S1E2 -- Meet the legendary Steve King : Part Two (The announcer) + Makoto Hoshino

I continue my conversation with Ultraman race announcer Steve King.  In this episode, we focus on how he became an announcer and what it takes for him to deliver such great material.  Even at a belly flop contest.

In the Ultraman Canada 2021 athlete profile section, I speak with a Japanese athlete, Makoto Hoshino, who has climbed the Seven Summits.  We talk about growth and the lessons he learned taking on the challenge.  You will be surprised by his answers.  

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Steve’s website  :  Steve-king.ca 
• Steve King facebook 
• Steve’s List of Ultraman Records  :  UM records 
• The clip of Heidi Marshall I played for Steve from Facebook
• The Seven Summits
• Makoto Hoshino Youtube Channel
• Makoto meets Kilian Jornet video
• Makoto meets Jeff Bezos video
• Makoto walking the wire bridge

Shout outs and mentions in this episode:

• Mike Reilly
• Kieren Perkins
• Lynn and Mike Van Ert
• Al Johnson
• Frank Gair 
• Ron Zalco 
• Katherine Calder Becker & Kevin Becker  
• Heidi Miller   The clip I played for Steve
• Van Sanchez
• Dan Jensen
• Diane Anderson
• Wendy Minor
• Andrew Peterson
• Dr. Jeff Harries
• Bobby Miller
• Renita Miller
• Kyra Miller
• Kaitlin Miller
• Hiro Kuraoka
• Jeff Bezos
• Kilian Jornet

Show Contributors:

Host : Larry Ryan
Contributing Raconteur : Steve King
Announcer : Mary Jo Dionne
Production : 5Five Enterprises
Music  :  Run by 331

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/515TheUltraPodcast

Transcript

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Steve King (the announcer)

Steve 1:51

I'm coming away with the victory.

Larry 1:54

That is Steve the announcer calling Iron Man in nineteen ninety-five. He's called a number of Iron Man races throughout his career. He's done all of the Ultraman branded races. He's done some of the other 515 distance races around the world. He's obviously done the Hawaii Championship for Ultraman. He's done ITU World Championships in Penticton just as recently as 2017 when they had the big celebration there. World triathlon championships on a number of occasions, some challenge family races. You're like the man when it comes to uh announcing things in Iron Man and Ultraman. I'm just wondering like, have you ever done any other sports?

Steve 2:37

In terms of commentating, yes, I actually uh but Mike Riley is a man when it comes to triathlon, of course. Uh he's known for uh getting to all the uh big events and uh calling people in. And but I'm so honored to be part of the group that does get to go some to some of these races. I've been fortunate enough to uh commentate at um quite a few events as a result of not only triathlon but running races, of course. I commentate at a lot of those uh track and field meets, but also uh swim meets as well. I've done quite a few there because I've been lucky enough to do uh the Commonwealth Games. Uh got to call in some great swims there, including the very last night. One of my uh uh favorite events was uh uh watching the men's 1500 meters and commentating live there in the Commonwealth Games pool in 1994 when Kieran Perkins of Australia set a world record. People were commentating uh or commenting on the fact that the pool didn't seem like it was a fast pool. No one was setting major records. However, in that 1500 meters final night, royal family was there, and Kieran Perkins not only broke the world record for 1500, but he broke the world record for 800 en route. And there were four other guys in that that broke their national record, so it was a phenomenal way to wrap up the swimming events.

Larry 3:59

And that was the one that was here in Victoria, is that right?

Steve 4:02

It was, yeah. Yeah, and I've also done a World Police um uh firing championships at their games that occur every uh four years or so, and uh I've done that uh on three different occasions, and we've done a lot of sports when it comes to being there for that. But um I only want to do sports that I thoroughly enjoy. So, in in in those ones, not only would it be triathlon, uh, but uh I was also doing uh road biking, uh mountain biking, and downhill sections, cross country sections. So it was thrilling to be part of that. I've even called belly flop competitions here in Penticton as well. That was a lot of fun. And we we have some uh other races, of course, as well. We've got a relay event that goes uh from downtown Penticton up to Apex, and it includes uh uh six different sports uh and relays and individuals. So I like doing those sort of things. And uh uh two years ago, Gene and I commentated at the um 24-hour uh race up at uh Silverstar. That was a mountain bike race, and just commentated for the whole 24 hours, and that was really enjoyable to see how that unfolded. I really do love commenting uh or commentating at these distance events as well as being there or being a participant in the past.

Larry 5:23

Oh yeah, yeah. Well, you uh you definitely have the the the background and the knowledge and the history of all these people that uh I know that you're able to pull out and and keep people interested on the edge of their seat as to what what you're gonna say next about these people is one of the the things that I know that Ultraman people really enjoy when they come to uh uh one of our events. I guess now that you're at this like great height of doing uh sports announcing, um people want to know how did it get started? Like, did you have a broadcasting background? Did you like go to school for it, or you know, like how exactly did you get into calling races?

Steve 6:03

When I came to Canada and specifically to Penticton, um or ended up here in Penticton, there were there were no running races per se. There was no uh track and field club or running club. I went to a race, it was called the Greenwood to Midway race at that time. It was about an eight-mile. And when I looked at the results, I realized there were maybe 15 of us that had come from the Penticton area. So I put an ad in the paper uh asking for anyone who would be willing to join me in forming a running club. So we got a running club going, and then I started hosting races so that I could run in them. So I organized the races and would run in them, and at that point I I would um mostly win them, and so as soon as I finished, I would grab a ballhorn and start calling everyone in. And then when we decided in 19 um 83 that we were gonna have a peach classic, I had approached uh uh Lynn uh with Al Johnson. I approached Lynn and Mike uh Van Ert as they were at the time, and um with their partner Frank, we uh agreed to put on an event which is still the Peach Classic. And uh that Lynn Ronzelko came to town the next month uh and put on an event with Lynn. They sort of co-hosted the the first Iron Man or Ultra Distance, it was called the Ultra International. And that morning of the event, uh, when it was starting, uh just prior to the start, Lynn asked me if I would be the announcer. I had already made some plans actually to go out with some friends and do some training and watch the race unfold. So it it did take me by surprise. I mean, I was honored, but um hadn't really prepared to do so. And then we had, I think, 20 uh 24 athletes. Um, but I said yes, okay. Eventually I said yes because it I was a little hesitant at first because I hadn't done any homework, I didn't know the athletes. Anyway, it went very well. It was great, and Ron said, uh, we'd love to have you back, and Lynn invited me back, and so but the next year I actually did the the uh I Man Distance race in '84. Uh, but in the meantime, uh, there was a cross-country ski club up in Samadam who asked me if I'd come and commentate at their Reino Keskisami Lopet. Uh so things evolved, and then we were putting on more and more races locally, cross-country as well as road races, uh, and it just sort of mushroomed from there.

