Malia Manuel and the Sweetest Punch in the Face

It’s hard to imagine a sweeter punch in the face than that of Malia Manuel. You know the caramel-skinned Hawaiian girl, right? The one with that rare on-wave mix of elegance and precision (the same realm that Steph Gilmore swings in)? Yeah,you know her. You’ve known her since she won the US Open aged14. And since she qualified for the Dream Tour aged 18 back in 2011. Since then she’s been delighting webcast viewers and headlining the O’Neill women’s team with the same thing she brings to all things in her life: Class.

But, Malia also has grit. She’s a competitor. A fighter. And it’s this side of her that Stab wished to explore among the delightfulness. Which is how a production team came to be in a rundown Melbourne gym,preparing cameras and lighting while Malia wrapped those gentle hands into faux-boxing appearance. Malia dances in the ring just as she dances on a wave; Elegance and precision. Discover what else we learnt about this Hawaiian dream on page 20. 

Presented by VonZipper
Photos by Richard Freeman
Produced by Lucas Townsend
Video by Kaius Potter
Styled by Paris Johnson
H & M by Victoria Martin