Spotlight / Kaoli Kahokuloa Taylor Ivison
Kaoli Kahokuloa is the flyin’ Hawaiian. All it takes is one surf session with the athlete to realize why. With a strong, light-footed build and an alwaysstoked smile, this goofy footed ball of energy is taking the power of Hawaiian surfing to new heights, literally. Unlike the traditional Hawaiian powerhouses like Sunny Garcia, Ezekiel Lau and others who utilize more of the face of the wave for maximum water displacement, Kaoli’s preference is a more focused above the lip approach. The surfer uses the same Sunny Garcia Hawaiian hack power and transfers it to produce incredibly dynamic lip launched aerial maneuvers like no other. On any given day, you can find Kaoli consistently flying rotators over lips at a completion rate that is somewhere above baffling. Fresh out of the junior professional surfing realm, Kaoli now faces the semi-charmed life as a working pro surfer. But having deep roots in his family and Hawaiian heritage, Kaoli stays grounded and never forgets his humble Hawaiian origins. After an exciting Panama adventure this past spring, we were fortunate to catch up with Kaoli to talk about life, family and future. Your family, how big? My family is big, I got nine siblings! We get along sometimes and sometimes we don’t, but got to love one another no matter what. Most times, we’re always surfing with each other! Family is very important to me because they always have my back. My family gives me support financially and mentally so I don’t make the wrong decision. Your childhood growing up? How was? I was a loner but I had a few friends that would hang with me once in a while, only because I was the only child for 10 years! How did you start surfing? I started surfing when I was four. My dad taught me because he loved to surf. Molokai, Waialua Beach is where he taught me on an old tanker. The guy I looked up to back then was TJ Barron from Endless Summer 2. How did you get into your first contests? I owe my parents and Andy & Jill Smith for their support in helping me get to the outer islands for NSSA surf meets, and really starting me off in the right direction. When did you know that surfing professionally was going to be your life? When I was 10 and just won the Irons Brothers contest for the 2nd time in a row and got sponsored by Quiksilver. What were your best 3 contest results? • 3rd at Billabong Tahara Pro • 3 time State Champ in HASA • 1st Regional NSSA Champ in Open Mini Groms
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Kaoli and his new favorite wave, Silverbacks.