By SALLY HO
Associated Press
The first Olympic gold medalist for surfing, Carissa Moore, is the only Native Hawaiian surfer at the Games.
Her legacy has now become that of modern surfing godfather Duke Kahanamoku's realized dream. She's at once the symbol of the sport's very best and also a validating force for an Indigenous community that still struggles with its complex history.
Some Native Hawaiians say her win is a reclaiming of the sport for a community that may never reconcile its dispossession.
With this new global platform, Moore says she is proud of what she represents and wants to spread positivity and love as her idol did.