The greats we’ve grown up idolizing have done some growing up of their own. Partnered up and in full-on ‘adulting’ mode, North Shore surf legends like Kohl Christensen, Pancho Sullivan, and Matty Liu are barreling through life as surf dads. With groms now in tow, North Shore beach days have evolved into a family affair and the relationship these big wave chargers have with the ocean has a radically different vibe. No longer living life as solo entities at the mercy of a vast and powerful ocean, these stand-outs have embraced fatherhood while remaining loyal to their wave-chasing heritage.
Born and raised in the islands themselves, these proven talents are at various stages of ushering in the next crop of North Shore wave riders, the next generation’s watermen and women. These future gen’ers are just as comfortable in the tropical waters of the Seven Mile Miracle as their namesakes – in large part due to the ocean-minded wisdom imparted by the surfing svengalis raising them.
For wave wrangler Kohl Christensen, the ocean is part of his everyday Dad-ing routine. The father of two growing girls packs up his ʻohana and heads for the near-by sands of the North Shore. “Nearly every day we go to the beach as a family,” says Christensen, “Maybe we play in the waves, or the three-year-old holds on to my back while we swim around and look at fish with her new mask. The one-year-old will crawl around in the sand exploring all of her senses. Her mom might take her for a swim.”
This lifestyle, idyllic as it sounds, offers much more than just a fun way to spend an afternoon (though it provides that, too!) Christensen recognizes the ocean as a natural classroom. “It’s an endless educational opportunity for all of us.” Likewise for the 1990s power surfer turned surf coach Pancho Sullivan: “The ocean is a big part of the Hawaiian culture and it is such an incredible resource. We’ve enjoyed taking our children to the beach and in the ocean since they were very little,” he says of his brood of three with high school sweetheart Haunani. Sullivan and his wife chose to raise their kids, Kirra, Kanekoa, and Kehau, in the place they spent their own keiki days – though not necessarily in the same style. “I am much more present and connected with my kids. We all love surfing together which wasn’t something I experienced growing up. (Growing up), I spent as much time as humanly possible in the ocean and my parents were nowhere in sight,” recounts Sullivan.
Following the advice of his fourth grade Haleiwa Elementary School teacher, Momentum Generation surfer Matty Liu, signed himself up for surf lessons. “I was very hyperactive and a very troubled kid at times so my teacher, Mrs. Peterson, thought it would be a good idea for me,” said the multi-title winning surfer and father of two, “The rest is history.” Liu tries to get down to the beach as much as possible with his kids. Like Sullivan, Liu has been instrumental in getting his kiddos into the water: “Both my son Kanaloa and my daughter Keliana would go tandem surfing with me on the inside of different surf breaks and eventually built enough confidence to start riding the board on their own,” boasts the proud dad. “I try to get them to the beach as much as possible and into the ocean. I definitely find myself wanting them to have the same experience as I did growing up here on the North Shore.”
Oʻahu-raised Christensen is replicating his own ocean-based upbringing and outdoor education. Growing up in the Eastside town of Kailua, Christensen’s parents ingrained in the future pro surfer an ease with the ocean that, in short order, grew into the ongoing addiction it is for him today. “I remember nearly all of my first experiences traveling to new beaches and breaks around the island. Dawn patrol missions to town with my friend’s dad; begging my mom to take us to Makapuʻu or Sandy’s; riding our bikes to the fence at the edge of the military base and sneaking in to surf…” It was all just a part of an enchanted upbringing on the isle. As Christensen grew, so did the toys. The teen was boating before he could drive and would spend hours exploring the outer reefs with his crew, memorizing the ocean’s every nook and cranny. Then, four wheels changed his life. “A little white Toyota pickup with racks – that changed everything,” he says.
The rest unfolded in magazine spreads and viral video clips as his notoriety grew. Sullivan traversed the North Shore circa the 1980s. “My children’s experience is vastly different than from when I was growing up,” he states. “Back then it was the Wild Wild West. Very localized. Lots of fights and a lot less kids who surfed.” Now, with his youngsters joining the lineup, Sullivan reflects positively on the waves of this surf Mecca as his kids experience it: “The lineups are littered with kids who all surf well. They have a ton of support. It has evolved a lot over the years”.
Liu reiterates the point, adding, “When I grew up here, obviously there were less people, but things change. Maybe the surf line-ups are more crowded now. But at the end of the day, [my kids] still get to have the same surf-stoke that I did growing up here,” before noting just how miraculous the waves of this famed seven-mile stretch are, “They get to ride many different kinds of waves during the winter season and get to experience the same amazing four months of consistent surf.”
Like the diamond-shaped island it outlines, the stretch of coastline is truly a gem when it comes to surfing. Christensen, whose kids are still in the single-digits of youth, is just beginning to embark on this water-bound adventure with them. The career-surfer has found himself sharing his ocean office with his little girls, teaching them about respecting the sea as well as reaping the benefits of it, including fishing. But following in their father’s professional surfing career? Only time will tell. One thing is for sure: these water babies, already well-versed in matters of the ocean, are on their way to becoming capable waterwomen, thanks to the guidance of dear ol’ dad.
“I teach them the lessons [the ocean] has taught me, on so many levels,” says Christensen. Sometimes those lessons are hard-learned. In the final 24 hours of 2019, a death-defying wipeout at second-reef Pipe sent Christensen to the ER where he underwent emergency brain surgery. A thick, hair-line scar several inches long now adorns his face, remnants of a recovery that was nothing short of miraculous. It is evident: the charger is also still learning the lessons of the waves. “We only have this moment. We can learn from our mistakes and plan for the future but it’s today that we need to accept and enjoy. That may sound a bit cliche but that’s been one of my biggest revelations after my accident.”
Sullivan’s relationship with the water has permanently shifted due to dad-duties. Before having kids, Sullivan was reckless, in relentless pursuit of the next thrill. “I surfed a ton and would tow in to pretty big outer reefs and was pretty selfish in satisfying my own surf addiction.” But kids change everything. “I actually get more satisfaction out of watching my children ride waves than I do myself. The joy on their faces is priceless.”
And Sullivan is not unique in this: “Before I was a parent, I was just concerned about getting out there into the waves and getting as much surf as possible,” remembers Liu. “I was very self-centered in that regard. Now, I enjoy just going down to the beach and getting that same surf stoke, watching my daughter or my son surf. I really hope that they grow up to respect the ocean, enjoy the community that it has given them, the brotherhood, the sisterhood – the beach culture community.”
And despite the brush with death, Christensen is back at it (well, as much as the doctor allows at the moment). He has not let the experience diminish his drive for thrill-seeking, nor has he let fear infiltrate his girls’ experiences. He has remained open to the relationship they have with the sea and surfing. The same is said for Sullivan and Liu’s minis. There is no pressure to become pros, no push towards competing. For now, these dads are providing their offspring with the means to procure their own experiences and relationship with the waves of the North Shore. Christensen captures the sentiment best: “That [connection] is definitely between them and the ocean. No expectations or secret desires. Just enjoy it. Day by day.”
