After her gold medal in the first-ever Olympic surfing event in the Tokyo Summer Games made her an overnight international celebrity well beyond surfing’s shores, Hawaii’s Carissa Moore was honored Thursday morning by Gov. David Ige at the state Capitol, showing pride in the islands and the personal humility of a true keiki o ka aina.
It had been a wild ride from the storm waves of Japan to the airwaves: The new gold medalist and four-time world pro surfing champion appeared in rapid succession on “NBC Nightly News,” “The Today Show,” “CBS This Morning” and more, and had been home for a little more than a week before she would be off to Mexico for the next contest on the World Surf League championship tour.
Thanking “the community of people in Hawaii that have raised me,” Moore said she was grateful and honored for being part of the Olympics and “especially to represent my home — my heart is Hawaii.”
She recalled standing onstage to receive her medal July 27 after an “incredibly difficult three days of competition in some of the hardest conditions I’ve ever surfed,” thousands of miles away from her husband, family and friends and thinking, “I hope you guys know this one’s for you!”
Gov. David Ige and first lady Dawn Amano-Ige presented Moore with lei made of Hilo maile and red carnation, favorites of Duke Kahanamoku, Hawaii’s beloved three-time Olympic gold medalist, renowned as the father of modern surfing and ambassador of aloha.
“This is a momentous day not just for the world of surfing, but for all of us in the state of Hawaii, (which) as we know is the birthplace of surfing,” the governor said, lauding Moore not only for her sporting achievements, but for being herself.
Acknowledging the “sloppy surf” at the Games, he saluted Moore’s “incredibly infectious optimism, (which is) an inspiration and gives us all hope, especially during these challenging times, that when we do what we love with passion, commitment and wholeheartedness, nothing is impossible, nothing is beyond reach.”
Amano-Ige spoke of Moore’s “life of service through her charity foundation Moore (Aloha), which encourages young females to be strong, confident and compassionate.”
“Carissa, thank you so much for being the ambassador of aloha for all the people of Hawaii,” the governor said. “I hereby proclaim Aug. 5 as Carissa Moore Day.”
When Moore, who will turn 29 on Aug. 27, took the podium draped in lei and dressed in a navy-and-white striped T-shirt and jeans, she paused to gather her thoughts, breaking briefly into tears.
“I didn’t know I was going to be up here when I woke up this morning, so I didn’t have any remarks planned, but I’m going to speak from my heart,” she said.
“I’m truly overwhelmed by all the love I’ve been shown,” she said, throughout all the “weeks, months and years leading up to this,” adding she couldn’t have done it without the help of her ohana, friends and community.
Moore said she was inspired by Kahanamoku, “a champion human being” whose open-armed, smiling statue she had known since she was a young child learning to surf in Waikiki.
Having learned Kahanamoku had expressed his hope that surfing would one day become an Olympic sport, she said she was grateful, especially as a fellow Native Hawaiian, “to be part of his story.”
Asked whether she had a message for children, “I hope this medal inspires all the keiki and everybody to know that with hard work and passion you can achieve anything,” she said.
At times, she added, such as in the constantly changing, unpredictable storm surf at Tokyo’s Tsurigasaki Beach, it was hard, “but the beauty and the beast of the sport of surfing is there’s only so much you can plan for. In the end you have to show up at the beach and tackle what’s in front of you.”
To prepare for the Olympics, she had practiced in Hawaii surf in conditions thought to be similar to what she’d encounter in
Japan, “but it didn’t turn out that way.”
Through surfing, she said, she was learning to remain present in the moment, knowing you can’t control everything, and dealing with what the ocean — and life — throws your way.
During her brief break at home, “I have been filling my heart up with family time and dog time,” she said, “getting in the ocean a few times, to settle and regroup for the next leg (of the championship tour) when I’ll be away for a month and a half.”
From Mexico the tour will continue to Teahupoo, Tahiti, culminating in the final event at Lower Trestles in San Clemente, Calif., in September.
This time, “my husband Luke will be going with me, so I’m really happy about that,” Moore said with a winning smile.
Also in attendance were John De Fries, Hawaii Tourism Authority president and CEO; Mike McCartney, director of the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism; Billy Pratt of the HTA Surfing Advisory Committee; Kauai Mayor Derek Kawakami (via webinar); and Kalani Kaanaana, HTA chief brand officer, who opened the ceremony with an oli about the ocean off Kailua Bay.
