REID
INOUYE
Reid Inouye has been immersed in the surfing industry for more than 35 years, beginning his journey in 1978 with the founding of his company, Surfing Hawaii. He quickly made a name for himself crafting surfboards for elite professionals, including James “Bird” Mahelona, Debbie Bowers, John Shimooka, Cathy Beauford, and Johnny Boy Gomes. His boards were trusted by some of the most respected names in the sport, setting the stage for his long-term influence on surfing in Hawaii.
REVOLUTIONIZING
HAWAII'S COMPETIVE
SURF CULTURE
As the international competitive surf circuit began to narrow, Inouye recognized a need to reinvigorate the local scene. He made it his mission to rebuild Hawaii’s amateur and professional surf competition framework, focusing on grassroots talent development.
Over the course of a decade, his efforts led to a renaissance in Hawaiian surfing, producing over a dozen world champions across both shortboard and longboard disciplines. His vision and leadership played a pivotal role in reclaiming Hawaii’s prominence on the global stage.
Right:
The Hawaiian World Team from the 1990s, included future professional surfers such as three-time world champion Andy Irons, his brother Bruce Irons, and world longboard champion Duane DeSoto. That year, the team achieved an impressive third-place finish on the world stage.
EVENTS
Through the decades of tireless work organizing and promoting local events on both amateur and professional levels, he succeeded in helping Hawaii produce a new wave of champions. Under his leadership, the islands saw more than a dozen surfers rise to global prominence in both shortboard and longboard competitions, securing victories at the highest tiers of the sport.
Inouye’s vision to develop world-class talent led to the crowning of over a dozen champions.
Left: BANZAI PIPELINE THE venue of many Pipeline Pro events through the 80’s to early 2000’s
MEDIA
Shaping the Story
After achieving his vision of cultivating world champions, Inouye turned his attention to the media and publishing side of water sports. Over an 18-year span, he produced a wide range of content dedicated to surfing and paddleboarding, including print magazines that captured the lifestyle and competitive spirit of the sport. He also created and produced television programming for various cable networks, further expanding the reach of Hawaii’s surfing culture. Notably, Inouye was an early adopter of digital broadcasting, spearheading international webcasts of surf events between 2002 and 2010, well ahead of the widespread use of online streaming.
