Page 18 - MidWeek - March 31, 2021

16 MIDWEEK MARCH 31, 2021
Power line technician Cyril “Zeus” Ontai III blasts into the CBS reality show Tough as Nails, proving he’s got both the name and game to do extraordinary things.
eing named after a deity might seem a bit presump- tuous, but local boy Cyril
“Zeus” Ontai III more than lives up to the moniker.
His work as a power line tech- nician with Hawaiian Electric earned him the nickname after the Greek god who wields a thunderbolt, and the dedication he shows to his craft and his com- munity landed him a spot on the CBS reality competition show Tough as Nails, which highlights individuals from across the na- tion who do difficult and often dangerous work.
“I watched season one, and there were no linemen on the show, there was no one repre- senting the trade I’m currently in,” he recalls.
His position as a lineman requires Ontai to work on high-voltage power lines, often when conditions are not ideal.
“When there’s a power outage, we’re the ones who go out and get the power back on,” he says.
That means going up in buck-
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Cyril Ontai III with wife Meghan, daughter Aiko and son Jax. PHOTO COURTESY CYRIL ONTAI III