Hawaii Hot Spots Surf School

Summer is everywhere. It's in the cloudless skies, the sun-kissed people and the ripened mangoes that color the trees. But mostly summer's right within Mother Ocean's bosom. Her aqua playground is a place for locals and visitors to enjoy - whether on the waves or under the sea.

Local waterman, Errol Kane, shares his ocean pride with people from all over the world through his business: Hawaii Hot Spots Surf School. He and his crew teach stand-up paddling and surfing lessons everyday at Kaiser's near Ala Moana Beach Park.

"You want to be able to share that experience with other people," said Kane, who opened his school in 2004. "They (have) that big smile from ear to ear, (and) that's what makes it all worth it as a teacher. You got a chance to share that aloha and that love with them."

Kane makes sure to teach his students that surfing is more than just a sport in Hawai'i. It's a past time with a deep cultural connection in which every way holds a special story. Having respect for the ocean, he says, is one of the first steps to becoming a skilled surfer.

Surfing has bridged generational gaps for Kane's 'ohana. His father taught him to surf as a child, and he taught his son how to surf. His passion for riding the water inspired him to open Hawai'i Hot Spots Surf School with an Office of Hawaiian Affairs' Mālama Loan used to kick start his business and to purchase surfboards, stand-up paddle boards and paddles.

"That loan money gave me the financial backing ... to get my company off the ground and started," says Kane.

And as a Native Hawaiian, Kane encourages others to look into the loan as well. The Mālama Loan is available to eligible consumers for home improvement, educational purposes and businesses wanting to expand their operations.

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Alyssa S. Navares, PacificNetwork.tv