Larry 8:31

And eventually you uh got to the point where you were starting your own events company and you have other people that work with you and and things like that. Is that is that still something?

Steve 8:41

I wish it were. I wish it were. I I started a thing called TriFit uh International Sports, and uh we we we put out a magazine. I was the editor, publisher of the magazine. Uh um we put on training camps, the very first one, 1985. I think we had six people. We did bike tours, we put that together. Uh, we may have had 20 people in total that did those. Um I I developed a line of clothing, uh produced bags, a whole slew of different things. Like I said, that does which would have been yeah, which would have been successful now, but uh it wasn't the what the numbers weren't there then. But I ran the magazine for I think three years. I've still got a a copy of each one. I was very proud of that. It was the first national magazine in Canada for the sport of triathlon. But it was a little bit before its time.

Larry 9:35

Yeah, yeah. You were a visionary.

Steve 9:38

I'd like to think so. My wife would think I was a loser of finances at least. But we both love it. We we have no regrets.

Larry 9:47

Of course, it's giving you so many great memories. You know, um, one of the things I was when I was starting the research to for our interview, and I was looking around and I I came across um an Ultraman Canada 2011 uh race report because it happened to mention your name. Um, and it's from uh a couple people you've mentioned already, which is Kat Kolderbecker and Kevin Becker. And and in that race report, they're doing their their thank yous. And one of them says uh for Steve King, this is what it says. From out of nowhere comes the voice of Iron Man out in the woods or perched on a hilltop. Steve's got all your stats and is sharing them with the world over a PA system in the middle of nowhere. He's your number one fan, and in that moment, he makes you feel like you are a rock star. That's really nice. And I and I know speaking to to the athletes, that that is like obviously one of the highlights of uh coming to do the Ultraman events is is the way that you have put that time in to study them and and and have that information and you get to know them. And I know you interview people, and I've also come across a clip that I think um really tells the story of what that's like for the athletes. So I'm just gonna play that for you. See if you recognize this one.

Steve 11:09

Yeah, I've got great jobs. That's the right king's voice. You're off here's high mountain again. Tremendous job for the five time I am proof on I can't find it too and uh she comes to me and change it.

Larry 11:40

So do do you recognize that clip?

Steve 11:42

I can I can't. I can't hear it too clearly, but it's nice to to know that someone recorded it somewhere.

Larry 11:48

Okay, so that was uh Heidi Marshall. Ah and that was from Ultraman, Florida.

Steve 11:55

Oh, wonderful. Oh, yes. Okay. Well, now I I realize now why I can't hear it too clearly. Um, you're probably aware that uh I couldn't get down there one year. And uh this was to Florida because of the weather conditions here. Florida's held in February. I went to the airport four different days and my flights were cancelled. And and as it got closer to the start, I was saying, well, maybe I could get there for the beginning of the race as opposed to the days building up to it. And so um my friend Jim Grotkoff, who I work with down there, is a fabulous uh not only a finisher, but he crew he works with me when we're down there. He contacted me, he said, Steve, um, you can't be here, but how about if we get you on the speaker at the uh marathon mark of the final day? And I said, Well, I don't have a visual. So we agreed that he would spot them with his binoculars about 200 meters out, and then I would just commentate as though I were there. And so that's what happened. And so I sat literally, I'm in my dressing gown um and pajamas. I'm sitting in the kitchen on the phone, not seeing a thing, and I commentated for over six hours on people coming through at that marathon mark. It was it was funny, it was really, but uh people were pleased and I was pleased. At least I felt somewhat connected to the event as a result in the end.

Larry 13:21

Yeah, and I I found that one on Facebook, and um maybe I'll put the link up for that so other people can find that as well. And and it's just you see the smile on Heidi's face as she's coming up, and she's like, Is that Steve King's voice? Oh my god! And she stops and just like stops to listen to what you're saying about her.

Steve 13:38

Yeah. That was fabulous. Thank you for finding that. Man, you've done your research, that's brilliant.

Larry 13:45

Oh, thank you. Um so uh what how long would do you think it it takes you to prepare for one of these races? You were saying earlier that um the first one you did, you just went in cold and and and jumped in and did it. Um but I know now you spend a lot of time preparing and getting to know the stats and the people and their race background. So give us a little bit of an idea of what goes into preparations for an Ultraman race.

Steve 14:12

Oh, for an Ultraman specifically, it's uh a lot of preparation in terms of uh I I like to get the list of athletes as quickly as I can, and then I do research online. I go on and find out whatever I can online, but uh then usually once I've collated that, uh I put out a questionnaire to the athletes as well, or the race directors uh do on my behalf, a questionnaire I put together. Then when I'm down there, I meet usually with all the athletes. Sometimes someone escapes me, but uh we we usually set aside a time now for them to come and see me at the registration area. And then I'll sit with them and their crew usually, or at least with their crew captain, if not the entire crew, because I like to find out as much as I can about the crew as well, because you find some interesting characters that are involved in crewing, uh, or people that are returning that have been out there and have done an event themselves, you know, or their coaches, or or their partners, or they're partners to be. People meet up and people split up as a result of these types of events.

