Ezekiel Lau is a proud native Hawaiian who honed his wave-riding craft in Honolulu, the very cradle of the surfing lifestyle. He exudes the spirit of ancient surfing royalty despite being raised in a family of stick-and-ball studs. His father, Leonard Lau, played football at the University of Hawaii before becoming a prominent high school coach.
When Zeke decided early on that surfing was his thing, Leonard instilled him with the discipline and structure he’d need to succeed. From the age of 10, Lau was an early standout along with his world-class group of peers like John John Florence, Keanu Asing, and Carissa Moore. But his road to the Championship Tour was a long and bumpy one by comparison.
In 2011, the same year Florence qualified, Lau finished 115 on the Qualifying Series. Over the next five years, Lau would flare brightly in the competitive arena, winning big events at home in Hawaii for example, but the fire never took. Eventually, in 2017, the Hawaiian reached his lifelong ambition of making surfing’s top tier, the CT. The 27-year-old had three consecutive years surfing against the world’s best, before being relegated at the end of 2019.
The pandemic then postponed his attempt at his return. He spent the year away from competition increasing his already extensive knowledge of the ancient Hawaiian traditions, while also working harder than ever on his explosive surfing talent.
The competitive fire still burns strong in Zeke, and of all the Ultimate Surfer cast, he has had the most elite level experience and success. As ever he’ll try to let his surfing do the talking, but make no mistake, few will be trying to win as much as the Hawaiian.