Carissa Moore facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Carissa Moore
Carissa Moore at the 2011 Roxy Pro France
Personal information
Born	(1992-08-27) August 27, 1992 (age 32) Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.
Residence	Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.
Height	5 ft 7 in (170 cm)
Weight	140 lb (64 kg)
Surfing career
Best year	1st: 2011, 2013, 2015, 2019, 2021
Career earnings	$2.1 million on world tour 2010-19
Sponsors	Nike, Red Bull, Target, Hurley, Subaru Hawaii, Visa, Gillette Venus, FCS traction and fins
Major achievements	5× World Champion (2011, 2013, 2015, 2019, 2021) 3× Triple Crown of Surfing Champion (2020, 2021, 2023) WSL Championship Tour event wins: 29 2010 ASP Rookie of the Year 2× US Open of Surfing champion (2010, 2013) 11 NSSA Titles Surfers' Hall of Fame inductee 2020 Olympic gold medal
Surfing specifications
Stance	Regular
Medal record Women's surfing Representing  United States Olympic Games Gold 2020 Tokyo Shortboard World Games Silver 2019 Miyazaki Team

Carissa Kainani Moore (born August 27, 1992) is an American surfer. She made history by winning the first-ever Olympic gold medal in women's shortboard surfing. This happened at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Carissa is also a five-time world champion. She won titles in 2011, 2013, 2015, 2019, and 2021. She was the first surfer to win both a world title and an Olympic gold medal in the same year.

In 2013, Glamour magazine named her one of their Women of the Year. She joined the Surfers' Hall of Fame in 2014. In 2022, Carissa was featured in a book called We Are Here. This book celebrates inspiring Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

Early Life and First Waves

Carissa started surfing when she was just five years old. Her dad taught her on the beaches of Waikiki in Honolulu, Hawaii. She quickly fell in love with the sport. Her father, Chris, was a talented competitive swimmer. After her parents divorced, Carissa chose to live with her dad. She wanted to be close to the ocean.

She began winning many junior surf competitions. These were organized by the National Scholastic Surfing Association (NSSA). She won her first NSSA title at age 11. Carissa also earned top spots at the International Surfing Association (ISA) World Junior Surfing Championships. There, she helped Hawaii win a team victory. Overall, she won a record 11 NSSA amateur titles. In 2008, at age 16, she became the youngest champion. She won a Triple Crown of Surfing event called the Reef Hawaiian Pro.

Amazing Surfing Career

In 2010, Carissa joined the ASP Championship Tour. This tour is now known as the World Surf League (WSL). She won two big contests that year. She finished third overall and was named Rookie of the Year.

The next year, in 2011, Carissa was a rising star. She won three events and her first World title. She was only 18 years old. This made her the youngest person ever to win a surfing world title. She won top World Tour honors again in 2013 and 2015.

Carissa has received many awards. National Geographic named her an Adventurer of the Year. She was also named Top Female Surfer by SURFER magazine many times. Hawaii even declared January 4 to be Carissa Moore Day!

World Champion Again

At the 2019 World Surf League Women's Championship Tour, Carissa finished in first place. This win also helped her qualify for the 2020 Summer Olympics. After the 2019 season, she decided to take a break from the world tour in 2020.

Olympic Gold Medalist

Carissa qualified to represent the United States in surfing. The 2020 Summer Olympics were held in Tokyo, Japan, but were postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This was the first time Carissa competed for the United States. The WSL and ISA usually recognize Hawaii as separate. She was also the first surfer of Hawaiian heritage to compete in the Olympics since Duke Kahanamoku in 1924.

In the Olympics, Carissa performed incredibly well. She won her first heat and moved straight to the third round. She then won against surfers from Peru and Brazil. In the semifinals, she beat Japan's Amuro Tsuzuki. This sent her to the final match. In the final, she competed against Bianca Buitendag from South Africa. Carissa won the gold medal with a score of 14.93. Surfing was new to the Olympics in 2020. This made Carissa the first woman in history to win an Olympic gold medal in surfing!

