[Akai-San]

Quote: Originally Posted by bekko The Hawaii Goldfish and Carp Association has a lot of local history that is in danger of being lost. Many of the younger generation (in this hobby you're still young at 60) have been to the home of one of our older members, George Nagano. George has been a backyard breeder for 4-5 decades now. Mike Thompson was by there to get information about George for a newsletter article (Koi Talk, Newsletter of the Hawaii Goldfish and Carp Association, April, 2005). I was there to pick up some orphans and talk story. George never mentioned koi shows to us. But when Nelson was there Nelson's wife inquired about a group of trophies thinking they were sports trophies of some sort. Turns out they were koi show trophies for fish George had bred in the late 1960's or early 70's. Some were from Hawaii shows and some were from California shows. By the way, anyone wanting to be part of this bit of koi history can join the HGCA. Dues are $30 per year - see the web site for details. Amenities include five issues of the newsletter per year, access to the members-only section of the web site, access to technical expertise as needed, etc. -ste

Wow, now I'm really getting some goosebumps...the mention of Hawaii koi shows in the 1960's and koi trophies. My dad and uncle had also started in the hobby at an early age. In the early 60's They bought a number of baby koi (2"-3") for a few cents and raised them in a pretty good size pond with filter 10'x16'x30" deep (built by my grandfather). Both my father (19 yrs at the time) and his brother (15 yrs) in 1964 had entered two koi (bought locally) that they had grown out to tosai and nisai age. My uncle to this day, still has those two koi trophies. I try to look at them everytime we visit my uncle.

I was born in 1966, and I still have memories of playing around that concrete koi pond (more like falling into the pond while trying to hand feed the HUGE Yellow Ogon they kept). I still remember opening my eyes under that pond water seeing the koi rush around me trying to get at the food in my hand....what a traumatic experience...I can still hear the koi sucking...hahaha.