately, surfing greats Laird Hamilton and Derrick Doerner recognized Makua’s fearless talents and took him under their wings showing him the way to big wave surfing. At age 13, Fast Eddie bought Makua his first jet ski to start tow surfing into the big stuff and with in no time Makua was hooked on the adrenalin of being towed into 30-foot waves. However, becoming a pro football player was more then just a dream for Makua. Football was truly his passion. He was all over the field hitting ball carriers like a jackhammer. His high school coaches thought he would be the next Junior Seau or Zach Thomas (both Makua’s favorite players) but a career ending knee injury placed football in fantasyland forever.

Once healed up, big wave surfing became prime focus and at age 16 Makua was invited to the World Cup of tow – in surfing on Maui to compete against Laird Hamilton & a host of veteran masters. Makua walked away with 4Th place, although many people felt he should have won it all, but they just could not let a first time 16-year-old beat all the top contenders from around the world. The physical demand of tow-in surfing requires a very rigorous cross training regiment. Father Eddy instilled in Makua’s mind, “that to be the Big Kahuna, you must train your body and feed your body and brain the right foods and no screwing around with drugs of any kind”. So Makua went off to San Diego to train with Rob Garcia, (Oscar De La Hoya’s fitness coach) for conditioning, “Kid Peligro” for Jiu-Jitsu, “Panchito” Bojado (Olympic Boxing Silver Medalist) and Diego Sanchez (U.F.C. combatant). “These guys whipped me into super human shape, changing my body from a marshmallow to marble and most important, increasing my endurance to unimaginable stages”. I discovered that my heart and focus would allow me to do anything I wanted.

Up to the age of 18, Makua’s life had been lived largely through the shadow of his father. A life changing experience took place on a gargantuan November day in 2002 off a Maui break called “JAWS”. During one of the most historic days in big-wave sessions, Makua was towed into surfing history on a last second borrowed Jet Ski known as the “Turtle” for its speed. Makua thought that this was going to be his test run but as the monster wave rose beneath him, he realized this was it, released the rope and began barreling down a 66-foot moving mountain of deep blue thunder. “That beast had so much power and the power went right through me, I was one with the wave”. It went down in the record books as the largest wave ridden to date by a man. This amazing feat earned him at 18 years old the undisputed winner of the Billabong XXL Big Wave Challenge, beating a field of veteran big wave riders whose average age was over twice that of Makua. Rothman received the grand prize of $66,000 – or $1,000 per foot plus the acknowledgement in a Miller Lite beer commercial recognizing him as riding history’s biggest wave. Chicks recognized him as well. Maui-based photographer Ron Dahlquist received $5,000.00 for capturing the image in his lens.

Makua has since been surfing all the major tournaments around the world. His # 1 endorsement sponsorship is Alpine Stars. Rothman’s goal is to win the World Professional Surfing Championship and in addition be the first person to ride a 100+-foot wave all in the same year as well. This in fact would place him as the next great waterman since Duke Kahanamoku whose bigger then life statue stands at the sands of Queens Beach in Waikiki. In the spare time that he is afforded from a global travel schedule, Makua spends personal moments visiting children in hospitals, giving speeches at the YMCA’s and other youth organizations. “I tell kids that anything is possible if you put your heart and mind into it 110%. Don’t let anyone tell you that you cannot do something, because you can”! There are many kids who come from broken homes, single parent families and various unfortunate tough situations, I tell them,” do not be discouraged, you can and will persevere”. “I think it is extremely important for people to share their fortunes with others in any way they can. It always gives me a great feeling to help someone else out”.

For those of you who have a desire to paddle out into a lineup throughout the Hawaiian Islands especially on the West and North Shore of Oahu, (wise advice from Marv L.) please get yourself a special permission slip from your local Da Hui enforcement officer. Da Hui to you.