A fine piece off marketing theatre two months back when the former world title contender Kolohe Andino stunned surf fans with a profanity laden screed on Instagram.
It was a pointer to his and his San Clemente pals’ clothing venture 2 Percent, which offers hats, hoodies, jackets etc in a nineties homegrown style.
Apart from not reaching the stellar heights that were predicted for him as a teenager, Kolohe Andino will be remembered for helping get the Surf Ranch Pro onto the tour.
“After watching footage, Kolohe Andino goes, ‘Why isn’t this on tour…well think about it!’” remembered Slater in his excellent documentary series Lost Tapes. “That’s when the conversation became real.”
Ironically, Kolohe’s initial enthusiasm turned to sad when the contest did manifest, Kolohe accusing the judges of “playing mind tricks” and rewarding safety surfing and sitting in a barrel that carried with no risk.
BeachGrit has always held Kolohe Andino close to our hearts. I knew his daddy Dino during his wild nineties epoch and first met the boy prodigy, then sixteen, on a holiday to the Canary Islands where he exhibited what were then exotic flavours of aerials.
A perfect fit for Chas Smith Hates Surfing to discuss life off tour, the rise of the San Clemente squad, Griff, Cole, Crosby, Kade, at the expense of the Brazilian Storm and the death of the old school surf industry.
“Chas hates surfing less than me,” Kolohe wrote to me during preliminary discussions.
And, later, “I know I’m crazy but I might be delusional.”
Essential.
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