Hoku Aki’s battle is for comic books…it’s a shame I’m no hero Hoku Aki is a stud. A hero. A modern Gladiator. A man amongst men. He can scale tall buildings like Spiderman, tear through steel like Superman and rejuvinate
Hoku Aki’s battle is for comic books…it’s a shame I’m no hero
Hoku Aki is a stud. A hero. A modern Gladiator. A man amongst men.
He can scale tall buildings like Spiderman, tear through steel like Superman and rejuvinate the way Wolverine does after he gets pulverized by one of those 60-story Sentinels.
I’ve never actually seen Aki do these things, but from what I hear, he fought a tiger shark with his bare hands – and won. If that’s not comic book worthy, I don’t know what is.
Unfortunate for me, I’m not Hoku. I once battled a 10-foot (inch) centipede from the bowels of my bathroom sink. I championed the slithery nuissance by drowning it with dishwashing detergent and a whole lot of whining and screaming. But I’m not sure that makes me Superman, Wolverine, or even Daffy Duck.
Hoku’s is a story which puts many on edge about ocean recreation, whether they’ve been surfing, spearfishing, snorkeling or just plain wading. If it can happen to Hoku, can happen to you?
Most people aren’t Hoku. Most people aren’t willing to step in the ring with an 11-inch eel let alone a 10-foot shark. Hoku’s ordeal and the recent “Shark Mania,” which stems from attacks in Florida and Australia, have sunk their proverbial teeth into the psyche of beach patrons all over the world. They have shored the more inexperienced and paranoid swimmer or surfer from enjoying a nice wade in the ocean.
I’ve been told only fools fear the ocean.
“Humans don’t make tasty shark treats,” one surfer said to me. “How is the ocean any different from before the Hoku attack?” another said. “At least now you know it can happen.”
This is true.
It can happen. Just like Bay Area joggers are attacked by mountain lions, or Yellowstone campers are terrorized by bears, sharks can attack swimmers.
And the one thing I’ve learned from the dubious rumor: “a shark attack is as likely as getting into a car accident on the way to the beach,” is that these kind of attacks can be avoided with adequate knowledge of the sea.
So I’ve compiled a minny-list for all of those who may have been shored by Hoku’s “heroics.”
For those who aren’t fit to fight a flee and don’t want to feel like a meatloaf on Roseanne Barr’s lunch break, here’s some things to look out for:
u The more people in the water, the smaller the risk.
u Where there’s fishermen, there’s fish. Where there’s small fish, there’s big fish.
u Don’t tempt fate and urinate in the water.
u Sharks like deep channels, as they can approach unseen from below.
u If schooling fish, bait fish, dolphins or other marine creatures behave erratically, leave the water.
u If you are bleeding from an open wound, leave the water immediately.
u If the water is murky or hardly visible, stay out. The sharks love to hunt for food in murky water.
Notice: Members of Interact Club from Kailua High School in Oahu will be at Kalaheo School from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to conduct a Car Wash for the fundraising efforts of Hoku Aki.
