Kelia Moniz is a two-time world longboard champion, entrepreneur, and mother; a woman whose roots run as deep as the traditions she holds dear. She has been part of the HIE story from the very beginning.
She carries a quiet power that is as much about who she is off the waves as on them.
In this conversation, we talked to Kelia about the bracelet her mother passed down to her at 16, her earliest memory of the Hawaiian heirloom bangle, why it is so much more than gold, and more.
Q&A With Kelia Moniz
What does the Hawaiian bracelet mean to you?
When I was born, my dad gifted my mom with a bracelet with my name on it, and I always admired it. My mom didn't have too much jewelry growing up, that was her only real piece. And she always told me, "When you're 16, you get this bracelet." And I remember, always looking forward to my 16th birthday, like, hurry, because I knew that I was going to get this piece of jewelry that was so special to her. It's just this meaning of legacy. And also just my mom.
What is your earliest memory of the Hawaiian bracelet?
My earliest memory of a Hawaiian bracelet was definitely my mom's jingle. She had one for me and then one for my brother, and we could always hear her walking down the hallway. We always knew when she was making rice, we would always hear her. That's my earliest memory. It's not necessarily the bracelet, but it was the noise.
Can you tell us about your personal bracelets?
I received my first Hawaiian bracelet on my 16th birthday, and I knew what my present was going to be. I was waiting for this present my whole life…She gave it to me and she engraved on the back of it, and it was so special. And it's something that will be my most cherished possession forever.
When I received my bracelet from my mom, it was like a piece of my mom that I got to keep.
Now I have a couple of bracelets, and these are just so, so special to me. This was the first HIE bracelet that I was gifted by my family and very close friends. It's a custom piece. This is my daughter's name, Lava. I even told the HIE girls, I said, "I don't know if I'll be able to give this to her when she's 16, so I might have to make another one because I just love it so much." It's so special. And I think because it's my first one, it is very dear to my heart.
This one I love, I feel like it kind of adds to my little stack. It's the thin 1881. And this is with my daughter's middle name on it. Before she was born, I had thought of the name Lava, and I thought it was really strong and powerful. I love that it represents growth and strength. So, I had one of my dear friends, Ola, give her a Hawaiian name, Kauola Kekawowoā, and it basically means, like, putting life into everything you do. Because with lava, there's the beautiful life-giving part. It creates this land that we live on, and it's strong and powerful, but there's also the destructive part of it. This Hawaiian name balances out the strength and just with life. So leading with everything she does with life. So I really wanted to put this name on a bracelet because it's a powerful name, and I'll probably give her this one!
Who inspires you?
I have so many women in my life that inspire me, and if we start with my mom, my mother-in-law, my grandma, my great-grandma…I'm so blessed with so many beautiful, powerful, strong women who have shared so much about this really difficult world we live in and have shared with me so much love and values that, you know, like this bracelet, will last forever.
What is your life motto?
My life motto recently has been “time is money.” I love having time for my kids. I love having time for the ocean, the beach, to just be home and enjoy the most simple parts of life.
I think just having children and realizing what you're capable of as a human—to birth them, have them, keep them alive—I think it inspires me every day when I wake up. And I have to just nurture human beings and keep them alive and happy. It's a big feat every day. When I put them to sleep, I'm like, okay, another day we did this, and they're happy and healthy.
I think being a mom has been a huge achievement so far. And I know I have a long way to go, but so far I've learned so much, and it's taught me things about life that I never knew.
What is your superpower?
Oh, my superpower…I would say I love having people around. I can handle a lot. I love bringing people together. I love people. I consider that a superpower.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
HIE is so special because both Meleana and Noël pride themselves on sharing this tradition that they love so much from their grandmothers. It's not just about the gold or a jewelry piece. It's a legacy that they hold so dearly from their grandparents, to now themselves, and their children, and the generations after.
So this is something that has so much meaning, and that will last the test of time, and that I hope my great-great-grandkids have it one day, and they're able to share stories of what the meaning is for them.
