Team USA’s Carissa Moore looks to defend her gold in surfing

Hawaiian surfer Carissa Moore will be back at the Olympics Saturday July 27 hoping to ride the waves to her second gold medal victory at the Paris games.

The competition will take place in the French Polynesian territory of Tahiti at the so-called Teahupo’o which is known for its unforgiving waves and as a force of nature.

Team USA says her mom is ethnically Native Hawaiian and Filipino. Her grandparents are Chinese and she was raised and adopted by a Chinese American family.

This will only be the second women’s surfing competition in the Olympics ever.

 “As much as it’s competitive, and obviously we all want a medal, it does feel like this is a celebration of our sport and the celebration of sports, and to be a part of that is really cool,” said Moore to Outside Online.

Moore is a five-time world champion and Hawaii’s most decorated surfer, according to Hoodline.

Being from Hawaii and after winning the very first Olympic gold medal in women’s surfing. she feels a special connection to surfing legend Duke Kahanamoku.

“It was super, super special to you know, I felt like through the Olympic journey, last time, I felt like I got to learn a lot about Duke Kahanamoku and his legacy and feel a deeper connection and pride for where I come from, the place really raised me, the waves, my community and being able to like, represent and surf for something bigger than myself,” Moore said to KHNL.

The competition this year will begin on Saturday with the medal round set for Tuesday. Moore goes into the competition proud to represent Team USA, but also to be a role model in the Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities.

“There is something about growing up in the islands with such a tight community. You feel like you are doing this for everyone,” she said to Team USA. The competition will be held way offshore so this competition won’t have any spectators cheering unless someone takes a boat out to watch.

On top of that, she’s in Tahiti and not Paris, meaning she missed Friday’s opening ceremony. The surfing competitors had talked among themselves of holding their own little opening ceremony.

“I’m not too worried about not being able to hear cheers or feed off the energy of the crowd,” she said. “I am excited that it’s all about the wave and trying to conquer the beast of Teahupo’o.”