THE LOCAL BOY
Keoni is a born and bred North Shore local boy. The only thing different about him is that he can speak Japanese. Keoni would be considered Nisei (2nd generation). His father Nick is a professional surfer from Japan that has lived in Hawai‘i for more than 20 years now. Following in his dad’s footsteps, Keoni is blossoming as a professional surfer. The stocky 18-year-old goofy footer is backed by Lost and Dove Wetsuits. “I’m super stoked Lost just hooked me up with a contract,” says Keoni. “I’m super hyped to try be their Pipe Guy.”
Growing up right by the beach at Sunset, it wasn’t odd for his dad to have the likes of Michael Ho, Derrick Dorner and Owl Chapman over for barbecues. Those childhood experiences led Keoni to develop a strong relationship with Michael’s son, Mason Ho. His Country upbringing and lots of dedication in the water has helped Keoni’s surfing grow. He has become a force to be reckoned with in the line up.
Zen: So what are your goals as a surfer?
Keoni Nozaki: I’ve just been trying to be a Pipe guy, but it takes time. I would say it takes like 10 years to really get to know that wave. I’ve been surfing it for 2 so I still got 8 more to go. [laughs]
Who do you surf with?
All the boys, Mason Ho, Cru Suratt, Adam Crawford, everyone. We always meet up after school, before school, or sometimes we won’t even go to school [laughs], just go surf.
How do you feel about being a Japanese kid growing up on the North Shore?
Since I was born here, I don’t feel any different. The only thing is, I can talk Japanese, which is a good thing. I can talk to more people. I get to go to Japan a lot too! It’s so fun over there. The waves get good over there. I would rather go surf Japan then Cali.
What’s a normal day for you on the North Shore?
Wake up, burn a couple, check the waves, go surf, come in and go eat. And then do that over [laughs]. Go check out the sunset with the boys and have some beers. I like to cruise. That’s why I’m glad I can stay on the North Shore, just surf and cruise. I don’t have to worry about going and surfing shitty waves in the WQS [World Qualifying Series].
What do you think about the North Shore scene?
It’s heavy out here but there’s nothing you can do about it you know. The good things are the parties and the chicks come to us during the winter. It gets really crowded but whatevers. I still get some waves. We all take turns you know. I just make sure to respect all the older guys. There’s lots of negative people but, it’s not that hard to stay positive out here. What else can you ask for? The beach is right here, just go surf for a few hours drink some beers smoke a fatty and I guarantee you, you’ll be happy.
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ケオニ“チーズバーガー”野崎
NorthShore生まれ育ちのケオニ。日本人プロサーファーのニック野崎の息子。日本語と英語がペラペラな二世。サーフィンが大好きで今ではLostとDoveウエットスーツにサポートしてもらい、パイプラインで経験を積んでいっている。
