1. Michael Ho
There are few dads in the surf world that compare to Michael Ho. He’s been described as the Godfather of the North Shore. He, along with his younger brother Derek, was a competitive force in the surfing world for decades. Michael’s kids, Coco and Mason, have both turned into world-renowned surfers themselves.
2. Chris Ward
Chris Ward is known for being the guy that parties just as hard as he surfs. When he was a teenager in San Clemente, he turned surfing on its head with his progressive surfing. When he was 19, his girlfriend got pregnant, and Wardo found that he had to grow up, and grow up quickly. His daughter Malia, with her mane of flowing blonde hair, is an insanely talented surfer, and the two couldn’t be closer.
3. Dino Andino
Dino Andino is nothing short of a legend in California surf history. As another SoCal surfer who had a big hand in shaping the face of today’s surfing, Dino started taking his son Kolohe on surf trips from a very young age. He was part of a group of San Clemente kids who pushed surfing harder than it had ever been pushed. His first year on the tour netted him the Rookie of the Year award, and after Kolohe was born, his surfing had a bit of a rebirth–he ended up winning WQS’s on both coasts. Since then, he’s been behind Kolohe’s every success, sometimes pushing him to a fault… but it’s always been with Kolohe’s best interests in mind.
The Toledos. Photo: Fluir.terra.com
4. Ricardo Toledo
Ricardo Toledo was a three-time Brazilian national champion. From Ubatuba, a small surf crazy town on the southeastern coast of Brazil, he fathered the newest powerhouse on the WSL Tour, Filipe. When Filipe was just 16, he won a Junior title at the US Open of Surfing, beating John John Florence and Kolohe Andino, and surprising nearly everyone in the process. Then, just 18 months after, he moved onto the the WCT and the rest, as they say, is history. Or history in the making, at least.
5. Wagner Pupo
Wagner Pupo is the father of Miguel. He’s a former pro, and now spends his time as Miguel’s main shaper and coach. In 2010, Miguel took his father’s coaching and turned into into a win at the Quik Pro Junior, and started on his way to where he sits now, which is smack in the middle of the Brazilian Storm.
