HILUXURY – Hawaii Luxury Magazine

Get Out. Get Pumped. Get Inspired.

LET’S FACE IT: Not all of us have the time to spend perfecting the next great hobby, no matter how enjoyable it may be (or how cool you might look doing it). Just for you, we scoured the isles for a varied list of participatory activities that you can tackle once and check off the list-or work into your weekly regimen.

So prepare to slide on those gloves, tie that fly, strap on a pair of goggles or conquer that fear of heights. It’s go time.

BOXING

Wrap the hands. Lace up the boots. Don the gloves. It’s fighting time. Perhaps not at first, but you get the idea; boxing is back.

Known as one of the most all-encompassing workouts an athlete can do, boxing gyms have seen an immense rise in popularity recently-and there isn’t even a Rocky remake coming down the pipe. Word is out; boxing makes you buff.

Fighters Unlimited in Kailua began on the Marine Corps base but grew so big it recently had to move to a stand-alone space as women, kids and non-military men wanted in on the bouts.

Yet it isn’t all about climbing through the ropes and scrapping away, as some boxers have no plans to get into the ring.

“The brilliance is in the basics,” says owner Jack Johnson. “We believe that. You can’t learn or move on to anything until you grasp the basics. And those basics are a great workout.”

Three trainers are on the floor every night for boxers who “work the circuit,” according to Johnson. Each day, there’s a one-hour workout posted, and you complete it. Instructors rove the gym, pulling you aside to perfect your technique and help you get better—and more fit.

“Boxing is an art,” adds Johnson, acknowledging that MMA has certainly helped put the spotlight back on boxing. “And we’ve seen an increase in people wanting to learn that art.” | Visit www.boxinggyms.com/addresses/hawaii.htm to search for boxing gyms throughout Hawai’i.

FLY FISHING

Whether it was A River Runs Through It or just the desire to get out and stand in a mountain stream-unconnected-for a few hours, every man’s man has considered learning to fly fish. Yet the image is most commonly associated with locales populated with forest surrounded lakes and cool, trickling streams. Maybe the occasional bear.

Local boy Eddie Tamai went to school in such a place. When he returned home to O’ahu from Oregon, he filled his days with countless hours wading in to waist-deep waters along the entire south shore, honing his cast and strike of bonefish.

Soon, he met fishing enthusiasts Clayton Yee and Sean Niesz-who were readying to open a little fishing shop called Nervous Water in Kaimuki. Now, Eddie is their dedicated fly-fishing guide.

Whether in Maunalua Bay, or secret spots near the airport, Tamai can show you the ins and outs of ocean fly-fishing, which varies greatly from the fresh-water sport.

“There’s a lot of wind, double and single-hauling, and you need to cast at least 50 feet or more to be effective,” says Tamai. “It’s almost like pheasant hunting. The fish here come from all directions.” | Half-day is $250; full is $400. All top-of-the-line G Loomis gear is included. www.NervousWaterHawaii.com

SWIMMING

“Swimming is a low-impact, full-body workout,” says John Flanagan. “It increases cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength and endurance as well as improving flexibility. It is a healthy exercise that can be continued throughout the years.” Who better to coach you on the finer points of a stroke technique than someone dubbed “Superfish?”

Flanagan made his name as a member of the U.S. National Open Water team, winning the Gold Medal in the 1999 Pan Pacific Championships and the 1998 World Champion- ships. After racing at the Olympic Trials in 2007, Flanagan took up triathlon as a sport and turned pro just a year and a half later.

While many of Flanagan’s athletes are swimming just for fitness, they still like to be challenged, and he provides it. While regimens differ among athletes, Flanagan’s private sessions focus on technique, while his group workouts cover both technique and training.

As part of Team Mauna Lani, Flanagan is one of several elite athletes that aspiring triathletes get to train with at the Mauna Lanai Bay Hotel & Bungalows. During these intimate clinics (which are held infrequently throughout the year; check Mauna Lani’s web site for a schedule) , Flanagan does personal stroke analysis, swim training and racing instruction for all skill levels. On Oahu, you can find him doing the same at the Oahu Club or on the beach. | Oahu Club at 395-3300

ROCK CLIMBING

There is probably no more rewarding sport than one that gives you a physical and mental workout while offering some of the most picturesque vistas around. Rock climbing encompasses all of these things.

