Surfing
Surfing
Let's take a deeper look at Kolohe Andino’s incredible surfing life
After growing up under surfing's most intense spotlight, Kolohe Andino is having an unlikely renaissance away from the Championship Tour. Get to know surfing's "Little Rascal" better right here.
Kolohe Andino has lived more of his life in the public eye than out. After a decade on the Championship Tour, in May 2023 the unthinkable happened and he failed to make it past the mid-year cut.
For many surfers, falling off tour might be seen as the end of their careers, but for Andino, it's been a time for reinvention. He's happier than he's ever been, content to see where life takes him and comfortable that the next chapter will always be the best.
"I realized that I just actually love surfing," says Kolohe Andino
© Jose Mandojana/The Red Bulletin
“Surfing competitively has taught me a lot about life,” Andino told the Red Bulletin in 2021. “You have to deal with whatever gets dealt to you.”
While the world waits to see how Andino's cards fall, let's look back on an incredible surfing journey so far.
Kolohe Andino – American surfing's boy wonder
A pre-teen superstar from California's ultimate breeding ground, San Clemente, and the son of ’90s star Dino Andino, Kolohe, a name that means Little Rascal in Hawaiian, grew up around the world's best. Kelly Slater knew Andino's name before Andino could talk. Andy Irons would stay at the Andino family home when he was in Orange County. Taj Burrow, hero to every young grommet and especially fellow prodigy Andino, quickly became a surfing buddy and close friend.
Kolohe Andino and his biggest mentor, dad Dino
© Jimmy Wilson
Andino's talent was never in doubt and success soon followed. A string of national amateur titles saw a fierce bidding war between potential sponsors ensue as he continued his rapid ascent to the WSL's Championship Tour. In 2012, aged just 18, Andino qualified for surfing's major league and became a fixture for the next decade, billed as mainland America's next great hope.
A young Kolohe Andino in Mexico, back in the day
© Brian Bielmann/Red Bull Content Pool
Kolohe Andino's charmed life aquatic
© Ryan Miller/Red Bull Content Pool
Young gun Kolohe Andino spins big in France
© Red Bull Content Pool
Kolohe Andino performs in Portugal on the 2013 ASP World Tour
© Hugo Silva
Andino went on to finish in the Top 10 three times, highlighted by a fourth-place finish in 2016, though a win at the highest level proved illusive, with four finals and four runner-up finishes to his name. In 2023 he still has unfinished business on the Championship Tour, it's just not top of his priority pile right now.
What's in a name Kolohe?
"Oh man I'm deep..."
© Ryan Miller
"Better put the foot down..."
© Ryan Miller
"Wow, I've really gotta get going..."
© Ryan Miller
"You know what, I'm looking pretty good here..."
© Ryan Miller
Yes, Kolohe means Little Rascal in Hawaiian, but why is his nickname Brother? As a youngster his sister couldn't pronounce Kolohe, so Brother it was, and it stuck. Much like the monstrous alley-oop that punctuated the "best wave" of Kolohe's life, which headlined his first biopic, also named "Brother", of course.
Flying the Star Spangled Banner high
Alongside his lifelong Championship Tour aspirations, the moment surfing was welcomed to the Olympic roster proud American Andino added another goal to his bucket list: representing the stars and stripes on world sport's highest stage.
Kolohe Andino and Kelly Slater fly the flag for Team USA
© Jason Halayko/Red Bull Content Pool
After provisionally qualifying via the Championship Tour, Andino flew to Japan for the ISA Games to surf alongside John John Florence and Kelly Slater on Team America and book his tickets to Tokyo 2020. Although the pandemic saw the Games pushed back a year Andino's fire still burned as bright as ever, and in 2021 he made the quarter-finals to finish fifth in surfing's first-ever Olympic outing.
How to max a credit card in style
"Can Kolohe Andino really pay for pizza inside one of the heaviest waves in the world?" booms the baritone of Morgan Freeman, as Andino takes off behind the peak on a six-foot Teahupo'o drainer. Mobile phone in hand, Andino was selling the latest technological development of a global credit card company, in a 2014 TV commercial that was shown around the world.
Kolohe Andino phones it in
© Ryan Miller
Sitting deep in the tube, Andino tapped at his screen before getting spat out onto the shoulder where a film crew were high-fiving the flawless execution of their plan. As Andino grinned and put the phone away, a jetski flew into the channel at speed to deliver all and sundry a stack of steaming hot pizzas. Job well done, pizza for everyone.
