Young Kai Hare has salt water pumping in his veins
Kai Dustyn Hare, 12, might be a little bit “teenage before his time” because a fair amount of his answers are a grunt or a shrug or “I dunno” but if you ask him about fishing, his eyes sparkle and when it comes to riding waves on his bodyboard, he is keen as mustard.
This young man has a fine ocean heritage and salt water pumps in his veins.
For a start “Kai” means ocean in Hawaiian. His grandfather, the late Ian Hare, was a highly respected deep sea fisherman as is his dad, top skipper, Rory.
During his time, Rory himself was a highly regarded, hardcore bodyboarder, well known as a fearless charger in heavy conditions.
Kai’s second name is Dustyn after his late uncle Dusty who was a personal friend of mine those years ago and a finer surfer, fisherman and exceptional musician. The boy comes from good stock.
Kai has a pretty sister Malia Coral, 10. “Malia” means star of the sea in Hawaiian. Clearly this is not a family born to live in Johannesburg.
Mom Nikki, née Stunden, is also a surfer. This happy saltwater family are often to be found at the back line at the Kwelerha River mouth catching a few waves together.
Malia is not as keen on the waves as Kai but she loves to swim and snorkel, with goggles on, looking down, she is always keen to explore what is in the water with her.
The brother and sister pair are at Lilyfontein “adventure” School which clearly suits them fine and under the circumstances one might expect them to do very well there.
Quietly enthusiastic Kai already appears to have inherited his dad and his late uncle’s penchant for charging waves bigger than himself.
Recent EP Trials were in some bonecrunching waves at Port Alfred but the lad was out there and earned himself #1 seed in an age division above himself.
The boy does not hold back. He is not afraid of much.
I watched a clip of him catching a night adder with a special grip, coached by dad to pick up the snake at their house and move it to the safety of the bush a little way away.
Kai tells me his favourite animal is a Mako shark.
This is an interesting choice for a competitive bodyboarder but it harks back to his sheer love for fishing.
Mako are classed as game fish and are diabolically fast and powerful to catch on a line.
By the way, the boy hunts game too and has dropped enough antelope to know that if ever comes the need, he can feed his family with a rifle.
Back to fishing: “Sometimes I can’t get him to sleep at night,” says mom Nikki. “Why can’t you sleep my boy?” she asks. “Because I am thinking mom,” he answers.
“What are you thinking about?” The conversation continues. “Fishing!”
I love this kid.
Our fearless, peerless and pensive little champion has a bucket list. No kidding. It is about a page and a quarter long.
A myriad of goals, aims, dreams, drives and ambitions — some of them ticked already and others a long way off.
Mind you, the bucket list is rated one star, two, three and many stars and so on.
From catching piranha on the Amazon to a Shimano fishing reel for the river and a special rod.
Particular species in particular places like a Kob caught in the river and, blow me down, the lad wants to catch a Spotted Grunter on drift mud prawn!
Good Heavens. I can help with that! What are you doing this weekend my boy?