Staying with the Flow: An Interview with F-One Athlete and water sports luminary, Moona Whyte.
Featured in Session Magazine, author and interviewer Evelyn O’Doherty delves into the modest reflections of F-One athlete Moona Whyte. Throughout their conversation, Moona expresses her profound love for kiteboarding and wing foiling, narrating her journey towards discovering her passion, and reflecting on her role in advocating for and representing women in the water sports industry. Read more below, and be sure to explore Session Mag, “A magazine for water lovers — make every Session count.”
“Twenty-nine year old Moona Whyte of Haleiwa, Hawaii has dominated the world tour for kiting with 3X world championships in 2013, 2014 and 2017 and a Vice World Championship in 2015. In recent years, Moona has made the crossover into wingfoiling and, although admits to some challenges up front, she took the world (and herself) by surprise in 2023 by winning the Wingfoil Wave World Championship, thus securing her place in a whole new watersports discipline. Moona’s love of the ocean earned her a coveted Patagonia ambassadorship for kiting and her commitment to excellence and joy of sport makes her an inspiration for young riders across the globe.”
SESSION: “You are a 3X Kite- surf World Champion and dominated the field for many years. Tell us about your transition to wing foiling. What were your greatest challenges?”
MOONA: “I’ve been kiting for fifteen years and started wing foiling about four years ago. It was actually frustrating getting into winging because it took me a while to become proficient at getting up on a small board, At home, where I was learning, the wind is a bit gusty and on the lighter side, so it took me a while. People who are still in the learning stage of winging tell me how hard it is to learn and I say, “I was right there too, don’t give up!”
I did have a background of foiling and kiting which helped a lot for knowing the wind direction and understanding how to pump on the foil, but I would say it’s completely different from kiting! Being on foil, the balance is almost the opposite of kiting. Also, holding the wing in your hands versus having a bar and lines was all new. But once you figure it out, it is like riding a bike. Wing foiling is also more accessible than kiting because there are more places you can wing, so it’s opened up new spots and I’ve had a lot of fun with it when the waves aren’t very good for anything else.”
SESSION: “Tell us about your relationship to the water: What caused you to become a competitive water athlete?”
MOONA: “I grew up on the beach so I’ve always been comfortable in the water. And everyone in Hawaii learns to surf at a young age. So I knew how but I actually wasn’t that into surfing and water sports until my dad decided to teach me how to kite when I was fourteen at Mokuleia Beach Park on Oahu where I grew up. We had a great spot with waves that I would kite at everyday after school and I became obsessed with it.
There were also some pro kiters at my home spot who I saw doing photoshoots and going to competitions. When I was eighteen there was a world tour event in Hawaii that I entered which was my stepping stone into the competitive world. I ended up winning that event. I was hooked and set out to do the tour after that. My favorite moments have been finding hidden gems (towns, waves, people) all around the world, learning from the ocean, and being blown away by mama earth.”
SESSION: “What do you enjoy doing when not out on the water?”
MOONA: “I studied graphic design in college and have always loved all types of art, so I enjoy doing that in some of my spare time.”
SESSION: “If you could title your memoir or biography right now, what would you call it?”
MOONA: “Going With the Flow.”
SESSION: “What is something you need to do, but haven’t yet, because it scares you a little?”
MOONA: “Using my platform more to speak out on important issues.”
SESSION: “What motivates you the most right now?”
MOONA: “Seeing people living their most authentic lives.”
SESSION: “If you could leave some words of wisdom for the next generation of water athletes who wish they could be where you are today, what would you tell them?”
MOONA: “Life is short. Chase your dreams and don’t forget to have fun while doing it! It’s a tough industry to make it in, but worth it if you love what you do. Try as many different watersports as you can. It keeps things exciting and your new skills will translate into everything else you do.”
