As high schoolers, brothers Wade and Kerry Tokoro had a profound passion for surfing. On the east side of Oahu in Kahalu’u, Kaneohe, brothers Wade and Kerry Tokoro started up the Tokoro business in 1985. Working alongside each other, Wade and Kerry have been shaping boards for the business, along with Kerry’s wife Yukiko, who is in charge of the painting and customer service aspects, and Gen Asano, who assists in glassing and shaping the boards.
With money being hard to come by, they opened up the shop right outside their home, with the intention being making boards solely for themselves and those around them.“We just thought, we just do it as a hobby,” said Kerry Tokoro. “We love building boards, and just trying to make surfboards perform really good. Fast and loose, and just was enjoyable. Making boards for people.”
With their hobby of board shaping transforming into a business, the shop being right outside the comfort of their home allowed for easy access to switching between work and family life. Through customer testimonials, and employee feedback, Tokoro’s influence on the surfing world is greatly noticed. Living in Hawaii, even as a non-surfer, the Tokoro name is seen at the beach, in surf shops, and even on random uncles you pass on the street.
When two people wearing Tokoro shirts notice each other, they immediately strike up a conversation, bonding over the familiar brand. What’s different about the Tokoros is the personable relationships they build with their customers. In the common business setting, owners don’t think twice about getting to know their customers, and building relationships with them in order to provide them with a product that best fits their needs. It is strictly a matter of ‘tell me what you want, and I’ll get it to you’. However, a strong belief between everyone that works at Tokoro is to make their customers enjoy surfing just as much as they do. Surfing has touched each of them in one way or another, which is why they began creating boards in the first place. They want to share the freeing and cleansing experience of surfing with the rest of the world, and they do so by creating these boards.
“Others, they might just take, say, ‘What do you want?’” said Kevin Nagatani, a customer. “Like what dimensions you want, and make it for you and that’s it. Whereas Wade and Kerry, they’ll—I mean, I know them personally, too, so they know how I am. Where I surf, and whatnot, and they’ll make suggestions if something doesn’t seem right.”
By not having a target audience, and shaping boards for anyone and everyone, Tokoro opens up an opportunity for surfing to become a part of everyone’s lives. Beginner or professional, they have a board for you.
Being that Wade Tokoro is still in the process of recovering from a surfing accident in 2023, Kerry Tokoro was able to provide some knowledge, and speak about the Tokoro business. Tokoro grew from the brothers’ love for surfing, and with money being hard to come by, it left them with no other choice but to build their own boards. From then, they began constructing boards not only for themselves, but for their friends as well. As their simple passion grew into a functioning business, Tokoro now exists as a surfboard manufacturing company, operating for what will be celebrated as 40 years next year. Kerry explained that when they first started out, they didn’t expect it to turn into a running business.
In the beginning, Tokoro didn’t really advertise or market their company to the public, so their customers were all through word of mouth. Another thing that makes Tokoro special. They aren’t about the money, or seeing how well they can do in the business realm, but instead are just here to share what they love. As a company, Tokoro’s mission was, and still is, to make high quality surfboards with value, and simply make people happy. Yukiko Tokoro, Kerry’s wife, explained how surfing to her acts as a cure for the day’s troubles. Being in the ocean almost transforms her, leaving her a better person when she exits the water, then when she enters.
“They’re already stressed at work and all they have to do in life,” Kerry said. “And when they go surfing, they just… It’s a release.”
Kerry explained that regardless of the heavy amount of work and effort this business consists of, he and his brother Wade have never once regretted opening up this business. Their love for surfing, and for creating the product in which they use to surf, has kept their love for what they do not only strong, but consistent. One would assume that as brothers, they would have butted heads at least once or twice throughout their career, but Kerry proved otherwise.
“A famous old time shaper told me, our situation is so unique, because we have two guys, bouncing ideas off each other,” Kerry added with a chuckle. “So we could grow that much faster than a single person.”
When questioned on what aspects of their business customers tend to like, Kerry mentioned the fact that they’re very accommodating and personable with their customers. People also tend to like the different models and opportunities they provide when it comes to shaping and designing their own boards.
The increase and advancements in technology have greatly impacted and altered the way they shape boards. Kerry explained how it’s definitely a lot less labor with the machines doing the shaping for them; although, it still takes about the same amount of time when it comes to designing and cutting the boards. However, he finds the use of machines to be more consistent, compared to them doing everything by hand. Yet, even with the precision of the machines, no two boards are ever the same.
Gen Asano, who has been working with Tokoro for the past 10 years, got into shaping and creating boards when he was 17 years old, as his love for surfing was hindered by the fact that money was hard to come by. Since he couldn’t afford to buy surfboards, Asano Gen decided to gather all the materials and make it himself.
“I started just, shaping my first board on the lanai, and, glassed under a tree and cut out the outline with a steak knife,” Asano said. “I just tried to find all the tools I could.” – Gen Asano
Getting into the surfboard business wasn’t something Asano always planned to do. Although people would tell him it was a field he shouldn’t get into, from the moment he shaped his first board, he was hooked. Asano expressed his love for working with Tokoro, and feels that the environment he is surrounded by is constantly motivated and filled with positivity.
“Surfing is one of the funest things you would experience,” said Asano. “And once you get on your first wave, you get hooked.”
Not only are the employees at Tokoro great surfers themselves, but they also frequently surf with the customers they make boards for. Doing so not only allows their relationships to grow, but also provides Tokoro with a better understanding on what works and doesn’t work, and gives them instant feedback on the products they create. It allows them to see their creation first hand, gather feedback, and also see how they’ve impacted the lives of their customers: providing them with a product that allows them to include surfing in their life. Customers have expressed their gratitude and appreciation for the Tokoro’s, and the wonderful job they do on each and every board they create. The love and care that goes into each board is reflected in the finished products, and radiates throughout the workplace itself.
Tokoro continues to thrive as a business, welcoming anyone and everyone that is willing to give surfing a try. They are beyond appreciative of all who have supported them throughout their career, and will continue to increase the love for surfing in the world. Tokoro encourages the idea of surfing — despite its challenges — and insists that it is something everyone must try at least once in their lives.
“For customers, I wanna say thank you for the support,” said Yukiko. “And surfing to me… being in the ocean makes you a better person. Whenever I come in, after surf, I’m a better person.”
