Most Influential 2018: Surfer Kanoa Igarashi enjoys the ride in, out of the waves
Usually, before a big event, the nerves kick in.
But the evening before the start of the Vans U.S. Open of Surfing last July, Kanoa Igarashi realized he was feeling a different emotion – excitement.
“Years prior, I wouldn’t have been able to sleep because of the nerves,” said the 21-year-old surfer. “Having that change of being excited instead of nervous, this was new.”
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The pressure at the stadium-style event, with tens of thousands of people on the sand watching, can be overwhelming. Friends, family and fans are all watching.
Then, there was the doubt that he could, for the second year in a row after winning the 2017 U.S. Open of Surfing title, clinch the win again at his home break in Huntington Beach.
But then he did it, hoisted up above the crowd chanting “HB, HB!” – a moment Igarashi said goes down as the best yet in his professional surfing career.
“I knew I was going to do it, I knew it was the day when I woke up that morning,” he recalled. “I love that high-pressure situation, that’s what I strive for, that’s where I thrive. That made me look at the rest of the year differently.”
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An early start
Igarashi is no stranger to the surf spotlight, catching the lens of professional photographers when he was no taller than 3 feet, boosting airs above waves – a tiny grom with big dreams of one day being a surfing world champion.
Sponsors took notice and it wasn’t long until big surf brands signed him up, his longtime sponsor Quiksilver nabbing him when he was just 12.
Though he was raised in Huntington Beach, he also became a star in his parents’ native country of Japan, where he had dual citizenship and throughout his teen years, a reality show that made him a well-known celebrity.
At just 18, after a run of wins at big contests, he made the elite level World Surf League World Tour to travel the world to the best surf breaks, competing against the globe’s top athletes.
As he finishes his third year on the World Tour, 2018 will go down as the year he found his stride, he said.
“This is the year I was hoping for,” he said. “More than every other year, I’ve learned about myself a lot – how I work, what motivates me, what doesn’t and how to compete. I’ve learned different ways to compete, to trust myself and be more confident in myself.”
As Igarashi wraps up the year, he’s hoping to enjoy the ride not just on the ocean’s waves, but off them as well.
He’s taking time to visit cultural landmarks away from the ocean during his travels, and making new friends outside of the tight-knit surfing circles. And he’s soaking it all in as he enjoys being on the world stage.
“I’m at an age where I’m going to be growing and learning a lot for the next few years; I’ve really learned to embrace it and soak it all in, and making sure I’m in the moment,” he said. “That was one of my biggest learning curves this year.”
Whatever his secret recipe is, it’s working.
Last year, he wrapped up the season ranked 17th. After the final event of the year, the Pipeline Masters, he’s ranked within the top 10 and is the highest-ranked surfer from Orange County on tour.
But even though his roots are from Southern California, he’s technically surfing for Japan – a strategic decision he made earlier this year as he looks toward the future.
Olympic stage
Igarashi was at the FIFA World Cup finals earlier this year in Moscow observing the players, soaking in how the athletes were competing with the world watching.
“Seeing them step up with all that pressure really inspired me,” he said.
Igarashi knows he’s going to have a similar spotlight as surfing makes its debut in the Olympics in 2020, taking the sport to a whole new level as competitors catch waves in front of a global audience.
The event will be held in Tokyo and will include 20 male and 20 female competitors from around the world.
With Hawaii and the mainland combining surfers, Igarashi’s chances to compete for team USA would have been a tough task – but for host country Japan, he was guaranteed a slot to compete at the inaugural, historic event.
At home, he speaks Japanese and has a strong connection to his family’s heritage, traveling often to the region where he’s even more well known than the place he was raised riding waves at the Huntington Beach Pier.
In essence, Igarashi is a bridge between two countries across the Pacific Ocean.
“I feel proud, I am representing Japan and I feel like I’m bringing Huntington Beach, Orange County out to the Olympics with me as well,” he said. “I may have a different flag, but I know HB and Orange County will be rooting for me.”