Around The Islands
Mini Profile
Coco Ho:
In With the New
by Mike Yoshiura
Over a span of three decades, cousins Michael and Derek Ho reigned supreme in the world of surfing. But these days it's Michael's children who are receiving all the recognition.
Michael Ho's 16-year-old daughter, Coco, is one of the elite females on Hawai'i's amateur circuit; and her brother Mason, 18, is already entering his sophomore season on the World Qualifying Series.
Michael Ho is a two-time Triple Crown of Surfing Champion; and at age 49, his name still remains on the list of competitors invited to the Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational. The North Shore resident is best remembered for capturing the 1982 Pipe Masters while surfing with a cast on his broken wrist.
Transition! Magazine recently caught up with Coco to find out what life is like for the first female surfer to represent the Ho family name.
"I think all the pressure is on my brother because he's a male. I have my own path that I have to make," said Coco Ho. "There's really not much pressure on me."
At the Billabong Junior Pro last August, Coco narrowly edged best friend and fellow rising star Carissa Moore. The much-anticipated two-day event was a gathering for Hawai'i's best surfers under the age of 20. For making it to the finals, Ho and Moore received an invitation to the Billabong World Junior Championships in Australia. Ho's first place finish at Kewalo Basin earned her $1250, while Moore took home a cool $600. In last year's contest, Ho finished second to Moore, which made this year's victory that much sweeter. "That was a big win for me. By far it was the biggest win in my career."
In January 2007, Ho went on to finish third in the junior's women division at the Billabong World Junior Championships in Australia. With two years of eligibility left in the junior ranks, Coco chalked this one up as a learning experience. "I like the traveling part. Surfing the different breaks makes you better because it balances you out," said Ho. "It was more like a training trip. It was a great experience competing with the best juniors in the world."
Moore and Ho will likely be battling each other for many years to come, but the girls have established a weekly ritual along with a life-lasting friendship. "She's my best friend. We surf together at least once a week," said the sophomore at Myron B. Thompson Academy. "Usually on the south shore. Kewalos mostly."
At 5 feet, 87 pounds, Coco would be considered an undersized competitor in any sport. According to her, being smaller does have some advantages in the world of surfing. "It's helpful when paddling out in tough conditions. Being smaller, I'm much quicker on my board, where as in basketball I probably wouldn't be as successful."
Coco started out boogie boarding at an inside break called Shores, while Mason would be out surfing at Sunset Beach surfing. Like her father, Sunset Beach is where she fell in love for the first time. At age 7, her father got her a surfboard; and they paddled out to the Sunset Point one morning before school. "I just fell in love after that."
After high school, Coco's immediate plans are to qualify for the World Qualifying Series (WQS). "Once you qualify for the WQS you're on the championship tour and you have the opportunity to win a world title."
