‘Hawaii Goes Fishing’ With Audy
Wednesday - October 01, 2008
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His music and masterful work on the guitar have soothed guests at Hy’s Steakhouse in Waikiki for more than 21 years, but there’s so much more to eight-time Na Hoku Award winning composer and singer Audy Kimura.
“I’m a television junkie,” chuckles Kimura, who has won both Male Vocalist and Composer of the Year awards. “Music will always be my first love, but this project is pretty exciting.”
The exciting new project comes with a new title: executive producer. Last December, Kimura joined veteran photographer and cameraman Dean Sensui and the rest of the crew at OC16 TV’s Hawaii Goes Fishing with hopes of taking the popular show in a different direction.
“I’m an avid fisherman and I grew up surfing, swimming and diving here,” says Kimura who saw this as an exciting opportunity to share stories from the sea. “Our lives revolve around the ocean, including our economy and our recreation, so this was a natural fit.”
Kimura says he and Sensui have been friends for more than 30 years, and both are committed to excellence and quality. He says they are also committed to sharing right messages in each episode.
“We’re both former Boy Scouts,” Kimura laughs. “It’s nice to have a say on the show’s content and we want to promote responsible fishing. We’re very supportive of tag-and-release fishing and want to communicate conservation as often as possible.”
However “tag and release” was far from the focus in their latest episode. Sensui captured exclusive video of a 973-pound Pacific blue marlin being caught on a 50-pound test line during the recent Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament.
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“Fishing is 99 percent waiting, so when that big fish came, we knew it was a catch of lifetime,” says Kimura. “Sometimes they say it’s better to be good than lucky. Well, Dean is good and lucky, because he researched this team and knew they’d come up big.”
It took two hours and 20 minutes for angler Robert Dudley of Laguna Niguel to land the massive marlin. It proved to be the second-largest fish in the 49-year history of the HIBT.
“It was so big, one of the crew members from the Marlin Magic II told Dean to put down his camera and help haul it in,” laughs Kimura. “Two days later, Robert does it again on a different boat, but this time it’s a 695-pound marlin. Those guys had a blast.”
Unfortunately, tragedy struck the team several days later. Dudley’s teammate and longtime friend Chris Ross suffered a fatal heart attack two days after returning home from the tournament. The episode was dedicated in his memory.
“Even though they lost a good friend, they were comforted by the fact they had enjoyed such a great time in the tournament,” says Kimura. “Three close friends, two large marlins and one great week of fishing.”
Kimura continues to perform in Waikiki and admits his schedule can get grueling at times, but the hard work is rewarding.
“To sit back on Sunday afternoon and turn on the television and watch something you helped create is a satisfaction very few things can compare to.”
And its stories like the friends from Laguna Niguel that makes him realize how special this new opportunity will be.
“These are the moments that enrich everyone’s lives,” says Kimura. “These are the type of stories that inspire us and give our lives meaning. When you have chance to do something like this you have to go for it, and I’m glad I did.”
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