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 By Tiff Hervey
Kala Alexander is a hybrid Hawaiian. A modern local boy, who is
primitive in nature yet progressive in spirit. He adheres to a
traditional code of ethics while living an extreme lifestyle. He is a
lover and a fighter. He is a father to four beautiful children. He is a
hustler, cashing checks in a variety of realms such as real estate,
fashion, jewelry and Hollywood. His media persona as aggressive and
territorial is a bit exaggerated from what you get when the real thing
is right in front of you— beneath the piercing brown eyes and ripped
exterior is an insightful and pleasant demeanor. But make no mistake,
Kala is 100 percent, organic alpha-male. When he enters the room,
females and males alike become more aware of their animal instincts.
Raised on Kaua‘i by a single mom (a blonde-hair, blue-eyed hippy from
8-Mile, Michigan) with his brother Kamalei, Kala grew up poor,
hitchhiking to get around and even living on the beach in a tent for a
couple years. “We were so poor we couldn’t even pay attention,” Kala
jokes. He didn’t meet his father until he was six or seven years old.
“Uncle Eddie [Rothman] actually took care of my mom when she was
pregnant with me,” Kala recalls. “Eddie knew my dad and was kinda
pissed that my dad never took any interest in my life. So he called him
up and asked if he wanted to meet me and took me to meet him. I didn’t
stay, but from then on I started visiting my Dad.”
Now at 38, Kala is well known as the captain of the notorious Wolfpak. “Every local kid in Hawai‘i is part of the Wolfpak,” Kala says. “To me, it’s all-inclusive. If you grew up here, you’re in. You have to do something to get kicked out of the Wolfpak, not something to join. We’re all together in this. It’s a big family— a brotherhood.” The Wolfpak is the next generation’s guard that presides over the North Shore lineups, just as Da Hui initially did. In the ‘60s, Eddie Rothman, Tom Stone, Brian Amona, Kawika Stant and other local surfers created Da Hui to protect the locals’ interests in the ocean. “Contrary to what people may think, Da Hui wasn’t a gang,” Kala explains. “All the new people and contests coming here created a lot of disrespect and chaos in the water. All the locals banded together to make sure no one was lost in the shuffle. You don’t forget about the locals and the kids growing up here. They have every right to surf these waves as anybody else. That’s why Da Hui was formed.”
Da Hui and the Wolfpak shared their stories in the recent reality show on Fuel TV, The 808, which, according to Kala, was made because many people have misconceptions about Hawai‘i and localism. In addition to that project, Kala is currently working on the Wolfpak clothing line, a treatment for a TV show with friend and former Baywatch star, Jason Momoa, and auditioning for other Hollywood projects. He is also an organizer for the Da Hui/Wolfpak beach cleanup that kicks off every winter on the North Shore. This is a very important event that brings the community and surf industry together to malama ka ‘aina (take care of the land).
While he is known as an enforcer of the lineup, he is learning from his rough past and is becoming more of an ambassador each day. When he rides down the beach on his quad, everyone has a smile and a wave for him. He is undoubtedly one of the most charismatic and intriguing Hawaiians around. Meet a modern Hawaiian warrior: Kala Alexander.
What was growing up on Kaua‘i like?
Life on Kaua‘i was awesome because it’s a small community and everybody respects one another and gets along. They say in Hawai‘i you are raised by the community. On Kaua‘i this is really true because you know everyone and look out for everybody.
How were you in school?
I scored in the top four percent in Hawai‘i in the SATs when I was 14 and got into Kamehameha on a full academic scholarship. I went to O‘ahu and lived with Uncle Eddie. When I was 15, I crashed Makua’s mom’s Mercedes and Uncle Eddie kicked me out of the house. Then I get kicked out of Kamehameha. So I had to go back to Kaua‘i. That’s just one mistake in a long line of mistakes I made. I really regret that. I broke my mom’s heart.
