This is the fourth part in a series on young wahine surfers. Read the first story on Erin Brooks, the second story on Moana Jones Wong and the third story on Pua DeSoto.
Ēweleiʻula Wong, 17, is one of just a few female pro surfers who has attended Hawaiian immersion language school since preschool. Now, she hopes to spread the Hawaiian language and culture through surfing.
Wong talked to Spectrum News Hawaii after finishing her school day.
The Wahiawa competitor’s love of surfing started when she was just 2 years old.
“My dad would take me out to Waikiki. And then later on, he took me out to Kewalo and that's my home break,” said Wong.
When she was 6-years-old, Wong started competing in the Menehune Surf Contest.
This past year, she made a strong entrance into the professional surf world.
In May, she won the U-18 girls division at the 2022 Surf City El Salvador ISA World Junior Surfing Championship. Team Hawaii also won their first gold medal since 2014, with three other Hawaii surfers claiming individual medals.
“That was my first time going out of the country and I went with the Hawaii surf team, and we ended up winning gold,” said Wong.
This month, Wong competed in the Haleiwa Challenger, beating out five-time World Champion Carissa Moore and advancing to the quarterfinals. She placed fourth in the competition.
“That was my first heat against Carissa and I was really nervous for the whole contest,” said Wong.
Wong said she knew she was the underdog, which allowed her to not put too much pressure on herself and “to surf freely.” She described winning that heat as “pretty awesome.”
In order to train, Wong said she surfs after school, and on the weekends, she goes to foundation training with Kahea Hart, who runs Hawaii Surf and Performance on the North Shore of Oahu.
Currently a senior in high school, Wong has attended the Hawaiian-immersion public charter school Ke Kula 'o Samuel M. Kamakau Public Charter School in Kaneohe since she was in kindergarten. For preschool, she attended Punana Leo o Kawaiahaʻo, also a Hawaiian-immersion school. She is fluent in Hawaiian.
Wong said she is one of just a few female Hawaiian pro surfers who speak Hawaiian.
“There's really not many of us, especially who can speak Hawaiian,” said Wong. “When I do get the chance to meet or speak or talk story with other native Hawaiian women who surf. It's really awesome … especially because it is our sport and our ancestors created it and I think that our language should be more heard and known in the surfing world.”
At Ke Kula 'o Samuel M. Kamakau, Wong is one of just four students in her class. She hopes to inspire other Hawaiian immersion students to start surfing. When there is a surfing event, she invites younger students to attend.
“That’ll help me and help them and help us share our language and our culture,” said Wong.
As for what she loves about surfing, Wong said it’s where she can “let go” and that she feels “most confident in the water and on my surfboard.”
Her favorite wave is Laniakea on the North Shore of Oahu.
“I love that wave because it’s a really long break,” said Wong. “It’s playful. You can do whatever you want.”
She said as a young woman in surfing, she feels inspired and empowered by other female surfers.
“Majority of the time, I’ll go out into the lineup and I'm the only girl out there, I'm the only woman out there,” said Wong. “Surfing is a male-dominated sport. I really enjoy surfing with other women and I feel like we empower each other and inspire each other to do better.”
One of her role models is Tyler Wright, an Australian surfer who is a two-time World Champion. Wong said when she stayed at the Rip Curl house on the North Shore of Oahu during last year’s winter surf season, Wright was there too.
“She definitely took care of me during the winter time, because it was mostly men in the house. She was there to support me,” said Wong.
Wong has a long list of surf competitions ahead of her. In January, she will compete in the World Junior Championships at Seaside Reef in San Diego. In May, she will start competing in the World Surf League’s Challenger Series.
“The first event (in the Challenger Series) is during graduation, so I might miss that one unfortunately,” said Wong.
This will be her first year competing in the Challenger Series, and she hopes to do well.
“It would be a good learning year for me,” said Wong.
As for her long-term goals, she hopes to one day make it onto the Championship Tour.
Michelle Broder Van Dyke covers the Hawaiian Islands for Spectrum News Hawaii. Email her at michelle.brodervandyke@charter.com.