It was one last dance and out for soap opera star and Hawaii resident Ingo Rademacher and partner Kym Johnson on Tuesday’s season finale of ABC’s "Dancing with the Stars."
Speaking by phone from Los Angeles between rehearsals for that night’s final show, the 42-year-old German-born actor and 16-year veteran of ABC’s "General Hospital" said he was happy he made it as far as last week’s semifinals as one of the last five couples on the popular ballroom dancing contest.
Country singer Kellie Pickler and her partner Derek Hough took the "Dancing with the Stars" title Tuesday night.
Now he can turn his attention back to life on the North Shore with his Hawaii-born wife, Ehiku, and their sons, 5-year-old Peanut and baby Pohaku, who turned 1 on May 13, and preparing for the Molokai 2 Oahu Paddleboard World Championships on July 28.
Both he and his wife are elite stand-up paddlers representing the YOLO Board company, based in Santa Rosa Beach, Fla., and San Diego. It’s a sport he took up in 2006.
After buying property here seven years ago and then moving to Hawaii last year from L.A., Rademacher is committed to making a life in the islands. Although his celebrity increased thanks to "DWTS," "the fact that I now live in Hawaii full time shows how I feel about acting," he said. "It’s a lot harder to do it while living (in Hawaii).
"My wife has started an activewear line, Mahiku, so we’re dedicating some time to that."
On "General Hospital" the actor played suave tycoon and serial bridegroom Jasper "Jax" Jacks, last seen on the show in April. Rademacher’s television credits include roles on "Hawaii Five-0," "Titans," "Veronica’s Closet" and "According to Jim."
A lifelong athlete in a range of year-round outdoor and motor sports, Rademacher moved to Australia with his family when he was 10. As an adult he has competed at high levels in beach volleyball, triathlons and stand-up paddling, and is a three-time winner of the celebrity division of the Nautica Malibu Triathlon.
Rademacher has been a regular visitor to Hawaii since the late ’90s, participating in the multisport Outrigger Waikiki King’s Race.
Since he’s made stand-up paddling his passion, "I told my manager and agent I will take the occasional job or role here and there. I did one for ‘Hawaii Five-0′ two years ago, and ‘General Hospital’ can have me any time it wants."
His grueling rehearsals with Johnson on "DWTS" this season helped with his preparation for the challenging open-ocean Molokai 2 Oahu race, which traverses 32 miles across the Kaiwi Channel.
"The dancing has certainly built up my leg strength, but because of the stand-up paddling, I’ll have to work on my upper body and endurance. I had a decent result last year (taking fifth in his age division with a time of 5 hours, 33 minutes and 38 seconds), but since I’ve done a simulation run, I think I know the channel well enough. It’s certainly fun, and because I still want to be competitive into my late 40s, I figure this is now or never."
When he’s not out on the water, Rademacher said he intends to get more involved with the local community, admitting he’s kept a relatively low profile since his family moved here.
"Plus, I’ll continue to work on the property, with the chickens and the acreage with avocado and coconut trees. And where we live, it’s just a short walk down to Shark’s Cove."
