LAHAINA, Maui — "Living Lahaina" is back this week on MTV, where it has been attracting fans drawn to the laid-back lifestyle the show depicts, and to the boys-will-be-boys antics of a group of surf instructors who work and bunk together at the Royal Hawaiian Surf Academy.

The eight-episode series is MTV's second Maui-based show to premiere this year, following on the heels of "Maui Fever," which featured seven friends in their 20s who work in Ka'anapali.

That much-reviled show unleashed the wrath of Hawai'i residents ticked off at its party-hearty representation of island life and its mostly Caucasian cast.

Yet, the show might not have been that far off the mark in portraying a particular segment of young people who work in the restaurant and tourism industry, said Samantha Campos, a columnist for the Maui Time weekly newspaper and a keen observer of Maui's nightlife.

"When the show first came out, the reaction was hostile. People loved to hate that show. But it was indicative of a subset of people who go out and party on the west side and are very young," she said. "It's just unfortunate that that's what they (MTV) are focusing on."

Campos said "Maui Fever" raised other concerns: "There was a lot of worry that it's going to attract a lot more of the same like-minded people who like to party and live the life of these people they see on MTV shows."

'THE GODFATHER'

"Living Lahaina" hasn't stirred the same kind of backlash, perhaps because the Royal Hawaiian Surf Academy is headed by Kimo Kinimaka, who is about as local as they come. Kinimaka, 44, is described as "the godfather" of the group but is more of a mother hen, alternating between expressions of affection and bouts of rage while trying to keep his boys in line and run a business.

"I'd do anything for them. I love them like my own," said Kinimaka, a father of five who grew up in Hale'iwa and was a longtime flight attendant for Hawaiian Airlines. "As derelict-ish as they look on the show, they are fun guys to be around. It's hard to believe I'm at the pinnacle of all this."

He dismisses the knock that his surf instructors are mere California transplants. "So what if I got haole boys working for me? I'd love to have more Hawaiians," he said, but locals haven't sought out the jobs or they need a more reliable paycheck.

"Living Lahaina" is different from "Maui Fever" in that it focuses less on guy-girl melodrama and more on the surf lifestyle and sometimes volatile chemistry between the male castmates, whose exploits include paddleboarding to Lana'i, an SUV rollover and a surf safari to Indonesia.

Although the two series were shot at about the same time over three months last fall, "Maui Fever" was first out of the gate, premiering Jan. 17 for an eight-episode arc.

"At first I thought it was a disadvantage. I wanted to be on the air before them," said "Living Lahaina" creator and co-executive producer Nick Tramontano. "However, it worked to our advantage because all the locals took out their aggression on that show, and well-deservedly. I worked hard as a producer to incorporate a lot of local people and to keep a positive vibe."

The Royal Hawaiian Surf Academy instructors said they felt bad for the cast of "Maui Fever," who were blindsided by the negative reaction and even threatened with harm.

"They didn't know what they were getting into. I know them and they're good guys," said Alex "Gator" Altamirano, 24, who has been with Kinimaka's surf academy for six years.

Altamirano and Tramontano are cousins, and when the latter enjoyed a brief stay at the surf academy compound in the heart of Lahaina town, he knew he'd struck reality TV gold. "For two days, it was just nonstop fun, fraternity party, weird, wild stuff. It was a no-brainer to come back with some cameras," he said.

Tramontano, 28, edited a six-minute DVD from five days of filming and pitched "Living Lahaina" to MTV, which snapped up the property.

"The town of Lahaina is so special. It's like a little village. It's a really cool and fun place to be," Tramontano said. "For me, it shows how rich their lifestyle is. You don't have to be rich to live rich. You do your day-to-day thing to get by and you're having constant fun."

Altamirano said the appeal of "Living Lahaina" is simple: "It's us goofing off, a bunch of guys who don't want to grow up, and Kimo snapping."

Also featured in "Living Lahaina" is Sean Souza of Kahalu'u, a former Saint Louis High School football star and mixed martial arts fighter who was added to the Royal Hawaiian Surf Academy roster when producers caught a glimpse of his imposing physique and mohawk haircut.

Kinimaka said the show has inspired snowboarders, wave-machine surfers in Arizona and other wannabes to inquire about employment, but it's not as glamorous as it looks. Royal Hawaiian surf instructors can make as much as $1,000 a day or as little as $300 a month.

"They don't see us in January when we're eating Top Ramen all the time," said Dave Ball, 24.

SHOWING RESPECT

The Royal Hawaiian Surf Academy gang said they refused most requests to engage in particularly outlandish or uncharacteristic behavior for the benefit of filming.

"Dude, I gotta live here. I have to show respect for my community," said surf instructor Matt Allen, 26.

However, some concessions were made in the interest of entertainment. In Episode 2, the guys appear to ditch Allen in the open ocean after he falls off his paddleboard with a shark lurking nearby. "They wouldn't do that. But that's cool. It's what sells on the Mainland," Allen said.

Casey Cameron, 26, is portrayed as a hard-drinking slacker and thorn in Kinimaka's side. In fact, Cameron helped his boss start the surf school six years ago, when it consisted of an umbrella on the beach and four boards acquired from a pawn shop.

If the surf instructors have any complaints, it's that the pony-tailed Altamirano has become the show's breakout star.

"My problem is that they make Alex the big leader and we're just the 'Gatorettes,' " Allen said.

In Episode 1, an upset Altamirano heads out into the 'Au'au Channel on his paddleboard after an argument, resulting in a call to the Coast Guard and a stern lecture from Archie Kalepa, the renowned Maui ocean safety official and big-wave surfer.

Kalepa was so impressed with Altamirano's water skills that in an upcoming episode he takes Gator to Kaua'i for a tow-in surf session with Buzzy Kerbox and Titus Kinimaka, Kimo's uncle.

But even Kalepa is a little disappointed in "Living Lahaina."

"For me, I'd like to see more local talent. These shows are missing what really exists in Hawai'i," he said.

"Living Lahaina" premiered April 17 on MTV, and after three episodes it was put on hiatus then moved this week to MTV2.

MTV has not announced whether "Living" or "Maui Fever" will be greenlighted for second seasons. Campos, the Maui Time columnist, said considering the short attention span of MTV viewers, the shows can be expected to have expiration dates.

"People have to keep in mind that it's MTV and they just have a trend with these types of shows. I don't think it matters to them where it's set — Laguna Beach or Maui or maybe Key West next. It will pass," she said.