Date of Birth: 7/13/1957

Michael Ho has proven to be the most consistent surfer for the last 30 years on some of the heaviest surf in the world.  He is also one of the smallest at only 5’5” and 135 pounds.  Size obviously didn’t matter when it came to proving himself on the north shore of Oahu.  Michael was a fierce competitor in all sorts of surf conditions, finishing in the ASP Top 16 for 10 consecutive seasons.

Michael was born in San Mateo, California, although his family was trying desperately to make it back to Hawaii for his birth. Chico, his father, was an original Waikiki beach boys, carving tikis, shaping boards and fishing to support his growing family (three girls and another boy, 1993 ASP World Champion Derek Ho followed). Chico started showing Michael how to surf at age three.

Inspired by Jeff Hakman, Larry Bertlemann and Reno Abellira, Ho put equal time into developing his big-wave riding and hotdog surfing. By age 10, he was surfing Haleiwa on the North Shore. At 15, he represented Hawaii at the World Amateur Championships in Ocean Beach and surfed into the finals. After graduation from Kailua High School, he set his sights on professional surfing.

" it's been an honor working with Mauli Ola and these kids. I never had the chance to give back as much I would have liked to and it feels great to be part of something so special. Anytime I can help or contribute, I will."

As the IPS world tour first wandered the globe in 1976, Ho led a formidable Hawaiian assault, rising to third in 1978 and establishing himself as a barnacle in the Top 16. He twice won the Hawaiian Triple Crown, the Duke Classic and the World Cup, as well as claiming the 1982 Pipe Masters while surfing with a cast on his broken wrist. At any venue, his keen sense of positioning and wave knowledge made him an unwelcome draw for any competitor. Three-time world champion Tom Curren called Ho the person he least liked to compete against.

For all his international achievements, nowhere was Ho more dominant than the North Shore of Oahu -- his home since age 17. At Sunset Beach, a spot he first surfed at 15, his knowledge of the complex conditions remains unparalleled. Well into his 40s, he shows few signs of slowing, still an avid competitor and finalist in the 1997 Pipe Masters. Married since 1988, he has two children -- Mason and Coco. They are passionate surfers and finalists in the Rell Sunn Menehune Championships.