“I would (say) that rock climbing is very unique from many other sports,” says Mike Richardson, general manager for Climb Aloha. “Besides the expected adrenaline rush, it is very much a sport about overcoming one’s own challenges. There is no team relying on you (besides your partner), there is only you working against the physical challenge and the mental struggle. If I had to guess at what most new climbers are not expecting, is how men- tally engaging it is…one has to learn to climb efficiently and intelligently, which means: using good footwork and balance; not over-gripping holds and features; reading the rock and choosing the right path; and of course, conquering one’s fear of heights, falling, injury and worse.”

Richardson points out that one misconception about hiking in Hawai’i is that the rock here is dangerous. That’s not true, he assures. The one type of climbable rock here in the islands, basalt, is safe when tackled with precautionary measures. (Read: the right gear.)

“Another major difference about climbing in Hawai’i is that most of our solid, climbable cliffs are 150 feet high or less,” he adds. ” Conversely, on the mainland, there are climbing areas that range from 10 feet to 3,000 feet high (i.e., Yosemite).”

If you want to get started, contact Climb Aloha for lessons. The group also has advanced classes for more experienced climbers. Richardson points out that he once had a 77-year-old woman take up rock climbing “and she did amazingly well!” Climb Aloha not only leads climbs, the group also maintains and establishes safe climbing routes around the state. | www.climbaloha.com | www.rockclimbinghawaii.com

MMA TRAINING

Who’d have thought that street fighting would become so… organized? Enter MMA (or mixed martial arts): very skilled, organized street fighting where each person uses the varied skills they’ve come to the octagon with.

Fighters have to be in tip-top shape. This is why they invariably go to someone like Chris Ranes for their strength and conditioning. While it’s not about grappling in Ranes’ studio, he does work his clients hard in their core-he has plenty of convincing “before” and “after” photos to prove it.

“Your mind has to be focused,” Ranes points out. One of his newest tools is the Jacobs Ladder. It looks innocuous at first glance-a machine with simple, wooden rungs at a 45-degree angle-but when you see one of Ranes’ fittest clients spend a short 30 seconds on it, you’ll realize that sometimes simple isn’t so simple. Though the machine gets someone huffing and puffing, Ranes says that it provides a low-impact exercise that works the entire body, and forces a person to concentrate, developing hand-eye coordination.

Ranes creates circuit-training routines for his clients, who range from competitive MMA fighters to businessmen and soccer moms alike. Other parts of the training could include exercises with thick ropes, pull-ups and the Jacobs Ladder precursor-a StairMaster.

How would MMA training benefit, say, a 50-something businessman? “It really works your core,” explains Ranes. “For your golf game, that’s a good thing.”

Now we’re talking. | www.myfitnesswithchris.com

DEEP-SEA FISHING

Herman Jones, owner of Magic Sport Fishing, has been hauling in big- game fish with clients for more than 30 years. And while everyone who signs up for a day of trolling the vast Pacific waters surrounding Hawai’i dreams of pulling a whopper, you need a few tools to make that happen.

First, is a knowledgeable captain who can read the water, the birds, the wind and so forth. Next, you need the boat to get you there. And back.

Fortunately, Jones employs both. His 50-foot Pacifica sportfishing yacht is state-of-the-art, including TV and stereo sound, beds for cat naps in an air-conditioned cabin, and all the high-tech rods you can handle.

His crew is all-class, including captain Russell Tanaka, who brings more than two decades of experience to the game. For Tanaka, who will chase schools of big fish between 20 and 45 miles from shore, hauling a 1,000- pound marlin is all in a day’s work.

“Their extensive knowledge of the fisheries surrounding Hawaii is what gives us a huge edge,” says Jones, who adds that fishing charters have become increasingly popular with ladies, who no longer wait onshore for their men, but are getting in on the action. | www.MagicSportFishing.com