Pono , The life of Chris Miyashiro

On the shores of O‘ahu, Chris Myashiro does not surf against the elements , he enters into dialogue with them.

Since his earliest days, the ocean has been his home. He learned to listen to the wind, to read the curve of a wave like one reads the lines on the face of the world ; so that, like in life and surfing alike, he might find his balance.

In Hawai‘i, the native people have a word for this: Pono.

A philosophy in itself, embraced by the islands for centuries. The pursuit of harmony , in life and with all that surrounds it , is one of the foundations of Hawaiian culture. It is the culture that shaped Chris Myashiro into the man he is today.

Chris is a painter, navigator, shaper, filmmaker, surfer.

He moves between the lines of preconceived ideas, leaning on ancestral knowledge to approach the unknown and reshape its contours.

Through his Alaia boards, hand-carved from invasive trees, he transforms what destroys into what connects. It’s not just about riding , it’s about riding with intention. Each board is an offering. Each session, a silent prayer.

Ho‘oponopono, the elders say , a phrase that can be translated as “to correct what is out of balance.” A virtuous circle, not unlike the tumultuous movement of life and waves.

Chris knows it well: every time he’s set out to sea, it was so he could return to land with greater understanding.

And so, between action and surrender, Chris finds himself at home.

Balanced between two worlds.

Pono — because that is the word.

This project was made possible by On The Edge, a non-profit organization raising awareness about the beauty and fragility of the natural world.