He grabs his board, runs to the edge of the shore, and checks the swell, taking a quick moment to read the waves. Before you know it, Isono rushes into the water, board in hand, ready to catch whatever wave comes his way.
Surfing has been an ancient tradition. Evidence of ancient fishermen in Peru and cave petroglyphs show wave riding. For Hawai’i, “surfing was a deeply ingrained part of ancient Hawaiian society, serving social, spiritual, and even political purposes.” What has been a tradition for centuries has been a longtime favorite hobby or even passion for most nowadays. For Reef Isono, it’s more than just a hobby, it’s a relationship, a bond with the ocean.
Reef Isono, a senior at Moanalua High School, has been surfing since he was 10 years old. His relationship and connection with surfing started because of his father, who introduced him to the sport early on. Surfing became something shared with his mom and dad. One of Isono’s most memorable waves was at the Ripcurl Grom Search event at Kewalos. He surfs there often since it’s his home break, the spot that he knows best. It’s also where he has taken two wins, one in 2023 and the other in 2024, making those waves even more special to him.
To get ready for the competition, Isono trains the week prior and adjusts his diet to conserve energy. His go-to meal is an açaí bowl from Banzai Bowls. The banzai bowls have a thick blended mixture of açaí and granola, topped with fresh fruit, honey, and sometimes chocolate chips. Along with that, Isono also does weight training and balance work. When balance training, he stands on one leg while holding weights. Ensuring that he’s physically ready and prepared for whatever conditions he faces.
Isono pointed out that surfers face different waves everyday, “It’s never consistent. Sometimes the conditions can get windy, so it gets difficult,” pointing out how the ocean can bring a whole new level of unpredictability that you can’t control.
His biggest inspiration is John John Florence. Florence is from Hawai’i and some of his accolades include world titles, a five-time Triple Crown of Surfing Champion, three-time World Surf League (WSL) Champion, and two-time Olympian. Florence ruptured his ACL (anterior knee cruciate ligament) multiple times, but still powered through despite the difficulties. This is Isono’s biggest inspiration, that even when there were painful and mental obstacles, Florence pushed through it. Now the whole world knows the name John John Florence.
Senior Rylan Yasuda, one of Reef’s closest friends since childhood, has always supported Reef through his surfing journey but didn’t know how good he was until recently, “So there’s this one time we all hung out to go to the beach, he decided to bring his surfboard, and saw him catching the waves, we saw how good he really was.” He reflected.
Yasuda and Isono have been friends since elementary school, but Yasuda found out about his surfing skills in middle school. “I think [his talent came] mostly from his dad. He would tell stories of how his dad and uncle helped him to be around the ocean.” Compared to other surfers, Isono has been surfing since a very young age.
For Isono, surfing isn’t just a hobby, but a deeply rooted connection. A connection with the ocean that’ll never fade. Isono embraces his journey in surfing and will continue in the years to come. He thanked his sponsors, friends, and family for the support and encouragement. When asked if he wanted to share any last words, he confidently replied, “You can’t win unless you know how to lose.”
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