Kalama is a legendary name in the surfing industry. Rising star & all round waterman Austin Kalama discusses the pressures of following in both his fathers, and grandfathers, footsteps.

My name is Austin Koaho’omaluhia Kalama. I am a Hawaiian waterman. You might not know who I am yet, but I’m eager to change that. All it takes is a shift in thought, a change of scenery and a door of opportunity … I’ve stumbled upon mine and I’m running with it.

Growing up, my dream was to be a professional waterman, to be the best in my field, to be the first out and the last in. All it takes is a bit of self discipline… something I’m still coming to grips with. It’s a bit of a mental tug when you go from doing something, or in my case, all water sports, for the pure love of it with major internal drive… compared to trying to make a living out of it and doing it for a ‘job’. That switch to ‘work’ is difficult, but I’m actually more motivated than ever to make it happen for myself.

Born and raised on one of the most significant islands in the world, more often than not called “the birth place” of watersports; Hawai’i and more specifically, Maui has been a huge credit to where I am today. There’s a certain energy about Hawai’i, that makes you feel alive. On Maui, we come together and appreciate what the island has to offer and make the best use of it; powerful wind, huge waves. It’s no wonder some of the greatest watermen in history are from my home island.

Turning up to the beach and surfing alongside these people such as Kai Lenny, Zane Schweitzer, Conner Baxter, Ian Walsh; they’ve not only been a source of great inspiration to me, but they’ve shown me what it’s like to make a living or a wildly incredible career out of doing something you love. It’s funny, because to most people, they’re famous; idols, talented freaks of nature. To me, they’re just friends and people I’ve been in the water with since I can remember. It’s humbling, exciting and at the same time… its just like every other day.

My journey to the waterman I perceive myself as today; wasn’t exactly just climbing the ladder of confidence. In fact, as a grom I didn’t spend much time on a shortboard. At the time, my Dad spent so much time traveling he didn’t have much time to teach me the more technical skills of shortboarding. It was annoying, something my friends were doing since they could walk. I started off long boarding and standup paddling but didn’t really find a strong passion for wave riding until I started body boarding and found a group of friends that wanted to go bodyboard every day… getting used to how the surf worked, learning how to read the mechanics of the wave and getting comfortable in un-comfortable situations.

At 11 years old my Dad handed me a SUP and I took a liking to it- faster speeds, easier setting on a wave, opening up to the Outer Reefs. Stand Up was something I got good at pretty quick, right around the time the SUP industry was booming. I started gaining traction, landing my first sponsor and getting results at competitions. It felt like something I was supposed to be doing, but I couldn’t help but feel shadowed by my Dad, compared to his amazing capabilities. I felt inferior… like I was never going to be able to branch out from his fame. Looking back now, that showed me the standard. That I wasn’t too far off the level that the best guys were at. That made me motivated to keep pushing the boundaries, to raise the level, to get noticed.

I started surfing Pe’ahi (more commonly known as Jaws) in high school. A special place to all of us on Maui, especially my family. Pe’ahi gives a lot, and if you treat Her right, She’ll pay it back. An arena for greatness, a challenge to your courage. I think you truly find the connection with Jaws within yourself, and coming from deep rooted ties with this awe-inspiring wave, I always felt like I belonged from the first time I paddled out.

I guess you could say I’ve had my fair share of introductory insight into the world of professional water sports from a young age and actually, I was kind of born into it. Queue in the Kalama Heritage, from my Great Grandfather, my Tutu Kane and then my Dad, I’ve somehow stumbled across this flaming baton to carry my family’s legacy and respect on into the future, four generations later.

Arguably my Dad, Dave Kalama, was and still is, one of the biggest legends in surfing history. It makes me proud to say that. If you’re unsure of his story, its one of extreme talent, modesty and innovation. Growing up seeing and knowing everything my Dad and his friends Laird Hamilton, Derek Doerner, Buzzy Kerbox and Brett Lickle have not only done for the surf industry, but the impact they have made in the way people view the Ocean, has filled me with motivation to keep the momentum flowing. Yet at the same time, its been odd coming to the realisation that I’m going to be compared to my Dad throughout my career in the pursuit of becoming a waterman.

I received my first foil for my 19th birthday and I had an idea of what I was getting myself into after hearing stories and watching footage of my Dad and his friends back in the 90’s. Foiling back then was hardcore, snowboard bindings to keep you locked in and they were tackling the biggest of big waves. By 2017, things had mellowed out a little with some different engineering & technology.

Back in 2017, foiling was up and running but still in its infancy. I didn’t take to it immediately, I mean, I thought it looked cool, but felt bored by it. At the time it wasn’t progressive, everyone was surfing it just like a longboard and to me, it felt like an “old people” sport. I caught up to everyone pretty quickly, it wasn’t long before I was riding and pushing my turns on waves. Somewhere along that journey I started loving it more and more and could appreciate the fact that there were so many limits to break down. I could see the potential for growth within the sport; to push the boundaries. It was kind of exciting to see no one else doing that.

With an opportunity to be at the forefront of a highly technical sport, was something that really drove me over the first few years of foiling. With all the inspiration I had from windsurfers, kitesurfers, shortboarders and all watermen I knew, I had the chance to take what I’d seen in their respective sports and apply it to my own. I was innovating tricks, combinations and becoming aggressive in my approach to how I was riding waves on the foil. I’m proud to say I was the first to land an ally oop, a backside air-reverse. I was the first to flat water start on the SUP. When winging came about, I was the first to land a 360. Winging was sort of a natural progression to foiling. Maui is one of the windiest places on Earth, so it just made sense to take up some kind of wind sport. I’m not going to lie, it was stupidly frustrating at the start, trying to figure out how the mechanics of the wind worked having no previous wind sports background… but I got it.

I believe winging is the next frontier of foiling, with the ability it gives you to access different waves, new heights and insane speeds without any external help. I think winging is to foiling, what kitesurfing is to short boarding. We already have the foundation, but an extra element is now making us self-sufficient, more radical and a means to break down even more boundaries. I don’t think many people could see that with kitesurfing… but I definitely feel the momentum foiling has throughout the industry; winging is catching on pretty quickly.

I think my partnership with Naish is really going to help me excel into the water sports world. For the first time, I’m able to say I’m doing this for life, it’s not just some fantasy. For the last 5 years, water sports have just been a passion of mine. For Naish to come up and give me the opportunity to take that passion to the next level, means so much to me, and I’m so grateful such a pivotal brand believes that I can make it.

To be honest, I’m still navigating this path of being a waterman. On one hand I feel grateful heading into the industry after my Dad has paved the way; handing down his knowledge, expertise and love for the Ocean and I’ll be forever grateful he has helped me become the man and waterman I am today. On the other hand, I feel extreme pressure to succeed and meet the expectations of the world, or at least the expectations I put on myself, as the son of one of surfing’s greatest attributes. As the grandson of the world’s first surfing champion. As the next Kalama to continue this legacy.

The Ocean will always be my home. I feel at peace knowing it’s a huge part of who I am and my culture. At the end of the day, in the water on any kind of craft is where I feel most comfortable. If I can make a living out of it, sweet. But it’s not like me to just sit back and watch it unfold. I want to be at the forefront. I want to inspire; I want to innovate. Just like my Dad and those before me. With this new momentum pushing me further into the water sports industry, I’ve realised, with all the pressure, comparison and history; I’m doing it for me, and for my love of the Ocean.

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Naish Proudly Welcomes Austin Kalama to the International Team
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