You were back and forth between O‘ahu and Kaua‘i a lot, but why did you finally make the move to Oahu seven years ago?
Kaua‘i is small and there are not a whole lot of opportunities so I had to get out of there.
I went through a divorce. Moving here for business and to get away from my ex made all of our lives better, which is to focus on the kids. Ever since I moved to O‘ahu everything has pretty much taken off. I got my SAG card, did stunt work, movies, TV shows— not really even pursuing it.
Was Blue Crush the first film you did?
I’d made a couple movies. Home movies. [Laughs] Nah, Blue Crush was my first movie.
How has your Hollywood experience been so far?
It’s been positive. It’s just another option for me. I never want to limit myself. I’ll try anything once— that’s legal. Hollywood has a lot of money and if I can tap into that, that’s awesome. Big Hollywood actors do like ten blockbuster movies and they’re set for life. You get residuals. I’m still getting residual checks from Blue Crush and that’s not even a blockbuster, and this is what, five years later?
Who is your hero?
My mother for raising me by herself and putting up with all my s--t. Coming from nothing. My mom was cleaning yards, hitchhiking around with me when I was a kid, she didn’t even have a car. She started doing the yard of the Kaua‘i museum. While she was doing that she put herself through school and became an accountant, became their accountant, and then a few years later became the director of the Kaua‘i Museum. You know, running the place. My mom was one smart lady. She had a brown crazy kid and she did the best she could, so she is my number one hero.
What is your biggest fear?
Seeing my kids get into trouble, make mistakes I made and not being able to take care of them and show them the right way. Because I know how much it sucks to f--k up and pay for it. I just hope my kids don’t have to do that. I know they’re going to make mistakes but I hope I can just keep them down to a minimum. I know from experience.
What is your biggest regret?
Getting kicked out of Kamehameha. I have others that are more serious. But that one just broke my mom’s heart. She was so happy that I got into that school for free on academic scholarship. I never got to tell her sorry for that and that was the one thing she wanted for me is a good education. Maybe she would be proud of me now because I’m not in jail or struggling.
Favorite local hangout?
The Volcom house because the best wave in the winter is Pipeline and it’s right there. I can sit there all day and watch Pipeline break, guys getting pounded, guys getting barreled. Hopefully nobody gets hurts but it’s crazy. I swear to god, all my friends will tell you the same thing. We can sit there and watch Pipeline all day. A lot of crazy s--t happens. Not to mention, there’s always 20 to 30 hot chicks on the beach right in front watching, you know what I mean? So if you’re a single guy in Hawai‘i, man, Pipeline’s a good place to hang out.
What is the Wolfpak?
Me and my boys from Kaua‘i that love to surf together. We came over to Oa‘hu at a time when a lot of the original Da Hui guys had moved on and didn’t surf as much anymore. It had started to get back to chaos, like how it was when Da Hui first formed. Coming from Kaua‘i, you don’t do that. You respect your elders on Kaua‘i. There’s certain spots, there are certain guys you know get any wave they want and then you get your pick. Kaua‘i is smaller, so the smaller the community is, the more important respect is. When we came over here we were just like, “Woah, what the f--k is your trip?”
What did you do?
We confronted people. We didn’t let them off the hook. There were fights in the beginning. There are still fights, but ninety-nine percent of the fights in the water have nothing to do with Da Hui or the Wolfpak.
How did that name come about?
People noticed we were like a pack of wolves. My friend Kai Garcia started calling us that, actually. I didn’t like it at first. We’re not a bunch of animals. We’re people. We just want respect. But if you think about it, a pack of wolves just take care of their young and take care of their territory. They’re not out terrorizing; it’s all about survival. They look out for each other and that’s it. They stay in their territory and do their own thing. That’s basically what we are.
What do you do to stay fit?
