Born and raised on Oahu, Cyril Ontai III attended Kapolei High School, where he played football. From there he went to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., but by the end of his sophomore year he decided that a career in the military was not for him. Ontai returned to Hawaii and was studying engineering when his father, an electrician, got him an opportunity to join the electricians’ union. Ontai found his calling.
He then went to work for Hawaiian Electric Co. He started off as a helper and worked his way up — literally. Nine years later Ontai is a lineman (aka power-line technician) who works high above the ground installing and repairing high-voltage power lines. He acquired the nickname “Zeus” because the electricity he works with is potentially as lethal as the lightning bolts that the ancient Greek god was said to hurl from Mount Olympus.
Ontai, 29, will be representing Hawaii and high-voltage linemen nationwide when the second season of the CBS reality show, “Tough as Nails,” premieres Wednesday. He will be one of 12 competitors testing their strength, endurance and mental toughness against each other and in six-person teams. In a departure from most reality show competitions, contestants who are eliminated as individuals continue to compete — and can win additional prizes — during team competitions.
How did you make the team for “Tough as Nails?”
I saw the first season, and the first thing that I noticed was there were no linemen, there were no people from Hawaii. I saw all the ads on Instagram about the show, and they were taking applications so I applied. I went through the process and I got mad respect for the people on the first season.
This is the first reality show I’ve seen where eliminated contestants continue to compete.
That’s a pretty cool dynamic. You have to be able to turn it on and off between the individual competition and the team competition.
What got you interested in working with high-voltage power lines?
I always said that if I was going to be in the trades, I would want to work with electricity. At the time I didn’t know it would be high-voltage electricity but it is now, and I think it’s cool. You can’t just send anybody up there to do the work. It’s a specialized profession and there’s a lot of pride in that.
What is the most dangerous thing about your job?
The No. 1 killer in this trade is complacency. You (always) have to be on your A game — a mistake can cost you your life. Electricity has a mind of its own and you have to have respect for the (power) line.
Your online bio mentions the PI-9 project. Where was that?
It was basically up at Wiliwilinui, all the way up on the ridge at the top of the mountain. We converted the old wood poles that were up there to steel. It was just a really cool project to be a part of because the poles are really old and they’ll probably never be changed again.
That is an eye-catching tattoo on your neck. When did you get it and why?
I got it about three years ago. It’s a griffin, and it represents power, and knowing yourself and who you are and having confidence. You know who you are and you know what you can bring to the table. That’s why I got it.
You mentioned in your bio that you’d like to send your children to private school. What are some of your other goals?
Being on this show I kinda hit my bucket list. Nowadays it’s all about my family. I want my kids to be successful and it’s really not so much about me anymore. I would like to be a millionaire one day (laughs), but I’ve had an amazing life. After this show it’s like, “What’s next?”
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WATCH IT
“Tough as Nails”
Season 2 begins 7 p.m. Wednesday on CBS.
