Day in the Life: Carissa Moore, Surfer & World Title Winner
Born in 1992 and hailing from Honolulu, Hawaii, Carissa Moore has been a true force to be reckoned with in the waves for over the last decade. With four World Champion Titles to her name, and many other victories both inside and outside of the water, Moore is not only a preeminent female surfer, but she is also a refreshingly genuine and introspective individual (World Surf League, n.d.).
Carissa Mooreâs Surfing Journey
How It All Began
For Moore, surfing began as a channel through which she could connect with one of her dearest loved ones: her dad. As a five-year-old girl, she forged strong bonds with her dad as they worked to synchronize with the waves. She asserts, âIn the beginning it [surfing] was just the pure joy of spending time with my dad and riding waves togetherâ (Glass, 2021, para. 3).
As Moore grew and became a preteen, she started competing in surfing (Glass, 2021). During her years as an amateur, she earned 11 National Titles (World Surf League, n.d.). Moreover, she earned the distinction of being the youngest person to win the Triple Crown of Surfing at just 16 years of age (Glass, 2021).
Her Quest for World Titles
In 2010, she made it to the Championship Tour and attained two wins that season. Just a year later, she triumphed in three events to take hold of her first World Title (World Surf League, n.d.).
Interestingly, Moore went head-to-head with Stephanie Gilmore for World Titles over the course of the next several years, and they alternated wins. Gilmore emerged victorious in 2012, Moore in 2013, Gilmore again in 2014, and Moore again in 2015 (See, 2020). While vying for World Titles, these two surf phenoms have maintained a âgracious respect and aweâ toward each other over the years (World Surf League, n.d., para. 3).
Following her 2015 win, Moore hit a rough patch and struggled to perform at the same caliber as before. As the year 2017 concluded, she moved down to the Number 5 spot, her lowest ranking yet. However, with grit, determination, and perseverance as vast as the sand on the shoreline, she got back in the game with two first-place victories in 2018 that pushed her back up to the Number 3 spot (World Surf League, n.d.).
It was during this year (2018), at her first place win in Maui, when she had one of the most memorable surfs of her career. Moore marvels, âThe pressure was off, the World Title was already decided. There was this moment where I was just at peace with everything…I remember the whole heat; the waves, and I remember there was just this freedom within myself, and thatâs where I strive to compete and live fromâ (Glass, 2021, paras. 8-9).

Carissa Moore in her element: Water! Photo credit: @rissmoore10
Riding the Waves of Mental Health
Moore is very down-to-earth and honest about the mental challenges she experiences in competing at a professional level. She struggles with comparing herself to other surfers, focusing too much on results, and seeking a desire for othersâ approval. Yet, Moore actively works to combat these negative thoughts and redirect her focus to her loved ones and the love and support she receives from them (Glass, 2021). She notes, âI just have to constantly check in with myself, and be like âHey okay, all that stuffâs nice, but what really matters are those quality people that really believe in me and that have stuck with me through those ups and downs.’ Those are the opinions that matterâ (Glass, 2021, para. 13).
Additionally, Moore is a big proponent of âstriving to be presentâ (Glass, 2021, para. 23). She employs different methods to execute this. Her methods include speaking to herself in a logical way, telling herself to âstopâ when dwelling on negative thoughts, breathing deeply, thinking of uplifting images, and telling herself the phrase âright here, right nowâ (Glass, 2021, para. 24). Furthermore, she works with a mental coach to retrain her thoughts and also leans on her dad, who is a swimmer, for mental support (Glass, 2021).
âWorrying about what happened in the past or trying to control whatâs out of your control in the futureâthatâs just a waste of energy.â ~Carissa Moore (Glass, 2021, para. 23)
Proud to Be Part of History at the Tokyo Olympics
As the Tokyo Olympic Games dawn upon us, Moore is extremely excited for surfingâs Olympic debut! As a youth, she never saw herself competing in the Olympics. However, after it was decided in 2016 that surfing would be accepted into the Olympics and would launch at the Tokyo Games, she became driven to be part of surfingâs Olympic premiere (Glass, 2021 and Housman, 2016). She proclaims, âIn the 10 years that I’ve been competing on the Championship Tour, I’ve seen so much progression of the sport and it’s just great to see surfing rise to that Olympic level, to be appreciated on that stage and to be taken to a broader audience. It’s a really special sport, and I think just by tuning in and watching it I think youâll be able to feel itâ (Glass, 2021, para. 29).

