{"id":63001,"date":"2020-07-18T12:55:39","date_gmt":"2020-07-18T19:55:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.boardistan.com\/?p=63001"},"modified":"2020-07-18T13:06:00","modified_gmt":"2020-07-18T20:06:00","slug":"63001","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.boardistan.com\/?p=63001","title":{"rendered":"RIP: Hawaii’s First World Champ Derek Ho"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Hawaiian surf royalty, two-time Pipeline Master, four-time Triple Crown of Surfing champ, and first Hawaiian world surfing champion Derek Ho<\/strong> has died of a heart attack on Friday, July 17, 2020, according to a story on SurferMag.com<\/strong><\/a>. He was 55 years old.<\/p>\n

The stylish goofyfoot leaves behind a legacy of incredible Pipe feats and a community of friends and loved ones on the North Shore. Ho became a standout at Pipeline as a teenager, alongside his older brother Michael Ho, and by his early 20s, he had already charged his way to a Pipe Masters win. At 29, he became Hawaii\u2019s first male world champ and solidified himself as one of the most talented and respected surfers along the Seven Mile Miracle. Up until this last winter, Ho was regularly seen packing some of the heaviest waves during the season\u2019s best swells.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Derek was uncle to Mason<\/strong> and Coco Ho<\/strong>. Our thoughts are with Ho’s family, friends, and the entire surf world.<\/p>\n

[Link: SurferMag.com<\/a>]<\/strong><\/p>\n

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The man. The myth. The legend. Our hero. Words can never express what this man stood for and meant to all of us growing up here in Hawaii. From the first time I surfed #Sunset and #Pipeline 38 years ago until now #UncleD was always on the best waves and dominating. He always surfed more than anyone. Always so psyched. More psyched to surf than anyone I have ever met. Only #UncleMike and #Mason came close. Going to miss that smile and that #Mana. My Aloha goes out to the Ho Ohana. Love you guys. I\u2019m always here for you. Love you Uncle D ! ❤️ You always put a smile on my face. #FirstHawaiianWorldChamp #Hawaiian #KanakaMaoli #NorthshoresFinest #WaimanaloBoy #LegendsNeverDie #RestinParadise #AhuiHou<\/a><\/p>\n

A post shared by Kala Alexander<\/a> (@kala_dacaptain) on