SPEED WE LUST is an underground, performance apparel and merchandise company designed in Hawaii.
“We have two lives, and the second begins when we realize we only have one.”
Confucius
Hi, my name is Johnnie and this is my story.
In September of 2018, my fiancée Chika passed away tragically and unexpectedly. This traumatic event changed my life forever. I was completely broken and contemplated checking out of this world. Instead of turning to drugs and alcohol to self-medicate, I focused on skydiving, modifying cars and training to heal through the pain and find a way to live free.
SPEED WE LUST was visualized a year before her passing. She was the catalyst that inspired my creativity to go for everything in life. My drive to build a brand for athletes is embedded in my soul thanks to Chika.
Your life is truly a gift. The most incredible pain you will experience is your pivot point. Don’t give up. Find what you love, it’ll set you free. This is my truth and I’m sending it. I hope my story will inspire you to live through your pains of this incredible journey. The world is a better place because you are here. Go be fricken epic.
Half white and half Asian, Italian-French-Scottish and Japanese, I was born and raised for sixteen years of my life, on the Ryukyu Islands known as Okinawa. I am forever grateful for my parents’ guidance. My dad inspired the love of speed and gasoline engines in me, while my mum fostered my respect and love for martial arts.
My dad got me into racing motocross when I was ten years old. I raced through my youth for team Suzuki-Matsuda Motors, ranking top three in the expert class. This lifestyle kept me out of trouble and helped me find my passion for adrenaline.
My mum, on the other hand, was a martial artist and sent me to train Okinawan karate with her brother, my Uncle, Shunko Kinjo. Being a half-breed, military brat back then was all about getting your ass kicked by the locals, so learning how to block, kick and punch became essential for survival. My Uncle Shunko still teaches Motobu-Ryu to this day and is a Grand Master Sensei, renowned for his teaching and artistry.
I grew up with the roots of street racing and Bosozoku culture. This was the beginning that carved the way for the current JDM car-street culture.
I used to sneak out of the house to watch the Bosozoku racers in their 240z’s, Skylines and rotaries like the RX-3, in crazy street races down mountain roads and highways. I saw Bosozoku on bikes kick in the door of the police station. I watched Yakuza beat up cops. Okinawa was kind of crazy back then with it’s gnarliness.
I remember racing away from the police on my Suzuki RM 80 and hiding in the sugar cane fields until they gave up the search. The cops would throw their batons at us as we raced our bikes through check points trying to make us crash. Things got intense back then and I got into a lot of fights with the locals as a kid just for being half white. The locals called us “Ainoko”, translated to love child. It was a derogatory term, but we were used to it. Racism sucked, but for all of us mix-breeds, none of that mattered. I look back at that time and I’m so grateful for such a wild childhood experience.
The journey of this brand is dedicated to the memory and life of Chikako.
Chika was half German and Japanese, from a military family, and was born and raised on the same island as me. She was the kindest, most beautiful person, inside and out. She was my best friend, fiancée, and the spark that initiated my vision to create SPEED WE LUST.
Chika passed away unexpectedly and tragically on September 14th, 2018. I held her tightly in my arms as she took her last breath. This profound event of loss changed my life and perspective of life in the blink of an eye.
Chikako in Japanese means A Thousand Wishes.
The fawn colored pitbull you see in my photos is Frankie, named after U.S. Marine Frank Allen (killed in action). He was my childhood best friend. I crossed paths with Frank in a joint training mission several months before his passing and delivered his eulogy in Honolulu soon after.
Frank Allen is buried at The National Memorial Cemetery Of The Pacific in Honolulu- plot l,144
I brought five week old pitbull, Frankie home as a surprise gift for Chika and he instantly became her baby. Frankie was almost a year old when Chika passed away. I realize now that the gift I brought home for her is my gift from her to raise with all my heart.
Tomorrow is promised to no one. These words resonate clearly with me and push me forward.
As a USPA licensed skydiver and former U.S. Army 11 Bravo, I wish to pay homage to the things that saved me and help me evolve. Among my designs, you will see the 111 numbers of spiritual evolution, lotus flower representing growth through challenges, and the modified airborne symbol signifying finding love and freedom in the sky. I have a genuine connection to these designs and a intrinsic desire to share their energy with you.
Be kind to those around you and especially to the ones close to you. You take with you only knowledge and leave behind memories of who you are.
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