We train every day over here, boxing, kickboxing, jiu jitsu. Kickboxing is so addictive. It keeps you so mellow. Haru [Shimanishi] lives with Eddie and trains all of us in kickboxing. He is so awesome, such a good man. After one of his classes, you just get addicted, man. Afterwards you just feel so good, so content. You just feel clear, more focused. You know what’s really going on when you’re body’s fit. It’s the best core workout, too.
What is the biggest misconception about you?
That I don’t like people who don’t live here or that I’m not approachable. I’m totally approachable. I have friends from all over the world, and I don’t have anything against anyone from any other part of the world. But what I do have a problem with is stupid people. There are stupid Hawaiians, too. There are stupid locals, too. I just wish we could all get along. I have no time to have problems with people, I got stuff to do, bills to play, kids to feed.
So what’s your advice to out-of-towners who come here to visit or live?
Say hi, wave to people. That’s the best way in the world to break the ice. [For example] you walk into Ted’s Bakery and you look at a local guy, he’s not gonna wave to you first. He lives here, this is his home, know what I mean? Don’t look at him, and look at him, and look at him, and don’t do anything. Don’t just stare at the locals. These locals will not say hi first. In their minds, you should say hi first. This is their home. It’s like you’re coming into their house without even saying anything to them. It’s like if I walk into some party and it’s your house, the first thing I want to do is go up to you since it’s your house and shake your hand and give you a cold pack of beer or some food or something. You don’t just walk in and try not to meet people. You’re not gonna have a good experience otherwise.
Say hi, that’s the number one rule?
The number one thing is just say hi. I’d like to put a video on the airplanes for people for when they come over here, seriously. Brah, I’m telling you, the gnarliest local you’ve ever seen in your life, like the biggest Samoan or Hawaiian you’ve ever seen— yoked out, tattoos, everything— all you have to do is say, “What’s up braddah?” and you’ll see the guy have the biggest smile you’ve ever seen. All you have to do is put yourself out there. And these people don’t know how. It’s crazy. I’ve seen it happen every day during the winter. You have to greet, show the Aloha. A lot of times, I’ll wave first because I’ve been around the world and I know it’s just easier to wave first to people and break the ice. But when I was younger, people would look at me and I’d be like, “What the f--k are you looking at? What, you like beef?” I had never traveled and been to other countries, I didn’t know how special I had it here. I had a chip on my shoulder.
Words to live by?
Try to treat people like you want to be treated. You can do anything you put your mind to. As I get older, I realize it’s important that we be more environmentally aware. Just being more aware of your surroundings and the people around you. I just want to be a better role model. I wasn’t always the best role model. I made mistakes but you can learn from your mistakes and make your kids better for it.
[PAU]
captions:
My uncle Tiger [Espere] said it doesn’t really matter what color you are or where you’re from if you come here with respect.
We don’t wake up in the morning and go, “Who can we beat up today? Who can we terrorize?” I have no problems with anyone, you know. My mom is a haole lady from Detroit, blonde hair blue eyes. I’m half-white. The people who come here and do disrespect people, they go back and say they got yelled at or got their head slapped, but they never say what they did to deserve that, so you get all this negative stuff about the locals over here. But it’s not true. We live in a small place where thousands of people come so it’s hard. We’re just trying to live our lives, too.
» 2 Comments
1"Mr."
at Thursday, 22 May 2008 20:43
lol. Yeah, that's what I've been telling my college friends from the mainland for years, "just say Hi!". I've thrown so many parties with my local and non-local friends and had to go and play the "ice breaker", getting everyone to talk story. By the end of the night everyone is all smashed and laughing their minds out. Then they'll see each other in the water and feel like brothers , open to learn more about each others cultures then they ever thought possible. Hawaii
2"Enforced upon"
at Saturday, 24 May 2008 00:08
Hawaiian hothead hooligans go Hollywood . Heaven help us...Go back to Hanakapiaii! Glazer goes Gidget and the glide gets it in the gonads. What up brah? Not the surf....Go ride Sunset (Boulevard) !
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