Larry 15:17

Um, and I know that um you you keep all of that information that you do gain uh carefully curated at your website, uh Steve-King.ca. Um, what's some of the stuff that athletes can go and find at steve-king.ca if they're looking for information about the sport.

Steve 15:36

Well, about the sport, I have one uh particular part of the website which was dedicated, and I haven't added anything to it for a long time, but that was dedicated to uh triathlon. I got a one dedicated to some marathon stuff as well. Uh, but quite a bit is also on psychology or psychological makeup, using uh energy resources, using uh mental acuity or how to heighten that so that you can have the best performance. Because there comes a point where you've done all the training you can do, but then the only thing it comes down to is maybe uh the mental attitude that you have. And I think that's an important one. If you can develop an attitude of gratitude, I know that gets said a lot and bandied around, but it it really is the key in the end to embracing the day. If you're standing at the start line terrified, then you're not going to be able to bring out the best in yourself. Whereas if you're standing there grateful, if you believe in God or not, it doesn't really matter, but grateful that the universe has allowed you to get to that point that you've done the training, that you've had the ability to be there financially, whatever way, that your family's uh uh allowed it if it if it took some persuasion, which sometimes it does, you know, that you've got support, that you've got a crew, that it's all come together, that here you are, this is what your dream has been about. Now it's about allowing that to come through you. And so when you've got a mind that's grateful, you're in a totally different headspace. Even when things go wrong, it's like let's get down to it, let's change this flat and move on, you know, or something, or you've gone the wrong way. This has happened a few times in different races, right? Something can happen out of the blue that can upset you, but you've still got to keep your eyes on the prize, and that prize is getting there each day inside 12 hours. What's it going to take from this point on? And that's where a great crew can come in. The number of times we've heard of it of people being inspired, if it wasn't for a crew this, or someone running with them and keeping their mind focused, or someone taking care of business, or someone running back somewhere and getting some stuff, or another crew loaning something to it to another crew. So a lot of stories out there. And that's what I love about this podcast is the fact that you're going to be telling stories, so to speak.

Larry 17:57

Yeah, yeah, that's the entire uh the entire entire purpose of this is to try and get uh as many of these stories out for people to to share and get to know each other, and then hopefully inspire those people that are maybe sitting on the fence or thinking about it, or they want to come out in crew and see what it's about. Maybe they're not an athlete. Like like I'm not a triathlete, but I feel fully involved in this family by being a crew member throughout the number of years that I've been doing it.

Steve 18:23

But you're more than people that don't know. Yeah, but I think it's important for people to know you're more than a crew member with uh what happened, you know, at the uh Ultraman when you and Brad uh were working together there. It worked wonderfully, thank goodness. You know, where Brad was running around doing things over here, you got all these other things uh smoothed out and took care of business, and that's what it takes. You've got to have an organization that works well together, and thank goodness you guys do.

Larry 18:50

Obviously, you're speaking of Brad Sawa, the co-race director with me now in uh Ultraman Canada in 2019 when uh he was putting on that race. I came in to help him out, and now I'm obviously there as his co-race director. Um, so there are some stories there that'll probably come out in future podcasts about how that all went down. You you started talking about uh being in the moment and um having that appreciation. Um you were obviously uh a great athlete. Were you uh of the mindset where you were appreciating all of your sport back in the day, or did you come upon that later in your career, or did it not because you said at Badwater, it was really important for you to get that um um race in, and then how you had a spiritual feeling at it. Where where along your career do you think that kind of crept in for you, even with your with your training?

Steve 19:47

I think that's a wonderful question because um I would say my appreciation of the sport evolved as I evolved as a as an individual, and by that I mean when I first raced for many years, everything about it to me was about the end result, the time, the position. And I'm so pleased to say that changed because it has to change. Uh it has to change if you want to stay in the sport for a long time. Uh, it has to change if you want to evolve as an individual because uh you're going to get slower, you're going to get beaten, uh, sometimes massively. Um, but but you shouldn't be beating yourself up. You know, for me though, it uh there were some significant changes and shifts that made me stop and uh think about things. Uh I missed a family wedding. I think that probably was when when it really hit me, where I was leading in a series. We have an interior road running series here in the Okanaga, and I was leading in the series in my division, and there was one more race to go, and there was a family member getting married that day, and I went to the race and uh didn't go to the wedding. Uh I can't even remember how I did in the race, but I've never forgotten that I didn't go to the wedding or supported my wife as it was one of her family members, uh, which I should have done because she has supported me endlessly in everything I've ever chosen to do. And I really took a good look at myself and said, What the heck are you doing? And uh I realized I wanted to start to embrace the courses prior to this, I could have gone anywhere almost in the world uh to race and never couldn't have told you anything about the place except for the race, a bit about the course, my time, and where I placed. And that is pretty sad. And I acknowledge it because I'm fortunate enough to have seen that no, I want the experience of this. And once I started to appreciate more the experience of it, uh I felt better in the events. If I didn't do so great, I wasn't upset. I didn't have a negative voice in my head having to go at me. It Like I'd made peace with myself. And in that peace, I achieved a way more appreciation for everything around it, including fellow competitors, including never being rude to people at aid stations, because here I never forget one time I asked someone for some water and they gave me coke or something, and I just splattered it on my head, and it was like, oh no. And I I I don't think I I don't think I swore, but I certainly didn't say thank you. You know, and whereas I think now I would just laugh and say thank you or something. You know, it wouldn't bother me in the way that it bothered me then. And I got upset a few times in long distance races where I had expected something to be there, and either the person wasn't there, it happened in the Western States, you know. Um, something was forgotten at my first aid station, and we're well into the race. I'm fatigued and tired. Uh and later on they miss me at a point, they got there after I'd gone. Uh, these things happen, but I I had a hard time adapting or adjusting to it at that time, but now I can. And so it made a huge difference. And I think when you come in with an attitude that thank you to a race director, thank you to the organizers, thank you to the volunteers, thank you to my crew, thank you for whatever you believe in to allowing you to have the physicalness, the uh spiritualness, the uh mental ability, the acuity to be able to put this together because I meet people constantly in my own age group, you know, as a result of the work I do. And I I'm often amazed that uh, you know, they're in the shape that they are, and I think, my goodness, this person's had a totally different experience to what I've had in life. And I and I'm really pleased that I I never got into certain things, you know. But but the sport has kept me on track, the people in sport, because I think that's the other thing about it, is the the number of um people you can call family in a sense, and I don't mean close and intimate at some level, but you know you can connect with them, even if it's a year apart, you can really connect. That's why they call a group of them on the big island the Rat Pack. Year after year they come back. Some don't come back and miss a few years, but they they keep connected.

