“I decided to turn down the opportunity for awards or money and use the platform to speak about issues that were of concern to my community."
The storied Makua Rothman, big-wave world champ, winner of the Billabong XXL award for riding a sixty-six footer at Jaws when he was eighteen, is following neighbour and pal BJ Penn into Hawaiian politics with a tilt for Honolulu City Council.
Rothman, thirty-seven and from Sunset Beach, filed papers on Wednesday for District 2, the twenty-five mil stretch from Mililani Mauka to Kahaluu.
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The impetus for the run, says Rothman, came after riding the biggest wave of his life last year.
As Rothman prepares to fight for a seat on Honolulu City Council, UFC hall-of-famer and survivor of worst wavepool accident in surfing history, BJ Penn, is heading into the home straight for the Hawaii gubernatorial election, to be held November eight.
The current gov of Hawaii, Democrat David Ing, is ineligible to run for a third term, leaving the field wide open for Penn, a Republican, to get his hand on the levers.
Penn has promised to disband the Transportation Security Administration and give hell to the bureaucracies and red tape, he says, is strangling the Hawaiian economy.
“I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life but I would never run from a fight or sell out my people,” says BJ. “As soon as I step into Hawaii’s Governor office I will remove All new federal and state mandates that have been hurting our economy, residents, and ‘ohana. We will get the best doctors, medicines, therapies, and health care the world has to offer to fight this pandemic and always keep Hawaii among the safest and healthiest states in the union. We will get rid of all vaccine passports. Hawaii will be a vaccinated with Aloha and Unvaccinated with Aloha policy for everyone. Same with the masks 😷. We will follow the constitution to the tee 👌. I am not here to fit in with the other politicians, I am here to get our freedoms back!”
Tito Ortiz was mayor of Huntington Beach for a couple months, but he kept getting belligerent during the city council meetings, frustrated he couldn’t slug it out with any of the council members, he quit.
Beating somebody with words is whole different game. I imagine even tougher when you have been getting hit in the head your whole life.
I guess this makes Greasy Joe Turps presidential material.
Oh yeah it’s very funny.
face palm
Not much is said about the toll or price of the truth, 1/2 truths, rumors or lies that Makua and Koa have endured being son’s of Fast Eddie? The North Shore is its own social ecosystem no doubt they felt some hurt. Hippy has a point, but this could be a springboard for Makua really grow as a person move away from his father shadow become a great human..
I’m a Rothschild! My board has a sick Rocker, fella.
I see potential for major boondoggling, and some friendly stipends for those close to them etc…
… and darling, those wrap-around sunnies do NOT go with a government position.
/bitchy
‘Textual’ readings of the constitution are usually bad news for wider society. I’m also not sure that having people whose instincts have been honed by being constantly pumped-up on the adrenaline of BJJ / big waves is really the best thing for a nuanced approach to government in 2022. We ain’t fending off the Persian army at Thermopylae.
zactkly…. how about reviewing dry text and making decisions on complex, nuanced appeals?
EH BRAH NO TIME FO READING YOU LIKE SLAPS1?1!??
(my 7th – 9th grade experience)
Well his old man has experience in local trade/business while kala Alexander can look after law and order. What a ticket to vote for.
“When did being less educated become a virtue or qualification?”
Being uneducated is considered something an asset in Hawaii politics – being “haole educated” is a detriment.
Noted that he said nothing about drug distribution, trafficking nor addiction in his constituency.
He also failed to mention diabetes in his constituency. All that plate lunch white rice and Mac salad is no good for the blood sugar.
Nothing better than an uneducated, angry “conservative” vying for power, what could go wrong?
So a start in the WSL commentary booth is now a stepping stone into politics?
Dude cant speak fluidly, may not read. Pipe cred, but zero intellectual. When did being less educated become a virtue or qualification? Dont we want the brightest minds solving the future’s challenges?
I hear what your saying, and truth be told after listening to him at Sunset I thought he had suffered a acquired brain injury and/or is missing a chromosome. But i’m sure its the same in Hawaii as it is here, you’ve got to be a bit of fucktard to get a start anyway???
It wasn’t meant as a personal slight, it’s a job he is unqualified for and the MMA dude is riding on one divisive issue.
What will Makua’s position on complex, legal matters going to be? Imagine how much reading it is going to take to do the job thoroughly?
My brother once told me that he was going to be an attorney, at the family dinner table no less. All I said was, “You are not a voracious reader”.
At least he’s not a child groomr, or a supporter of child grooming
Mr. conspiracy theories running for office. Seems on brand.
Whats the latest future truth?
I danced around all their “mandates”, and “orders”. I got torqued when they started torturing children with their ignorant silliness.
Where are all those people now? Anybody notice where all the “deadliest virus ever” people went? How about those nut crazy Australians, with their science and concentration camps for people with flu/cold!? How are those mental giants……(?) Or New Silliland, where the little hobbit guy lives….
I’m working in a triple vaxxed but all in bed with covid house right now.
Fuken idiots.
An LGR Scorn Bexy trifecta. Somewhere Alex Jones is rubbing Crisco oil on himself in joy.
I’m confident the Dem hate gang will get at least one vote next poll
You’re becoming a parody of a parody.
How becoming of me.
Didn’t he file for bankruptcy?
Nut crazy Ozzies and New Sillilanders enjoying the lifting of restrictions and mask mandates because of high vaccination rates. Meanwhile in Hawaii…
So much aloha spirit. All the aloha spirit.
Good to see a goober going gubernatorial.
A candidates sole platform is anti vaxx/mask?
There are a few local candidates down here with climate change as their sole platform. It’s a nice thought but last time I checked the local council is in charge of bin collection and replacing the wax paper in the Juc dunnies. Not sure how effective they will be. Gotta start somewhere I guess?
Climate grift.
If you dont surf we can forgive you for not noticing the wind changes and weather anomalies becoming expected
Pfffffffffft
Thanks we
The next big “emergency “
They must use the same shit paper supplier as Mornington shire
As they say in Scotland: ‘Many a mickle, maks a muckle’.