NORTHERN LIGHTS: THE LOCAL GIRLS

By Christina Scannapiego

If anything were to go down on the North Shore, Taira Barron and Alana Mock just wouldn’t be messed with. These are the girls who whose families have been here forever, who are simply part of the country and always will be—they’re the quintessential Hawaiian girls. If you’ve ever seen North Shore, Taira’s the real life Kiani. In fact, on your way to Goat Island, you can see the stables where she rides horses. Her dad’s a well-known North Shore shaper and her entire family is comprised of respected surfers. In the water, Taira rips without even trying.

Similarly, you’ll spot Alana in the ocean on any given day—in fact, you’ll see Alana everywhere on any given day. She’s just one of those familiar faces on the North Shore that everyone knows as she’s running from the beach to school to her dinner shift at Lei Lei’s. “Everybody knows everybody,” she says of her community. “Actually, you have to be careful who you date! Over here, families are so big, you’re bound to be related somehow.” And even though Alana’s thinking about transplanting to the mainland for a little while, the North Shore will always be home for her. “I love it because it’s the country, away from everything. Growing up in that, going to Waikiki was shocking,” she says. “The North Shore has a different mindset. It’s mellow and people have the Aloha spirit. I’d rather be in the country than anywhere else.”