Jerome Slade is our Hawaiʻi Island judge who was born in Long Beach California and raised in Kailua-Kona all his life. He grew up on the grounds of Kamakahonu Bay, watching his uncles dance on the stage at the lūʻau and he knew from a very young age that he wanted to do the same one day.  His father Mataio Slade began to teach Jerome and his brother when they were just 8 years old.  Jerome began traveling with Island Breeze when he was in elementary school and has had the opportunity to perform in Canada, Thailand, Hong Kong and the mainland U.S..  Jerome has a long list of wins in fireknife competitions in Hawaiʻi, including first place in the World Junior Competition and 3rd in the Menʻs Competition.  Jerome currently resides in Kailua-Kona, where he dances fire at resorts along the entire Kona-Kohala Coastline.  Jerome says that his inspiration is his father – “I watched him teach so many fireknife dancers in Hawaiʻi and since I was a young boy, I knew that I wanted to fireknife dance until my arms arenʻt able to move any more!  I love the rush that I get when the knife is lit and I live for the speed of the fire as it spins!” 

JEROME SLADE

Alex Galeai is a man of many talents. Following in the footsteps of his father, Pulefano Galeai, Alex started his fire knife career at a young age, performing at the Polynesian Cultural Center and all around the world. Aside from being a former World Fire Knife Champion, Alex has gone on to master many other cultural arts such as music, drumming, dance, and language. His skills have led him to compete in different arenas, winning awards in different Tahitian Heiva competitions, Maori kapahaka competitions, and more. He currently resides in Laie, Hawaii with his wife Shannon and three children, sharing his talents as a teacher and instructor at BYU-Hawaii, as well as being a show leader and creative director for Tihati Productions.

ALEX GALEAI

Mikaele Oloa is the son of Isitolo and Evelyn Oloa. Originally born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Mika and his family spent time all across the country performing and growing as entertainers, all the way from the calm town of Laie to the busy city of Orlando. As a five-time World Fire Knife Champion, Mika has built a legacy of success that he now proudly passes on to the students of his fire knife school, Mauga Mu. His 19-title career has also taken him to competitions and places all over the world, not only as a competitor, but also as a judge. He currently resides in Waialua, Hawaii with his wife Lagi and the rest of his family, living and working as a nightly performer for Tihati Productions and as the owner of his own business.

MIKAELE OLOA

David Galeai is nothing short of a major contribution to the fire knife world we see today. As a three-time World Champion, David has taken his skills all around the globe in efforts of spreading the flame and broadening the fire knife community. Aside from performing on stages all around the world, David is an avid coach and teacher of the arts all throughout Japan, the Cook Islands, and more. He has been evolutionary in changing the way we look at fire knife dancing through the creation of his school Vaimatina, as well as the creation of a new competition series “Masters of the Flame” and a unique competition called “King of the Streets”, where fire knife dancing is paired with urban hip hop music in a street battle type concept. He currently resides in Laie, Hawaii with his wife Grace and three children, spending his days as a performer at the Polynesian Cultural Center and teacher of siva afi.

DAVID GALEAI