Recent Seasons

In 2021, Carissa won the WSL season at the WSL Finals. She also won the Triple Crown of Surfing in January 2022. In 2023, Carissa placed second in the World Surf League Championship Tour. This qualified her for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. At the 2024 Olympic Games, she competed for the United States. She reached the quarterfinals before being eliminated.

Life Outside Surfing

Carissa's father has Irish and German roots. Her mother is Native Hawaiian and Filipino. When she competes internationally, Carissa often wears the flag of Hawaii. This is similar to the Hawaii State flag.

Bethany Hamilton, a surfer who survived a shark attack, has spoken about Carissa's strength. She admired Carissa's toughness when they surfed together as young girls.

Carissa graduated from Punahou School in Honolulu in 2010. She married her high school sweetheart, Luke Untermann, in 2017. In 2018, Carissa started the Moore Aloha Charitable Foundation. This organization uses surfing to bring young women together. It helps them connect and grow.

Major Event Wins

Carissa Moore has won many important surfing events. Here are some of her victories on the World Surf League (WSL) tours:

Year	Event	Venue	WSL Sanctioned Tour
2023	Surf Ranch Pro	Lemoore, California	Women's Championship Tour
2023	Margaret River Pro	Margaret River, Western Australia	Women's Championship Tour
2023	Billabong Pro Pipeline	Banzai Pipeline, Oahu	Women's Championship Tour
2022	Oi Rio Pro	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	Women's Championship Tour
2021	Rip Curl WSL Finals	Lower Trestles, San Clemente, California	Women's Championship Tour
2021	Rip Curl Newcastle Cup presented by Corona	Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia	Women's Championship Tour
2019	Roxy Pro France	Hossegor, Landes, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France	Women's World Tour
2019	Corona Open J-Bay	J-Bay  South Africa	Women's World Tour
2018	Beachwater Maui Pro	Honolua, Hawaii,	Women's World Tour
2018	Surf Ranch Pro	Lemoore, California,  United States	Women's World Tour
2017	Roxy Pro France	Hossegor, France  France	Women's World Tour
2016	Roxy Pro France	Hossegor, France  France	Women's World Tour
2015	Swatch Women's Pro	San Clemente, California,  United States	Women's World Tour
2015	Target Maui Pro	Honolua, Hawaii,	Women's World Tour
2015	Rip Curl Women's Pro Bells Beach	Bells Beach, Victoria,  Australia	Women's World Tour
2015	Roxy Pro Gold Coast	Gold Coast, Queensland,  Australia	Women's World Tour
2014	Target Maui Pro	Honolua, Hawaii,	Women's World Tour
2014	Rip Curl Pro	Bells Beach, Victoria,  Australia	Women's World Tour
2013	Cascais Women's Pro	Cascais,  Portugal	Women's World Tour
2013	US Open of Surfing	Huntington Beach, California,  United States	Women's WQS
2013	Rip Curl Pro	Bells Beach, Victoria,  Australia	Women's World Tour
2011	Billabong Pro Rio	Rio de Janeiro,  Brazil	Women's World Tour
2011	Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic	Dee Why, New South Wales,  Australia	Women's World Tour
2011	Roxy Pro Gold Coast	Gold Coast, Queensland,  Australia	Women's World Tour
2010	Rip Curl Pro Portugal	Peniche,  Portugal	Women's World Tour
2010	TSB Bank Women's Surf Festival	Taranaki,  New Zealand	Women's World Tour
2010	US Open of Surfing	Huntington Beach, California,  United States	Women's WQS
2009	Gidget Pro	Sunset Beach,	Women's World Tour
2008	Reef Hawaiian Pro	Ali'i Beach Park, Haleʻiwa,	Women's WQS

National Scholastic Surfing Association Titles

Carissa Moore is famous for winning 11 National Scholastic Surfing Association (NSSA) Titles. This is a record!

International Surfing Association

In 2005, Carissa represented Hawaii at the International Surfing Association (ISA) World Junior Surfing Championships. She placed 3rd in the Female Junior Final (for surfers under 18). Carissa helped Hawaii win its first team victory in a World Junior surfing contest.

See Also

In Spanish: Carissa Moore para niños

• Association of Surfing Professionals
• National Scholastic Surfing Association
• Punahou School Alumni