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C www.MokuleleAirlines.com C TM A message from What’s Inside? Ron Hansen, CEO of Mokulele Airlines E komo mai! A Love Affair 6 with Surfing Thank you for choosing Mokulele Airlines! It has Kona Couple has been now been slightly over one Catching Big Island year since Transpac Aviation purchased Mokulele. In that Waves for over 35 Years time, we have made great strides in our mission to offer high quality service that makes it easy and affordable for our residents and visitors to travel between our beautiful islands. We have nearly doubled our daily flights, and ON A currently serve seven destinations on five islands. We also now offer more daily flights in and out of Maui than 10 ROLL any other airline. Mahalo! This wouldn’t be possible The Waimea Wranglers without loyal passengers like you. Roller Derby Team is on In this issue of our Island Hopper magazine, you’ll learn Track for Success about the Waimea Wranglers, a women’s roller derby team who had the guts and determination to form a team in a small town when others told them it couldn’t be done. You’ll also meet long-time Kona residents Jeri and Steve Macres who share a lifelong passion for surfing. And if you long to return to the tranquility of Old Hawaii, you’ll enjoy learning about Travaasa Hāna, Maui, an award-winning resort and spa. Finally, we’ve Authentic asked some of our pilots to share the incredible views 14 Maui they see from their flights. Personally, I can’t think of a The enchanted town of better “office” to go to work in every day! Travaasa Hāna, Maui We hope you enjoy your flight. We take great pride in being the best little airline in the world, and we look forward to creating new ways to serve you in 2013. Sincerely, Ron Hansen A Bird’s Ron Hansen, CEO Mokulele Airlines 18 Eye View Sit back and enjoy some amazing sightseeing, Mokulele-style www.MokuleleAirlines.com TM A message from Governor Neil Abercrombie Whether here as a visitor or a resident of these islands, we can all agree that the Aloha State is home to treasures unlike any other in the world. From the lively shores of Oahu’s Waikiki Beach, to the serene summit of Maui’s Mount Haleakala, I invite you to explore each island for its own unique scenic wonders and multicultural tapestries. Mokulele Airlines will be a gracious host to get you to your interisland destination safely and with efficiency. Since returning to Hawaii-based ownership a year ago, the airline has doubled its workforce and passengers. You are among approximately 15,000 passengers who fly with Mokulele per month throughout the Hawaiian Islands – to Hana, Honolulu, Kahului, Kapalua, Lanai, Molokai and Kona. Most recently, Mokulele moved its call center to Maui from the U.S. Mainland, and the airline continues to expand services to smaller airport destinations, adding convenience and access across the islands. On behalf of Hawaii’s air transportation professionals, mahalo for your patronage. Enjoy your travel, whether it’s for business or pleasure. Perhaps I’ll one day see you as a fellow passenger, enjoying a bird’s eye view of paradise. Sincerely, Neil Abercrombie Governor, State of Hawaii A Love Affair with Surfing Kona Couple has been Catching Big Island Waves for over 35 Years eri and Steve Macres of Kona have surfing in their blood. Jeri, a native of Newport Beach, California was taught to surf by her father, surfing legend Rocky Freeman, whose J name appears on the Surfing Walk of Fame in Huntington Beach. Steve is also a California native. He grew up in nearby Santa Ana and learned to surf at Huntington Beach when he was in junior high. Jeri reflected on what life was like in Kona back in the 70s. Despite their common southern California surfing “It was completely a small town place,” she describes. “There backgrounds, Jeri and Steve didn’t meet until they each moved were mom and pop stores and everything closed down at night. to Kona in the 70s. They got married in 1979 and have been Everybody knew each other.” She adds that when she and Steve happily catching waves on the Big Island ever since. got married, the town was so small they couldn’t even find a caterer, so her Mom packed a turkey and a ham in her suitcase when she flew in for the wedding! The couple’s passion for surfing continues to this day. “We “We get up at about 5 and go get up at about 5 and go every morning, pretty much, unless we surfing every morning, pretty know it’s flat,” Jeri says. “We’re usually the first ones out on the water. We stay out for about three hours.” Her idea of a perfect much, unless we know it’s flat. wave is a six-footer on a glassy ocean. “Just a perfect peeling wave that doesn’t crumble.” Jeri and Steve like to go online and We’re usually the first ones out on check the wave models on Stormsurf.com. “It shows you the movement for a whole week. It’s kind of fun to see what’s going the water.” on out there. Back in the day, you just woke up in the morning, 6 I MOKULELEAIRLINES.COM Issue 2 I 7 and you would sort of know a swell was coming, but you didn’t know what day or what degree it was coming in at.” Jeri and Steve have been surfing on the Big Island for so long that they’ve actually had a hand in naming some of the island’s favorite surf spots such as “Elevators” (it’s like an elevator drop when you take off) and “Randoms” (the waves just randomly come in). Their favorite surfing spot is Pine Trees, just south of the airport. The spot got its name from fishermen in the area who spotted what they thought were pine trees but they were actually mangroves. When asked what draws her to the sport, Jeri says that it’s the challenge. “I think it’s probably the hardest sport to do. You can go skiing and kind of master it to a degree because the mountain stays still. With surfing, you have this moving water, so it’s probably the hardest one to get good at.” She also appreciates the sense of freedom it gives her as well as another important benefit. “It’s good for you. Paddling builds up every muscle you have in your body.” Jeri and Steve passed their love of surfing down to their son Chris who would ride along with them in their old pickup truck when they went out in search of waves. In fact, Jeri says that Chris’s surfing abilities now exceed theirs. The family was recently out surfing together when they had an exciting experience. “We saw a whale! It was huge. It was the first whale I saw this year. It was really entertaining. He was jumping and flapping his fins. It went right by Chris and he went underwater and he started talking to it and it was talking back!” Once they’ve gotten in their daily surfing fix, Jeri returns to her business of making flags for sportfishing boats and Steve is a car mechanic who specializes in working on Toyotas. “He’s actually retired,” Jeri explains, “but he keeps on going.” Just like Jeri and Steve’s love affair with surfing. 8 I MOKULELEAIRLINES.COM The Waimea Wranglers Roller Derby Team is ON A on Track for Success “We had a lot of people expect us to fail because they said this town is way too small. They said, ‘You can’t do it.’” R OLL - Lisa Fejeran (a.k.a. “Sadie Mae Gutz”) tarting up a women’s roller derby team in a small town is Lisa explained why women are drawn to the sport. “It’s a no easy task. But the Big Island’s Waimea Wranglers have really good way to channel all that frustration in your life. A lot S shown that they have the guts and grit to overcome that of people have different things going on and this is a way to be challenge and take on many more. yourself and just go out there and play and skate hard. It’s very The team was formed last year by Lisa Fejeran and Tiara aggressive, so it’s a good way to let out all of that anger.” Anderson (a.k.a. “Sadie Mae Gutz” and “Chewy ‘Up”). “Our Team members pick a roller derby name and they can’t town, Waimea, probably has 1,000 people – maybe,” Lisa have the same name as any other player in the world. These explains. “We had a lot of people, especially roller girls on the alter egos are designed to be intimidating, and Wranglers Big Island, expect us to fail because they said this town is way proudly answer to names like “Hammer Roid,” “Booty too small. They said, ‘You can’t do it.’’’ Clearly, they were wrong. Bamz,” “Won Ton Devastation,” “Lash ‘em Lulu” and The team now has 21 skaters and is getting ready for its first major “Huntress Thompson.” bout on Maui in February. Lisa plays on the team and serves as Even though women’s roller derby is the fastest growing its coach and president while Tiara teaches skating techniques and sport in America, there are still misperceptions about it.