<div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Second-generation professional surfer and nine-time USA National Champion, <strong><a href="https://www.boardriding.com/riders/kolohe-andino" target="_blank">Kolohe Andino</a></strong> made a splash into the surfing scene at an early age and has been charging ever since. Released today from Red Bull Media House and in association with Inherent Bummer, “Homegrown” digs into the new and restorative experiences that contributed to Andino’s self-proclaimed, “Best year of my life.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Known for his electric brand of surfing, moderation is not Andino’s default setting. For years the California native has operated more like a light switch that’s always on at full power. This approach has not only made Kolohe the most successful junior surfer in history, but also earned him the right to proudly represent the United States on the world’s stage as surfing makes its debut at Tsurigasaki Beach. It’s what followed Andino’s 2019 Tokyo qualification that accelerated his journey to a certain kind of enlightenment in this new 8-minute feature.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Late in 2020, San Clemente locals Kolohe Andino, Ian Crane, Luke Davis, Griffin Colapinto and Crosby Colapinto worked with local authorities to plan a surf trip of a lifetime. “With the 2020 WSL Championship Tour on hold and most of the world locked down, it presented a rare opportunity to do a surf trip to Indonesia,” says Andino. “I got to invite my best friends and there were five or six incredible swells. As time went on, the trip ticked all the boxes and I realized we have everything you could ever want to make a film.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The film, which is titled “Reckless Isolation”, is a throwback to surf films of another era. “Kolohe put a ton of effort, time and passion into a project that’s not about him. It’s about five guys who went on a surf trip together,” says his dad, Dino Andino who was a national surf champion in the ‘80s and a successful pro in the ‘90s. “It’s funny to see him because he’s got the younger generation around him now. It’s a natural progression for him to be a mentor.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">From planning and funding to filming and leading the edit process of this film, Kolohe entered this project with the purest of intentions. “With my dad’s heritage, I think the main thing I can do is take what I like from the past and show the future generation how surfing should be,” he says. “It’s kind of a gift to everyone. I’m just excited to be a part of making the movie, challenging myself in that way and making my friends as iconic as I possibly can.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Following his return from the Mentawai Islands and at the beginning of 2021, Kolohe injured his ankle during a free surf in Hawaii causing him to miss the restart of the WSL Championship Tour. “It’s been a weird year because I haven’t surfed much, and I thought surfing, especially competitive surfing, was my life,” says Kolohe. “Once that got taken away from me, all of these rad new things started happening – my wife getting pregnant, I’m moving houses, the summer games, I’m working on a film for the first time... It’s been the best year of my life.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mid-June marked the end of a 4-month rehabilitation process for the competition veteran and rookie filmmaker. Kolohe’s now back in the water and plans for Tokyo to be his first event back in action. His film, “Reckless Isolation”, is slated for a fall 2021 release.</div><p style="text-align: center;">###</p>