Guru of skateboarders is on a roll

By Eloise Aguiar
Windward O'ahu Writer

KAILUA — As a student at Hawai'i Pacific University in 1995, Chuck Mitsui seized the opportunity when he realized O'ahu had no skateboard shops.

Six years ago, Chuck Mitsui began an effort to rally skating enthusiasts to lobby for one park of their own. That has blossomed into an O'ahu-wide commitment by the city to spend millions of dollars to build or finish nine skateparks this year. The largest skatepark in Hawai'i opens today. Richard Ambo • The Honolulu Advertiser

Day after day, week after week, he listened to them, and one theme was constant: They were always being chased away from public streets and businesses. They needed a place to skate.

He and his shop manager, Suzan Kanzic, decided to help them.

Six years later, what began as an effort to rally the skating community to lobby for one skatepark has blossomed into an O'ahu-wide commitment by the city to spend millions of dollars to build or finish nine skateparks this year. The newest park and the state's largest, the 15,000-square-foot Keolu Hills Neighborhood Skate Park in Kailua, will officially open at 10 a.m. today after a ceremony and program.

Eight more skateparks are in various stages of planning, and Mitsui, 28, has been involved in all of them.

As the owner of 808 Skate, Mitsui acknowledges that he stands to benefit from an increase in skateboarding on O'ahu.

And certainly other people — parents, children, government officials — have been involved in getting skate facilities built. But Mitsui has stayed involved longer, gotten behind more skateparks and made an impact on children that extends far beyond getting some places for them to practice their sport.

In standing up for the thousands of children who just wanted a place to play, Mitsui taught them how government works, how to present their views and work within the system, and how to hang in there when the going got tough, say those who know him.

"The experience has built self-confidence that (the youths) can actually accomplish something by working within the system," said Sissy Elassiouti, mother of a 13-year-old boy involved in lobbying for a skatepark. "Mitsui has been a good role model for my son."

At Kailua Neighborhood Board meetings, children as young as 10 testified, said Faith Evans, board chairwoman.

They were mannerly, responsible and convincing, which impressed the board and won its approval, Evans said.

Mitsui "set an example of what could be done if you believe in something and you do it the right way," she said.

A skater since he was 10 and raised in San Francisco, Mitsui was used to skating in parks designed for skaters. When he arrived in Hawai'i to attend college, there were only two skateparks, at 'A'ala and in 'Ewa.

As a college graduate with a degree in marine science and a successful businessman, he thought he could convince the city that it would be a good idea to build a skatepark. He said he had no idea how difficult it would be. Despite his achievements, older adults wouldn't listen, so he enlisted the help of a friend, retired Master Gunnery Sgt. Tony Kanzic, who is also Susan Kanzic's father.

In 1996, to raise public awareness for the need for safe skateboarding facilities, Mitsui formed the nonprofit organization Association of Skateboarders in Hawai'i.

ASH, with Tony Kanzic as spokesman, gave a voice to youths that the city was willing to listen to. Children learned to organize, petition, testify at public meetings and even met with the mayor to plead their case. The adults listened.

The group has grown to 500 members and it has had a defining role in establishing guidelines for the construction of skateparks on O'ahu.Issues such as liability, locations and design took years to resolve through the mayor's Ad Hoc Committee on Skating, formed in 1997.

Wil Ho, the Windward district manager for the city Parks Department, and Mitsui were among the members of the committee. Ho, estimating that one-quarter of O'ahu's 123,000 public school students are skaters, advised Mitsui to organize the youngsters, clean up their image and learn about the city's building process if he wanted a skatepark.

"Now ASH is considered one of the primary voices among skateboarders islandwide," Ho said.

Kanzic said overcoming people's prejudice against skaters was a big hurdle.

"We had to overcome the impression that all skateboarders were dope smokers and criminals," he said. "You know, they're all children and grandchildren. Once we got the image cleaned up a little, we were able to get moving."

ASH began holding competitions to increase skaters' visibility. People began to see it as a sport that required commitment and practice. The competitions also emphasized the need for a permanent skating location, he said.

Though the Keolu skatepark was completed only recently, it was ASH's first attempt at a permanent location.

That project took a long time to complete because the city was breaking new ground, but meanwhile, ASH and Mitsui also supported the construction of all the other skateparks on the island, Kanzic said.

"Chuck has been the main force behind the whole thing," he said. "He's the main drive."

Mitsui has been directly involved in planning Keolu and three other city skateparks, at Kane'ohe District Park, Kalihi Valley District Park and Kailua District Park. He also designed skateparks on the Marine base and is designing one in Kahuku.

There were many times when he wanted to give up because progress was slow.

Ho wouldn't let him give up, Mitsui said, adding that he's glad he didn't because when he started he wanted one park built, and now nine more could be finished within a year.

Contemplating the opening of the long-awaited Keolu facility today, Mitsui said: "It will be pretty satisfying to skateboard (at Keolu) with some of my friends and reminisce about the process."

Reach Eloise Aguiar at eaguiar@honoluluadvertiser.com or 234-5266.

Correction: Chuck Mitsui enrolled at Hawai'i Loa College before it merged with Hawai'i Pacific University, but he was a student at HPU in 1995. A previous version of this story had incorrect information.