HISTORY

      Kainoa was just a kid from Waikiki when he started making a name for himself . He began competing age 10 and won the first contest he entered. Using prone and Dropknee he was sponsored by Morey by the time he was 12. Numerous National titles later he went Pro. In 86 he surfed Pipe for the first time and the pair seemed made for one another. He was being claimed as the next big thing in Pro Bodyboarding and ended up 4 times World Title runner up. Uncle Kai survived a life threatening virus which kept him out of the surf for a time.Where Kainoa really excelled  was at 2nd Reef Pipe . He took Dropknee to a new level of big wave riding. Kainoa is still a standout at Pipe whether riding prone, DK or a surfboard he commands respect and is one of Pipelines most dynamic and fearless big wave performers today. This pic shows Kainoa sharing a Pipe barrel.   photo Chris Stroh