Larry 24:09

And that's so much about the the ultra side of it, I think, and and why why people are attracted to the to the ultraman race is because they get tired with the Iron Man um competitiveness and they they're ready to move on. Because a lot of our um competitors are in an older age group, you know, they're not they're not the young people, they're they're people that have gone through, they've built themselves up to be able to do these longer distances. And I think mentally they're prepared to to move into that idea of while some of them are definitely there to win the race and do the best they can, there's a whole whack of them that are there to challenge themselves to to meet those demands and and and be part of the crew and tell those stories. And and that's one of the best parts of the Ultraman uh weekend for me is when you get back to the awards night and the crew stories come out and they tell the stories about how they miss their athlete. And at the time the athlete might have been quite upset with them, but by the time you get to that awards night, it's already starting to be a funny story that's going to be told for years to come. Absolutely.

Steve 25:17

But you hit on a good point, too. If I may just say something else, because the the sport of Ultraman racing or the distances is starting to appeal to a lot of younger people too. And one of the great things is someone like Van Damme Sanchez of Mexico, uh, 2014 in the UK, when they had an Ultraman there for the first time, he did that event at 19 years of age, and now he's putting on the Ultra MX 515 event down in Mexico as a race director. He turned up in Australia as well previously, you know. So, I mean, there are young people that are doing it. And in Australia, um uh this last year, there would have been an 18-year-old female whose father and grandfather have both done the Ultraman there, but unfortunately, event, you know, things happened and the event got cancelled, of course, with COVID. So, you know, the people are out there. We've had 21-year-olds do it in Japan, and we've had uh uh Dan Jensen at 67 is the oldest male. We've had two women, Diane Anderson, Wendy Minor from the Big Island that have both done the event at 65 years of age. So, you know, you've got quite the margin, and um there's gonna be someone who wants to be the first 70-year-old who's gonna be out there sometime doing it as well.

Larry 26:39

Yeah, and I hope they're doing it at Ultraman Canada. Um, yeah, we we have um Andrew Peterson um going to be doing our race this year, um, provided our race is running, and I'm sure it will. Um, he would have been 19 doing it last year, and he was he's one of those people that's like, I want to try and and do this while I'm young and be one of the youngest people or the youngest to go challenge the world championship. And uh that that was his goal as well. So yeah, there are younger people that are building themselves up to it quickly, and and I I can only imagine what kind of careers they're gonna have. They're gonna be like the uh those quarterbacks that are playing until their late 40s and have these multi-decade careers of ultraman if their bodies can hold up. Well, that is the end of the Steve King conversation for this episode. But come back to episode three to hear the third and final part. And starting in episode four, Steve will be a regular contributor, sharing short ultra stories about, well, whatever he wishes. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast so that you don't miss a Steve King story. Coming up after today's crew story is my conversation with Mikado Hoshino, Ultraman Canada 2021 Athlete

Crew Stories : Renita Miller about Bobby Miller (2014)

Larry 28:00

in profile.

Renita 28:02

My husband Bobby did Ultraman Canada in 2014, and he showed up with a crew that consisted of his wife, me, Renita, and our two daughters, Kyra, she turned 16 during the race, and Caitlin, who was 13, and our two-year-old puppy, Sydney. We s we were certain everyone at this race thought we were absolutely crazy to level set um our experience. Bobby gave us a crash course on how to change a bike tire the night before the race was gonna start. To summarize day one, of course, of course he had two flats that afternoon. Of course, we ran out of ice and and drinks and had to refuel at the only location that there was to do so. And in the meantime, we lost our athlete and we could not find him for the life of us. We had to call other crews to try to see if they had a location of him. We ended up having to use another crew's cell phone because ours didn't have service. I was so thankful for the help of other crews that afternoon. One crew even gave us a wheel in case he were to run into more issues with um flats and that type of thing. So um, by the end of day one, we were just feeling some relief. Like, wow, okay, that was a little different than we expected, and and thought we could relax, but yikes, there is a lot to get done before day two. Day two. So that afternoon it was getting hot, and Bob does not do well with heat. So he he kept getting in the car to try to cool down. We would put cold towels on his head. We were doing everything we could. And at one point he said, I'm done. I can't get out. Kyra looked at him and she said, You get your ass out of this car. We didn't drive all the way to Canada for you to not finish this race. And all he did was look at her, and he just simply nearly crawled out of the car and got back on his bike. He gets down the road a little ways, and Kyra says, Mom, we cannot let him get the get get near the car. We have to keep him away from the car. And so that's what we did the next few leapfrogs, so that he couldn't get inside. He got mad at us a little bit, um, but he kept going. And we got closer and closer to the finish, and he said, Hey, okay, I can make it. I'm I'm okay. So we only got three hours of sleep that night. But let me tell you, I mean, the girls, Kyra and Caitlin, they were troopers, and we moved that morning to make sure we had everything ready. We um we got going. It was cold. Before he took off running, he said, I'm good until mile 12. Don't worry about me. So we relaxed. We sat in the car, had some breakfast, um, you know, got things ready for what we would need at mile 12, and and kind of slowly made our way. We got there and he was so mad that we were not leapfrogging with him. Needless to say, we didn't remind him that he told us to wait until mile 12. So, ooh, Clue, don't listen to your athlete do what you think you need to do instead. During the second marathon, um, second part of that run, Kyra and Caitlin started taking turns running with him. All I could do was laugh at the different experiences he was getting from them. Caitlin would run along the side and say, Dad, you need to move over a little bit. Do you need to stop and walk up this hill? And she was just so gentle with him. And, you know, it worked. And, you know, then they would switch and Kyra would go run with him for, you know, a couple miles. And she was a little bit more of a hard ass. And she would tell him, Dad, stand up straight. Come on, we gotta keep running. We got a finish line to get to. And, you know, she was just a little bit more harsh, but he he got the feeling of both personalities. He got both ends of the spectrum as far as support might go. And I think it just worked for him, you know, and and having it be his daughters on top of that was was probably a fun thing for him. And um, you know, we made our way to the finish, and and Bobby wanted us to run through the finish line with him. So I carried our our puppy and and we, you know, jogged with him through the finish line. We were just quite a team, athlete and crew, and it was just an experience of a lifetime. It was intense, comical, rewarding, and we really did not know that we would leave that race with a new family, an ultra family. And all I can all I can say is Aloha Ohana Kakua. And that sums it up.

