Daniel Craig (James Bond) and Queen Elizabeth Parachute Into London Olympics Opening Ceremony

Daniel Craig (James Bond) and Queen Elizabeth Parachute Into London Olympics Opening Ceremony

Of course they were stunt doubles… but you got to love the fact that the Queen actually allowed herself to be filmed and portrayed this way.

A Hawaiian Sunset at Skydive Hawaii

A day at Skydive Hawaii starts at sunrise & ends with sunset.

The Year That Was 2011… My Adventures in Paradise

2011 has been another interesting year for me.  Here is a quick year in review of some of the things that I got to blog about as I tried to do at least one interesting thing each month:

In January, I spent another weekend at the Hilton Waikoloa Village Resort where I finally got a chance to check out the Legends of the Pacific Luau show:

My son gets a "tattoo" from one of the dancers

In February, I got a chance to tour the Puna Geothermal Venture plant with plant manager Mike Kaleikini and State Lawmakers:

Kaleikini and Senator Hanohano talk about geothermal

In March, I got to join Hawaii Forest & Trail and be an extra on the television show Next Stop TV.

Filming the final segment of the show

In April, the University of Hawaii Football team came to the Big Island and put on a scrimmage for Big Island residents and Mayor Kenoi allowed me to follow him onto the field to take pictures of the team.

UH Quarterback Bryant Moniz stretches out

In April, I got to check out Five for Fighting at the Royal Kona Resort with John Ondrasik:

John Ondrasik rocks the crowd while I was playing with my camera

In May, I got to check out Toad the Wet Sprocket at the Royal Kona Resort where I got to interview Glenn Phillips.

Toad the Wet Sprocket

Also in May, I got to attend the Big Island Film Festival that was held at the Fairmont Orchid where my ohana was put up on the GOLD FLOOR!

Mayor Kenoi, Film Commissioner John Mason and Actress Sarah Wayne Callies

Looking back at May… I realize it was quite a busy month as I also flew over to Oahu to attend the Na Hoku Hanohano Awards where I got to get up on stage with The Green during their sound check.

The Green won Reggae Album of the Year

In June, before the Zipline accident at Honoli’i Outpost… I had the opportunity to go Zipping with KapohoKine Adventures at their new Zipline Course.  Ironically, this course is now closed because of a construction accident that claimed the life of one of the folks working on the Ziplines.

Zipline #4 at the KapohoKine Ziplines

In July, I got to attend the Grand Opening of the Eddie Aikau Restaurant and Surf Museum:

Eddie Aikau Restaurant and Surf Museum

August was going to be an awesome month until I got busted up by the cops for filming them in action outside the Pahoa Village Club.  I got falsely arrested and the charges were later dropped.  Of course this is a memory that I’d like to go away… but I’m still pursuing legal action at this time.

A much better memory in August, was attending the BBQ Cookoff, watching the $10,000 Mai Tai “Mix-Off” and going back stage with the Spin Doctors at the Royal Kona Resort.

The Spin Doctors rocked the Royal Kona Resort

In September, I got to stay at the Hilton Waikoloa Village again where I got to attend the 16th Annual Mealani’s Taste of the Hawaiian Range.

Mayor Kenoi and Senator Hanohano look on as Dan Akaka Jr. blows the conch opening the 2011 Mealani Taste of the Hawaiian Range

In October it looks like I laid low and didn’t do to much, however in November, The White House and the US State Department granted me a “Media Pass” to the 2011 APEC Conference that was held in Honolulu and on one of the days, I got to have lunch with the world leaders!

Wish it would have said "Blogger" and not "Journalist"!

December was a cool month as I got to set a Tandem Skydiving Altitude Record with Skydive Hawaii one day…

21,000 feet! Hawaii Tandem Altitude Record set with Skydive Hawaii in December

And the next day I got to go on a private tour of the Navy Submarine the USS Cheyenne.

Inside the US Navy Nuclear Sub the USS Cheyenne

I’d like to thank all of my sponsors… you can check out their sites by clicking on their ads on the columns.  I’d also like to thank my wife and son for allowing me to get away from them at times to do some of this crazy stuff.

I’d also like to thanks the companies that have asked me to visit their properties, restaurants, attractions, etc.

But most of all… I’d like to thank you… the readers of this site.  Without having folks reading this site… I wouldn’t be motivated to do many of the things I do.

Mahalo to all of you and have a great, safe, and prosperous 2012.

Free-Fall From a C-130… Happy Halloween!

U.S. Marine Staff Sergeant Mike Simpson, jump master assigned to the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit hand salutes while executing a free-fall sky jumps from C-130 Hercules aircraft above Basa Air Base, Philippines, Oct. 25, 2011. Marines of the 31st MEU are conducting the jumps as part of an amphibious landing exercise (PHIBLEX) with the Armed Forces of the Philippines, which includes the Essex Amphibious Ready Group. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by By GySgt. Guadalupe M. Deanda III)

Professional Skydiver Ash White Dies Today While Skydiving

Ash White in a picture posted on SkyDive Hawaii's Facebook page today

I’m saddened to learn that experienced parachutist Ash White passed away skydiving today at Skydive Hawaii.

Their facebook page stated the following a few hours ago:

We are closed at this time for the rest of the day. A freefall collision rendered Ash White unconscious. Our thoughts are with those he loved and all the skydivers who he jumped with over his some 12,500 jumps. Rest in peace.

I’ve gone skydiving twice with them and I’ve never had any problem.

The first time I went they took pictures of me and the second time I went they took video of me.

Skydiving is a dangerous sport and recently Red Bull Cliff Diver Orlando Duque got injured skydiving which put him out for the 2011 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Championships.

I still remember signing the waiver that said skydiving was dangerous and that I could die!

Always read the fine print when signing waivers