Chapter One

Beneath the Surface

My life has been a journey on and off the water. To most of you I am known as a waterman, a windsurfer, a surfer, a paddler. Just as underwater caverns, reefs and extreme rock formations hidden from our sight create the waves and the ocean’s personality, there are hidden motivations, dreams, goals, choices and influences in my life that lie beneath the surface. In this book, through a collection of stories, people, events and life-practices, my hope is that you will discover what lies beneath the surface of Zane Kekoa Schweitzer, Ocean Enthusiast and Waterman. I hope this conversation will inspire you and shine a light on your unique story and path.

Throughout this book, the people in my family, in my community, among the teammates and competitors with whom I spend so much of my life, will be mentioned more than once. For now, here’s just a short introduction to attitudes and philosophies that my ‘ohana has instilled in me since I was very young. Those attitudes are like a deep ocean current, running powerful and constant through me.

Let’s start at the beginning. I am 24 years old and proudly Hawaiian-born. I come from a long line of watermen and waterwomen. My grandfather Hoyle Schweitzer was an avid Malibu surfer in the 50’s and met my grandmother Diane through bodysurfing. They eventually turned their passion into success when he invented the sport of windsurfing and drove its growth through all the ups and downs. 

My father is a five-time World Champion and holds 18 world titles in windsurfing so you can only imagine the “catch up” I have had to do to be sitting at age 24 with 15 world titles. I still have to collect a few more to catch him. My mother was a nationally ranked women’s windsurfing champion. They met while competing and traveled the world together for the sport they loved. Throughout their lives they have connected me and my siblings to both the ocean and to my roots. 

My parents noticed early on that I had the passion to be one of the best watermen in the world. They had the confidence in me to believe that I could take a path similar to theirs if I applied everything toward that goal. Following in my parents’ footsteps, I knew that if I trained hard and made the correct choices I could pursue my dreams as a professional waterman. I could travel the world just as my grandfather and father had done before me.