MAEDA Mahina

General
JAPANESE-HAWAIIAN HERITAGE
She was born to Japanese parents in Oahu, HI, United States of America, and holds dual Japanese and US citizenship. She decided to represent Japan ahead of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. "Honestly, leaving the Hawaiian flag was really hard. Hawaii is the birthplace of surfing and I am super proud of being born and raised here. Having the Hawaiian flag next to your name gives you a great sense of pride. I learned how to surf here in Hawaii and you see that mana. Being that I have dual nationality with America and Japan, it was a hard choice to make. Ultimately, I chose Japan. Japan has the samurai or warrior feeling and humbling attitude, so having both backgrounds gives me great spiritual strength. I have tremendous pride in being both Japanese and Hawaiian. To surf for Japan is probably one of the most humbling experiences ever. The American side of me [is] strong and confident, and the Japanese side is the humble side. It's amazing to have both of them. Last year [2019] was the first year I was considered a Japanese athlete after all the paperwork went through. I lived there part-time to get to know the country and people better." (surfline.com, 11 Aug 2020; ISAsurfing YouTube channel, 04 Sep 2019; hawaiinewsnow.com, 25 Jun 2021; stillstoked.com, 07 Jul 2020; nikkansports.com, 06 Jun 2021; nhk.or.jp, 17 Apr2019)

OLYMPIC SURF BREAK
She says the location for surfing at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo is not her favourite wave in the world, but that she appreciates its consistency. "It's an okay wave. The wave fluctuates a lot with the tide and swell. It's not the worst wave, but it also isn't the best. The good thing is, it's a very consistent wave for Japan. Japan really relies on typhoons. But this spot is breaking in some way all the time. And all the Japanese guys are always out there - whether it's one inch to four-foot and over." (surfline.com, 11 Aug 2020)

BREAK FROM SURFING
She took a break from surfing at age 18 and spent time training with jiu-jitsu master Kid Peligro for a year, where she learnt ginastica natural, which incorporates movements from jiu-jitsu and yoga. "I started working with Kid Peligro when I was eighteen. I had already received my three world titles and I was starting to feel burnt out. I hit a slump on my first two years on the QS. So I decided to step away from surfing for a little while and maybe try teaching as a living. I didn't put a time limit on how long I would be away from competitive surfing. Just like with an injury, I was always told never to put a time limit on recovery. Just say, 'I'm going to get back in the water but I just don't know when'. I actually wanted to get back into competing sooner than I expected. It just came back to me naturally. But now I have my license to teach [ginastica natural] and so I kinda do both now. With ginastica, it is constantly moving and adapting. You have to react to the situation. My agility and thinking process has improved a lot. As a teacher, I can see where some of the best surfers in the water are really lacking when it comes to that mobility and coordination factor. Within one or two sessions we can really see the difference. I love being able to give that training to someone. I feel like ten times a better person when I do." (stillstoked.com, 07 Jul 2020; profile.yoshimoto.co.jp, 05 Apr 2021; mahinamaeda.com, Jun 2021; surfgirlmag.com, 25 Nov 2020)