The Man This Day Is For
Kevin Mokuahi has been holding a tattoo machine for 35 years. He's not stopping now.
Kevin was born in Waikiki. His father, Sam "Steamboat" Mokuahi Sr.,
was a legendary beachboy known across Oahu as the Mayor of Waikiki.
Kevin was baptized at Waikiki Beach. His godfather was Elvis Presley.
He apprenticed under Tom Green in Costa Mesa, started his career at South Pacific
Tattoos back home, and built a 35-year practice that put ink on
NSYNC, Cher, Britney Spears, and the Boo-Yaa Tribe, alongside
thousands of regular folks who walked through his door.
Twelve years ago, Kevin was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson's disease.
He kept tattooing for another decade. When his hands made it harder to do the work
he loved, he didn't fold — he climbed on a bicycle and rode
36 miles up Haleakala to destigmatize the disease and put a face
on what it looks like to live with it.
"It's not about me anymore.
Two wheels have been that thing for me.
I could literally tell you it saved my life."
— Kevin Mokuahi, 2024
Today, Kevin is a pastoral intern at New Hope Manoa, a father, a grandfather,
and the soul of our shop. He's not a booking artist at TNT —
he's the spirit. The senior jokester. The wise voice. The man who keeps everyone
humble.
This event is for him. And for the 1.2 million Americans living with
Parkinson's, including the thousands here in Hawaii who deserve the same dignity,
the same support, and the same shot at a full life.
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