“Anthony is a nerd who likes weird things like holga cameras, lomography, alaia boards, school, books, recycling, short Patagonia surf shorts, long hair and bodyboarding helmets. He mostly surfs incognito, doesn’t like crowds and apparently his best surf sessions are when he’s the only one out. But if you ever got to surf with him you would notice his mellow mood, smooth carving and big airs. He surfs for fun, supports our sport 100 percent.”

-Chris Olayon

What’s your name?
Anthony Olayon

Where are you from originally?
Kea’au, Puna, Hawai’i

Where do you live now?
Same place, just new time.

How old are you?
27

How long have you been bodyboarding?
I always wondered the same thing… I’m not really sure but probably close to 15 yrs or so now?
Before that it was just going straight in the whitewash on shore.

Prone or DK? If both, how much of each?
Mostly prone, but DK sometimes, double knee other times, buttboard too. I’m not into doing the percentages.

Who do you bodyboard with?
Whoever is out pretty much. Sometimes it’s just myself and then the local crew from around here.

What is your favorite bodyboard spot?
Here at home, and a bunch of other waves in West Aus, East too…

Where have you traveled to bodyboard?
The typical North Shore trips, then Australia, Tahiti, Moorea, Rapa Nui, Basque Country, Gran Canaria, Morocco, and Biarritz for bodysurf.

Where do you want to travel to bodyboard?
Too many places that my wallet can’t afford right now. But I wouldn’t mind going to more places here in Hawai’i…Philippines to check out my roots! South Pacific…could go on and on.

What board(s) do you ride?
Toobs custom 41.5″ crescent tail, my 4 foot alaia, and lately bodysurfing has been super fun, so no board sometimes.

Do you compete?
No, not really.

If so, what competitions have you competed in?
Last one I did was one of the GOB comps in Puna. Years ago.

What is the bodyboarding community in Hawaii like?
Here on our island it’s pretty laid back and nomadic…every part of the island has their own little clans but everyone pretty much knows each other. There aren’t a whole lot of young guys but there are a few coming out. And the guys that I kind of surfed with a lot several years ago seem to have sort of converted to stand up surfing or part-time standup/bodyboard or haven’t really been bodyboarding much at all. But still shred when they get back on the bodyboard. Other than that the bodyboarding community is pretty cool here.

Do you have any sponsors? What companies?
No.

What other board sports do you partake in?
Just the ones that keep me in the surf.

What bodyboard goals do you have?
I wanna enter the Pipe comp one day just to surf it with couple other guys out…get better at launching on the lefts…get better on the knee. I wouldn’t mind being able to bodyboard and still be able to boost or at least still get pitted on some heavy waves by the time I reach my 40s and beyond…like Mike Stewart is doing.

Where do you see bodyboarding going in the future?
Forward. I just read the Riptide Future issue and I agree with what everyone else is saying: That busting on bigger waves/sections will be taking place. More consistent landings of those crazy combo airs like the invert to backflip/reverse and probably some other crazy ones. Hopefully, our gear will be made out of more enviro-friendly materials cause it really isn’t right now.

What riders influenced your bodyboarding?
Spencer Skipper, Stewart, my brother, ALL the Puna guys really: Chris Randrup, Vaj, Gallina…all those guys.

What riders are pushing the sport right now?
Aussies seem to be going pretty strong and always on the frontline… but over here in Hawai’i we got some guys too.

If you were stranded on a desert island that already has a plentiful resource of bodyboards and fins what three things would you bring?
Unlimited water supply for drinking, choke food, and since you never said what the waves were like…a good seaworthy boat (in case the waves aren’t good on this desert island) so I could leave!

What is the best advice you can give to a bodyboard grom trying to get recognized?
Just be yourself and have FUN…

Any last words of advice? Shout outs?
I really like Mike Stewart’s message in one of his youtube videos (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bx4rjDJiDH8) where he says that everyone should pursue their goals/dreams to experience what it feels like to accomplish them at least once in your life… They are possible!

Other than that, I guess I just wanna say mahalo to my family for their support, and cheers to all the guys I bodyboard with at home… you know who you are!