Justin Lee

I’m a Big Island Boy through and true and lucky enough to be married to the most beautiful inside and out woman in the world. Together we have two beautiful children our daughter Elle is five, and our “bull” Pa’akai is three.

I love the sense of adventure and discovering what’s over the next ridge or what's out there in the big blue.

I was introduced to the wilds on land and the excitement of the underwater world by following my dad into both above-sea-level and below-sea-level adventures. I’ve been archery hunting for over a quarter century, and the desire to be a better archer has never stopped. Around the same time, I also picked up a mask and fins and jumped in the water chasing dinners on a single breath. I feel comfortable in these two paramount worlds that I hope to pass on to my kids as they opened so many doors to experience the outside world not as an observer but as a participant. And not just surviving but thriving being in the outside world.

Accomplishments:

I’ve been on the US national spearfishing team since 2016 and have gotten to represent the US at the World Spearfishing Championships in 2016 and 2018 (2020 was canceled due to Covid) and will be representing the US again next year in Spain. In 2016 I finished 9th in the world and was spearfishing fish on a single breath (no tanks) between 150 – 196 ft. My top 10 finish is one of only a handful of times an American has finished in the top at the CMAS World Spearfishing Championships.

I did my first USOA national spearfishing championships in 2014 and have never placed individually outside of the top five and always made the All-American team. A team that I was a part of has never finished off the podium, a stat I am most proud of. I am currently the USOA Spearfishing National Champion and was awarded the Athlete of the year award for 2019.

In the woods, I’m the happiest hunter you’ll ever meet. I’ve been told I’m the best in camp friend and support crew. Hunting accolades are kind of funny, I think. What I’m most proud of about my “hunting career” are shots that I’ve made that the harvest was clean and swift. And the dinner table is rarely void of something I didn’t harvest.

I am also very proud that my kids know that bacon comes from a pig and sashimi once had scales on it.

Foundations:

I work closely with a nonprofit called Freedive Safe Hawaii. It provides a free course on free dive safety. ½ day classroom work and ½ day in the pool or ocean work. In a nutshell, it teaches the importance of diving with a buddy and the signs and symptoms of someone in trouble while spearfishing. It's open to the public, and we offer the course to kids between 12-24 years old.

I’m a member of the Hawaii county Public land Open spaces Natural resources Committee (PONC), which takes property tax funds to purchase important land around the Big Island (Hawaii Island) to keep it public or free of development so that future generations can have public spaces to enjoy.

What MYSTERY RANCH Packs do you Run?

I love my SAWTOOTH 45 and POP UP 28. I just did a 4-day trek into a remote valley live off the land on what we caught, gathered, speared, or hunted, and it was big enough and comfortable enough that I had everything I needed for a few more days. The POP UP in my go-to daily hunter. The ability to stay compact until I need the extra space for meat is key.

Other Sponsors:

Sitka, YETI, Swarovski Optik, Salt-Crew, Traeger, SkyRider Ranch, Black Rifle Coffee Company, Victory Archery

Favorite Quote:

“The Best Hunter/Spearfisher is the one having the most fun”