About

I was born in Hawaii, and while growing up there I spent as much time in the ocean as I did on land. The island experience helped me develop a deep appreciation for the beauty of the natural world.

Leaving the Island

Many years ago, while I was surfing at Waimea Bay, I saw someone climbing a vertical cliff of lava just up from the waters edge. This chance encounter changed the direction of my life – rock climbing became my focus for the next 8 years, and eventually the sport would lead me away from the islands and on a two year rock climbing expedition across the western USA.

Working in the Corporate World

I knew Rock Climbing wasn’t going to pay the bills, so after some soul searching and knowing that I have technical abilities, I decided to study computer networking at Lane community college in Eugene, Oregon. After I finished that, I went on to get my MCSE and other computer certificates and I started working in Information Technology (IT).

A few years later, I got a job as the IT manager for Pacific Office Automation, a company with 500+ employees located in Portland, Oregon. I stayed there for 6 years, and had a great time learning many new technologies.

After 10+ years in the corporate world, I decided to change my direction – I have always wanted to blend my creative and technical talents and to be self-employed. So in 2009, I started building websites for friends and their small businesses. My degree in Marketing and my technical background have served me well in my passion for building visually compelling websites.

Paragliding

Back in Hawaii in 1993, I saw a sight that once again changed my life and became an important passion for me. Over the cliffs at Lanikai, Oahu, I saw a person effortlessly soaring using a wing made of nylon. The wing was like a parachute, but long and skinny. The pilot was hovering almost perfectly still in the consistent sea breeze. Right then and there I knew that paragliding was my next adventure sport. In 1997, I finished my paragliding course, and a few years later I began racing paragliders competitively in the USA and Australia.