Kalai Nobriga comes from a ranching family in Hawaii, but him and his cousins were the first ones to start rodeoing competitively.
Nobriga, who is competing in The American Semifinals this week, said the rodeo bug really bit him when he used to come to the mainland for the National High School Finals.
“That’s what really shaped me wanting to come here,” he said. “I got to go there and compete.”
Nobriga’s home in Hawaii has a lot of historical significance, nearby is a large, stonewalled pasture that held the first cattle to arrive in Hawaii.
You can see the full interview with Kalai Nobriga here.