A Young Older Ho

There are surfing families and then there are dynasties. The Ho clan definitely falls into the later category. This generation is familiar with Coco Ho and her older brother Mason but before they were even conceived, their father Michael Ho, along with his younger brother Derek (1993 World Champion and holder of 3 Triple Crowns), were fierce competitive forces to be reckoned with (and on any given day, still are). Michael won the Hawaiian Triple Crown, the Duke Classic, the World Cup and the 1982 Pipe Masters and although one associates the Ho name with Hawaii, Michael was in fact born in San Mateo, California. That humble birth did not deter Michael, as you'll note in this description of him from Surfline.com:

The most consistent performer of the past three decades on the heaviest stretch of surf in the world happens to be one of the smallest. At a mere 5'5" and 135 pounds, Michael Ho personally proved size to be of little importance when it comes to bravery on the North Shore. His expertise was not limited to big surf, as he became a highly successful and feared competitor in all conditions, finishing in the ASP Top 16 for 10 consecutive seasons. 

Coco and Mason continue to carry the mantle well. You can read the rest of Michael's write-up on Surfline HERE.

This photo is from the Clarence Maki Collection and was taken July 16, 1972, Michael had just won the Waikiki Junior Surfing Championships, a mere 3 days after his fourteenth birthday. A side note, Don Ho, the famous Hawaiian crooner is Michael and Derek's cousin.