Who was or still is your mentor in the hobby?

[aquitori]

I think started off in this hobby I had no hobbyist mentors my first years, my first mentors was and still is Tom Lai then Kevin. These are the guys who actually took time out of their busy day to talk koi with me. Do I wish there were Koi-Boards around during that time? No. My reasoning is you can never get the hands on experience here or any other koi-board.

So with that said who are your mentors in the hobby...?

[gregbickal]

There's alot of men in this hobby, but I havent found a Men-tor yet

[Mike T]

Nelson Wong and Kenneth Horimoto ...Two great guys, always sharing their knowledge...

Aloha! Mike Thompson

[aquitori]

Quote: Originally Posted by Mike T Nelson Wong and Kenneth Horimoto ...Two great guys, always sharing their knowledge... Aloha! Mike Thompson

Haven't met Nelson, but Kenneth I have met as well as Shirleen. The Horimotos are the best they made it fun for a first timer like me in Japan.

[Bill D]

Bob and Pam Spindola. Met them when we first joined the Nishiki Koi Club ten or eleven years ago. Bob was a very caring and giving person. Bob has since passed, but I will always be in his debt for the help, guidance, and passion for koi he offered us.

[ucpondguy]

Keokoi, realized I knew very little before I met him. Learning a lot since, but got tons more learning to do. Real stand up guy no strings attached

[dick benbow]

Bill: I never got a chance to meet your mentor but what a priviledge you had to

have spent time with him. The koi world lost a giant with his passing. I'm glad

we have his wife who continues to be a contributor to the world of koi....

in my early years it was eddie Fujimoto who started koi USA and moved to my neck of the woods. Then later it was kentaro sakai who after work would sit me down and give me lessons. i always appreciated toshio sakai's impromtu lessons
when I would drop by at harvest time and he gather a handful of us and start
teaching!

I would be remiss in not giving credit to Brian of KB fame of late who's magazine has done an excellent job of helping us all continue to learn!

[Fishbreeder]

Bob Spindola was my first great mentor of koi. Funny thing though, the most important things he taught me had absolutely nothing to do with koi. Without Bob's guidance I'd never done many of the things I've accomplished, in and out of koi. I sorely miss him still.

Since then, Atsushi Suda and his son Kazutaka from Ojiya, these guys taught me koi breeding inside out and backwards. Then Shigeru Mano, VP of Dainichi who tries to refine my knowledge and help me apply it, he must be very frustrated.

For a very many years, Ron Goforth, ZNA District Chairman and the first ever non-Japanese fully certified ZNA koi judge. Just got his fish and put them into a mud pond, he's evacuated with most everybody else from around here. As far as I can tell from the folks I've talked to, Ron knows more about koi than any other English speaking (as a first language) person I know of.

Of course Jim Reilly. He is the student of koi I want to be. He unselfishly shares as much of his massive knowledge of koi as he can. Never been around him I didn;t learn many useful (and maybe not so useful) things.

Notice, my mentor list consists of a nice mix of professionals and hobbiest, both aspects are extremely important to me.

There are many others.

[schildkoi]

Don Connally of Crosstimber Koi in OKC started us on our journey. Burt Ballou and Jim Reilly in our ealry showing years (both still having influence), Tom Lansing, Peter and then Tim Waddington who really helped to fast track our learning curve. Many more have influenced us along the way...Galen Hanson, Art Lempke, Bob Finnigan...Brett! Too many to name really.

Steve

[koinut]

How about Thom Blischok!