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Tammy Moniz sat in the line-up at Secrets, watching the clouds tiptoe past and listening to the wind whisper in her ear. As she peered over the breaking waves, a sudden feeling came over her, and she exhaled a breath of pure satisfaction. It was not the long rights or the perfect weather that left her with that feeling of awe. What astounded her was watching and reflecting upon what had helped to make Tammy the woman she is today – her family.
The Hawai'i Kai mother of five watched as her husband and children made their way out to the break. Each paddled their own surfboards out before greeting her with , “Hi, Mama!” This was the first time that her entire family had the opportunity to surf together. This was a dream that both Tammy and her husband, former professional surfer Tony Moniz, had shared.
“I was, like, ‘oh my gosh, it's happening!'” Tammy Moniz, 43, exclaimed. “We always had a baby on the beach, and the family was never really completely all together. It was just amazing!”
Having a child almost every year for six consecutive years had become somewhat the norm for Tammy and Tony Moniz, now living in Kuliou'ou. Their children now range in ages from 10 to 16 years old, but she still recalls the earlier days, relating a typical beach day to a family camping trip.
“We'd take them to the beach with a double-stroller, diaper bags, cooler and lunch,” she explained. “It was a lot of work, especially having at least two or three kids in diapers all the time, but I loved having babies.”
In fact, Tammy Moniz enjoyed being a mother so much, that when their youngest son Seth reached the age of two, she and her husband decided to become foster parents. The family opened their home and took on this responsibility for the next five years. It was an experience that Tammy calls a “blessing” because of how it drew their family together.
The couple soon felt that it was time for their own children to get a turn at having their parents' undivided attention and affection.
“We wanted to put in our hearts and give our own kids one-hundred percent of our love,” she remarked.
Tammy and Tony Moniz focused on helping their children to excel in surfing, which continues to be a major part of Moniz family life. For years, they devoted weekends (and some weekdays) to the sport, taking the children to their home break at Queens Beach in Waikiki.
Soon enough, the Moniz offspring proved that surfing truly does run in their blood. Billabong recently sponsored the four Moniz sons – Micah, 16; Isaiah, 13; Joshua, 11; and Seth, 10. Roxy picked up sponsorship of their daughter, 15-year old Kelia.
The children represent their family name throughout the world, as well as around the state. Each child is currently a regular competitor in the National Scholastic Surfing Association. Most recently, Kelia traveled to France and Mexico to compete.
Like any proud mother, Tammy Moniz found herself sitting in awe, yet again, while in Mexico. She watched her daughter from the shore, as Kelia surfed the foreign oceans for the first time.
“I feel super-lucky to have all this support,” Kelia Moniz remarked. “But it's especially nice to have my mom there!”
Also, like any mother, Tammy Moniz strives to teach her children the importance of being appreciative. She and her husband pay for their children's contest entry fees, which often cost over $200.00 per competition.
“I don't want them to think that things come easy, because they have got to earn their right to compete too,” she explained. “It just makes them want to fight for the win even more.”
The Moniz family shares not only the waves, but hours of learning-time at home, as well. The children have been home-schooled by their mother since the age of five. This was a choice that fit in well with their surfing schedules.
“For us, it just works better this way. If there's a contest coming up, then I can still make sure they get all their work done before they go,”she explained. “But my role at home is to help them with their work as much as I can.”
Her children are currently attending the Elite Element Academy, a local non-profit charter school, in which students take online coursework. They each received laptop computers from the school in order to help them with their studies.
When Tammy is not busily taking her children surfing or helping them with their homework, you can find her working full-time at the family's surf school at the Waikiki Beach Marriott. The Faith Surf School, operated by Tammy and her husband, was created according to Tony's entrepreneurial vision five years ago.
“I told him to just ‘go for it,'” she said. “And now we love every minute of it, because we can teach others what we enjoy doing the most!”
Tammy Moniz, who has also surfed for over 20 years, says that she especially enjoyed watching her husband compete in contests such as the Pipeline Masters, years ago.
“I've watched my husband surf there, and now my sons are surfing there,” she remarked. “It's like everything is coming full-circle for our family.”
According to her daughter, none of their accomplishments would have been possible if it were not for their mother.
“She does everything for us,” Kelia Moniz explained. “It's definitely more than what a normal mom does…”