Maui resident Robert “Bully” Kotter and his wife, Ashley, lost their home in the Lahaina wildfire just days after moving in. You may remember Bully’s name. He's a surf instructor who connects with homeless children in the Lahaina area through his surfing camps.
He's also the subject of a documentary short film, “Uncle Bully’s Surf Skool,” that debuted at the Hawaiʻi International Film Festival last year. It was shot during the pandemic and finished in mid-2023. Then the Lahaina fire happened, and it became part of the story.
The Conversation spoke with the Kotters ahead of an upcoming screening of the film on Thursday on Oʻahu. The Kotters, along with filmmakers Todd Soliday and Leah Warshawski, will be in attendance.
This story aired on The Conversation on March 19, 2024. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
