Koa Rothman took home a giant check and Eddie looks proud. Photo: YouTube//Screenshot
The Rothman name has a lot of weight in surfing. Fast Eddie, of course, with hands like pressed hams and a frightening undercurrent of violence in his veins, but also Makua and Koa, too. Eddie Rothman was one of the founders of Da Hui, which puts on the Backdoor Shootout with sister company Hui O Heʻe Nalu. Koa Rothman just won it, but not because of his name. He won because he’s put in the work.
There’s only one Backdoor Shootout. It runs on the best days and each surfer in the event is part of a team. A long time ago, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Eddie Rothman at his house on the North Shore for an interview. Given his reputation, I was a bit nervous walking in, but Eddie shook my hand, made me a coconut, and spent the next few hours telling outrageous stories that, much to my disappointment, turned out to be unusable for legal reasons.
“My lawyer says you gotta scrap it,” Eddie said gruffly on the phone about an hour after we finished talking.
“All of it?” I asked.
“All of it,” Eddie confirmed.
We did talk briefly about the Shootout back then, and it was apparent that Eddie was extremely proud of the event his company had created. I’d imagine that watching his son win was a crowning moment for Eddie.
“It’s honestly my favorite event,” Koa Rothman said after his win. There’s no other event you get to surf Pipeline six times with your best friends like this. We all know each other pretty well, so, with no elimination, it’s just surfing Pipe with four of your best friends, which you never get because Pipe is usually crowded with 100 to 150 guys. My family and Hui O He’e Nalu put it on. I’ve known it literally since I was a baby, and it’s crazy. I am kind of speechless.”
Koa’s win netted him $50,000 for the individual winner prize and another $5,000 for his team win. Not bad for a few days’ work.
