Eli Olson on Newfound Perspective, Switching Sponsors at 33, and Saving Lives at Pipeline

SURFER: Almost a year ago, you saved Makai McNamara after a brutal head injury at Pipeline. How did that experience resonate with you?

Eli Olson: I used to have so much pressure on myself to perform. The thought process was that I didn’t have a family name to fall back on or a bank account. I put a lot of pressure on myself, even from when I was super young. Anything I did, I thought I could do better. But then over the years, through water training with the North Shore Junior Lifeguards and Brian Keaulana and BWRAG, I started getting more hands-on. I actually started saving people when I was really young across the street from my house. 

Then the rescues became more serious. And then I did my first C-spine on Dennis Pang, Makana Pang's dad, at Sunset. There’s been the occasional Pipeline one, like local boys or Joao Chianca. But Makai’s was really bad. It was the first time I've actually done mouth-to-mouth and CPR. He was lifeless and purple, his brother was screaming, and I had to tell Landon, I got him. But I didn’t really know. 

It was an eye-opening experience. It sounds so cliché, but tomorrow really is never promised for anyone. We put all this pressure on ourselves, and I think the bigger picture is just to enjoy this moment, because we really don't know how much longer we have. After we got Makai back, I got to thinking about that pressure I put on myself, and that maybe I didn’t have to. 

I still have huge goals, like I want to win the Eddie, a big-wave award, Wave of the Winter, things like that. But at the same time, I'm not going to let it steer the course of my happiness. I'm really enjoying the present. And I feel like maybe my purpose is bigger than a selfish career. I still feel that very strongly. But at the same time, I'm a workhorse. I take pride in how hard I work on anything I do. So I guess it's about having fun, working hard, and finding the balance of life.

You had a helluva run with O’Neill. How did that chapter end and this new one begin?

The whole thing was out of left field. I didn't have it on my radar. I thought I’d be with O'Neill forever. I'm an extremely loyal person, so I've never shopped for another company in 13 years. The guys at the Mad Hueys, who I’ve been friends with for so long, reached out to talk, and I thought they just wanted a place to stay, and I always try to help set people up however I can. But then we jumped on a phone call, started catching up, and they asked, what's your situation with your contract? And the day they called was 10 days out from when my contract would end. So I told them straight, I have to see what O'Neill wants to do before I can even get back to you guys. 

Long story short, Garth (Tarlow, marketing director) at O'Neill has been a father figure and such a good friend. He's been so amazing over the years, and he's always been real and straightforward with me. I got so much love and respect for that guy, and he said that he would get on (the contract situation) and get back to me. A few weeks go by, then he said, we can do X amount of dollars for X amount of time. I told the Mad Hueys, and they made a better offer for more time. And I'm in a position in my life now where I just bought land out here. I got a mortgage, bills to pay. Not coming for money, I have to look after myself. 

So when the Hueys made a better offer for more time, as far as security, that sounds like a safer route. But my loyalty was with O'Neill. I was hoping that showing them the new offer, even if they match it and get really close, I'll stay. And so I passed it over to them, and Garth said there's a lot of internal change and things, last year they lost some guys, and it seemed like they were trimming down. 

So it may have looked like I got dropped, which was not the case. O'Neill had an offer, but couldn’t match it. And it was really hard for me. I mean, 13 years of building with the brand, you get so connected, and I have so much love for those guys. But I have to look after myself. Even still, it was hard for me. I was literally tossing and turning in bed because, weirdly, you almost feel like it's a breakup. I’m so grateful for everything, and I never wanted to seem like I dipped the second I got a better offer, which is not the case. 

You’ve also been very loyal to Darren Handley. How long have you been riding DHDs?

At least 11 years. DH has been one of the greatest things that's ever happened to me. As a teenager out here, I paid for all my boards by working. I taught surf lessons, taught jiu-jitsu, and saved every penny I could from O'Neill. Jon Pyzel was giving me the best deal he could, but he wasn’t giving me free boards. 