2021 Ultraman Canada Athlete Profile -- Makato Hoshino

Larry 33:23

Each episode, I take the time to introduce you to an athlete that will be competing in our upcoming Ultraman Canada 2021. Today is a man that has some goals that are just out of this world. He is raced at Ironman Cozumel and Iron Man Japan. He has finished the 250km Gobi Desert Ultra Marathon. And then he decided to set his sights really high. He wanted to climb the seven summits, the seven highest mountains on the seven continents. Joining us from his home in the 2021 Summer Olympic City of Tokyo, Japan, Makado Hoshino. Konichua Kukini Ite Kurate Aragato.

Makoto 34:07

Konichua.

Larry 34:10

I was trying to say hello and thank you for being here. I want to break into the interview here just to let you know a little bit about today's guest. You may have guessed that Makado does not speak English as a first language. So right away I have incredible respect for the fact that he agreed to do an English language podcast. To get around some of the language barrier, I will be setting up the questions with a little more background so that he doesn't have to speak quite as much, and I'll fill in the story as we go. I will also be trying to speak a little slower and a little plainer, but please do not let this distract from your listening pleasure. I have left in some of his pauses and searching for words in order to give an authentic voice. But the good news is I made over 350 edits for this interview so that it does have flow. Still, it might be a tiny bit of a struggle for the English speaker's ear, but trust me, it is well worth it. He is a character with an interesting story, and his answers to some of the big questions in life will likely surprise you. And he does get better as the interview goes on. To be honest, I probably should not have taken on an interview with Mikado as just my fourth interview in the podcast, but I found his story just to be too compelling. I hope you do too. Let's get back to the interview. As a younger person, you were just kind of going about your life, starting a business, selling eyeglasses, doing some triathlons, doing it through the usual, start with a sprint, then do a half, and then you did your your Iron Man races. But one day you just decided that despite you didn't have any knowledge of how to climb mountains, that that's what you were going to make your focus in life to go climb mountains. And it's not even that you want to climb one mountain, you you go right for the goal of I want to climb the seven highest peaks in the world over the seven continents. So can can we just start there for the listeners? And can you tell us what are those seven highest mountains uh over the and where they are?

Makoto 36:27

Okay, uh seven summit is uh highest peak of the world, uh seven continents are located located in Lothia, Alaska, uh Tanzania, Antarctica, and then Nepal. Um Guinea, Australia and Argentina and so yeah that's seventh summit.

Larry 37:00

Um and and so as I said, like you didn't really have any knowledge of of mountain climbing, but you you did find someone who could help you out. Uh a man by the name of Mr. Kuraoka, is that correct? Yes. And and what was his experience and how did he help you to to train for for this new goal in your life?

Makoto 37:24

Only one tip strength is flexibility. That's all. Okay, yeah. And uh uh you need uh drink, drink much, and eat a rat. That's all.

Larry 37:42

So keeping your strength up on the mountain, keeping strong on the mountain is is the important part.

Makoto 37:49

Yes, and that's very, very important. Drink a rat and eat a rat and think flexibility all the time. Flexibility. Okay. That's all.

Larry 38:06

Excellent, excellent. So in July of 2015, you you climb your first mountain.

Makoto 38:16

Yeah. Elbrus.

Larry 38:19

Elbrus.

Makoto 38:21

Yeah, Lotia's uh Eurasia's most highest mountain located in Lothia.

Larry 38:29

And at that time, because it's your first uh mountain to climb, um what what did you think prior to going to the mountain? How were you feeling? Did you did you feel prepared to do it?

Makoto 38:46

Uh not ready not ready, but uh need so first mountain is my most uh tough mountain. So I sick, getting sick.

Larry 39:06

So and and that is uh altitude sickness?

Makoto 39:12

Yeah, altitude sickness, terrible altitude sickness. So uh everybody easy to crime because not not so high not so high. And uh that art attitude is just uh base camp uh at Everest. So not so not so high. So every every people, a lot of people very easy and talking and crimes at uh uh summit.

Larry 39:51

So so on that first one you're saying for most people it was easy because it's not too high, but for you, you still got sick on the first not high one. Yes, yeah, then 2016 you do two mountains. Which which mountains were those?

Makoto 40:15

I crime the South America, Aconcagua, uh Argentina, uh six thousand nine hundred forty-two meter, and uh what are the six highest mountains in Tibet? Chooyu, yeah, eight thousand eight thousand two hundred one meter.

Larry 40:37

Okay, so that's Chooyo Tibet. Yeah. Yes, you've you've been doing some triathlons, and in triathlon it is acknowledged that it's not uh if you have a bike accident, it is when you have a bike accident that everyone in triathlon will crash on a bike. Right. Um were were there any times when you were in danger on your climbs where maybe you would fall or other dangers?

Makoto 41:15

Or of course, and uh danger danger, but uh most uh danger is uh high attitude and uh is a battle against uh attitude sickness. Attitude sickness is uh most danger in climbing the mountain. Uh so uh what about weather?

Larry 41:45

The the cold, the weather, the wind.

Makoto 41:48

Uh weather. Uh yeah. Cold weather is of course so cold and weather is uh danger, but uh but not not big, not big deal. Yes. Yeah it's it's cold.

