KANOA
IGARASHI

Born: October 1, 1997
Hometown: Santa Monica, CA

Bio

Kanoa grew up watching his dad surf in Huntington Beach, CA every day. At the age of 3, he was done watching and jumped in the water himself. He was an instant talent and quickly commanded the attention of the surfing community. From 2008 - 2009, at 11 years old, Kanoa gained NSSA fame by claiming a stunning 30 contest wins to set a new record for the most victories in a single season. At 14 years old, Kanoa became the youngest NSSA competitor to ever win an Under -18 Title.

Kanoa is currently ranked 3rd in the 2015 WSL Men’s Junior Tour standings. He began the year with a huge victory at the Hurley Australian Open of Surfing, and continues to display his natural talent.

Kanoa’s popularity remains on the rise in the US, while he is already an established celebrity in Japan. The Japanese media produced a number of documentaries about Kanoa, causing him to be recognized quite frequently when he visits his native country. Although he claims it’s a bit weird to be stopped for autographs, he doesn’t deny that it’s still “kind of cool.”

When he’s not out dominating the NSSA and WSL Junior tours, you will most likely find Kanoa surfing his beloved south side Huntington Pier. Although Kanoa thrives on traveling the world to various tour stops, his na4ve “Surf City” Huntington Beach will always remain a special place for him.

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