Name: Kai Tangaroa
Age: 24
Date of Birth: 6/27/1994
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 170 lbs
Ethnicity: Pacific Islander
Features:
Build - Slim, muscular
Tattoos - Traditional Maori Tribal tattoo on the lower right arm. A Hei Matau fish hook on his chest in between his collar bones.
Eyes - Brown
Hair - Short Black
Kai was born to Anna and Manawa “Manny” Tangaroa on June 27th, 1994. His father, Manny, was an amateur surfer living in Los Santos, preparing for a tour up and down the San Andreas coast. It was there, he met a young surf instructor, Anna Watkins. After a few months of passionate dating, Anna became pregnant. Manny, brought up the traditional way, knew what needed to be done. Shortly after, Manny and Anna were married in a beachside ceremony. On June 27th, 1994 Anna gave birth to Kai at the Mount Zonah Medical Center. Wanting Kai brought up in the traditional Maori culture, Manny convinced Anna to move back to his native New Zealand.
Growing up south of Auckland, Kai was enveloped by the sea. Everything in his family’s life revolved around the ocean. His father abandoned his dreams of becoming a pro surfer and became a charter fishing captain. Manny wanted Kai to be brought up the traditional Maori way. With his last name holding the namesake, and according to traditional ways, Kai was dedicated to the Maori god of the sea, Tangaroa. He spent his younger days, learning to fish and became a pretty adept spear fisherman while both scuba and free diving. When he was around ten years of age, he approached his father, wanting to learn to surf. His father beamed with pride, and over the course of a few years, Kai was excelling at the sport. Every evening they finished out the day surfing. It cemented their bond with both each other and Kai's bond with the ocean.
Throughout his teens, he spent his time surfing, and spearfishing, winning several local competitions and quickly becoming a local favorite to go pro. His father had never been more proud of anything in his life, and as Kai was surfing in the Auckland Open, he received news of his father’s fishing boat missing off the coast of The Great Barrier Island. Kai finished out the tournament, taking first place, and hoping for the best but his father’s boat was never recovered. After two weeks of searching, the Royal New Zealand Coast Guard called off its search for the boat and six passengers, deducing that a storm kicked up from Fiji had taken the boat down. The entire Tangaroa clan mourned the loss of one of their favorite sons. Kai took the loss especially hard, as his hero and best friend had been taken by the very thing that Kai was always taught to love and respect unconditionally, the sea. Anna, never really feeling at home in New Zealand, went back to Los Santos, though visiting often. She gave the choice to Kai to either stay or go back to her home. But he told her he didn’t want to leave his home and stayed. After graduating high school, he went on tour as an amateur surfer, winning competitions in Waimea, Superbank, and Teahupo’o. He was at a competition in Jeffrey’s Bay, South Africa when he got a call from his mother. She’d been diagnosed with cancer. He left the competition and flew to Los Santos to be with her. After several months she lost the battle and passed away in his arms.
