Derek Ho dead at 55: Surfing mourns death of Hawaiian world champion

Derek Ho at the World Masters Championships. Photo / Getty Images.

He might have surfed the world's most famous wave more often than anyone in history – and even as a 55-year-old Derek Ho was still capable of showing up everyone else in the line-up at Pipeline.

Hawaii – and the entire surfing world – is in mourning today after the death of the 1993 world champion known to all on the North Shore of Oahu as "Uncle Derek".

He died on Friday after suffering a heart attack early last week.

"It's horribly sad to learn of the passing of Derek Ho. A four-time Triple Crown Winner, a two-time Pipe Master and the winner of the 1993 World Title, Derek left an indelible mark on the international surfing world and has been a pillar of the North Shore community for five decades," the World Surf League said in a statement. "Our hearts are with his loved ones. He will be missed. He will be remembered."

Derek Ho's still got it, here he is just a few days ago at Pipeline 🔥
Video: Jason Shibata pic.twitter.com/IJhIzdHJIU

— World Surf League (@wsl) November 1, 2019

Ho established himself as a local legend by winning the prestigious Triple Crown of Surfing in 1984, 1986, 1988 and 1990.

"Derek's most memorable moment at Pipe occurred in 1986, when he pulled into an eight-second tube that spit twice on him," reads the Triple Crown website. "He set the bar for extraordinary Pipe surfing. If you ask young Hawaiian pro surfers how they want to win the Pipe Masters and Triple Crown of surfing they'll say: 'Like Uncle Derek did in '86.'"

He sealed his status as an all-timer by becoming Hawaii's first world champion at age 29 when many thought he was done.

Ho edged a trio of Australians – Gary Elkerton, Dave Macaulay and Damien Hardman – to the title in 1993. Kelly Slater, who was balancing his surfing commitments with Baywatch, finished fifth.

He won Pipe that year too and it was his playground. Jamie O'Brien, another specialist at the iconic barrelling reef break, rated Ho in the best three Pipe surfers of all-time alongside Gerry Lopez and Rory Russel.

"Derek ruled the 80's — actually, he's still ruling today," O'Brien wrote last year. "He's probably surfed out there more than anybody on the planet. He knows the wave better than anyone in the world and with that being said, he's a style master and he just goes for it. Derek is a living legend."

The technical ability and familiarity with the wave needed to make a drop like this is case in point of Ho's expertise.

How Derek Ho survived this one at Pipe will forever be a mystery. 👏
Video: Michael Veltman pic.twitter.com/ET1AVUPCKF

— World Surf League (@wsl) May 5, 2020

The Ho family is royalty in Hawaii. Derek followed his brother Michael into the sport and is the uncle of Coco and Mason, who both surfed on the world tour.

He is survived by his wife Tanya, son Makoa and daughter Kianaho.