Dustin Kona Kuilani

What’s your name?
Dustin Kona Kuilani

Where are you from originally?
Born and raised in Maui

Where do you live now?
Waiehu, Maui, Hawaii

How old are you?
Just turned 21 YEEEEE!!!

How long have you been bodyboarding?
About 5 or 6 years.

Dustin Kona Kuilani

Prone or DK? If both, how much of each?
I mix it up! Nah, both are exciting. On the knee or in the air. Unless Bud (Mitamoto) that can do it all together. 60 percent prone and 40 percent DK, but don’t let it fool you.

Who do you bodyboard with?
Oh God!!! The loads: Jacob and Jonah Romero, Kingsley Uaiwa, Leroy Kaiwi, Marcus Rodrigues, Shea Sevilla, Travis Calvan, Tyler Ching Johnson, Enoka Huesing-Cody and Miles Kauha’aha’a (wem deu do boogie).

On Oahu: Colin Black, Reis Yonehiro, Micah McMullin, Rex Moribe, Evan Fa, etc.

Big Island Boyz: Kainoa Behasa, Tucker Bontecou, Ricky Alverez, Tony Finley, Will Petrovic, Nate Rubio…Hainoa Lum, David Phillips, Timmy Hamilton, Dubb, Jale Pembrook, Adam Bice, Pyper Luellyn and Kyle Matsumoto…Jeez…

Dustin Kona Kuilani

What is your favorite bodyboard spot?
Ha! You already know the answer! The North Side towards the harbor at home.

Where have you traveled to bodyboard?
Phillipines, Mexico, California, New York, New Jersey and the Inter Islands

Where do you want to travel to bodyboard?
Australia

Dustin Kona Kuilani

What board(s) do you ride?
Manta H2 Bat at the moment.

Do you compete?
Yeah, I love it! It’s great!

If so, what competitions have you competed in?
Pipeline Pro, Honolua Pro, Ledges Pro, Jenks and NYBB Pro, PAIA Beachfest (LOL), oh and the USBA’s (OOO-S-BAHH). Hopefully, the best DK sesh of the year.

What is the bodyboarding community in Hawaii like?
Sick! Everyone can work on there craftsmanship on their own island and bring it all to Oahu. Then it;s like whoa! Goodness…is that what they’re doing on the Big Island, Kauai or Oahu?
Then everyone steps it up. No one’s aggro or disses eachother. The bond is strong through the islands. Boogie Nations dats why!

Do you have any sponsors? What companies?
The Foam Company (thefoamco.com), Boogie Nation, Manta Bodyboards and Redley Finz (RIP)

What other board sports do you partake in?
Well, I recently got hooked on snowboarding. So much fun! Used to skate, but it’s dangerous, so I just skate on Xbox 360 and occasionally surfboard.

What bodyboard goals do you have?
To do well in a big contest and to just be happy with where I am at that time too. Boost and show everyone that Hawaii still can.

Where do you see the bodyboarding going in the future?
It was at a low for awhile, but I think that it is going back up. If the guys in Aus do what they did for the Pipe contest around the world then it’s only going to get better. We just gotta want to put it up there, to put it up there.

What riders influenced your bodyboarding?
Jake and Jonah Romero, Kingsley, Jeff, Skipp, Leroy, so many guys…all the guys in question seven…the whole Boogie Nation!

What riders are pushing the sport right now?
Jeff, Peiere, Jacob Romero and you can’t forget about the guys behind the cameras…Waldrons, Mike Kini, Marcus Rodrigues…Photogs…People that take time to get the shot and promote them. Everyone invovled with the sport of bodyboarding and pushing the sport because there just as important to the inudstry as the riders.

If you were stranded on a desert island that already has a plentiful resource of bodyboards and fins what three things would you bring?
Food, water and my girlfriend with her video camera…LOL!

What is the best advice you can give to a bodyboard grom trying to get recognized?
Don’t do drugs and don’t be like Keanu. Respect the people who paved the way and then you’ll skate the asphalt…if you know what I mean. And most important…go for it! It doesn’ matter
if you don’t know how. You’ll never know if you don’t hit it.

Any last words of advice? Shout outs?
Thanks to God, Bodyboard Culture for this chance, Evan Fa…he’s good, The Foam Company, Boogie Nation, Manta Bodyboards, Redley Fins, mom and dad, The Romero’s/Stitts,
Carey and Alisha Kayama, all the people that gave me a chance and who pushed me and helped me to be where I am today. Sorry if I missed. Love you all! Shoots Bah Aloha.