Kanoa Igarashi Won Olympic Silver for Japan
By Kelli Luu | 19 Oct, 2025

A Huntington Beach surf kid has become one of the world’s top surfers.

Before he was a surfing star, Kanoa Igarashi was just a kid from Huntington Beach following his father’s footsteps. Igarashi was born in 1997 to Japanese parents who decided to move to “Surf City” from Tokyo to give their son a chance to master the art of surfing. 

By the age of three, Igarashi was learning how to paddle out. Since his father was a competitive surfer in Japan, he would routinely take Kanoa out to the water at 5:45 in the morning before he would have to be at school. 

His training paid off as he had already won his first surfing trophy by the age of seven and when Igarashi was 14, he became the youngest surfer in history to win the U.S. National Under-18 Championships. 

At 18 Igarashi qualified for the World Surf League Championship Tour where he competed as the youngest rookie that year and to make his mark in his hometown he secured back-to-back titles at Huntington Beach’s U.S. Open of Surfing in 2017 and 2018. His winning streak continued in 2019 when he won his first Championship Tour event which cemented his name amongst the world’s top surfers. 

Surfing made its Olympic debut in Tokyo and Igarashi made the decision to represent Japan even though he grew up in American culture outside of his Japanese household. His decision truly honors his parents and his heritage and at the Tokyo Olympics he rode the waves at Tsurigasaki Beach, the same ones his father once surfed. 

Igarashi took home the silver medal for Japan and solidified his place in Olympic history. He still continues to dominate the surfing stage as he is currently ranked No. 3 in the world, proving his unstoppable drive. Every time Kanoa Igarashi paddles out he represents his Japanese roots while embracing the California waves that raised him. Whether he’s soaking in the Huntington Beach sunrise or competing in Japan, Igarashi’s story reflects the focus and dedication it takes to be a star in this sport.