His vision looked out-of-focus, but it still didn't stop him from staring at the attractive woman seated next to him at the bar.
"You are overzealous and presumptuous," she said with a smile, carefully enunciating the words.
But then she suddenly stuck her elbow on the bar and shouted in the guy's ear: "Hey, ya wanna arm wrestle!"
Welcome to Quinn's Almost By The Sea, the unofficial headquarters of the Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament.
Dennis, the bartender, looked up at the two patrons and shook his head as he furiously washed pint glasses. He has been behind the bar for the past 10 billfish tournaments.
"But it seems like 60 years," he said, sweat pouring from his face.
Over in the corner of the tumultuous tavern, members of the Cornhusker Billfish Club were swapping fish stories with groups from Japan and New Zealand.
How could you tell the team was from Nebraska? They each wore matching bright red and white striped overalls, with red straw hats.
Last week, 37 teams from 17 countries and 12 states gathered to hunt Pacific blue marlin in the flat and deep waters off the sparkling Kona coast.
The competition, with no cash prizes, was started by Peter Fithian - who was then manager of the legendary Kona Inn - back in 1959.
The HIBT has turned into a wonderful yearly gathering, bringing men, women and children of all ages from around the world to mingle and meet. It is one heck of a party, especially at the King Kamehameha Hotel, which is the official tournament headquarters and just a short cast away from the Kailua Pier, where the weigh-ins are held every afternoon of the five-day event.
But the tournament is much more than a beer blast. The format puts the majority of Kona's charter boats to work, along with their expert captains and crews. The visitors also pump a lot of money into the Big Island tourism till. And about 200 volunteers add even more of the aloha spirit to the proceedings.
Dr. Marc L. Miller, a cultural anthropologist and professor at the University of Washington's School of Marine Affairs, was at the HIBT to study its social aspects.
"Life is nothing without relationships, so fishing is about relationships," he said. "It brings people together."
PERHAPS most important, though, is another scientific angle of the anglers: that the vast majority of the magnificent Pacific blue marlin are returned to the fishery, thanks to the tournament's tag-and-release rules, which were implemented in 1986.
In the past two years, 19 marlin have been brought to the Kailua Pier scale - and 133 were released unharmed, just tagged with a small device so that the fish can be tracked by satellite. It will also allow ocean researchers to gather even more valuable data if the fish is caught again.
The Hawaiian International Billfish Association and the Pacific Ocean Research Foundation have been working together for one common cause: to make sure that future generations have a chance to enjoy the thrill of deep-sea
fishing. And to have a healthy and ample fishery to do it in.
I have covered many, many sporting events, but the Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament is obviously one of my favorites. It combines fishing, fun and friendships in a beautiful international setting.
And it does so with a deep commitment to the future.
Fithian should especially be proud. He not only started this great tournament, but he has always been there for 38 years to help his dream come true.