Growing up in Hawaii, surfing came naturally. Afternoons and weekends were always spent at the beach with friends and family. My dad used to bring me with him to the surf and I’d hang on to the front of his longboard when I was three, and when I was seven I competed in my first surf contest – the Hui O’Pokahu contest on the west side of Maui. I’ve competed my whole life, a lot of it was very shortboard focused but I realised in high school I didn’t have the competitive drive, so I took a step back from competing seriously.

I started to enter longboard divisions just for fun and loved the whole vibe of the longboard scene. I first came to Noosa when I was 16 for the Noosa Festival of Surfing and have been back every year since – seven times in total.

I bought my Keyo old Mal last year, I’ve always loved how old Mals look and the romanticism around them. I’d thought it would just be a nice piece of history to have with me, not realising I’d genuinely love how the board surfed.

My old Mal now plays just as big a part as any other board in my quiver; some days it’s the perfect board for the conditions.

Entering the Old Mal division at the Noosa Festival last year was purely for fun and to be a part of an iconic event – I made it to the semis and was so beyond stoked.

I thought I’d give it another crack this year with no expectations or goals other than to have a good time. Every heat I surfed in could have well and truly been a final – it felt like they were all stacked with incredible talent.

As I progressed through the rounds, it was hard to believe what was happening. Then came the finals – it was beyond me to have made it that far and I was honoured to be the first female to do so. I would have been happy with dead last in the final but to take home the win is one of my proudest accomplishments.