The original women owned surfwear.
Photo by Brandon Cormier
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Native Hawaiian history of surf and how it came to its current glory feat. Board Breakdown
A curated list of all the best spots to surf year round
Reggae, Hawaiian pop and classics to play all summer long
This issue’s highlight member of the Hawaii surf community
The best post-session ‘grindz’ that you can’t miss
Events, tournaments, and more to look forward to as summer comes ‘round the corner
Before Captain James Cook of England first arrived in the Hawaiian Islands in 1779, the Ancient Hawaiians had already been surfing the island’s breaks for well over a thousand years. But instead of being considered a sport or competition, surfing and surfboard building was more of an artistic expression and was closely tied to the Hawaiian religion and their traditional ceremonies.
In Hawaiian, surfing is called “He Nalu” meaning “to slide on waves.” And slide they did! The earliest account we have for surfing is from the crew of Captain James Cook. The English sailors watched in awe as Hawaiians - men and women - surfed the waves on solid wood planks with great skill and ease. However, as the economy of Hawaii shifted towards pineapple and sugarcane plantations after the state’s annexation into the U.S., the small Hawaiian population had little time to relax and play out on the surf. As a result, fewer and fewer people were seen in the ocean surfing over time.
It wasn’t until the early 20th century when Hawaii slowly emerged as a popular tourist destination, that surfing came back to its original glory. Many famous Hawaiian surfers demonstrated surfing at the shore breaks in California and eventually introduced the sport worldwide.
During the surfing boom of the 1960s, surfers began to seek out the biggest and most dangerous waves they could find. Have you seen the classic movie Endless Summer? Some of the most consistently big waves in the world occur every winter on Oahu’s North Shore, which now hosts many international surf competitions - it’s still the place where the best surfers in the world come to show their stuff.
As of 2020, surfing is now an Olympic sport! Debuting in the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics, the very first surfing gold medalists were Carissa Moore from Hawaii, USA, and Italo Ferreira from Brazil.
Photo by Zane PersuadSurfboards have also gone through an evolution just as surfing has changed throughout history. When surfing was first witnessed by Captain James Cook and his crew, the surfboards were made of planks of local wood and measured about 15 feet in length. They were also very heavy, which meant surfing back then was literally sliding instead of today’s trick and surfing displays done on modern-day polyurethane or fiberglass surfboards. The shape of the surfboard has also changed quite a
bit. These days, most surfers prefer a shorter board made out of lightweight foam and fiberglass. But, when the king of Hawaii was surfing 200 years ago, he would have been riding a 20-foot board, made out of heavy tropical hardwood! That surfboard would be almost impossible for the average person to lug back and forth on the sand, but in the water, its natural buoyancy would have made it much easier to navigate.
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Rockpile is located between Log Cabins and Off-The-Wall, right in front of a pile of rocks, hence the name. This spot offers a big, powerful left that is best on the more NW to WNW angled swells and a right on the more northerly angled swells. During a more northerly angled swell, this spot is a magnet, pulling in more size than any spot around.
Ala Moana Bowls in Oahu is an exposed reef break that has pretty consistent surf. Summer offers the favored conditions for surfing. Offshore winds blow from the north. Most of the surf here comes from groundswells and the best swell direction is from the south southeast. Both left and right reef breaks. The quality of the surf isn’t affected by the tide.
Concessions is perfect for those ambidextrous days – the wave opens up both left and right. The wave is a fickle one, dependent upon a variety of factors, namely the tide, wind direction, wave height, etc. But no matter the size of the day, you’ll never be bored at Concessions, you’ll always have interesting conversations to listen in on, a stunning view of Diamond Head, dolphins (and oftentimes fishies, turtles and sharks) frolicking in the none-too-distant waters, and boats, canoes, and barges trudging by.
With its long beach and fine white sand, Chun’s Reef is a great beach for everyone and features a freshwater pond perfect for keiki (children). Located just two miles north of Haleʻiwa Beach Park, this beach is in the middle of the North Shore surf breaks and is popular with beginning surf schools and experienced surfers alike.
If you are on a quest to find the legendary Banzai Pipeline Hawaii, known around the world for its perfect barreling waves, then head to Ehukai Beach Park on the North Shore Oahu. Rated as one of the best Oahu beaches on the North Shore, surfing Pipeline is a unique experience itself, and also ranks high as one of the top 100 things to do before you die!
More commonly known as Turtle Beach for its beachside residents, Laniakea Beach is part of the 7-Mile Miracle, which makes up an area in the North Shore that is prime for big surfing waves during the winter time. What this Oahu beach is less known for is just how beautiful it is.
Title Drop Baby Drop/ Who Lov...
