World-class surfer Lani Doherty's full name is Kaiulani, a Hawaiian name which translates to "Highest Place in Heaven." One can only imagine that when the 16-year-old phenom from Maui finds herself ripping through the surf enveloped by a 20-foot wave, that is exactly where she believes herself to be.
But things haven't always felt "heaven-sent" for the teenaged ripper from the Aloha State, who recently finished ninth in the world at the Quiksilver International Surfing Association (ISA) World Event in Ecuador.
Doherty had to overcome her fair share of adversity on her way to the crest of the wave, and currently finds herself among the world's elite female athletes in the popular offshore sport.
Lani was practically born on the waves, as both her parents were surfers. She began riding on the nose of her father's board at the age of six months.
"I was riding my Dad's board before I could even walk," explained the affable teen with the golden locks. "I started riding my own board when I was five, and entered my first competition when I was only seven."
Lani and her 13-year-old sister, Kulia (which translates to "Outstanding Beauty"), were raised by their father, Mike, after their parents divorced when Lani was five. The family often found themselves having to do without after her parents split up.
"My Dad owned a surfboard fin manufacturing company called Techno-Surf Products, explained Lani. "When my parents divorced, Dad had to sell the company to raise us."
"It was hard for us being raised by just one parent. My Dad tried to do the best he could to raise two daughters, but it wasn't as easy as it could have been. Sometimes we had money problems, too."
The money problems Lani speaks of forced her family to take in boarders and to rent out part of their taro root farm in order to make ends meet. Lani, however, exhibits the laid-back attitude of her surfer lifestyle when she explains how the Dohertys coped with life's challenges.
"It didn't really matter to us. We were always just having fun surfing and doing what we had to do to be a family," she said. "Surfing has always been my outlet. It just makes life so much better."
Lani and Kulia see their mom on holidays and for an occasional dinner, but spend the bulk of their time with Dad alone.
"We see her every now and then, but not too much. We love our Mom, but she kinda has her own family now," she said. "She's remarried and has two kids of her own."
The typical day in Lani's life indeed sounds a bit more casual than that of the average 16-year-old girl, and even Lani herself is a bit amused by the relative carefree, windblown life style that she leads.
"I usually sleep in and then my Dad and I go for a walk on the beach. Then we go out surfing for a while, come back home and wake my sister," she adds, laughing. "Then we eat some breakfast, run a few errands, go for another walk at the end of the day and then we go surfing again."
Sometime during her day in the life, Lani also spends three hours of class time, as she has been home schooled by her Dad since the age of nine. "I actually went back to school shopping for the first time in years. It was so exciting."
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