Overview
“Strategy is to just keep trying to find the set waves and just pushing as hard as I can. Luckily, there’s been a lot of waves coming through in all of my heats so far, so hopefully it stays for the next one.”
Moona Whyte is a professional kite surfer from the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii. While many competitors aim to balance freestyle and wave riding, she dominates the GKA Wave Tour as the absolute queen of pure wave kite surfing, focusing entirely on a “100% waves” style.
Career
Her father, Richard Whyte, is a windsurfing legend who rode at “Backyards” in Hawaii, and she has clearly inherited his surfing DNA. She secured her first world title on the KSP World Tour in 2013. Aiming for consecutive titles in 2018, she won the season opener in Cabo Verde but suffered a severe back injury (bulging disc) mid-season, forcing her to withdraw from the tour (finishing 5th overall).
However, she made a spectacular comeback in 2019, reclaiming the GKA World Title. After experiencing another four-year absence from the tour due to injuries, she returned at the Cabo Verde event in 2023. In the final against Capucine Delannoy, she scored a 10.0 (perfect score) on two separate waves, achieving a historic “Perfect 20” to claim a dramatic victory.
She continued her winning streak by securing first place at the Saquarema event in Brazil that same season. Moreover, she expanded beyond kite surfing to compete in the GWA Wingfoil Wave World Championship, where she also secured the world title, achieving the incredible “double whammy” of conquering the wave disciplines in two different wind water sports.
Sponsors and Brands
After being the face of Cabrinha for many years, she transitioned to the F-ONE family, where she continued her dominance and secured world titles with her new gear.
Personality and Relationships
Her partner is Keahi de Aboitiz, a multi-talented athlete and world champion in both kiteboarding and stand-up paddleboarding (SUP), and together they travel the world chasing waves.
Her greatest weapon in riding is her “flow.” She executes perfectly timed turns in the most critical sections (sweet spots) of the wave, and her seamless, rail-to-rail surfing that connects the top to the bottom is unmatched among female riders.
Quotes and Episodes
On returning to the Cabo Verde event after a four-year hiatus due to injury:
“I just love this event. I love Cabo Verde. I’ve had a lot of good sessions here and a couple of good events.”
— Moona Whyte
Her joy on the beach immediately after scoring the “Perfect 20” to win the event:
“I really can’t believe those scores. I’m gonna have to watch that back, but that was amazing out there. We had so many good waves and it was really clean. The wind was strong, so yeah, it was so much fun.”
— Moona Whyte
When she won back-to-back events at Saquarema, Brazil, during her comeback season:
“Yeah, after these two victories, it really makes me want to continue the tour, and I’m already almost halfway there, so yeah, I’m really stoked with this result, and I guess I’m going to have to keep training for the next event.”
— Moona Whyte
Competition Results
2013: KSP World Tour – World Champion
2018: GKA Kitesurf Season Opener Cabo Verde – 1st Place (*5th Overall due to injury)
2019: GKA Kitesurf World Champion
2023: GKA Surf Tour Cabo Verde (Punta Preta) – 1st Place (Achieved Perfect 20)
2023: GKA Surf Tour Saquarema, Brazil – 1st Place
2023: GWA Wingfoil Wave World Championship – 1st Place
Search Aliases: Moona Whyte, MoonaWhyte