Smorgasboarder_Edition_45

smorgasboarder
ALEX - So Kelia I wanted to ask you a bit about
your family and what it was like growing up with
four brothers?
KELIA - Having four brothers was one of the
most amazing childhood experiences that anyone
could have. I feel so lucky to have four brothers
especially as we are all really close in regards to
age difference. My mum had my baby brother Seth
when my oldest brother was still only five years old,
so it was hectic having five children all under the
age of six, life was crowded, it was amazing.
My mum homeschooled us so we were always at
home together and when we started surfing our
parents never really had time to teach us. My dad
was working full time and my mum was busy taking
care of the usual motherly duties and we kind of
just taught each other how to surf. It was fun, I just
really loved watching my brothers do what seemed
like they were born to do. I learned so much
from them and was able to get a lot of waves too
(laughs).
ALEX - You have mentioned before your father was
never really someone that pressured you and your
siblings into becoming professional surfers, which
can cause a lot of people to burn out really quickly
and lose complete love for the sport…
KELIA - I think it’s really easy for parents to
obviously have aspirations for their children and
want to see them succeed at a rapid pace, however
I think in your early years it’s important to just be
a kid and learn to love something for yourself and
not because of someone else’s expectations. My
parents were the furtherest thing from being pushy,
which allowed me to learn to love it myself, hate it
a little bit and learn to love it all over again, which I
think can relate to all sorts of journeys in life.
ALEX - At 18 you moved away from home, first to
L.A. and then to Brooklyn, what was it like being
away from Hawaii?
KELIA - Just before moving from L.A. to New
York I was about to move back home to Hawaii
but I ended up meeting my husband and moving
in with him for a few years. I loved it, one of
the most exciting cities in the world and I have
lots of incredible friends living there. It was like
experiencing the best of both worlds, there’s so
much culture, fashion and lots of other amazing
things in New York, but I knew I always had Hawaii
to come back to when I wanted to slow things
down and disconnect.
ALEX - So when you were living in Brooklyn,
Montauk was your local surf spot, a bit different to
the warm waters of Hawaii?
KELIA - Well I never surfed there in the winter,
because I don’t know why I would do that to myself
when I could be in Hawaii (laughs). I surfed in
Montauk mostly during the summer months. It was
unbelievable. The surf culture is really vibrant, there
are lots of fun waves, nothing over the top and it’s
perfect for longboarding.
In this day and age it’s easy for professional
athletes to get caught up in their own success,
abandoning their principals and values that
helped them achieve their dreams… Not Kelia
Moniz. She is the perfect example for younger
generations to follow. Kelia has remained
humble and grounded, not forgetting where she
came from and who helped her get to where she
is today.
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