Silva, showing why she qualified for the tour at 17. Photo: Courtesy of Billabong/Ryan Janssens
Born and raised on Oahu’s North Shore, Luana Silva has been riding waves of consequence for most of her life. Silva entered her first contest when she was seven and quickly fell in love with the competitive side of the sport. At 17, Silva’s lifelong dreams came to fruition when she qualified for the Championship Tour. After a challenging rookie season, Silva was cut at the mid-season mark and is working towards a top-five finish on the Challenger Series to reclaim her spot on tour. Here, Silva shares what it was like to qualify for the tour so young, what it’s been like competing against her heroes, and her biggest takeaways from her first year on the CT.
So talk about your rookie season.
It was such a cool experience being on the tour for the first year and qualifying at 17. I felt like with this mid-year cut it was difficult to process everything. I was still celebrating being on tour at stop number four and then when I lost, it felt like my dreams were taken from me. It was hard to process but it was a fun learning experience.
What was it like to qualify for the CT at such a young age?
It was surreal. I felt like everything was happening so fast and I didn’t realize what I had accomplished. I was so grateful to be there and be surfing with my heroes and make all those cool relationships and connections.
Was it pretty crazy, competing against your idols?
It was amazing to be in the same room with my heroes, icons, and inspirations that I’ve watched growing up. I got to surf a heat with Steph Gilmore and I’ve watched her since I was seven. I thought that was wild, crazy, and amazing because you look at them as your inspiration but once you hit the water, they’re just another competitor.
What’s it like being the one that’s now inspiring the younger generation?
I’ve actually never realized that before. I think that’s cool that there are all these younger girls out there watching us on TV and getting to qualify and experience this. I’m stoked to see all the younger girls push the limits harder than what we were doing when I was growing up.
Haleiwa, Hawaii: Silva’s hometown. Photo: Courtesy of Billabong/Ben Ono
What are your thoughts on the mid-season cut?
I don’t like it. I grew up watching the tour and as a rookie, you got a full year. This next generation and the now generation, me and Bettylou [Sakura Johnson], only got five events. I thought that was a little unfair but that’s what we got and I’m grateful for the time and experience. It added pressure to everyone and you could tell that everyone’s mindset was completely changed from previous years. The first five events were all waves of consequence, and we didn’t have much time to really show what we have.
Has it been stressful fighting to reclaim your spot on the CT?
Definitely. It’s more pressure than last year. Last year was my first year trying to do the Challenger Series full time — it was my first year and I had no pressure. This year, I added pressure to myself to get back there because I feel like I have the potential and determination to be there again. What works best for me is just no pressure — just doing things in the moment and not getting so ahead of myself.
You and Bettylou Sakura Johnson grew up together. What’s it been like traveling with and competing against her?
It’s been the most amazing experience traveling together. She’s one of my best friends and I’ve known her since I was seven years old. To see our dreams come true together last year was phenomenal and being able to travel with her this year and the support that we have for each other is like nothing I’ve ever felt before — I’m glad we have each other’s backs.
What did you learn from your first year on tour?
To live in the moment and to not take things for granted. I enjoyed every bit of it and I didn’t want it to end. I want to just live in the moment and try to learn from my mistakes. I’m proud of how I held myself after my season ended and how much my surfing has grown since the start of this year. I’m excited to keep growing.
What’s your goal for the rest of the season?
To make the top five and get back on tour. If that doesn’t work out, I want to just keep progressing my surfing and keep elevating and pushing myself and see where it goes from there.
