Surfer Carissa Moore On What Being Asian Hawaiian Pacific Islander Has Taught Her

When five-time world surfing champion Carissa Moore traveled to Japan with her grandma and sister earlier this year, she felt something was missing.

“I have never not brought my board bag with me,” the Olympic gold medalist admitted. “To not be carrying a dead body with me everywhere was so nice.”

Since announcing that she would be stepping back from the championship tour at the beginning of this year, the 31-year-old has taken time to travel for pleasure and work on long-standing projects — although her sites are still set on winning another medal at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 this summer.

“If I was on tour, I wouldn’t have had this opportunity,” she said about the surprise trip to Asia she gifted her “nana” as a Christmas present after the passing of her grandpa last year.

Despite a busy schedule, last month the Hawaiian native released her first book, “Hawaii Gold: A Celebration of Surfing.” Her most recent project is a collab with sponsor Red Bull who is working on a documentary about Moore’s life.

Surfing since the age of five in her hometown of Honolulu, Moore became the youngest person to win a world surfing title at just 18. She learned the way of the waves thanks to her father, a competitive open-water swimmer of Irish and German descent.

Her mom — ethnically Native Hawaiian and Filipino — was adopted and raised in a Chinese-American family.

Thanks to her Chinese grandparents, Moore said she grew up celebrating things like Chinese New Year and learning about traditions that were important to their culture.

“It taught me how to look at different perspectives and see where other people are coming from,” she shared. “I think it’s important for us all to understand that there’s not one way that’s the right way.”

While she admitted she is a proud American, she said she is an even prouder Asian Hawaiian Pacific Islander athlete who hopes to inspire all cultures and races that anything is possible.

“There is something about growing up in the islands with such a tight community. You feel like you are doing this for everyone,” she said.

After she won the sport’s first Olympic gold medal in Tokyo, she was blown away by the reception she received at home. “My neighbors, the grocery store lady, my mail lady, everyone welcomed me with love. I wouldn’t be who I am today without all the hands and hearts that helped,” Moore said.  

Having already qualified for a spot in Paris, she doesn’t think these Games will be much different from Tokyo three years earlier — when the sport was included in the Olympics for the first time.

For starters, there won’t be any spectators out on the beach. But not for the same reason as last time when COVID prevented Olympic spectators from being allowed.

Known for its world-class waves, the surfing location for the Paris Games will actually be off the island of Tahiti – which is a territory of France. The remote village of Teahupo’o is where the break is located. But due to the distance from the shore, the only spectators will be those who go out on a water vessel.

“I’m not too worried about not being able to hear cheers or feed off the energy of the crowd,” she said. “I am excited that it’s all about the wave and trying to conquer the beast of Teahupo’o.” The site is also known as “The End of the Road,” because it is one of the world's heaviest waves that women have only recently been surfing.

As in Tokyo — where the surfing venue was well outside the host city — the surfers will be unable to attend the Opening Ceremony. But Moore said that didn’t stop them in Tokyo from celebrating and it won’t this time either.

At the last Olympics, she shared that the athletes all got dressed up to watch the Opening Ceremony on the TV and then had a little ceremony at the house where they stayed.

This time, she heard rumors that they are planning a parade in the small village where she’ll be staying. But regardless of what happens she said, “I am getting dressed up,” she laughed. 

Despite being so far away from the host city, Moore looks forward to watching her fellow Team USA athletes compete. “I really want to watch swimming, track and field, and gymnastics,” she said.

With surfing spanning the majority of the Olympic calendar — taking place over four days in a 10-day window, from July 27 to August 8 — that will be Moore’s primary focus.

As for what it will take to defend her gold medal: “A lot of heart and a little bit of the universe on my side,” said Moore.