07/22/2026
This one hits close to home.
As a Native Hawaiian, I’ve watched more and more local families struggle to stay in the place our ancestors called home. Every year, it feels like we’re being pushed further away from Hawaiʻi, not because we want to leave, but because it’s becoming harder and harder to afford to stay.
Now, the future of North Shore Surf Shop at Sharks Cove is uncertain, and that reality is heartbreaking. This isn’t just where I work. It’s a place that has allowed me to continue chasing my dream of becoming a professional surfer while staying rooted in my community. Every day we get to welcome people from around the world with aloha, share our knowledge of the ocean, talk story, support local families, and help preserve the culture and spirit that make the North Shore so special. Places like this are the heart of Hawaiʻi. Without our local businesses, our local families, and our Hawaiian community, Hawaiʻi slowly loses the very soul that makes it what it is.
I want to be clear that I have nothing but respect and gratitude for our first responders and the sacrifices they make for all of us. They deserve to be supported. I truly believe there is a way for everyone to benefit, one that provides for those who serve our community while also protecting the local businesses, jobs, and gathering places that have been woven into the fabric of the North Shore for generations.
If North Shore Surf Shop has ever helped you find your first wave, shared a smile, talked story, or made you feel the aloha that makes this place so special, I ask you to stand with us. Let’s fight for solutions that protect both our community and our future, so the next generation of local kids can continue to grow up experiencing the Hawaiʻi we all know and love. Mahalo for listening and for standing with our community. Yewww 🤙🏾
