It’s hard to categorize Eli Olson, and he prefers it that way. Pipeline standout. Big-wave surfer. Jiu-jitsu black belt. Spearfisher. Stuntman. And, deeply embedded in the North Shore surf community, a rescuer who has pulled numerous surfers from near-drowning experiences, including several at Pipeline that could have been fatal.
The path hasn’t been easy. Olson, 33, has fought and worked for every success, and he takes pride in that. After 13 years with O’Neill, he recently signed a new deal with The Mad Hueys, the Australian-based outdoor apparel brand, drawn to Olson’s multifaceted approach. He spoke about the move, his interest in a particular surfboard label, and how a friend’s near-death experience reshaped his perspective.
“I used to have so much pressure on myself to perform,” Olson explained. “I didn’t have a family name or a bank account to fall back on. I put a lot of pressure on myself, even from a young age. Anything I did, I thought I could do better. But 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.”
Those rescues escalated in seriousness. “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 [McNamara’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.”
The experience with McNamara was a turning point. “It was an eye-opening experience. It sounds 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.”
Olson clarified that he still has ambitious goals – winning the Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational, the big-wave award, Wave of the Winter – but he’s recalibrating his priorities. “I still have huge goals…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.”
The move to The Mad Hueys came somewhat unexpectedly. “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.”
O’Neill’s marketing director, Garth Tarlow, has been a significant figure in Olson’s career. “Garth 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. He said 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.”
the financial security offered by The Mad Hueys proved decisive. “It may have looked like I got dropped [by O’Neill], 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.”
Olson’s relationship with Darren Handley and DHD surfboards is equally longstanding. “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. 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.”
Recently, Olson’s boards have been shaped by Third Stone Hawaii. “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.”
He describes The Mad Hueys’ ethos as authentic and relatable. “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.”
Olson sees a shift in the surf world, a return to a more balanced approach. “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.”
Olson’s global outlook is shaped by his interactions with surfers from around the world. “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.”
Olson’s dedication extends to martial arts. “I started [jiu-jitsu] 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.”
His recent foray into stunt work for Apple TV’s “Chief Of War” with Jason Momoa was physically demanding. “I got super beat up. For sure got a couple concussions. 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.” He even competed in the 2022 Vans Pipe Masters with a broken arm, channeling the spirit of Michael Ho.
