Genki Kino grew up in Hawaii. So, as you might expect, he also grew up surfing some of the best breaks the world over. He continued surfing those break throughout the course of his academic career, opting to go to college on the islands and studying meteorology at the University of Hawaii. Yet that all ended when he applied for his first job right out of school. Soon enough, he traded tropical reef and beaches for the land-locked mountain town of Missoula, Montana. But don’t think that Genki traded in his boards as well. Nope, he took those with him. And it would pay dividends in the way of river waves for days.
You have to love the scene there in Montana. The surfers exhibit an amazing level of community and dedication around these river breaks, especially when considering the types of temperatures they’re dealing with.
There is even the nearby Pipeline Wave in Idaho. That is what it is actually called. Not quite the Pipeline of his native home, but a fun wave nonetheless. And when Pineapple Express — a plume of moisture that originated in the tropics lending to rain and snow melting and, as a result, rising river tides — rolls through, Genki jumps in his car and drives the 100 miles west for pumping surf (at least in the context of Montana).
If storm systems are not making their way through the region, Genki and his crew from the Strongwater Surf Shop take to local breaks for casual sessions where waves are effectively guaranteed. Guaranteed waves? Tell me more.
