Tag Archives: CoCo Ho

My plane landed in Honolulu on Sunday and I had a revelation. The “three little words” women really want to hear: Welcome to Hawaii.

I am on the North Shore of Oahu reporting a story on 15-year-old surfing phenom Carissa Moore. Carissa lives in Honolulu, on the other side of the island, and is competing in the Roxy Pro, the seventh of eight events on the Women’s world surf tour. Every year, the surf season culminates in two months of contests here in Hawaii. I’ve been covering this sport for five years and can’t believe this is my first time to the North Shore. It’s also my first time attending a non-mainland surf contest. Every surfer on the men’s and women’s tour is here in Oahu, along with the entire industry. There is so much energy, it’s hard to sleep. Although Hawaii doesn’t participate in Daylight Savings Time (I’m five hours behind NYC instead of six), the sun sets around 5:30 and the place gets dark quickly. (The sunset is spectacular. It takes about three minutes for that glowing ball to hit the horizon and … gone.) So by 10 pm, I’m asleep. By 6 am, I’m at the hotel gym.

This morning was the first round of the women’s contest. At 6 am, a contest official checks the waves, and the surf report, and makes a call. At 7 am, I got a text. “The contest is on.” Which means “get to Sunset Beach by 8″. On my way!