On a good day at Pipeline, I used to break two or three boards, and I'd be devastated. I couldn't keep up; it was too expensive. I borrowed boards from John John (Florence) and the boys looked after me. But when I started getting boards from DH, it was one of the biggest blessings of my life. I feel like his boards are so incredible that they really elevated my skill. I started doing the QS, and all of a sudden, I won a regional title, and I was doing primes around the world. I was like, wow, a good board really matters. 

After the covid pandemic, we started working with Third Stone Hawaii in Waialua. DH sent files over there, and they have a great time. It's a crazy full-circle moment. Third Stone used to be my neighbors when I was a grom, so it's another full circle moment. I used to scratch resin off the concrete for quarters when, and fast forward all these years, they're looking after me, making all my boards. Anytime I need something rushed out, they'll get it done.

How would you describe the ethos of the Mad Hueys?

They’re just real dudes. They’re authentic. Friends and brothers living a fun lifestyle, who started making merch, and it turned into a business. I like to be considered a waterman, not just a surfer. I grew up fishing and spearfishing and I feel like it's a very fitting mix with my lifestyle and that company. I believe that if you’re true to yourself and doing things out of love, you’ll attract the right people, and that’s what’s happening here. They’re doing their everyday life and it's attracting the right people. They're genuinely having fun doing what they love and making sick clothing. I spent a few weeks with them and I've never laughed so hard.

In a way, I think about back in the day when there was a real, raw fun party scene. And then it got a little too aggressive, so people started trying to get super serious, like waking up at 5 a.m for an ice bath. Now I feel like it's kind of coming back to being. You can be a world-class athlete and have fun. It's all about balance.

So you’re riding with a surfboard brand and an outdoor apparel company, both based in Australia. Do you have some special connection with Aussies?

I feel like I have great relationships with people around the world. I have a lot of friends, Aussies, Brazilians, Japanese, and Peruvians. Everybody has to come to Hawaii. I try to welcome people with open arms because of this reason: When I travel around the world, I think a lot of doors have been opened for me because of the way I treat people here.

From a young age, I’ve tried to build bridges, not burn them. It’s easy, anywhere around the world and in Hawaii, to get tunnel vision or just not show much love. Then fast forward, when you travel, you could be in someone’s backyard and they're like, I remember how you treated me. And I'm happy that from a young age, I thought about that. I'm always going to travel, and I'm going to end up in someone else's place. I want them to show the same love that I showed them. 

You’re a certified black belt in jiu-jitsu. What is fulfilling to you about martial arts?

I started when I was 7 years old. I was a hyper little kid, quite the troublemaker. I got into a lot of fights when I was young. With my dad being friends with Kai Garcia, I think he knew this could be a good thing for a wild kid. I fell in love with it. And in a weird way, as I got older, it became therapeutic for me. Having a pretty wild upbringing, I feel like the ocean and the gym are some of the most consistent things in my life. They're always there. 

The training keeps you active, but for me, it’s also about the mental side of continuously showing up and working on your craft. And the cool similarity with jujitsu and surfing is you can take the very best of the best, like Kelly Slater or the Gracies or Marcus Buchecha, take the best on either side, and they're all going to say that there's room for improvement and that there's no cap. I think that's what keeps us coming back for more. It's never-ending. You can always keep learn and get better. 

Tell me about the stuntwork for Apple TV’s “Chief Of War” with Jason Momoa. How did the body hold up on set?

I got super beat up. For sure got a couple concussion. Broke my arm. Twenty stitches in my elbow. I also tore my ass cheek pretty good. I almost got a skin graft because it was like a cheese grater that they couldn't stitch.  And that was actually worse than breaking my arm because I got thrown off a small cliff, but missed my pad, and landed on straight rocks. 

I broke my arm 10 days before the 2022 Vans Pipe Masters, and I taped it up because I did not want to miss my heat. So I just ran it with my stitches and broken arm. I was trying to channel Uncle Michael Ho. Unfortunately, the waves were so bad. I was really hoping to get barreled and come out with my split and tell the boys, we did it.