“A woman can get my attention by not giving me too much attention at the beginning,” says 6’2” Ben. “If I am interested, I want to chase her a little.” Raised in Colorado and living in Hawaii, this 25-year-old professional kiteboarder and winner of  the 2002 Red Bull King of the Great Lakes, describes himself as honest, loyal and strong-willed. “I have a strong drive to succeed but I also know how to turn the seriousness off and just goof around ... a lot,“ says Ben. What can a woman who is in a relationship with this blue-eyed Virgo expect? “Everything that I have—holding back too much won’t make either of you happy,” says Ben. “Besides, great rewards come from great risks.”

... the FACTS

Born: Michigan

Resides: Winter: Makawao, Maui, Hawaii; Summer: Hood River, Oregon

Birthday: 9-12-77

Sign: Virgo

Height: 6’2”

Hair: Blonde (right now)

Eyes: Blue

Status: Never married, no children

Education: High School in Colorado Springs, Colorado. College at the University of Washington. I have a Bachelor of Science in Zoology and a minor in Ethnomusicology (study of music culture).

Occupation: "Two, really. I am a professional kiteboarder. I am also a musician, or more exactly I play guitar and sing at local spots when I am here in Maui. Not too bad of a lifestyle."  

Nonsmoker 

... on HIMSELF

Ben is a man who ... "lives every day to its fullest."

Best Qualities: "Honesty, integrity, loyalty, not afraid of looking like an idiot."

Strengths: "I am pretty strong willed and I have a strong drive to succeed, but I also know how to turn the seriousness off and just goof around ... a lot."

Weaknesses: "Do I really have to admit weaknesses? Ok … I am sometimes a bad decision maker. Not that I make the wrong ones, just that sometimes it takes a while to make them. There are always so many options to take. I tend to be an overthinker, if that’s a word."

What I see in myself that others may not see: "It’s hard for people to really know me by their perception of me from the outside. I look like I’m a dropout beach bum whose main vocabulary is “dude” and “killer” and “right on”, but I like to think that there is an intellectual side to me that you might not see from the outside.  (Even if I do say “dude” all the time.)"

I’ve been known to … "laugh a little too loud and too often and make a fool of myself on many occasions."
 
Interests: "Athletics, the outdoors, music, books …"

Turn Ons: "Independence, athleticism, passion, compassion, humor."

Turn Offs: "Too much TV, office jobs, too much talking and not enough doing, too much seriousness."

Special Talents: "I’m pretty good at copying accents. Makes for good prank phone calls to my friends and family."

And the winner is ... "I have had so many different stages of my life so far. All through high school and College I ran track and field. I hold a few Colorado State high school records and was all-conference (Pac-10) for the Washington Huskies all four years in college. I was a two-time captain for the team as well, and rank #4 all time in Washington school history for the 110 meter and 400 meter hurdles. It was after I graduated college that I got into Kiteboarding in Seattle then moved to Maui to train full time to be a professional. Since then I have won a national contest or two in kiteboarding, but am striving for winning at the international level this year. 2002 Red Bull King of the Great Lakes (1st place). OTHER: 2002 Australian League Kiteboarding Event Byron Bay (2nd place), 2002 King of the Bay (5th place)."

Charities. "When I was still competing in track and field, I was a guide runner for the US Blind track and field championships, did a lot of child tutoring when I was younger, lately I’ve just been doing the local beach cleanup and things like that."

15 minutes of fame: "I have had some minor celebrity with Kiteboarding and Track and Field, but I think that my real 15 minutes of fame is just around the corner (at least that is what I keep telling myself)."

Travels: "Grew up in Colorado Springs, CO, so lived there for 17 years (after being born in Michigan), then moved to Seattle for 5 or 6 years and now live in Maui. Places I have traveled include: Fiji, Panama, Australia, New Zealand, Dutch Antilles and this summer will take me to Austria, France, Holland, Italy, Dominican Republic, Aruba, Canary Islands, Brazil, and all over the US."

Spirituality: "Spirituality is very important to me. I grew up in a very positive, loving environment from friends, family, teachers, etc. I have studied most of the major world religions in some fashion or another because world religion and world history are very closely linked. Most major movements/conflicts/wars have some religious undertone to them. Personally, I think that God wouldn’t want to have much to do with the current state of mainstream religion. It was meant to be a personal relationship and America especially has turned it into a business, and the masses of people that go to church on Sunday leave their morality and conviction there when they leave and forget about it for the week. What good is that? I believe that we all have a conscience and our hearts know what is right and wrong. I am in no position to judge the faith of other people and I learn constantly from everyone that I spend time with, but for me, I strive to live my life like history describes the life of Jesus. I fail all of the time to live as truly and confidently as he did, but I try to use his advice and actions as a blueprint for what I want to be like."  

Fashion sense: "Needs help sometimes. I pretty much got rid of all things in my so called ‘wardrobe’ that were grey or black or blue and replaced them with bright colors. Good fashion idea? Probably not, but I feel better when I am wearing something with color, even if my closet looks like a box of fruit loops. I’ve been into the seventies lately, just check out the mop of shaggy hair that I’m sportin’."  

Staying Healthy: "Physically I am in the water everyday so that usually wears me out and whips me into shape. I play basketball, run some, pound out some push ups, and try to eat healthy. As far as keeping my mind in shape, that’s a little harder. Finding the right people to talk to helps. Stretching your imagination is a good way to stay mentally healthy. That and sleep."

