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She Rips - Meet Lani & Ashley Hunter Print E-mail
By Chelsea Johns

sherips1.jpgLani DOB: July 15, 1988 Stance: Regular

ASHLEY DOB: January 23, 1992 Stance: Goofy Hometown: Punalu‘u, Oahu Sponsors: Billabong, Divine Eyewear, Shiseido Skincare, Christian Surfboards, Surf N Sea, Mana Tahitian pearls, FCS, Sanuk, Gorilla Grip and Bobby’s Bodies


No one is a better surf partner than a sibling, and when you grow up way out in Punalu‘u on the Northeast side of O‘ahu, that just might be your only option. Luckily for Lani and Ashley Hunter, there’s no one they’d rather surf with than each other. The two young rippers, Lani, 17, and Ashley, 14, inspire and challenge each other when they surf together. “We cheer each other on,” says Lani. “We help each other. We’re like, ‘You should put your arms this way,’ and stuff like that.”

The Hunter girls had a unique upbringing between their surfer dad from Florida who taught them to surf at their home break at Kualoa, and their native Filipino mother who never learned how to swim. Although the sisters don’t share the surfing bond with their mom, they both attest that above anyone, it is she who inspires them most. Both parents play equally important roles in the girls’ lives. “We love them to death,” they agree. “They support us all the way in surfing, but my mom leans toward education first and surfing second,” adds Ashley.





These two energetic, hapa-haole sisters are just four years apart, share similar features in their tan skin and ‘ehu hair, and both describe themselves as “funny and outgoing.” Some other things they have in common are their passion for surfing big waves (5 to 6 feet and above), their sponsors, their surfing goals, and their ability to post big contest results. Yet, like all siblings, they also have quite a few differences. For starters, Lani is a regular-footer who likes to surf Freddy’s and Ashley is goofy-footer who enjoys Rocky Lefts. In the water, Lani prefers to bust backside vertical maneuvers, while Ash loves doing a nice big turn on the lip of a big wave. Ashley’s favorite food is from Pedro’s, a Mexican restaurant in California. Lani is happy to grind chicken and rice post-surf sesh. Also, Lani participates in a home schooling program, while Ashley attends Kahuku Junior High School. Lani enjoys home schooling because it gives her the freedom to surf whenever she wants, but Ashley likes the social aspect of going to public school and hanging out with her surfer friends there.

sherips2.jpgThe girls train for contests with their dad and each other, but another big influence is Billabong coach Rainos Hayes. “He’s a really big help. He keeps us thinking positive instead of negative,” says Lani. And Lani and Ashley have a lot to be positive about. Ashley recently appeared in the surf video Groms Plus Minus; Lani just returned from Brazil where she surfed in the ISA Junior Worlds and assisted the US team to a fourth place overall finish; and both girls were part of the complete NSSA Nationals domination this past June—Ashley placing fourth in the Explorer Girls final and Lani placing sixth in Open Women/Governor’s Cup. “We do HASA, NSSA, ISA. We enter as many contests as we can,” states Lani.

Growing up surfing on the North Shore and competing in contests both in Hawai‘i and abroad, the two girls have encountered some pretty sketchy situations out in the water. “Just recently in Brazil, it was really big, and the waves were really thick. It was like 6 feet, and I went to duck under this wave and I was trying to get air but I swallowed water instead. So I was choking on water and almost passed out,” Lani remembers.

Ashley, on the other hand, seems to have a tradition for running into man-o-wars and jellyfish. She’s been stung badly at least three times. “The first time I got bit was at a China Wahine contest. I was paddling out and all of a sudden, I got this feeling—it burned. It just kept getting worse and worse,” Ashley recalls. “I had a hard time breathing. I went in and I just lay down. I have a scar from it now.” Ashley and Lani have even tried jellyfish repellent (yes, it really exists) to keep the stinging menaces at bay. “I never tested it by touching one,” laughs Lani, “but I put it on and never got stung.”

Ashley and Lani don’t seem to have much doubt that surfing will be an integral part of their future, and both plan on being on the WCT one day. For Lani, who just finished up home schooling, this means putting college on hold. “I want to travel the world and hopefully get on the WCT tour,” says Lani. Ashley agrees, adding, “And hopefully make a final, too.” However, if surfing does not ultimately become their full-time profession, they’ve got other ideas. Ashley is interested in becoming an artist or fashion designer. “I just draw a lot, and I’ve always been into fashion for some reason,” Ashley remarks. Lani wants to go to college and become a nurse like both of their parents. “I want to go to college one day, but I’ve worked so hard at surfing I don’t want to quit now,” says Lani.

sherips3.jpgWhether professional surfing is in the cards or not, these girls will be happy as long as they have their family. When the two girls aren’t surfing, they play basketball, go snorkeling or fishing with their dad and hang out with their mom. According to the Hunter girls, their mom has “the best cooking ever.” They also like listening to their dad play guitar while they practice their rapping skills, which are still “super bad right now,” according to Ashley.

At work or at play, the girls are enthusiastic about life and ready for the world to take notice. What might give Lani and Ashley the strength to survive in the aggressive arena of women’s pro-surfing is the encouragement they provide each other and their all-encompassing sisterly love. [PAU]
 
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