Kois for the big boys

Say Koi: Koi-lover Mikee Romero

                                                  

“Watching the Koi relaxes me,” said Mikee Romero, Koi-lover, CEO of Harbour
Centre Port Terminal, Inc. and Manila North Harbour Port Inc. “I have been into  the Koi since 1998.”
I admit that I don’t know much about Koi — but when I was growing up we did have a fishpond in the house where I lived. The pond was filled with what we called carps. I read up a bit and found out that carps are the more common varieties (cheaper) of Koi. 

“How are the Koi judged?” I asked Devin Swanson, son-in-law of Koi show organizer Michael Hernandez. 

“By the way they look from the top,” said Devin. “For Flowerhorn fish, since they are in an aquarium, they are judged by their side markings,” added Michael. “Since Koi are in ponds, it is the way their top 
markings come together.” 

Both Michael and Devin shared the opinion that judging a Koi show is much like judging an art show. 

“The Koi are very beautiful,” added Micheal. “And if one takes the time to watch the Koi  swim, they relax, even for a while.”
It was the 2011 Philippine Koi Show and the 3rd Tategoi Grow Out Contest at Perlie’s Garden in Quezon City. The Tategoi Grow Out Contest was the competition between the smaller Koi. The Koi Show is the show where the big boys in Koi compete. 

The big boys in Koi include Sen. Gringo Honasan, Mayor JV Ejercito, Noli de Castro, Dennis Sytin and Mikee Romero, to name a few. 

And, yes these boys take their Koi competition seriously. 
Although I did not get to see the other big boys of Koi, I did get to see what 
kind of Koi they have.
“I started JV on Koi,” added Mikee. “And look how nice his Koi are now.” Mikee admitted that one of his biggest competitors in Koi is Dennis Sytin. He showed me the pool where Dennis’ Koi were and gave me a heads up about just how beautiful Dennis’ Koi are.
“It is just like collecting art or judging an art contest,” added Mikee. “One can see real beauty and know that a Koi is truly beautiful after years of being in the hobby.”
How did Mikee get into Koi?
“I noticed that the businessmen in Japan were into Koi,” smiled Mikee. “The Koi hobbyists in Japan are the top businessmen.” 

Does Mikee consider the Koi good luck?
“Yes, it is what the Chinese believe,” he added. “And, I have been quite lucky, too.” When a fish dies Mikee believes that the fish sucks out the bad luck when it goes, so losing a fish is not a bad thing.

BACK TO THE SHOW

I was curious as to why all the judges in this “beauty” show were men.
“It traces it’s roots to Japan,” is what I was told. “Matter of fact, the best Koi in the world are still bred in Japan.” 

I walk around the over 12 pools in the restaurant and looked at the Koi. I watched them swim about.  It was quite relaxing — they were right. Although, I still don’t think that I would go out and buy a Koi, I have this thing that fish should swim free. But that’s just me. 

Mikee told me that owning and watching beautiful Koi is like looking at beautiful paintings. He is a lover of art as much as he is a lover of Koi. 

Matter of fact, Mikee has a Koi pond in his house, one in his office and another one in Japan. 

“The one in Japan is where my Koi won the 2007 Kokugyo Award,” he quipped. “That is the emperor’s award in Japan. I am the only Filipino to win that award.”
Yet, there is still one more award that Mikee hopes to bag in Japan, the All-Japan Award.
“That would be like winning the Kentucky Derby,” he added.
It took the judges the whole afternoon to judge what seemed like over  a hundred Koi. 

The smaller ones in plastic bags; and the bigger Kois in their own pools. Judging of the smaller Koi was done first. There were eight awards and three winners per award. The same set of awards went  to the bigger Koi. 

The judges took their judging very seriously and did not rush — they studied each Koi as if each one was a winner. 

Needles to say, it took lots of time.
“I want to see more people get into Koi,” added Mikee. “It would make the hobby grow.”
So, we ask him what should one do if he was interested in Koi?
“They should start small,” he added. “Take it one Koi at a time. There is a lot that goes into keeping and growing a good Koi. The rewards are truly great.”
It was early evening  by the time the judges announced which Koi was the first Philippine Grand Champion. Mikee also won nine other awards; that’s a lot considering he only had five Koi in the competition. His other awards are mature champion, jumbo champion, best in size 6 Koi, best in variety, Kohaku, dainichi choice, first place Kohaku size 6, first place Sanke size 6 first place Utsurimono size 6 and second place Kohaku size 6. 

The winner was Sultana, the Koi of Mikee Romero. 
“I am so happy to know that Sultana is the best Koi in the country,” quipped Mikee. “But more important to me is knowing that I made the right choice when I picked Sultana.”