After being delayed for an entire year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics—yes, it is still being referred to as the 2020 Olympics—will be starting in a matter of days, on July 23. And for Hawaiʻi, it’s a big one! Not only do we have a host of athletes hailing from […]
Oʻahu is considered by many as the surfing mecca of the world. From the heavy-duty breaks located on the North Shore—which has even been given the flashy nickname of the “Seven Mile Miracle”—to the pristine fun-sized surf on Oʻahu’s southern shoreline, there’s plenty of surf to go around. And while there are hundreds of surf spots on
After enduring a chain of financial troubles, loss of sponsors and lack of sizable swells, Hawaiʻi’s premier big-wave surf event, The Eddie, has had one more hurdle to deal with—COVID-19. The Aikau ʻohana (family) officially decided to cancel The Eddie Big Wave Invitational for the 2020-2021 winter season. And although it’s sad that the event will have no
It was tense for Oahu’s John John Florence at the 2019 Billabong Pipeline Masters. He lost in the quarterfinals against his longtime rival, Gabriel Medina of Brazil, and his Olympic qualification was at risk of being taken by 11-time world champion Kelly Slater. If Slater won the contest outright, he would overtake Florence in the
It’s been a very good 24 hours for Honolulu’s Carissa Moore, who has not only qualified for one of the two spots on the women’s Olympic surfing team but has also won her fourth world title. It all happened at Honolua Bay, Maui, for Moore, who was born and raised on the island of Oahu.
Over the years, Peahi, which is more commonly referred to as Jaws, on Maui’s north shore has seen waves of epic proportions. Thanks to the spot’s unique underwater landscape, Peahi can see waves reaching up to 60 feet, and only the best in the world of big wave surfing can handle these kinds of conditions.
When thinking of Oahu’s surf, a few images come to mind. The throaty barrels at Banzai Pipeline. The dangerous, shallow reefs of Rocky Point. The large, gargantuan waves of Waimea Bay. But really, from the North Shore to Honolulu’s south coasts, there are surf spots geared toward all skill levels, from beginner to advanced. Check
A group of wet-haired kids pours out of a traditional Hawaiian canoe on Waikīkī’s Kūhiō Beach, smiling and laughing. The kids are from Waimānalo, a rural town on the windward side of Oʻahu. They’re spending the clear, bright day in Waikīkī with their teachers. The adults, sporting rashguards, revel shamelessly in the sunshine, too. The
“Paddle, paddle, paddle!” Dustin Tester shouts to Elena, who digs her hands swiftly into the warm Maui waters. With a gentle push from Tester, the board Elena is lying atop gets picked up by the oncoming wave’s momentum, and now she’s coasting. Slow, but steady to her feet, Elena stands on her large, foam surfboard—
In the early morning darkness, brittle ʻaʻā lava rock cracks, then crumbles beneath my feet. Navigating my way toward Hawaiʻi Island’s rugged western shoreline, there is barely enough light to see the path ahead. I stop briefly and gaze at the infinite spread of glistening stars, the same twinkling lights early Polynesians used many centuries
Remember that as a parent you should be confident in your surfing ability and familiarity with the ocean conditions of each spot before taking your child to surf. Furthermore, make sure your grom (young surfer) knows how to swim and wants to surf before taking them out into the waves. It’s a traumatizing experience to
If you didn’t know who she was, you would think Carissa Moore was just another surfer girl—white bikini top under a black tank, rocking a trucker hat, greeting regulars at her favorite Oahu south shore surf break, Kewalo’s. But Moore is not just another surfer. The smiley Honolulu resident is the reigning two-time Association of