What touches my soul: "Going out of your way to help someone else. I am constantly blown away by the kindness of the friends that I have. They are true inspiration."

... on WOMEN

A woman can get my attention ... "by not giving me too much attention at the beginning. Part of the fun for me is trying to figure out whether she likes me or not. If I am interested, I want to chase her a little."

Ideal woman: "I have a huge list of “must haves”  and “must not haves,” but I try not to generalize people too much. The one sure thing is that she must be able to keep up with me and what I do. I don’t want to go for a hike or something and have to leave her at home because that’s not her thing. If I am in a relationship, I want to spend time with her as much as I can."

I can't resist a woman who ... "challenges me to be a better person and makes me laugh all at the same time."

I show a woman I care ... "There is never any one thing. But she’ll know if I care about her. A stolen kiss, a hug that doesn’t end with a pat on the back, or just telling her works pretty good too."

A woman has made me melt when ... "This story is about a girl who wasn’t my girlfriend or even anyone I ended up dating, but it’s a good one. She showed up at my house and was obviously very scared and nervous (her personality was very reserved) and stood there and said she couldn’t stay but wanted me to know that she really, really liked me and no matter what I felt about her, she wanted me to know that I meant a lot to her. She then handed me a letter and said that this explains it better, but her vocal rendition was perfect. I was so impressed, so flattered, so honored that she had the guts (that I would never have) to stand there so open and honest and following her heart that I was speechless and breathless all at once. To this day, that is one of the greatest compliments I have ever gotten."

Most important quality in a woman: "Her interest in really wanting to know me."

Ideal Summer date: ""I am a real outdoor guy so I would want to do something outside. I am a big fan of hiking on dates because you get to be outside, doing something active and still be able to talk and get to know each other. There is just something about the summer sun that makes me want to spend as much time in it as I can. Something outside during the day, dinner at home, movies, music, stories, doesn’t really matter as long as you’re together."

What makes a woman unforgettable: "The way she looks at me."

I wish women understood ... "men want love, passion, comfort and reassurance just as much as women do. That and we are pretty simple. Give me a pizza, a beer, a football game every once in a while with my buddies, and the world is a better place."

... on RELATIONSHIPS

Views on relationships: "Super important to me. Having relationships helps you figure out what you really want out of marriage. I have only had a few ‘real’ relationships, but they have taught me a lot about what type of person that I want to spend time with."

Top Relationship Keys: "Tough not to be cliché here … Trust, comfortableness, respect, understanding, playfulness, laughter, unconditional love."

A woman who is in a relationship with me can expect ... "everything that I have. If I decide to be in a relationship with someone, they have already become very special to me. Even though I have been burned in the past, holding back too much won’t make either of you happy. Besides, great rewards come from great risks."

What I expect: "I expect her to do as much for me as I do for her. We should be a team, otherwise one is always trying to make up for the other, and that never works."  

When I'm in love, I ... "can’t stop smiling (kind of like when I’m a little drunk)."

Greatest Relationship Lesson: "I can’t fix everything."

,,, on SEX

What makes a girl sexy in the summer: "Bright clothes (I like a girl who still likes to wear pink once in a while), tanned skin, the taste of saltwater on her lips, time spent with only me."

I feel my sexiest when ... "I don’t think I’ve ever really tried to be sexy, so I’m probably the most when I am just having fun."

What puts me in the mood: "Nothing to do, nowhere to go, nothing to wake up for."

... on HIS FAVORITE THINGS

Movie: "Always changing, but standbys are Dumb and Dumber and O Brother Where Art Thou.”

TV Show: "Toss up between VH1 Behind the Music and anything on Animal Planet (aren’t monkeys funny?)."

Book: ”The River Why by David James Duncan."

Music: "Live Music."

Food: "Sushi, fresh fruits."

... on LIFE

Making My Mark: "Having a positive impact on one person at a time."

Responsibility to Society: "Pay taxes and die."

Valuable Life Lesson: "It is way more fun with less money and less planning."

What I try to get out of life every day: "I heard once that if you can be moved to tears by laughter and sadness in one day, you have lived a full day. I like that."

Three things I must do in this lifetime: "More like three thousand, but 1) Be some sort of actor. 2) write something I am proud of. 3) Continue to get paid to do what I love, no matter what it is."

Best advice I've received: ”If you say that you are going to be there, you better be there.”

Best advice I've given a woman: ”You can’t love me if you don’t love yourself first.”

... final THOUGHTS

Nicknames: "Oscar, Skeets, ‘Buckwheat.’

Wheels: "1985 Cadillac Fleetwood. Basically the biggest friggin ‘Mac Daddy Caddy’ you have ever seen."

Pets: "I travel too much."

Items always in my refrigerator: "As long as it’s food, I’m not too specific."  

Hottest possession: "My guitar."

Secret fantasy: "Not to get a ‘real job’ for the rest of my life. Wait, I take that back. To always love what I am doing no matter where I am."

Me, a deserted island and ... "all my friends, music, beers, boats, surfboards, party equipment, you know, just the essentials."

I would like to change places for 24 hours with ... "Bono from U2."

I would most like to hang out with ... "q good friend or someone in my family."

Why I'm such a great catch: "I don’t know. I’m not your average guy, I guess."

Me in a word: "Unconventional."

Last Words: "Yeah … I feel very exposed after answering all of those questions. I hope I don’t look like too much of a cheeseball."