Makai, what an interesting name. How did you get it?

My parents gave it to me. It is Hawaiian and means “Toward the Ocean.”

Does the name fit the man?

Definitely. I am from Kailua, Hawaii, and have been surfing since I was 2 or 3 years old.

Do you surf in Japan?

Yes. I am the Far East director of the Hawaii Military Surfing Ohana Japan. It’s a group of surfers who meet to surf together with the purpose of having a good time but also learning and teaching respect for our oceans and maybe have a few beers afterward.

What does “ohana” mean?

It means family in Hawaiian, and we consider ourselves family even though we have surfers who are Japanese, American, Pakistani, Korean and Australian. We have charters at every military base except Sasebo and Iwakuni.

Where has your group surfed?

We’ve made trips all over mainland Japan, to Okinawa and Hawaii. There’s also talk about planning a trip to California sometime.

So the surfing is good in Japan then?

It is, especially in Southern Hokkaido. The waves there are extremely good.

Is surfing how you met your wife?

Yes, I was stationed in Misawa and spoke to her in Japanese as we were sitting on our boards waiting for the waves. She mostly takes care of our two young children now, but she still likes to surf in the summer.

How did you learn Japanese?

When I was younger, we would always have Japanese foreign exchange students staying with us … . When I came to Japan, my Japanese was all over the place, and I was told I spoke like a Japanese woman from the 1980s. That’s because most of the exchange students we had were girls who taught me words from the 1980s.

What else do you do with your spare time?

I am also a canyon guide for groups who travel Minakami in Gunma Prefecture to whitewater raft. That’s also a lot of fun.

Sounds like you are not the sit-at-home type.

No way. While other airmen are getting ready on a Friday evening to head to Roppongi (in downtown Tokyo), I’m already heading in the other direction, looking for an outdoor adventure.

What’s the best surfing movie out there?

There are several actual surfing movies that are good, but my favorite Hollywood-style movie about surfing is called “North Shore.”

What makes it so good?

It’s really not a good movie. It is a B-movie made in the 1980s. It’s just so cheesy and stereotypes surfing, so it’s funny. Plus, when I watch the movie, I always notice friends and family in the background from back home.

What was your best day of surfing?

Right after my daughter was born this summer, I went up to Hokkaido to surf. It was around typhoon season, and for a week straight, the surfing was incredible. There was no searching for good waves; each one was just about perfect.

Staff Sgt. Makai EstiokoAge: 30Title: Aerospace ground equipment technician, Yokota Air Base

Pacific readers: Know someone whose accomplishments, talents, job, hobby, volunteer work, awards or good deeds qualify them for 15 minutes of fame? How about someone whose claim to glory is a bit out of the ordinary — even, dare we say, oddball? Call Paul Newell at Stars and Stripes with the person’s name and contact information at DSN 229-3158 or e-mail him at: newellp@pstripes.osd.mil.