Who is Haolé?

Welcome to Haolé Surfboard Co. 🌊
This isn’t just a brand — it’s a story that started a long way from where I am now.
When I was 2 years old, my family moved to Hawaii because my dad was in the service. My mom always tells me that from the moment we arrived, she couldn’t keep me away from the water. I’d sit for hours on the sand, completely locked in, watching the surfers — studying every movement like it meant something… even before I understood why.
Every birthday. Every Christmas. Same answer when they asked what I wanted:
“A surfboard.”
Over and over again.
Until finally, on my 13th birthday, my dad took me out to the garage. I still remember the way the light hit it — my very own surfboard, standing there with a red ribbon wrapped around it.
I couldn’t believe it.
From that moment on, that board became everything to me. I’d hop on my Huffy bike, balance that board, and head straight to the beach. Every single day.
But here’s the part most people don’t expect…
For 8 months, that board never touched the water.
I just sat there. Watching. Learning. Studying every surfer that paddled out. Every turn. Every wipeout. Every moment.
Then one day, everything changed.
One of the surfers I had been watching walked up to me. He looked me dead in the eye and said:
“Haolé… why you no ride da waves? You here every day. Nevah go in da water.”
I told him the truth.
“I don’t know how to surf.”
His name was Kapena. Big, strong, covered in tribal tattoos that told stories of his family and where he came from. And for some reason, he decided to take me under his wing.
He didn’t just teach me how to surf…
He schooled me.
From that day forward, I wasn’t just the kid on the beach anymore. I earned a name.
Haolé.
That name stuck with me all the way through my journey — from those first waves to eventually becoming a competitive surfer, and later being recognized as one of the top surfers to come out of Hawaii.
These days, I’m not in Hawaii anymore. I’m in Oxnard, California.
But the ocean doesn’t care where you are.
The waves still call.
And I still answer.
Haolé Surfboard Co. is built on that feeling — the obsession, the respect, the grind, and the love for the ocean that never leaves you.
This is for the ones who watch before they ride.
For the ones who earn it.
For the ones who feel it in their bones.
Welcome to the story. 

Mahalo🤙🏼