Carissa Moore Isn’t Ready to Say Goodbye

When I met with surfing champion and Olympic gold medalist Carissa Moore in June via Zoom, most of the world’s top athletes were headed to Paris for the 2024 Olympics. But Moore, who lives in Oahu, Hawaii, was headed to another location nearly 10,000 miles away: the village of Teahupo’o in Tahiti, site of this year’s Olympic surfing competition and home to some of the most legendary and biggest waves in surfing history.

“I think what probably excites me the most is that this do “It doesn’t scare me, but I think when everything comes together and you get the wave, it’s one of the best thrills,” Moore tells InStyle. Moore is no stranger to Teahupo’o. She first competed in the venue’s Tahiti Pro contest in 2022, placing fifth every year since. But this time, her return to Tahiti comes amid a year of seismic change. Last January, she announced her retirement from competitive surfing after more than a decade on the World Surf League’s women’s circuit and five WSL final championships.

At 31, his life had simply moved on; She Was not anymore the ambitious teenager who took the WSL by storm with her risky jumps and radical approach to surfing. Moore became the first-ever Olympic gold medalist in 2021, when the sport made its Olympic debut at the Tokyo Games. At the time, Moore began to feel like she might be done.

“I got to a point where I didn’t want to do the same thing over and over again if I didn’t have that deep passion and drive,” she admits. “I don’t think just winning contests is going to be enough. I need something a little bigger that gives me that sense of purpose.”

She may have stepped away from most of the competitions on the circuit this year, but the prospect of surfing at Teahupo’o during the Olympics has motivated her enough to keep training. Still, taking a step back has had its perks. She’s no longer living out of a suitcase and can spend time at home with her husband, Hawaiian entrepreneur Luke Untermann. The stress of competition also isn’t as prevalent in her thoughts as it once was. As she works to defend her Olympic title and juggle ongoing projects with her foundation, Moore Aloha, it’s clear she’s far from retired.

Moore doesn’t remember exactly when her love of surfing began. It may have come from her genetics, honestly. Born and raised on Oahu, a bastion of the surf community, she was always as close to the beach as most people dream of being. So she would join her dad, an amateur surfer, in the water on days when the sparkling waves were gentle enough for the then-little girl to take her first steps on the water. “I really enjoyed that connection that we had,” she says. “That’s what stuck with me the most.” My “The quintessential Hawaii.”

As a teenager, Moore began making waves in the surfing world before she even turned professional. By 16, she had signed major deals with Nike 6.0 and Red Bull, following a stint with Roxy. And in 2008, she stunned the surfing world by winning the Reef Hawaiian Pro, beating five-time champion Layne Beachley, and posting a perfect 10 at the PXM International Vans Pro, a men’s qualifier. She went on to match Beachley’s number of titles in 2021, after winning her first world championship at age 18.

Just after winning the gold medal in surfing at the Tokyo 2021 Games, she started thinking about retiring, or at least slowing down.

Moore knew her time off would be a good excuse to train hard at Teahupo’o, which, along with waves like Pipeline in Hawaii and Mavericks in California, is one of the most dangerous surfing spots in the world. Known for its sharp barrels and 10-foot swells, it’s a must-see on every surfer’s bucket list. Moore is, however, a relative newbie at the venue. Most competitions on the women’s tour tend to be held at venues with smaller waves, a double standard Moore has strived to break by competing in men’s events since her early days. Despite her victories at waves like Pipeline, she admits that Tahiti and the 2024 Olympics present a new challenge.

“It’s an aspect of my surfing that I think really needed to improve,” she says. “Stepping away from the tour has given me the time and focus to give that part of my surfing the time and focus that I think it deserves.” She spent much of 2024 in Tahiti and earned a wildcard into this year’s Tahiti Pro, where she finished fifth. The thrill of surfing at Teahupo’o is palpable when she talks about what it’s like to be in the wave: “You feel like you’re on top of the world and you’re invincible when you catch that wave and come out the other side.”

But before she can defend her gold metal, Moore thinks about what she’s going to bring with her this time. Her pillow is on her list, as well as her SunBum sunscreen and Gabby Bernstein’s book, Super Attractor: Methods to Manifest a Life Beyond Your Wildest DreamsThis time, she also includes her husband for “all the hugs.”

“Every four years, only 44 surfers get the chance to compete in the Olympic Games,” she said. “I am extremely grateful to be able to once again represent my country and all the people who have played a part in my journey.”