Larry 42:07

It's cold, but that's not a big deal as far as the timing.

Makoto 42:13

And uh and uh cry and uh crief and uh fall is not big there. Only uh only important in attitude sickness.

Larry 42:26

Oh that's all so you you feel safe with your ropes and clamps that you will not fall.

Makoto 42:36

Yes, you uh ordinarily not fall, but sometimes fall uh I I watched one of your videos.

Larry 42:48

You were walking across a wire between two uh mountain parts, and you're just basically walking on a wire.

Makoto 43:00

Yeah.

Larry 43:01

How scary is it for you to do that?

Makoto 43:05

Uh first, of course, scary, but uh after walking not scary.

Larry 43:16

I I I will post the video with with this because you you seem to be having a lot of fun. You are just cheering as you go across uh and having a lot of fun. Yes, thank you. Yeah, so I'm guessing yeah, not so scary for you. Other people probably very scary.

Makoto 43:38

Yeah, first step is only scare, but after that, stick on the step is not scared. Good philosophy, yeah. Julian, you got J L girls, Jody.

Larry 44:04

Which which mountain was that on?

Makoto 44:08

Paplan New Guinea. Is that Karsten's? Yes, Karsten's. Yes. Yes. And after high attitude, I lost a lot of memory.

Larry 44:30

Well, I'm sure you've also you've done so many that they start to seem like one trip. And the other thing I really enjoyed in watching your video for that is that you were wearing a tuxedo.

Makoto 44:48

Yeah. So because last my last mountain, so I tuxedo. I'm wearing taxedo and so yeah.

Larry 45:01

Yeah, and in watching all of your videos, you're you're definitely always having fun, and you have uh numerous like glasses uh that you wear.

Makoto 45:13

Every mountain I wearing a lot of things and the taxi, and first a lot of people, oh no, mountain is not so easy. Uh every everyone criticized, but after that, even the summit, same things and the same, and a lot of people, or you are gay. You are cool, yeah, yeah, yeah. And after that, uh down the mountain and shake a hand and make a friend, right?

Larry 45:46

Yeah, yeah, not good. Yeah, I understand what you're saying. They they want to be serious, then take the mountain climb serious, and they think at first, oh, he's not serious, but then they're like, Oh no, he's having a good time, we should all have a good time. Yes, yeah, that's excellent, excellent. Um, so just moving along the time timeline. So 2017, um, you you climb lots of mountains. Uh in January and February, you do back-to-back climbs of uh Vincent Massif. Yes. Where is this one?

Makoto 46:31

It's a massive um Antarctica and uh Antarctica. Yes, and do it.

Larry 46:39

Yeah, and then February you were climbing where?

Makoto 46:44

Uh Australia. Kojosko. Kojosko is uh just uh here. A mound there, not it just it just happens to be the highest on the continent, all right? Yes, yeah, yeah. After that, Everest. Um after Everest is one one week after Everest, finish the Everest, go to Anttaka uh Araskar. That's for denying and yes, one week, one week after one week. And there after Araskar, two two months after later go to Tanzania, Kirimanja.

Larry 47:32

And after one month go to Papa New Year, Karsten's the Karstens where where you did the mountain or the wire climb. Yeah. So that that was uh six six mountains in one year.

Makoto 47:46

Yes.

Larry 47:47

Very busy year for you. Oh my god. Um if if we can just go back to to Everest for a second, because I know that most people are familiar with Everest, and that's a good story for for most people to relate to. Um we we all watched last summer when there were the lines of people trying to go to the summit of Everest. Um was there ever a chance that you would not make it to the top of Everest when you went on your trip?

Makoto 48:27

Yeah, uh a lot of line is Nepal side. My side my my side is chibet size. Chibet size is not so many. Okay so Nepal side is uh very narrow, narrow way to the summit, but the chibet size is uh little bit big big road.

Larry 48:55

Bigger bigger road, yeah, okay.

Makoto 48:57

Bigger road and uh sometimes uh take a take off the uh road. I can overtake.

Larry 49:09

So on the side that you climbed, you were able to overtake and pass other people, whereas you couldn't on the other side. You had to line up a single file to do the journey.

Makoto 49:25

But but of course we remove the rope, but we can overtake.

Larry 49:31

But sometimes all yeah, that's dangerous to remove the rope.

Makoto 49:38

So a choice and stack the line or overtake.

Larry 49:45

Right, yes. You probably want to stay on the line and and and not worry about overtaking. Um now when when you finally get to the summit of the highest mountain in on the planet Earth, how do you feel at that moment?

Makoto 50:09

Ah the truth. I didn't feel anything because many blizzard.

Larry 50:29

So because there it was so so snowy, so many blizzards, you didn't have an opportunity to enjoy being at the top.

Makoto 50:40

Yes, and some of course I I changed that all summit, I changed the grasses. All summit. Yes, so of course, everst I change the glasses.

Larry 50:53

Yeah, yeah, yeah. How many, how many?

Makoto 50:55

Taking a mask and how many? Um ten or fifteen? So uh of course, uh the take take off the mask, yes, oxygen mask, oxygen mask, yes, because because yeah of taking a mask of taking a mask, no mask is good looking, right? So taking a mask and 50 grasses and uh a change and uh so but but not good for altitude sickness, yes, not good for altitude sickness, but uh I think uh but uh I'm an optician, so yeah, yeah, you want you want advertising, yes, so but uh very very dangerous and uh almost uh I don't know pass out, yes, almost pass out. I think going past that, and so this end was very hard on my body, yes, and uh my body is uh a lot of damage, so I cannot recommend take off the mask on the summit.

Larry 52:18

Um I also noticed in your videos that when you summit uh each of the mountains that you would take out a banner that has a heart. And I I thought I heard you say the word wife in English at at least one time. So what what is on the banner with the heart?

Makoto 52:41

For the my wife is a love. I love my wife at any time, anywhere. So yeah, because uh crime as friend almost crymous friend, debose. So I don't want to debose, so a lot of anytime I explain my wife express, yeah.

