We can live to work or work to live, but sooner or later, we should realize that investing in your hobbies makes life worth living. Nym Raske, founder of Kona Cliffs, knows this well.
Portland-born Nym moved to the Big Island with his mom at age 15 and attended Hawai'i Preparatory Academy. “I consider Kona my other hometown in many ways,” he says. After graduating high school, he studied Economics at the University of California and got his MBA from Wharton School in San Francisco. Then, one day, a friend took him to a climbing gym.
“I'd never been exposed to it before, but I fell in love with it immediately,” Nym remembers.
He began frequenting the climbing gym every week, but then the Pandemic hit. Although exercising was an emotional outlet amidst the uncertainty, the social distancing restrictions in San Francisco kept him from enjoying the sport like he used to.
“Once Hawai’i took away the quarantine it had in place, I realized if I could come home here, life would be much better,” Nym remembers.
He made it back to Hawai’i, yet the one thing missing in Nym’s life was a place to rock climb. Finding adequate outdoor spots on the Big Island required driving long distances, knowing the landscape well, and using proper safety equipment. Thus, most people couldn’t practice it.
“I needed to create something instead,” recalls Nym. “I wanted this to exist but didn't know whether it was a good business. Maybe it didn't exist for a reason, or people here hated climbing. But it seemed like no one had ever tried hard to make it happen.”
He searched for a place in the heart of Kona and landed on Brew Block. Nym knew he wanted to offer the best to the community with the most suitable materials and design possible. So he ordered custom-made climbing walls.
Since Kona Cliffs opened, sports enthusiasts have enjoyed indoor rock climbing, building a strong community that gathers every week, whether it rains or shines. The staff team is so welcoming that whether you try this activity for the first time or have practiced it for decades, you’ll fit right in. “A couple of youths who only started climbing with us about a year ago are already doing experienced climbs that some adults can't even do,” says Nym.
Nym shares that this is one of the sports where women and men can truly compete at parity. It’s not about who is the strongest or the tallest. The winner can be the lighter one, the more agile, flexible one, or the one with smaller hands.
There are also many sports where amateurs can’t play with more experienced friends. One side will always be behind, while the other has to dumb down their game. Rock climbing is not like that. People can quickly catch up to others depending on their body type and how they engage with it. If this is your concern, set it aside and try it.
Among its other benefits, rock climbing also has a lower impact than other physical activities. It engages most of the body simultaneously while also being a highly mental sport where you must focus on each unique climb's puzzle. However, adults and teens are not the only ones who can enjoy it. Perhaps the most crucial benefit is affirming a keiki’s identity.
“Though team sports are vital for a child’s development, not every keiki wants to or can compete on a team basis. Kona Cliffs allows them to be a part of a supportive group and excel individually without worrying about the team dynamics,” says Johnny Moore, who has been involved with youth sports at the high school level and through the Parks and Recreation Department for over two decades. This aspect of the sport boosts the child's self-esteem and helps them build confidence and interpersonal relationships. When this happens, often the parents get involved as well, uniting the whole ‘ohana.
Kona Cliffs' next step to making this sport even more accessible is to partner with local high schools and PE programs. Nym dreams about forming leagues and hosting competitions at the high school, junior high, and intermittent levels. “It's a small start that will grow and benefit the local community,” he shares.
When not at Kona Cliffs, Nym works as the CFO for a charity. Yet, he enjoys jumping into the ocean daily, doing yoga, and catching the sunset. “These are nice little pleasures of living in Kona that never get old,” he says.
Learn more at KonaCliffs.com.