Photo credit: @rissmoore10
Carissa Mooreâs Daily Routine
When it comes to her daily routine, Moore is quite flexible, because, as she states, âTraining is very weather and swell dependentâ (Glass, 2021, para. 14). Each morning, she arises and looks into the weather and ocean conditions. She then uses her findings to decide where to train. On days when the conditions are great, she can surf for up to four to six hours. On the other hand, on days when the conditions are subpar, she only surfs for about an hour. When conditions are rough, she makes the most of her minutes outside of the water by spending time with her husband and dogs. Regardless of the dayâs conditions, sheâs sure to fit a (non-water) training session in with her trainer. As for leisure activities, Moore loves to kick back with Netflix, skateboard, and go for walks on the beach at sunset (Glass, 2021).

Carissa Moore and her husband, Luke. Photo credit: @rissmoore10
Carissa Moore’s Day Plan
5:30 a.m.âWake up and arise
6:00 a.m.âEat breakfast
6:30 a.m.âDrive to the beach
7:00 a.m.âCarry out first surfing session
9:30 a.m.âTake a break
10:00 a.m.âTrain at the park with trainer
11:00 a.m.âDrive home
11:30 a.m.âRest
12:00 p.m.âEat lunch
1:00 p.m.âRest
2:00 p.m.âGo skateboarding with husband and dogs
3:00 p.m.âDrive to the beach
3:30 p.m.âCarry out afternoon surf session
5:30 p.m.âDrive home
6:00 p.m.âPrepare dinner and eat
7:00 p.m.âSpend time with husband and dogs
10:00 p.m.âGo to bed

Carissa Moore and her dog, Maya. Photo credit: @rissmoore10
Carissa Moore: A Lover of Lists
As a professional athlete with various training demands and a regular human being who has everyday responsibilities like the rest of us, Moore finds that maintaining lists is an enjoyable and fulfilling way to keep track of her to-dos and stay accountable in completing them (Glass, 2021). Perhaps if she discovered Owaves, she’d give it a try!
âI find a lot of satisfaction and purpose fromâI call it ‘checking my boxes’âso going to the gym or going for my surf or doing the laundry. I love checking my boxes; it makes me feel good.â ~Carissa Moore (Glass, 2021, para. 20)
Carissa Moore: An Advocate with a Giving Heart
Moore has used her voice to spread awareness about the hazards of binge eating, sexism, and body shaming and has advocated for taking care of the environment. Furthermore, in 2010 (her rookie year), she gave all of her winnings to the local boardriders club upon winning her first Championship Tour event in New Zealand (World Surf League, n.d.). Moore declares that âthinking about what [sheâs] doing to fulfill [her] purpose and contribute to society, make it a better placeâ is one of the most meaningful aspects of her life (Glass, 2021, para. 13).
Finding a Flow State in the Water, and Within Herself
One of Mooreâs biggest goals is to more authentically achieve the state of being âin the zoneâ in the water (Glass, 2021, para. 10). She is striving to do this by relying on herself to build this flow state, rather than relying on the influence of others. Notes Moore, âIn the past, the moments of being in the zone came from pressure from outside…I realized thatâs where I want to compete from, so how do I create that for myself? I work with a mental coach, and work through a lot of personal stuff so when I get in the water…Iâm just doing what I train every day to doâ (Glass, 2021, para. 10-11).

All smiles. Photo credit: @rissmoore10
References
Glass, A. (2021, February 10). Carissa Moore, the surfer who loves lists–and ticking the boxes. RedBull. https://www.redbull.com/us-en/carissa-moore-discover-your-wings
Housman, J. (2016, August 3). Itâs officially official: Surfingâs an Olympic sport. Surfer. https://www.surfer.com/features/it-is-offically-official-surfing-is-now-an-olympic-sport/
See, J. (2020, June 26). The complicated rivalry between Carissa Moore and Stephanie Gilmore. World Surf League.
https://www.worldsurfleague.com/posts/453088/the-complicated-rivalry-between-stephanie-gilmore-and-carissa-moore
World Surf League. (n.d.). About Carissa Moore.
https://www.worldsurfleague.com/athletes/64/carissa-moore