In tribute to his greatest supporter, Hale Motu‘apuaka decided to end his three-year hiatus and take the stage one more time.

With a dazzling blend of athleticism, style and showmanship, Motu‘apuaka won the 2021 World Fireknife Championship at the Polynesian Cultural Center in May.

“The main reason I did it was because of my grandpa,” Motu‘apuaka said of Harry Soukop, who died in March. “He was one of my main supporters. He was the one who inspired me to do it. In honor of him, I decided to come back and compete again.”

Motu‘apuaka was a 17-year-old Punahou School senior when he won the 2018 fireknife title. He then decided to focus on football and academics at Utah State, where is is now a starting defensive tackle. The Aggies host Hawaii in a Saturday matinee at Maverik Stadium in Logan, Utah.

“In 2019, I decided to sit out,” he said, of declining to defend his fireknife title. “But when I sat out and just watched it, I felt it was too exciting not to be part of it. Watching from the side was not too good of a feeling. But I had football and school, and those were my No. 1 priorities.”

On March 21, Soukop died at age 94. Soukop, who grew up in Holland, was a pilot who eventually moved to Oahu’s North Shore.

“Once he passed away,” Motu‘apuaka said, “I knew, for sure, I was going to compete for him. It wasn’t about winning. It was about doing it in honor of him, and hoping to make him proud.”

In creating his routine, Motu‘apuaka cobbled elements he picked up from fireknife legends Malo Seleni and Mikaele Oloa, a five-time world champion.

Oloa “was my biggest inspiration growing up,” Motu‘apuaka said. “Even to this day, he still is my mentor. Every time I go, I show him my routine, and he gives me feedback.”

Motu‘apuaka owns several fireknives, some kept in Utah, some in Aiea. Ah-Chew Tafiti, considered the sport’s premier craftsman, and Oloa designed Motu‘apuaka’s fireknives.

After winning the 2021 title, Motu‘apuaka resumed his football training. Motu‘apuaka, who is 6 feet 2, weighed 320 pounds in 2018, when he redshirted as a USU freshman.

“I was really big,” said Motu‘apuaka, who now weighs 275 pounds. “I give it all to our strength/conditioning program that I’ve had over the years. Before I came to college, I didn’t really take offseason workouts seriously. Once I got to college, i started seriously lifting and running. I started to get in better shape.”

He also boxes, which is beneficial in mixing it up with the offensive linemen. He can play nose tackle and align as a gap canceler as a 3-technique or 4-technique defender.

“It’s really fun being in the trenches,” Motu‘apuaka said. “It’s a battle every play. You’re going against one or two guys every day. It’s a fun thing to me.”