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\f0\fs24 \cf0 ANNOUNCER: Here's a replay of Kanoa's wave.
He's a little feller isn't he?
He's a\'85well he's 14.\ \
MIKE PARSONS: He's up against kids that are 20 years old.
\ \
KANOA: First time I started surfing was when I was 3 years old.
\ \
CHAD WELLS: He reads waves like he's 40.
He's at the top of the heap.
\ \
KANOA: Surfing's just natural for me.
I can't even imagine myself not surfing.
\ \
He's right on track to be a professional surfer at the highest level some day.\
\ KANOA: My name's Kanoa Igarashi and I'm a
surfer.\ \
KANOA: I usually wake up every morning and look at the waves.
I love waking up early and going surfing early.
It's my favorite thing.
Whenever you wake up early it feels like the day is longer so I like that and gets slowed
down a little bit.\ \
KANOA: [whistles] Let's do this.
\ \
KANOA: A good ride for me would be just a full complete wave.
In a session there's always gonna be that set, the biggest wave that comes in, and just
linking my turns together and then finishing it off with like a big air or something is
just...feels like you won something.
\ \
ANNOUNCER 1: Well you have seen young Kanoa here, Brett, surfing here at Huntington Beach
for many years.\ \
ANNOUNCER 2: He's got a lot of style and shows that he's smart out here.
He goes big.\ \
ANNOUNCER 1: Yeah, just 14 years of age.
\ \
CHAD WELLS: Kanoa's meeting expectations probably a lot sooner than everybody thought he would.
\ \
MIKE PARSONS: He did a really good job.
He wound up winning the heat.
You know he's surfing really confident at his home spot and I expect him to keep doing
well, but once again he's only 14 and he's against 20 year olds.
So he's way ahead of schedule.
\ \
KANOA: First time I started surfing was when I was 3 years old in Hawaii.\
\ MISA: He tried to surf and just one day he
caught a wave and then he could standup by himself.
Maybe he's gonna be a good surfer.\ \
KANOA: Since then I've been hooked and I can't really get enough of it.\
\ [In Japanese]\
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\cf0 [In Japanese]\ \
[In Japanese]\ \pard\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\pardirnatural
\cf0 \ \pard\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\pardirnatural
\cf0 [In Japanese]\ \pard\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\pardirnatural
\cf0 \ KANOA: Chad Wells is like a big brother to
me.
He's definitely a huge part of my career.\ \
CHAD WELLS: Kanoa's a normal 14-year-old.
He loves his candy.
He loves his ice cream.
But on the other side of that, you know, he's a really mature kid.
He hangs a lot with adults.
He carries himself really well.\ \
KANOA: When I was 12, that's when I signed on with Quiksilver.
\ \
CHAD WELLS: Quiksilver, we support Kanoa with keeping him connected to the best surfers
in the world.
Monetary support.
Making sure he's building himself up as his own brand.
It's a lot harder to get sponsored now than I would say it was 10 years ago.
\ \
KANOA: My current life is definitely a little different than everyone else's life.
I travel probably as much as I'm home, maybe more actually.
\ \
CHAD WELLS: France, Indonesia, Australia, Brazil, I mean, Spain.\
\ KANOA: I love traveling and I love meeting
new people and I love surfing new waves, seeing new cultures.
\ \
CHAD WELLS: If you're gonna invest in an athlete even at a young age you're gonna wanna give
them the collateral to do the travel and be exposed to, you know, different surf spots
and conditions.
\ \
KANOA: Everything goes around surfing.
I do homework a week earlier than I should be doing because I want to go to the surf
trip.
I'm mostly a straight A student.
Actually, I have one B in history, but I'm not sure if anyone really cares about history.
[Laughs]\ \
KANOA: Even when I go golf, I golf because golf is really mental and I want to practice
my mental.
It's a really good way to just channel my energy and just relax and just kinda forget
about surfing for a little bit.
It's fun to do something else with my friend Andrew and I've known Andrew for about 3 or
4 years now and...\ \
ANDREW: He's beaten me once by a couple points, a couple strokes and that was sad.
\ \
KANOA: Really.
I was so happy that day.
\ \
KANOA: If I make it in this hole right here, that means I'm gonna win a world title in
surfing and then make the PGA Tour after so just wish me luck everybody.
\ \
KANOA: Ok, that's not gonna happen.
\ \
ANDREW: Alright.\ \
KANOA: I'm gonna give myself two more chances.
\ \
CHAD WELLS: I'd say my biggest fear for him right now is just staying healthy and being
real mindful of his body.
Some of the technical surfing that he does and where he puts himself and how he lands,
like, he puts his knees at risk pretty much on a daily basis.
\ \
KANOA: I want to be pro because having a job that you love to do is probably the best thing
ever.
\ \
KANOA: I want it so much and I don't really\'85I'd be really disappointed if I didn't make it.
\ \
CHAD WELLS: I would like to see him succeed at what he loves to do.
In this sport there have been kids that, you know, have just kind of spiraled off the map.
\ \
KANOA: I can't even imagine myself not surfing and what I'd be doing.
Getting on a wave and being free and connecting with the ocean.
It's so natural and it's kind of a feeling you can't get anywhere else. \
\ \
}