Reckless Isolation is a lesson in doing something right, by doing it yourself
47 min
Reckless Isolation
Kolohe Andino and crew score perfect, crowd-free waves during a dream trip to Indonesia’s Mentawai Islands.
When the world went on hold in 2020, Andino stayed active. The Championship Tour was grounded, global travel too, yet he found a way. After figuring out how to surf the Mentawai Islands with no crowds to be seen, he flew out a crew of his best friends, including Crosby Colapinto and Griffin Colapinto, enlisted a team to document everything, then bankrolled a soundtrack featuring everyone from At The Drive-In to the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
While most of the planet stayed home and learned how to bake, Andino produced a masterpiece, Reckless Isolation, the magnum opus of his career to date.
To be the best, surround yourself with the best
The young men and the sea
© Ryan Miller
Man (soon to be) overboard
© Ryan Miller
Kolohe dives deep as thunder rumbles overhead
© Ryan Miller
It looks so pretty...
© Ryan Miller
While Andino grew up among the best surfers of his father's generation, he has always looked to world-class talent of all ages for motivation. Whether it's seeking out Taj Burrow's counsel as a youngster, surfing with John John Florence whenever he can or taking up-and-coming hometown talent under his wing, Andino always looks to improve himself, and those around him, at every opportunity.
15 min
21Days: Andino and Moore, Episode 1
Kolohe Andino and Carrisa Moore in the first episode of 21Days.
In 2014, Andino and Carissa Moore allowed the cameras a sneak peek at their lives as they readied themselves for the Hurley Pro, at Andino's beloved Lower Trestles. Not only was the resulting video an incredible look at two surfers on the precipice of success, it heralded the arrival of 21 Days, one of competitive surfing's greatest-ever series. Watch the whole thing in the video player above.
Kolohe Andino grows up
7 min
Subjects: Kolohe Andino | In Plain Sight
In early 2021, we convinced Kolohe Andino to come sit down with us and our cameras. We met him at a neutral location with little provided detail of what we wanted to talk about.
When the pandemic put the world on pause, it offered Andino the chance to slow down for the first time since he learned to surf, and given a brief moment for reflection his priorities started to shift almost instantly, as he detailed to Travis Ferré in the video above.
"It was perfect for my career because I'd been competing for 20 years, and had just had this super-long year where I was trying to win the world title and make the Olympics," says Andino.
Kolohe Andino, interviewed in February 2021 for In Plain Sight.
© Blake Myers
On the road with Kolohe Andino and crew.
© Jacob Vanderwork
Kolohe and Dino Andino, at home at Lowers, winter 2021.
© Jacob Vanderwork
A brief moment in time with Kolohe Andino.
© Jacob Vanderwork
"I was going into 2020 feeling pretty tired, so when it first happened I was kind of enjoying it. My relationship with surfing isn't completely competitive surfing, and I only just realised that in the last year. Everything that had to do with surfing went through the filter of competing, whereas this year was like, let's just surf, and learn how to shape and edit surf movies, and rip and have fun. And I think my surfing is better than ever because of that, because of that free-mindedness."
With growth comes personal evolution
8 min
Homegrown with Kolohe Andino
A dream surf trip, an injury, a baby due and competing in Tokyo. It's been quite a year for Kolohe Andino.
After marrying his teenage sweetheart Madison in 2018, the couple welcomed their first child in 2021 and Andino became a doting father. At the same time, the former golden boy of American surfing felt the need to give back to a sport and community that’s given him so much. Andino funded and filmed the Reckless Isolation movie, then took his peers on the road to show the movie across the country.
The full house sign went up early at the Brooklyn premiere
© Jason Le Cras/Stab
After the success of Reckless Isolation and seeing how it rallied his hometown's next generation, Andino took the concept further. Two Percent Surf is a production company aimed at supporting San Clemente's up-and-coming talent, in and out of competition. Thanks to Kolohe hiring filmers for sessions that would normally go unrecorded, local groms can build their profiles, analyse their techniques and rally around a common cause: each other's success.
Kolohe Andino drops his shoulder and throws a bucket at home in California
© Jimmy Wilson
Kolohe Andino on the North Shore, with stealth mode activated
© Trevor Moran
Kolohe and the laser focus needed to navigate the Backdoor maw
© Trevor Moran
With everyone from Crosby Colapinto to Cole Houshmand, Kade Matson, Jett Schilling and Taj and Sawyer Lindblad rocketing up the rankings, the hype is real, and team captain Andino has never had more hometown pride. What's next for San Clemente's finest? Who knows, but it's going to be great.