Larry 53:13

So that you you get to the mountaintop and you express your love for your wife, yes, so that she she knows that you are screaming from the mountaintop that you love her.

Makoto 53:28

Yeah, yes, first time is he impressed, but uh after that not impressed. Oh again, yeah, but uh I'm okay, it's still not deposited yet.

Larry 53:49

No, yes. If you go through like this kind of experience, um, I think for a total of three years you were climbing at that time. Um what what do you learn doing this? What what do you learn about yourself? What do you learn about the world?

Makoto 54:11

Sorry, uh at the first I thought I was running and uh getting stronger, but uh truth, I wasn't running anything at all.

Larry 54:24

You you think you're going to learn something, but then you you really didn't learn anything, you just did it.

Makoto 54:30

Yes, yes, yes, okay. I got you. No anything.

Larry 54:39

Nothing, nothing. Okay, nothing. Well, none that was three years, whatever.

Makoto 54:46

Uh nothing growing, nothing.

Larry 54:50

Okay, no growth, no growth. Yeah. Um there there is something that is called the um explorers grand slam, which is the seven summits, plus also traveling to the north and south pole. And I know that this is still part of your list of things to do is to travel to the north and south pole. But um, in the introduction, I said that you have set your you have set goals that are out of this world. So you actually have come up with your own grand slam and you're calling it a super grand slam. Yeah. Can you tell the listener what is the super grand slam?

Makoto 55:46

Super grand slam is uh uh adding Mars, Mars, uh Mount Orimpus. Uh space. Yeah, yeah, no, no, yeah.

Larry 56:00

You're you're saying that you want to travel to Mars and Mars and climb the Mount Olympus on Mars.

Makoto 56:09

Yes, because Mount Olimpus is a solar system, is the highest mountain, right?

Larry 56:15

So high on Earth, not good enough. You want highest in the entire solar system.

Makoto 56:23

Yes, yes, yes. That that's right.

Larry 56:26

That's amazing. I love that goal. I love that goal. And and you you actually um went up to speak to Jeff Bezos at a conference to tell him that you were gonna do that. Yes. Yes, okay. So I'm gonna I'm gonna play that clip now. That is just amazing that you actually went up to Jeff Bezos and to say, Hey, I am going to you know, get on your sp get on your spaceship and go to Mars.

Makoto 57:36

Yeah. Yeah. Or I'm really, really uh imaging every day.

Larry 57:46

So that is that is your life goal?

Makoto 57:54

Part of my life goal.

Larry 57:57

Okay. You have more than that, okay. So rapid rapid fire questions, and you just have to give me like really quick answers. Okay. So question number one. What is the favorite event you have competed in? Like tryout, that's where it's a merit, ultra merit, ultimately, ultimately, wait, wait, that doesn't matter, don't you? Oh, you have done that you want to do that um which at least do you admit?

Makoto 59:06

Ah yeah, join it.

Larry 59:09

Kill me and join it. Okay, now I I only know this name because I saw another video of you. Please tell me about your experience when you met him. Oh okay, hold on. Stop the music. So we get to the rapid answer transition round, and suddenly Mikado finds his voice. He gives me the longest uninterrupted answer of the entire interview. I obviously can't stop him now, so instead I'm gonna pause the transition round and we'll continue it shortly.

Makoto 59:46

Ah, okay, okay. Uh and uh during the Everest, uh, he tried uh highest record to the no oxygen to the summit. Fastest and yeah, fastest. Fastest. And uh and one week, two times he climbed the Everest. And uh during that record, I met him twice. Yes. There yeah, I'm the side.

Larry 1:00:19

There's there's there's a video of you. You you're very much a fanboy of his getting your shirt autographed. Yes, autographed shirt.

Makoto 1:00:31

Yes, maybe only one. Because he ain't tired, so no more asking, right? But yeah, yeah, only me.

Larry 1:00:44

Here's that YouTube clip of Makato asking for the autograph of his idol Killian Journey. And I will have all of these YouTube clips in the show notes for you to go and see the visuals. You really need to see these. I I've also attached a small clip at the end after the credits where we were finished our interview, and Makato is showing me the shirt that he gets signed in this clip. Uh, it's worth sticking around for at the end.

Makoto 1:01:16

And uh my name is Makoto. Makoto. Yes, tomorrow.

Larry 1:02:14

Which box is the most recommended? Oh, yes, yeah, business, business. So when you were 18 years old, you enrolled in the Department of Indian Philosophy at Toyo University. Uh but at the same time, you also started traveling. You got a bit of a travel bug, and you took your backpack through 37 countries.

Makoto 1:03:02

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Larry 1:03:02

Yeah, yeah. Uh so while while you were a young man, um you you're doing your traveling, and did you end up finishing your school or did traveling take over?

Makoto 1:03:19

Uh driving take over as a still student. I didn't go to school.

Larry 1:03:28

So you were not so much. You were enrolled in school, but not going to school. Yeah.

Makoto 1:03:35

No, yeah.

Larry 1:03:36

Yeah. So um when I was when I was researching you and reading, um you had typical traveled experiences. You got sick, uh, you got robbed, uh, people were trying to take advantage of you. But at that same time, you were making a list of things you want to do with your life. And when when the traveling was done and it was time to start get a job, um, you just kind of use your own personal philosophy of life. Of it's like a Nike slogan of just do it. Yeah. You you you don't want to spend time thinking, you don't want to spend time learning, you just start and do things, right? Is that is that fair to your philosophy that you kind of developed while you were traveling?

Makoto 1:04:33

Yeah, just do it is uh very easy and simple. So my philosophy is always just do it, learning and uh after learning.

Larry 1:04:46

Yeah, do first do first, learn later.

Makoto 1:04:53

Sometimes not rank or not just a dock.

Larry 1:05:03

So your your first first job you you worked at a pawn shop.

Makoto 1:05:11

Yeah, pawn shop.

Larry 1:05:12

But you have no no background, no, no way of knowing the value of the items. Yes. Yeah, no, no, no. Yeah, nothing. But but you just you just go and fake fake your way through.