Let’s Do It Again
Honey Baby
Love I No One The One My Love
Could You Be Loved
He’e Roa
Easier
Higher Than the Clouds
Banana Pancakes
Ka Uluwehi O Ke Kai
Love & Affection
a mix of Hawaiian classics, Hawaiian pop, and reggae
52 songs, 3 hr,23 min
Listen to the full playlist here:
Artist
The Mana’o Company
J Boog
Three Plus
The Green
Maoli
Rebel Souljahz
Irie Love
Bob Marley & The Wailers
Kolohe Kai
Soja, Anuhea, J Boog
Anuhea
Jack Johnson
Hapa
Three Houses Down, Gen...
Kalapana
Hui Ohana
John Cruz
Justin Young
Album
A 20 Year Colle...
Backyard Boogie
Honey Baby
The Green
Groovin
Nothing to Hide
This is Irie Love
Legend
Paradise
Amid the Noise... For Love
In Between Dre...
HAPA
Love & Affection
The Best of Kala...
The Best of Hui...
Acoustic Soul
All Hawaiian
Carissa Kainani Moore is a Hawaiian American 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. When she was five years old, Moore started surfing with her dad off the beaches of Waikiki in Honolulu, Hawaii. “Dad taught me how to surf when I was about four or five years old at Waikiki Beach and I was immediately hooked,” she said. Her father, Chris, was a competitive open water swimmer who won a number of competitions. He lived closer to the water than Moore’s landlocked mother, so Moore chose Hawaii, the ocean, and her father after her parents divorced when she was ten years old.
She started earning multiple wins at National Scholastic Surfing Association, NSSA, junior surf competitions at age 11. She also won top spots at the International Surfing Association, ISA, World Junior Surfing Championships, where she helped Hawaii win a team victory. In all, she clinched a record 11
NSSA amateur titles, and at age 16 in 2008, she became the youngest champion at a Triple Crown of Surfing event when she won the Reef Hawaiian Pro. In 2010, Moore qualified to compete on the ASP (now called the World Surf League) Championship Tour. She won two major contests, finished third overall, and was named Rookie of the Year.
The following season, Moore was a youngster to watch on the World Tour and she lived up to her reputation, winning three events and claiming her first World crown, unseating four-time defending champ Stephanie Gilmore in the process. At 18, she became the youngest person – male or female – to win a surfing world title.
Moore has been named an Adventurer of the Year by National Geographic, a Woman of the Year by Glamour magazine, and Top Female Surfer in the SURFER magazine poll (numerous times). She was inducted into the Surfers’ Hall of Fame, and the State of Hawaii declared January 4 to be Carissa Moore Day.
Liliha Bakery is a full-service bakery and coffee shop that has built a loyal following since opening its doors in 1950. Since day one, Liliha’s commitment to baking fresh cakes and pastries with local ingredients has been of utmost priority.
At Liliha Bakery, the smell of fresh chantilly permeates throughout the store, counter seating provides customers with a behindthe-scenes look at the creation of famous local dishes, and customers are offered a selection of 150 baked goods.
The owners’, Seiju and Ayako, philosophy when opening Rainbow Drive-In was to serve plates with generous portions of hearty, simple food with two scoops of rice and a side of macaroni salad at a reasonable price.
The original Rainbow Drive-In is still a family-owned and operated business, now with not one, but four locations. Every day, locals and visitors from around the world dine at the restaurant for big, hearty meals… the classic, Hawaii-style plate lunch.
For more than 50 years, Zippy’s has been the go-to place in Hawaii for hearty, local comfort food. Ask anyone in Hawaii about Zippy’s Restaurants and you will hear real stories about cherished weekly dinners with grandparents, post-surf-session munchies satiated, romances won and lost at the restaurant, and the iconic Zippy’s food that helped them to celebrate it all.
Foodland’s poke counter is a onestop-shop for all your favorite local-style pupu. From ahi poke to tako, pipikaula, edamame and even boiled peanuts, they’ve got your cravings covered.
Foodland takes pride in all their poke being made fresh daily in the flavors our customers lovefrom local favorites like Shoyu and Spicy Ahi to exclusive recipes found only at individual locations. Visit your neighborhood Foodland to discover the many flavors offered.
Located on the North Shore of Hawaii, in the last decade, Ted’s Bakery has grown immense popularity between locals and visitors alike. During the surf season, people from all over the world visit the North Shore. With increasing tourism, Ted’s has become popular post-session “grindz” (delicious food). Some of Ted’s most popular items are garlic shrimp, loco moco, fried rice special, chocolate-haupia pie, and pineapple macadamia nut cheesecake. Ted’s Bakery offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner- open all day serving customers classic island eats.
Richie’s Drive-Inn is located in the heart of Kalihi serving generous portions, good food, and excellent value. Richie’s is a local-style plate-lunch-type diner with a drive-thru window. With its extremely fast service, even with a packed diner and long drive-thru lines, you’ll never wait more than five minutes to receive your plate lunch.
Richie’s is a hidden gem of Kalihi, a regular joint for locals but a must-stop spot for anyone visiting.
