“I love dive partners who know that hunt isn’t over after the dive,” says Kimi Werner, champion spearfisher and world-class chef. “A respectful hunt consists of then cleaning your catch and processing everything and treating your catch like the pure gold that it is; appreciating these fresh ingredients and knowing that they’re going to feed your family and friends.”
Years ago, Kimi Werner wasn’t a champion spearfisher or world-class chef. She was a woman who hadn’t ever speared a fish before. She got a simple three-pronged spear and drove out to the North Shore of Oahu. She was nervous, intimidated, and slightly embarrassed walking down the beach that day. She felt as though everybody knew she had no idea what she was doing. “These are just things that come with leaving your comfort zone,” she mused. “I think this is why people don’t do things: because it’s a feeling that sucks at first.”
Now though, all these years later, Werner has become one of the best spearfishers in the world. And it all started that day. “That day changed my life forever,” she remembered. “That day gave me exactly what was missing. It gave me exactly what I had been looking for. It changed everything. When I came out of the water, literally I was a different woman. The way that I carried my spear was very different than the way I walked in. The way that I held my posture and my head was very different. I felt so thoroughly, humanly, womanly satisfied. I felt like a freaking lioness with my catch.”
Kimi recently took a quick trip over the Big Island to meet up with a few old friends who also share her love of diving, friends, and family, and it was a weekend that everyone should try and emulate at least once in their life. “I think one reason that we’re all friends,” Kimi said, “is because we truly appreciate everything that the land and the ocean gives us.”
Editor’s Note: Kimi Werner released her brand new 13-chapter course on sustainable cooking. Transform your relationship with food and enroll now.