Makoto 1:05:33

Yeah, sometimes fake and uh and we uh I lost a lot a lot of money.

Larry 1:05:43

Lot of money lost a lot of money at the shop.

Makoto 1:05:46

Yeah, a lot of money. Wasn't your money, not my money. My company money.

Larry 1:05:56

A lot of it's a great story, great story. And then um, so one day you decide I don't want to do this anymore. I want to open a hotel. Maybe this is one of the dreams from your traveling. You you have fun at your hotels, and so you just walk in, quit the pawn shop, go down the road to the Hyatt Hotel and say, Give me a job.

Makoto 1:06:28

Yeah, give me give me my job. No money is okay. So yes, yeah, no salary, okay. Yeah, give me my job. Just that just do. Just do.

Larry 1:06:45

But but they didn't give you the job.

Makoto 1:06:48

Yeah, they didn't give you a job because uh I'm uh suspicious men. Suspicious, yeah. Yeah, suspicious men is uh they don't give me job.

Larry 1:07:01

But uh eventually you do find you do find a job at a hotel eventually, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Makoto 1:07:08

Yes, eventually, yes, and you did not like it. I I Iran one thing, hotel just need to stay, just to stay is okay, and not walking. Yes, okay.

Larry 1:07:25

So the the romance of traveling and being in the hotel is great, working in the hotel is not fun. Around the same time, you also decide you want to open your own space company. And and so you start attending conferences, you start attending uh competitions for doing space things, and you establish a company called Galaxy Hitchhikers.

Makoto 1:08:09

Yes.

Larry 1:08:10

What is that all about? This Galaxy Hitchhikers.

Makoto 1:08:15

Uh very famous uh uh Michael Book uh yes, very famous book.

Larry 1:08:26

Uh you know, yes, the hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy.

Makoto 1:08:30

Yeah, that uh eyestore got the name.

Larry 1:08:33

That that company was not successful at that time, yes, at that time, yeah. Uh so you move on to selling eyeglasses. Yes, yes, and you you opened one and then more stores in uh Tokyo and Hong Kong, correct?

Makoto 1:08:56

Yes, correct.

Larry 1:08:57

And around the same time now that you have you finally have a job that is going to pay you now now now you can get married. Yeah. So so you you've you've met your wife, uh, you you get married, you start raising a family. Um how many how many children do you have and and and what are their names?

Makoto 1:09:23

Okay, and uh I have a four uh children and uh one uh oldest is Yume. Yume is uh mean drink, and the second is uh also daughter and karen karen means uh uh beautiful flower. Okay and third also daughter is uh uh Mikoto Mikoto means uh uh Japanese god god and last one is a boy and after Eberest he born and his name is Ginga is Galaxy means galaxy.

Larry 1:10:14

Galaxy. Yeah that seems so appropriate for you, Makato.

Makoto 1:10:22

Yeah he wants to be a uh he he growing to the dustbader, another dust vader, yeah, yeah, yeah. So I study uh Star Wars for him.

Larry 1:10:41

You you you already got him hooked up.

Makoto 1:10:45

You to be a dustbader.

Larry 1:10:49

Uh um so you're you you've got your eyeglasses company, um, that that's all going. And this is when you you're also doing your triathlons and you did the Gobi Desert uh ultra marathon, and you start thinking about doing these seven seven peaks. Umwhere in there, you also worked for an IT company.

Makoto 1:11:16

Yeah.

Larry 1:11:18

Did did you know anything about that job or did you just fake again?

Makoto 1:11:23

Oh, of course, I don't know anything. So also I spend a lot a lot of money.

Larry 1:11:35

Spend a lot of their money, of course.

Makoto 1:11:39

Not my money, company money.

Larry 1:11:41

Yeah, company money. So okay. Um and then but the the the idea of having galaxy hitchhikers still stays with you through all of these other ventures that you take on, and you you reinstate, you restart the galaxy hitchhikers again. Um what what is going on with galaxy hitchhikers now today?

Makoto 1:12:13

Nothing just the thinking? Okay, just thinking uh to Jeff Vessels. I'm going to mouse. I'm going to mouse.

Larry 1:12:25

Okay. So nothing is the idea of this company that you would help people to get into spaceships like Blue Origin. Is that is that the purpose in your mind of the company? Uh nothing. No, okay.

Makoto 1:12:52

Nothing yet, but uh maybe some some uh idea, image bring to me.

Larry 1:13:01

You're still waiting for for what it is. Okay, well, at least you're selling a lot of eyeglasses. That that you do not fake, right? That is real. Yeah, yeah. Okay. Um, and I I saw on your website you have also written three books.

Makoto 1:13:29

Yes, yes, yes.

Larry 1:13:30

Briefly, briefly, tell me what are the three books.

Makoto 1:13:36

Truth, nothing too wrong about the book. Truth, truth, yeah. You're all about the truth. Okay, get it. Yeah, okay. Nothing you better think you better read is think grow rich.

Larry 1:13:55

It's a much a better book, better book.

Makoto 1:13:58

Yeah, uh yeah. Okay. Yeah.

Larry 1:14:05

All right. Uh well, uh, I'm gonna I'm gonna try some more Japanese for you here. Then let me know how I do, okay. Honjitsuwa Ohanashi Dekete Koidas.

Makoto 1:14:18

Oh, you have to speak Japanese pretty well.

Larry 1:14:21

I I was trying to say it has been my pleasure to speak with you today.

Makoto 1:14:27

Yes, yes.

Larry 1:15:02

Is behind you the orange t-shirt, is that the one that you had signed?

Makoto 1:15:08

Uh yes, yes, yes, yes. Yes, yeah. This is Kilian. Yeah. Makoto keeps Kiddia. Yeah. And of course I wash the t shirts and I wash the t-shirts around and disappear and eye taking myself more fake, more forgery. But like that. Watching, watching. So yeah, eye taking. I I making.

Larry 1:15:52

I I I saw the video, it's it's real. I saw the video.