Hawaiian native Carissa Moore brought joy and pride to the islands when she won the first-ever, gold medal in surfing’s Olympic debut. Here she shares her story and her personal perspective, alongside contributions from many of her fellow Hawaiian surf legends, on what it means to be a surfer from Hawaii.

This long-awaited book celebrates Hawaii’s rich surf history and culture, featuring stunning photography capturing the magnificent beauty of the islands, Hawaii’s most famous surf breaks, and legendary surf icons. It showcases Hawaiian surfing traditions such as paddle outs, surfboard shaping, the shaka symbol, and all of the things that have made the origins of surfing in Hawaii uniquely beautiful.

Moore invites notable Hawaiian surfers and cultural figures to share their perspectives on growing up on the islands and the connection they have with surfing in Hawaii, the birthplace of this sport. This unique and special book pays tribute to the significance of Hawaiian surfing, shared by some of the individuals who love Hawaii the most: from iconic Hawaiian families such as the Aikaus, Moniz, and Hos; to the championship tour professional athletes such as John John Florence and Zeke Lau, dominating and representing Hawaii; to graceful longboarding champions like Kelia Moniz; to the bold pursuits of big-wave surfers such as Kai Lenny, Laird Hamilton, and Keala Kennelly.

About The Author

Carissa Moore is a Hawaiian Olympian, world champion surfer, and activist. She was the first-ever winner of the Olympic Gold Medal in women’s short board surfing in 2020. She was also the 2011, 2013, 2015, 2019, and 2021 WSL Women’s World Tour Champion. Moore is the first surfer in history to win a WSL world title and the Olympic title in the same year. Moore became a member of the Surfers’ Hall of Fame in 2014.

Tom Pohaku Stone is a native Hawaiian surfer and waterman with a Master’s degree in Pacific Island Studies. He has revived the art of carving traditional surfboards and Hawaiian sleds, out of native wood.