An Unexpected Departure From A Typical Mason Ho Production

Associating Mason Ho’s name with dry reef is like calling Stephanie Gilmore graceful. 

It’s been said a thousand times, maybe more. We get it. 

And while we may have all fallen in love with Mason due to his last decade or so of edits that were so distinctly him, his new movie is a departure from the typical Jimi Hendrix dry-docking. 

It’s called Through The Doggy Door. It’s got a powerful message about one of Mason’s best friends and sparring partners, Sheldon Paishon. Here’s the film’s description: 

 The documentary revolves around the story of Sheldon Paishon, a talented surfer who was born and raised on the rugged shores of Oahu’s Westside. Far from an idyllic Hawaiian paradise, the community has been ravaged by drugs, poverty and the long reverberations of colonialism. At the age of 12, Sheldon’s parents lost their house and the family was homeless, living out of a tent for the remainder of Sheldon’s adolescence. With a deep drive to overcome all odds and live out his dream of professional surfing, Sheldon battles through the harsh realities of being homeless. Eventually he is taken under the wing of popular pro surfer Mason Ho, who recognized his immense talent and helps guide him through a world he’s seen very little of. Can Sheldon capitalize on the opportunities afforded him and become a pro surfer or will the relentless pull of poverty be too much to overcome? The film aims to inspire and ignite a deeper conversation about the realities of homelessness, the struggle of poverty in Hawaii and the importance of self-belief. 

Through The Doggy Door is premiering in Southern California this weekend [see dates above]. If you’re around, check out tickets here.

The film will be digitally available soon. More to come.