The last time William Shatner visited Hawaii, he decided to try something new – windsurfing.

“I failed miserably,” said Shatner, laughing at the memory of the experience nearly a decade ago. “After I scraped my knee and fell into the water innumerable times, I felt I could do without windsurfing.”

It speaks to Shatner’s positive outlook that he even tried. “It’s all based on the idea of saying ‘yes’ to life,” he said in a phone call.

One might expect that kind of attitude from James T. Kirk, the intrepid captain of the starship Enterprise, who Shatner portrayed in the beloved “Star Trek” franchise. Shatner, who as Kirk ventured “where no man had gone before,” ventures into the Hawai’i Convention Center this weekend for the Amazing Hawaii Comic Con.

“Star Trek” was known for its portrayal of Space Age technology and moralistic storylines, and its multi-ethnic, interplanetary crew that conveyed creator Gene Roddenberry’s vision of universal brotherhood. On set, however, things didn’t always go so smoothly, Shatner said.

“I was obviously aware of the international cast and wholeheartedly embraced it,” Shatner said. “I was very much aware of where the stories were going, and I found myself several times over the years in some kind of heated discussion as to whether I agreed with (the plot) or not. … There was a lot of give-and-take in the writing of the series.”

The recent “Star Trek” films, produced by J.J. Abrams, have gone into Kirk’s youthful years in some detail, but Shatner had to develop Kirk’s character on his own. He came up with a backstory involving the youthful Kirk and his father fleeing from enemies of the family, which ends in disaster when Kirk accidentally kills his father.

“I sort of developed an evil concept involving Kirk, who then is told by a judge that he either goes to jail or he goes to military school, and he goes to military school where he meets Spock (Leonard Nimoy) and McCoy (DeForest Kelley),” Shatner said.

Shatner will appear twice at this weekend’s convention, hosting a panel of actors from “Star Trek: Next Generation” on Aug. 26 and speaking about his life on Aug. 27. For years, he avoided such gatherings, but now he embraces them.

“There was a time, many years ago, when I thought that’s not what serious actors did, but I discovered that is what serious actors do,” he said. “I discovered it’s a worthwhile means of communication.”

At age 86, there’s plenty for Shatner to communicate about: not just his career, but interests he’s developed over the years. A prolific author, he has written several memoirs, as well as novels based on “Star Trek.” He is currently writing a book on aging, and his most recent published work is a book about horses.

“It’s called ‘The Spirit of the Horse’ where I talk about how extraordinary the communion between horses and humans can be,” he said. “It’s worthwhile reading I think just from the spiritual idea of how interconnected we all are, nature and humans.”

Shatner also has several photo and autograph sessions scheduled. See amazinghawaiicomiccon.com for a full schedule.