About

What is Kook Aunty Guides

Kook Aunty Guides is a resource for anyone who might feel intimidated to explore something new.

Whether you want to learn cool shit about nature or find the confidence to try an outdoor sport for the first time or get involved in organizations that are supporting the health of this rad world, this is a place for you.

Why I started Kook Aunty Guides:

This project was born out of my own personal struggle to try new things. I spent most of my life overcome with anxieties about looking dumb aka like a kook. This fear stopped me from trying new things which, in turn, meant I missed out on some epic experiences!

I LOVE epic shit, and as I got older, decided I didn’t want to let my fear of looking like a kook stop me from doing some real cool stuff. So, I decided to embrace the kook of it all!

Where the name “Kook Aunty” came from:

I think surfing is the best example of my personal fears stopping me from trying something. It’s also the activity I associate the word kook with the most.

Let’s define kook. Kook is a derogatory term for someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing in the water; a total disaster in the waves.

As a teenager, I was determined to never look like a kook.

Unfortunately, this resulted in me putting my board away after a few failed surfing attempts. (There’s no way to avoid that beginner kook phase). As I got older, and I began caring less about people thinking I’m cool, I realized I was okay looking like a kook if it meant I got to have a bit more fun.

So, I decided to brand myself as a kook!

Well… sort of

Kook is most often used to describe someone who is not only a total newbie but also someone who is careless.

This is not something I wanted to be. Just because I’m not afraid to look foolish or inexperienced does not mean I’m recklessly throwing myself at something that could potentially be dangerous to myself and/or others.

That’s where Aunty of it all comes in.

Back home in Hawaii, Aunties are not only blood-related, but all the women who have helped raise me. My mom’s friends, the “beach chair Aunties,” may be a bit quirky, but they brought a wealth of knowledge and experience to my life—and have taught me what they know.

There is a respect and thoughtfulness that I have learned, which I apply to what I share here, and how I approach life.

So there you have it! Kook Aunty was born.

The Kook Aunty manifesto

As a Kook Aunty (or Kook Uncle/Kook Babe)…

I will never let a fear of other people’s judgements stop me from doing what makes my heart sing

I will remember how privileged I am, and let will that fuel my stoke

I will approach life with curiosity and gratitude

I will always be open to learning

I will never take myself too seriously

And I will always see the magic of this world—and try to share it with others