Born and bred on the North Shore of Oahu, Barron Mamiya started paddling out for surfs with his pops at the ripe age of 3.
One of the perks of having some of the most notoriously dangerous and challenging waves in the world at your doorstep is that you find your way up the ranks of the lineup at places like Sunset and Pipeline pretty quickly—especially if you got organic talent like Barron Mamiya.
Since the age of 11, he’s quickly made himself a household name as one of surfing’s rising stars. Besides winning contests around the world, Barron’s still just a kid from Haleiwa who likes to play video games, eat pints of ice cream, and hang out in his backyard when the waves are flat.
We asked Barron to answer a few questions for us, and here’s what he said.
20 Questions with Barron Mamiya
What’s something random that most people might not know about you?
I really like video games haha
Best piece of advice you’ve been given?
Focus on the process not the outcome.
What’s your motto?
YOLO
What's it like growing up on the North Shore of Oahu?
It’s like the biggest playground in the world. You get to ride your bike to all your friend’s houses, surf the best waves in the world, and live in one of the most beautiful places ever.
What's your guilty pleasure?
Ice cream.
What’s something that’s really inspiring you right now?
Just always trying to improve myself and get better at what I do. Keeps me going.
How do you define success?
I’m not sure I know yet… I’m sure 10 years from now I’ll have a better answer.
What do you feel is your greatest accomplishment?
Winning Hurley Pro at Sunset Beach.
What’s something you do just for you?
Surf.
What's the craziest thing that's happened to you in the water?
I had a shark try and eat a fish off of me while I was fishing.
What is your favorite food truck on the North Shore
Pupukea grill.
What's your hype song on Spotify right now?
Churchill Downs by Jack Harlow ft Drake
Where do you like to go when you have some free time?
My backyard.
You've been surfing for almost as long as you could walk. Tell us what it's like surfing a wave like pipe, as a grom?
It’s probably one of the scariest, best feelings in the word. You’re so young and you look up at these waves asking yourself how people are even making it when they drop in. So you start going on smaller ones and then you go a little bigger and keeping going until you get more comfortable.
What is it about your favorite wave that keeps you wanting more?
You never know when you might get the best wave of your life.
Who’s your emergency contact?
My girlfriend.
What are your must-have travel essentials?
Surfboards.
Let’s hear your wildest dream.
I think it would have to be traveling the world looking for waves on a huge boat with all my best friends.
Tell us about Qualifying for the 2023 WSL World Championship Tour as a wildcard.
Ya it was so crazy. I always dreamed of surfing on tour with the best surfers in the world and to win a CT to qualify was one of the best feelings in the world. Still processing it haha
We noticed you’re always rocking a fresh cut. Bowl-cut or Mullet?
I’m not the biggest fans of mullets so I gotta go with Bowl cut.
