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You name it and he&#;s done it, but unlike most &#;jack-of-all-trades,&#; Grant &#;Lanai&#; Tabura is a master of all.
The veteran radio personality and host of Lanai&#;s Morning Madness on Island wears many hats: father, actor, television host and producer, stand-up comedian and now, stand-up paddle surfer. His newest title may be his most impressive accomplishment. You see, Lanai grew up with a fear of drowning.
&#;It&#;s strange, because even while growing up on Lanai surrounded by the ocean I had this fear,&#; recalls Lanai. &#;But thanks to this new passion and the help of Brian Keaulana and his family, most of my fears are gone.&#;
Lanai first met Keaulana several years ago while filming an episode of Baywatch Hawaii. The veteran lifeguard and longtime movie stuntman often invited Lanai back to Makaha for a day in the ocean. But the busy businessman could never find the time. Last August, he finally made time - and it changed his life.
&#;I&#;ve always felt this strong connection to the ocean, but my fear of drowning was always in the back of my mind,&#; Lanai says, reflecting back. &#;Mel Pu&#;u (another veteran Makaha lifeguard) gave me my first stand-up paddle surf lesson, and with the help of Brian I was hooked. I didn&#;t get off the board for hours!&#;
Lanai says he soon found himself making the drive to Makaha almost daily, enjoying other water sports such as canoesurfing and tow-in surfing. But it was his time spent on a stand-up paddleboard that made the biggest impact. His new love has him grinning ear-to-ear and shedding off pounds.
&#;I love it because my cellular phone doesn&#;t work in the water,&#; he laughs. &#;I&#;ve lost 20 pounds since I started. I feel healthier, I&#;m eating healthier and I&#;m much more relaxed and comfortable in the ocean. I drive to Makaha four or five times a week, and it is worth it!&#;
Lanai grew up on Lanai, where he was a standout volleyball player. In fact, he actually made his way to Oahu on a volleyball scholarship. But these days it&#;s all about the ocean and what he considers Hawaii&#;s fastest-growing sport.
&#;Stand-up paddleboard surfing has been around for decades; it&#;s how the beach boys took pictures of tourists at Waikiki,&#; explains Lanai. &#;But thanks to guys like Brian, Mel, Todd Bradley, Laird (Hamilton) and many others, more people are doing it on high performance boards. It&#;s going to be even bigger in the next two to three years.&#;
Last month, he competed in his first stand-up paddleboard race. On July 27, he&#;ll go one step further when he and other local celebrities compete in the Quiksilver Edition Molokai to Oahu Paddleboard Race. Yes, Lanai will take on Molokai - as in the unpredictable Molokai Channel.
&#;Brian thought we should do something challenging and suggested crossing the channel,&#; chuckles Lanai. &#;So we&#;ve all been training for a no-pressure relay race - yeah, right, no pressure!&#;
Other celebrities scheduled to participate include weather anchor Malika Dudley of KGMB9, news anchor Stephanie Lum of KHNL News8, morning news anchor Dan Meisenzahl of KITV and model Kawena Chun.
&#;I&#;m excited about doing this, and I think it will be the biggest challenge I&#;ve ever done,&#; he says with high anticipation. &#;Being in the entertainment business and on the road all the time with my stand-up comedy, there&#;s not a whole lot of relaxing time. The water has really taught me how to relax. Go figure.&#;
It&#;s funny how life works when you take time to make time. The source of much of his fears now comforts him.
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